Posted at 3:00 pm on May 24, 2013

With the arrival of spring, the provincial Transportation Department have been posting tenders for a road construction in the local area.  One such tender closed yesterday, for construction of the Dunn’s Loop Underpass in Antigonish County, part of phase two of the Highway 104 twinning project.  Zutphen Contractors of Mabou submitted the lowest bid at 2.4 million dollars.  Two Antigonish companies were next, 2.9 million dollars from Nova Construction and 3 million from Alva Construction.  Dexter Construction had the highest bid at 3.3 million.  The province has not awarded the contract for this project yet. Tenders will soon be closing for a number of other projects locally, for gravel and asphalt patching, shoulder gravelling and ditching in Antigonish, Guysborough and Inverness Counties.  There’s also a contract for re-paving in four locations in Pictou County, and four projects in Richmond County, including re-paving and bridge replacement.

Posted at 1:36 pm on May 17, 2013

Waycobah RCMP are investigating a telephone scam.

Police say a resident received a call from someone claiming to be a Microsoft representative.

The culprit attempted to gain access to the resident’s computer and requested his credit card information.

Police say the person claiming to be with Microsoft was very professional and believable.

RCMP are reminding you to not give credit card or personal information over the phone.

Posted at 7:20 am on May 14, 2013

RCMP in Inverness County were taken for a ride by a woman who claimed a motorist tried to kidnap her.

The 27 year old reported that she tried to help a stranded driver by providing him with a cell phone.

She says bruises on her wrist were the result of a struggle.

Sgt. Alain Le Blanc says they decided to let the woman off the hook when they learned the story wasn’t true.

Alain LeBlanc-False Abduction Claim

Le Blanc won’t explain why the woman fabricated the story.

He says abductions are serious business for the police and they probe until they’re able to make solid conclusions.

 

 

Posted at 12:48 pm on May 7, 2013

Inverness County Council has given second and final reading to its anti-fracking by-law.  Approval was given by council at its regular meeting yesterday.  Five of the six councillors voted in favour.  The lone nay vote came from Councillor Dwayne MacDonald.  The by-law was prompted by concerns by residents in the Lake Ainslie area, where Toronto-based Petroworth Resources plans to drill and exploratory well.  The residents were concerned Petroworth would use hydraulic fracturing or fracking in the process.  Fracking uses large amounts of water, sand and chemicals under pressure to dislodge oil and natural gas deposits.  Company officials have maintained there are no plans to use fracking, which would require a second permit.  The by-law has faced criticism from Service Nova Scotia Minister John MacDonnell,  who said the legislation was a moot point since the province isn’t issuing permits to allow the practice.

Posted at 8:23 pm on May 3, 2013

Residents of Meat Cove, Inverness County will be voting in a different riding when the next provincial election rolls around.  Inverness M-L-A Allan MacMaster raised the issue this week, during second reading on an omnibus bill dealing with several housekeeping issues including boundary changes affecting 23 voters in Meat Cove.  MacMaster told the house he learned that Meat Cove was being moved from Inverness to the riding of Victoria the Lakes in January.  MacMaster says the Electoral Boundaries Commission had recommended voters in Meat Cove be moved to the Victoria the Lakes riding, but the change wasn’t made clear in its final report.  MacMaster says no one knew of the change until well after the the legislature approved the boundary changes last year.  MacMaster says as a result, the people of Meat Cove didn’t have a chance to raise the issue before the changes were approved.

Posted at 1:48 pm on April 30, 2013

Inverness RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing elderly man.   Seventy-one year old Stanley Burton of Bay St. Lawrence hasn’t been seen since Saturday.  He’s about 5’7 and weighs between 140-150 pounds with black, greying hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a grey windbreaker and a blue hat.  Burton wears glasses, he is legally blind.  If you have any information on his whereabouts, contact the RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Posted at 2:18 pm on April 17, 2013

Residents of Inverness County’s Margaree area want the province to move up the replacement of a local bridge.  In its recent capital plan, the province indicated it would replace the Crowdis Bridge in 2014. Inverness Conservative MLA Allan MacMaster  says  he tabled an 80 name petition in the legislature today calling on the province to replace the bridge this year.

Allan MacMaster

The Crowdis Bridge, which is closed, is one of three crossings in the local area.

Posted at 2:38 pm on March 20, 2013

The Inverness RCMP is investigating two break-ins over the weekend.  One occurred at Laurence General Store in Margaree Harbour.  Police say the culprits were unable to get into the store.  However, the main doors sustained considerable damage.   The other  took place at Patterson’s General Store in Scotsville.  A quantity of tobacco and beef products were taken.  So far no arrests have been made.  If you have any information on either incident contact your local RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Posted at 1:47 pm on March 18, 2013

The Municipality of the County of Inverness is hosting a meeting to discuss their proposed by-law on hydraulic fracturing Monday.

Municipal officials are looking for input from the public on the by-law.

County Council has been working on the document for roughly two years…they passed first reading in October.

Toronto based Petroworth Resources has been approved by the province to drill a 12-hundred metre exploratory well in the West Lake Ainslie Area.

Company officials have said they do not plan to use the fracking process.

Tonight’s meeting is being held at the Port Hastings Fire Hall at 6:30.