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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Trees Take A Beating In Ice Storm


Downed branches along Charlotte Street
Bent tree in King Square
Downed tree branches in King Square on Charlotte Street
Broken branches off trees in King Square
Downed tree branch on Kilburn Avenue in East Saint John

Fatal Crash Near Salisbury

A collision between a car and a transport truck has killed two people on Highway 2 near Salisbury.
 

The two, an 81-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman from Sackville, were in the car.
 

The RCMP believe poor road and weather conditions caused the crash to take place.

City Police responding to a three vehicle collision on Westmorland Road by Frenchy's Clothing store which happened around 10:30 this morning.

Power Outage Update

Power lines and tree branches remain coated with ice. NB Power is reporting, as of early this evening, there are still more than 45 thousand customers without power provincewide including more than 18 thousand in the Rothesay region. This includes not only Rothesay but Grand Bay-Westfield, Quispamsis, Hampton, Nauwigewauk,  Titusville, the Kingston Peninsula and Bloomfield. NB Power estimates it could be 11:00 tonight or even midnight before electricity is restored. NB  Power crews have been called in from their Christmas vacations.

Warming centres have been set up at Rothesay-Netherwood in Heritage Hall and at the Quispamsis Civic Centre above fire station #2 on Civic Road along with the Brundage Point River Centre in Grand Bay-Westfield. The town of Hampton has opened up the Lighthouse River Centre as a warming centre where people can also fill jugs with water and charge their cellphones if need be. 

The Church of the Resurrection in Grand Bay-Westfield says it will hold its 4:30 service by candlelight this afternoon despite having no power but its service tonight at 9:30 is cancelled.

Saint John Energy is now reporting power outages on the Westfield Road to Ketepec and surrounding area, Wasson Court, Ray Street, Beach Road, Balmoral Crescent, Green Head Road, Dominion Park Road and area, Lorneville and area, Golden Grove Road, and Upper Golden Grove Road.

There are almost 11 thousand homes and businesses in the dark in the St. Stephen region. This includes as well as St. Stephen, Blacks Harbour, Dipper Harbour, Bayside, St. George, Lepreau, Harvey Station, Harvey, Letang, Bethel, McAdam, Bonny River, Old Ridge, St. Andrews, Pennfield, Musquash, Utopia, Oak Bay and Tower Hill. It could be late tonight or tomorrow morning before the power is back on.


Warming stations have been set up at the Civic Centre in St. George and the D-F-O Biological Station in St. Andrews.

More than 6 thousand customers are without electricity in the Sussex area with NB Power estimating it will be late tonight before they get their service restored and more than 69 hundred in Fredericton.
 

NB Power tweeting to its customers that it hopes to have power restored by late tonight or Christmas day but warns some people won't have electricity for four days.

2014 Operating Budget Passed

The 2014 operating budget has officially received the green light from Common Council.

According to City Manager Pat Woods, the budget allows for better roads, improved recreation, a completed North End Community Center, and greater economic growth. Councillor Susan Fullerton, however, was the only dissenting vote: when asked why she voted against passing the budget, she would only say there wasn't sufficient time to go over it thoroughly and there were some items in it she would have liked to see changed.

Mayor Mel Norton also tells CHSJ News council is also putting departments and agencies on notice that future spending will be capped at 2014 levels so that the city can focus on its priorities.
 

The agencies effected by the cap will include police and fire, but other city departments will also be reviewed.