Pictou County District RCMP have charged two men and arrested another in connection with the theft of copper in Sutherlands River.  On April 16th, police responded to a break-in at a vacant building on School Rd. and when they arrived they found three men inside the building. There were a number of copper pipes sticking out of a ground floor window. Police arrested the three men at the scene and seized a reciprocating saw.

Forty year-old Jonathan Lloyd Langille of Stellarton has been charged with the following offences:

• Break and Enter with Intent;
• Possession of Break-In Instrument;
• Mischief in Relation to Property;
• Theft Under $ 5,000;
• Possession of Stolen Property.

Langille was remanded into custody and will appear in Pictou Provincial Court on April 27, 2022 at 3 p.m.

Thirty-two year-old Benjamin Ryan Wallace of Thorburn has been charged with the following offences:

• Break and Enter with Intent;
• Possession of Break-In Instrument;
• Mischief in Relation to Property;
• Theft Under $ 5,000.

Wallace appeared before a Justice and was released on conditions. He will appear in Pictou Provincial Court on July 25, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.

The third man, a 26-year-old from Westville was later released on conditions and will be facing charges of:

• Break and Enter with Intent;
• Possession of Break-In Instrument;
• Mischief in Relation to Property;
• Theft Under $ 5,000.

He will appear in Pictou Provincial Court on July 25, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.

 

Many knew of N.S. killer’s replica RCMP patrol car but didn’t report to police

Commission counsel Roger Burrill presents information at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on Monday, April 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The public inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting has been told many people knew the killer had meticulously recreated an RCMP patrol car — but there is no evidence anyone reported it to police before he went on his rampage.  Commission lawyer Amanda Byrd presented a summary Monday showing that several people had seen the fully marked car before the gunman went on his rampage — including his wife, her relatives, their neighbours and friends.  The summary says several of the wife’s relatives asked if it was legal to have such a vehicle and were told by the gunman that he had checked with authorities.  They were also told he was planning to use the vehicle in parades, rent it to movie productions or transform it into a memorial for fallen RCMP members. (The Canadian Press)

 

Government calls inquiry into use of Emergencies Act

Photo credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

The federal government is defending the use of the Emergencies Act to end blockades at border crossings and in Ottawa earlier this year.  The minority Liberal government has announced an independent public inquiry to investigate its use.  The temporary powers meant protesters and their supporters could face fines up to five-thousand dollars or five years in prison.

 

Ukraine’s war with Russia will be top of mind Tuesday when Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly meets with U.S. counterpart

Ukraine’s war with Russia will be top of mind Tuesday when Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly meets by video link with her U.S. counterpart.  Joly and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss the ongoing multilateral effort to push back against Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Word of the meeting came shortly after Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person in Kyiv with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  Blinken says the global effort to support Ukraine _ involving more than 30 countries, including Canada _ is showing “real results,” which is more than can be said for Putin. He says Russia is failing in its effort to rob Ukraine of its sovereignty.  Later this week, Defence Minister Anita Anand will be in D.C. for her own set of in-person meetings with Austin at the Pentagon.  It will be Anand’s first official visit to the U.S. capital as defence minister. She’ll be joined by deputy minister Bill Matthews, Communications Security Establishment Chief Shelly Bruce and Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada’s chief of defence staff.  Anand and Austin are expected to address support for Ukraine, as well as modernizing Norad. Updating the bilateral aerospace defence system has taken on new urgency given Putin’s invasion.  Joly’s meeting with Blinken will “reaffirm Canada-U.S. co-operation on shared security priorities,” spokesperson Adrien Blanchard said in a statement. Those include “our support to Ukraine, co-operation with NATO allies and the global impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” (The Canadian Press)

The Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia has created the Ukrainian Nova Scotia Resettlement Fund to help Ukrainians and those charitable organizations who are helping Ukrainians come to Nova Scotia. The Foundation offers tax receipts for donations and ensures that they go directly to help a Ukrainian family coming to Nova Scotia.

 

Mattea Roach pushes Jeopardy! win streak to 15 games

Toronto-based tutor Mattea Roach held onto her now 15 game winning streak last night — the eighth longest in “Jeopardy!” history — putting her one win closer to ascending through the ranks of the quiz show’s all-time greats.  The 23-year-old, who grew up in Halifax, needs to secure 19 victories to tie with David Madden and Jason Zuffranieri on the list of most consecutive wins.  Roach has racked up US$352,781 heading into tonight’s episode, amounting to the 10th highest winnings of anyone in the show’s regular-season history.  She’s also earned a spot in the show’s Tournament of Champions, which is set to air in the fall.  Her cousin, Carol Baan, says Roach has also won the mantle of “Canada’s sweetheart” as she makes her country and her family in Nova Scotia proud with her smarts and on-air charm.  “Even up to the 14th game, she still kind of looks like that kid in the candy store that just can’t believe it herself,” Baan said by phone from Ingonish on Cape Breton ahead of Roach’s 15th episode Monday evening.  “People are really endeared to her … It’s just so nice to see somebody so genuine and comfortable and totally happy with her success.” (The Canadian Press)

 

Sports note:

The Maritime Junior Hockey League Canadian Tire Cup Final resumes tonight with Game #2 in Truro between the Bearcats and Summerside Western Capitals.  The Caps took Game 1 on Saturday night by a score of 4-0.