Linked Header

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Pike Gets Over Two Years For Crash

20 year old Nicholas Pike sentenced to two and a half years in a federal penitentiary for his involvement in the death of 15 year old Kylee Wallace.

Pike earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in a crash back in June of last year. He was driving a car with five teenage passengers, none of whom were wearing seat belts, when it rolled over a steep embankment on Hillcrest Road.

Kyle Wallace died after being thrown from the back of the car and getting pinned underneath the vehicle.

Reports say the minimum speed the vehicle was going when it left the road was 80 kilometers an hour, despite a speed limit of 50. The judge says Pike was driving in complete disregard of the weather conditions, which were wet and foggy.

MLA's Apologize For Suggesting Seperate Languages Are Too Costly

Both Saint John East MLA Glen Tait and Petticodiac MLA Sherry Wilson getting out the apology stationary for comments made during a meeting last week with the Official Languages Commissioner.

The MLA's apologizing in a joint statement for suggesting that separate English and French services were becoming too much of a financial burden.

The letter also apologizes to Premier David Alward as he openly disagreed with their statements.

A call was made by CHSJ News for comment from either Tait or Wilson but a Tory spokesperson said they would not be speaking to the media.

New ACOA Minister Visits In Town

The new ACOA Minister Bernard Valcourt in Saint John to hear the concerns of local business owners.  Valcourt is newly elected to the federal government after serving in the Mulroney cabinet in the 80's.  He says the concerns heard up north are the same around here, which includes the loss of skilled youth from the province.

In response to a CHSJ News question, Valcourt says he will support his colleague Rodney Weston in his efforts to find federal funding for safe drinking water.

City Pursues 3P Money For Clean Water

Council signing off on a submission to try to obtain public-private partnership funding for their 172 million dollar water treatment facility.

Mayor Ivan Court says the city will pursue all funding options.

He add if 3P funding does come through, which would only pay for 25 percent of the costs, he says Saint John will always own their own water and the plant will be operated by Saint John Water employees.

The city, MP Rodney Weston, and MLA’s will also be meeting every month to move things forward as all three levels have agreed to make clean drinking water the city’s top priority.

Councillors Look Into Eliminating Several Council Seats

As the city looks for every way to save money, council is turning the microscope on itself in order to save cash.

Council will be looking into slashing down the number of councillors around the horseshoe by as many as four, which would leave six councillors and the mayor.

Councillor Chris Titus making the proposal and he says if four seats were cut, that would easily save over half a million dollars in the course of a single mandate.

Council will look into the finer details in the coming weeks, such as how many council seats to cut or whether to get rid of the at-large positions.

New Gear Will Reduce Benezene In Gasoline

After 2 years of work and half a million man-hours, a new piece of gear is now operational at Irving Oil Refinery that will reduce benzene in gasoline.

The unit will make the gas compliant with new U.S. regulations.

The dehexanizer is 20 stories high and cost 100-million dollars.

North End Stabbing Sends Two To Hospital

City police arresting a man in his 30's after a supper-hour stabbing in the North end.

Police getting the call around 6:30 last night and the incident sending two men to hospital with injuries.
They were both treated and released.

The man arrested will be before a judge this morning.

Pike Sentencing Comes Down Today

20 year old Nicholas Pike will be sentenced today for his involvement in the death of 15 year old Kylee Wallace.     Wallace was killed last June when a car driven by Pike and filled with teens went rolling over a steep embankment on Hillcrest Road.

Wallace was ejected from the vehicle and got pinned beneath it.
Pike has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
He also faces a charge of impaired driving causing death but has yet to enter a plea.

Nearly Four Hours And No Decision From Council On New Pit

Despite nearly 4 hours of talk in council chambers over a proposed gravel pit near Latimore Lake Road, council deciding to put themselves rather than the issue to bed.
Council deciding to table the issue for two weeks in order to clarify certain parts of the proposal and will make a decision at the next meeting.

Odette McGrath of Lackie Road was one of several people who spoke out against the development. She tells CHSJ News she can't believe a final decision was not made.
She says they attended a community meeting and stayed past 11:30pm last night and the elderly members of her community can't sit that long.
She says even if the decision didn't go in her favour, she would have rather known now then wait another two weeks for a final answer.

West Side Group Dislikes NB Power's Plan For The Bay

NB Power's plans to build a transmission line along the Bay of Fundy Coastline on the city's west side is being met some resistance.
Residents living along coast say the power lines will ruin the view, cause noise, and devalue their property.
Wendy Cyr is with Save the West Side Coastline and she says a lot of people will be affected by project.   She says these power lines will border their 60 homes on the west side directly and hundreds more indirectly.

The lines are being built in order to power the metal shredding facility being built at the port.  The community group asking council for help in the matter but they refused to comment on the matter until it's determined who owns the land the lines are being built on: the city or NB Power.