NEW GLASGOW POLICE LAY 11 CHARGES IN JUST 4 HOURS IN CRACKDOWN ON DRIVERS’ CELL PHONE USE

New Glasgow Regional Police weren’t kidding when they warned us every day this week that they were cracking down on distracted driving.  As proof, during a 4-hour period yesterday, they ended up charging 11 people. 

• 7 of those were for cell phone use in a vehicle
• 1 ticket goes to a local driver on the road with no insurance,
• 1 ticket for expired registration,
• And 2 additional tickets for people not wearing their seat belts.

Constable Ken MacDonald says with more than half a dozen people caught using their cell phone behind the wheel during those 4 hours, that’s considered “very high. “  He says “If you have, to make a call, text or use social media while driving, make sure you pull over to do it safely.“

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents causing serious injury and or death throughout this province. 72 percent of Nova Scotians consider distracted driving to be a serious safety problem.  

New Glasgow Police say they’ll continue to crack down on it, in a move to keep drivers and pedestrians safe. (Bing Images)

 

 

GAS PRICES UP…..DIESEL IS DOWN THIS WEEK

Nova Scotia gas prices are up slightly, by 1.6 cents per litre.  Your best price for regular self-serve is now $113.3.  Diesel has dropped by six-tenths of a cent, to $107.2 per litre.

 

A 57-year-old Pictou County man will never be allowed to own a pet again.  David Oakley of Sylvester has been sentenced for animal cruelty in a widely publicized case from February 2019.  Oakley was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada.  The SPCA says those charges include killing, maiming, wounding or injuring a dog and willfully causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal.  Oakley is facing a lifetime ban on owning animals and a 21-month conditional sentence.  At least 12 of those 21 months will be spent under house arrest.

 

A new task force will explore how technology can create better outcomes in Nova Scotia courts. The Justice Department and provincial judges are leading the group to try to digitally transform the provincial court system.  Government says the ten-member task force will be co-chaired by Michael J. Wood, Nova Scotia’s Chief Justice, and Candace L. Thomas, who is our deputy attorney general, and will be supported by an independent digital consultant.

 

There are no new COVID-19 cases reported in the latest provincial update. Public Health says there are 11 active cases remaining in the province, with one person being treated in hospital.  The Premier and Doctor Robert Strang have their usual Friday news conference scheduled on the spread of coronavirus early this afternoon. (1 pm)

 

A group of doctors across the province is urging all of us to avoid stigmatizing people with COVID-19,  because it says doing that could scare people away from being tested.  The group of seven physicians and one medical resident have released a letter warning about the harms of “othering” people during the pandemic. The letter says efforts to encourage residents to get tested can be hampered by fears of judgment and discrimination, which the doctors say can interfere with contact-tracing, allowing the infection rate to grow much worse.

 

The health department is asking for help in locating a 29-year-old man who is missing from a Dartmouth hospital.  Issak Mohamed is described as an Arabic man, 5’10” and 155 pounds, with brown eyes and short curly brown hair. He wears glasses and was last seen wearing a white shirt, black pants, black jacket, white shoes, and a black knit hat.  His medical team is worried he’s staying away from his required treatments too long. We’ve posted his photo above, and if you see him, you’re asked to contact police. (NSHA photo)

 

There’s renewed criticism this morning over the province’s decision to dissolve Nova Scotia’s main gambling awareness non-profit group.  The McNeil government made the move to dissolve Gambling Awareness Nova Scotia, and is instead shifting that money into the general mental health and addictions budget.   GANS was set up almost 23 years ago as a not-for-profit, arms-length government organization.  It’s reason for being was aimed at reducing the damage problem gambling does to peoples’ financial and mental health.   The chair of Gambling Risk Informed Nova Scotia says it’s a major setback to move that money into general mental health issues, when it’s supposed to be directed toward treating gambling issues.

 

Multiple former employees say they’re considering legal options in the wake of this week’s release of that blistering report into claims former governor general Julie Payette created a toxic workplace culture at Rideau Hall.  The reports say she verbally harassed staff and engaged in some cases of unwanted physical contact.   Other former staff members who left jobs at Rideau Hall have told reporters they are now actively trying to return to the institution. Rideau Hall is encouraging employees who left during Payette’s mandate to contact human resources to see if they could be considered to return to their jobs. ( CBC news files with Cdn Press Photo)

 

The future looks bright for solar and other renewable energy technology. If you’re speaking with your investment advisors this week, the experts FirstSolar, Enphase and SunPower are among the renewable energy stocks that are benefiting from green policies eminating from the new White House.  Their stocks soared last year, and are already on a roll this year.

Renewable power sources like wind and solar now make up 12% of all energy generation, an 8 per cent increase since 2011.  During that same period, power from hydroelectric sources remained at 8%, while the use of coal among Americans fell to 24% from 44%.

Shares of Arizona-based First Solar jumped nearly 80% last year, and have jumped another 7% since January 2nd.  California-based Enphase, which makes technology to manage solar power, saw its value increase six-fold last year.  Energy experts say now that policies are changing, millions of green energy jobs are on the way in both the U-S and Canada, and that’s being reflected in better stock market values. (Bing Images)