WEEKLY FILL-UP FEES HIGHER IN NEW BRUNSWICK, NOVA SCOTIA
PRICES LIKELY TO FOLLOW THAT TREND AT MIDNIGHT
New Brunswick fuel prices are higher again this week. Gas is up by 2.6 cents a litre in our neighbouring province and diesel costs 3 cents a litre more than last week. Nova Scotians can likely expect a similar trend tonight at midnight.
NEW COVID INFECTIONS UP IN NOVA SCOTIA
An increase in the daily caseload and a drop in the number of active COVID cases are making news this morning. There are 17 new cases, but more people declared recovered, for a total of 127 active coronavirus cases in the latest update. That’s a drop from the 142 listed a day earlier. Sixteen of the new cases are in Central Zone, including the case connected to St. Margaret’s Bay Elementary school. The other case is here in the Northern Zone and is related to travel outside the Atlantic Region.
NEW JOBS COMING TO TRURO AS FORMER CARPET PLANT GETS A BUYER
Some good economic news for our neighbours in Truro. The former carpet plant in the town that closed last year has been taken over by a logistics and distribution centre at cost of $5-million. Asante Logistic Group has announced it’s acquiring the huge facility, which covers more than 367,000 square feet. Asante says its business helps companies eliminate multiple points of contact. When the old carpet plant closed last year, more than 200 jobs disappeared with it. There’s no word yet on how many new jobs Asante plans to create, but neighbouring business operators say it’ll inject confidence to see the high-profile location back in use.
IVANKA TRUMP QUESTIONED OVER COURT CASE STEMMING FROM TRUMP INAUGURATION PARTY
When you throw a big party at one of your Dad’s hotels to celebrate his inauguration, it might raise some eyebrows if you overpay. Ivanka Trump has been deposed as a part of an ongoing lawsuit from the Washington D.C. attorney general. That lawsuit alleges the misuse of funds from Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee and the businesses overseeing Trump International Hotel in Washington back in January, claiming the non-profit inaugural committee coordinated with Trump family members to overpay for event space in a way that allowed the Trumps to pocket extra money off the taxpayers.
The New York Times is reporting that President Trump had discussed the possibility of issuing pardons for his children and son-in-law Jared Kushner before he leaves office. Trump pardoned his former national security advisor Michael Flynn last week. Flynn had pleaded guilty to federal crimes. Trump has also reportedly discussed the possibility of pardoning himself, with many top allies allegedly asking the president to preemptively issue them pardons as well. If Trump succeeds in pardoning himself, his immunity would apply only to federal crimes. (Greg Nash Photo)
COLCHESTER AND VALLEY RCMP LAY CHARGES
Colchester RCMP have charged a 37-year-old man with Assault with a Weapon and Uttering Threats. It stems from an incident on Tuesday afternoon of this week in South Branch, east of Stewiacke. Officers were called to a case of a man threatening another man at a workplace and then “shocking” him twice with a taser-style device. The suspect left the area, but police arrested a man later that evening without incident at a home in South Branch. There were no serious injuries in this incident. Joseph Brian Burke will face a judge in Truro on January 6th. RCMP are still trying to track down the weapon.
Kings County RCMP have arrested a Kentville man after a complex fraud investigation. It shows their suspect was using an online dating app to meet and defraud his victims, often using online banking. Police arrested 26-year-old Tyler Janz Fairrae almost two months ago and he’s slated to face a judge on December 22nd.
PANDEMIC HAS US LOVING OUR PETS
A new study from Narrative Research shows there has been a significant increase in pet ownership in Canada since the pandemic began back in the Spring. Results from polling conducted in early November confirm that of current pet owners, 18 per cent have taken in an extra animal since March. In Nova Scotia, that number only grew by five per cent, but pollsters say that’s likely because the pet ownership rate here was already quite high to begin with. (Bing Photo)
RAIN SETS RECORDS IN NB, BUT TEMPERATURES BREAK RECORDS LOCALLY THIS WEEK
The weather has been making headlines this week, with record rainfall causing flooding in parts of New Brunswick. And our neighbours in Truro set a new record high temperature on Tuesday that eclipsed the last record high for December 1st, with the new record now at 16.9 degrees. That record in Truro had stood since back in 1873. Also warm here in Pictou County, but the 15 degrees reported on our side of Mount Thom didn’t quite set a new record.
POLL SHOWS ATTITUDES TOWARD FEDERAL GOV’T AND COVID
Most people responding to a new poll believe the Trudeau government is making it up as it goes along, when it comes to the goal of getting most of us vaccinated by next September. That’s from polling done by Maru/Blue Canada.
The survey comes as the Liberal government faces down criticism of its vaccine procurement strategy. Questions in this poll were conducted over the weekend and on Monday, with 57 per cent of Canadians believing the government is doing “good enough” on getting a vaccine. It also finds that if something goes sideways with Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine process, just 23 per cent of Canadians would vote a different party into power. Thirty-two per cent would not, and 45 per cent said their decision would depend on things outside the vaccine process. Pollster John Wright says that suggests that people are being prudent, “they recognize that this is a task that is going to be variable. In other words, he says “They’re not politicizing it, they’re giving the government some latitude to make it happen.”
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NOVA SCOTIA EDUCATION OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE CASH FOR SCHOOL SYSTEM
Provincial Education Minister Zach Churchill has announced significant new investments in healthy food programs, math and literacy programs, personal protective equipment for staff and students, and other projects, including school ventilation systems.
The province will provide $4.1 million to pilot new online math and literacy programs to help students. Churchill says those will be accessible to students in class or at home. A number of other new school programs run from reading improvement to phonics.
Besides work on school ventilation systems, other key investments in this package include:
— $1.5 million to purchase additional PPE, including masks, hand sanitizer and other supplies, for students and staff
— $700,000 to support a transition to blended learning, if required, so schools can reorganize and relocate furniture and supplies within a short period of time, if that’s what the pandemic mandates.
NEW DONATIONS FOR INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AT ST F-X
Helping Indigenous Canadian students with education is the purpose of a new bursary established at St. Francis Xavier University by Graydon and Beth Nicholas of Fredericton. They’ve donated $210,000 to establish the Hatchette Nicholas Bursary Endowment at StFX to provide emergency funding for Indigenous Canadian students in need of immediate financial help. The bursary honours the memory of the late Rick Hatchette, part of the St-FC class of ’75, who was a brother of Beth Nicholas. The donation is matched by the Jeannine Deveau Educational Equity Foundation, doubling the endowment fund to $420,000. (St F-X Photo Credit)
