RCMP release more information about Pond Shore Road operation
The RCMP have yet to lay charges after a series of arrests stemming from a police operation at a home on Pond Shore Road on November 22nd.
The 6am police raid by the RCMP Emergency Response Team blew out the windows of the home at 106 Pond Shore Road, and resulted in seven arrests, according to a previous police statement.
In a news release Wednesday afternoon, about one week after the incident, the RCMP say they were executing a search warrant in connection with a drug trafficking investigation that began on November 15. The statement goes on:
“During the search, police seized, significant quantities of what is believed to be cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills, hydromorphone pills, and a large amount of money. Police also seized nine unsafely stored firearms including a prohibited rifle and a restricted handgun. Nearly 55,000 contraband cigarettes, and drug trafficking paraphernalia were also seized.”
Wednesday’s release says just three men were arrested at the scene on November 22. A 39-year-old Sackville man was remanded into custody on outstanding warrants, and is scheduled to appear in court on December 28. The other two men, a 37-year-old from Sackville and a 40-year-old from Nova Scotia, were later released from custody.
The investigation was led by the RCMP’s Provincial Crime Reduction Unit, which focusses on “disrupting and dismantling the trafficking of illegal drugs”.… Continue
Return of stolen radar speed sign requested “no questions asked”
People driving along Pond Shore Road might notice that the radar speed sign that used to remind them of their current speed as they passed is gone.
Public works liaison council Matt Estabrooks told council Monday night that the sign was stolen on August 30, the very same day a repaired radar speed sign was installed in the opposite direction on Pond Shore Road. The second, repaired sign has been removed until public works staff figure out a way to protect it against theft.
Town engineer Dwayne Acton said after the meeting that staff were considering trail cams, and talking with the manufacturer about other ways to secure or track the signs, including GPS. The speed sign cost the town about $4,000, though replacing it will cost slightly less, he said.
The radar speed signs have been the source of trouble before, due to issues retrieving speed data from the units, which stores the speed of each vehicle as it passes the sign. The engineering department recently was able to retrieve the data and has forwarded it to the RCMP.
Acton says he’s not sure where in the public works budget he will find the money to replace the sign, and he’s having a hard time imagining what someone might want with it. He said he’d welcome the return of the sign to the public works department, “no questions asked.”… Continue
Tantramar Report: Amherst family killed in fire; COVID cases surge in NB; council approves lifting skateboard ban
On Tuesday’s Tantramar Report:
A family of six from Amherst were found deceased on Monday evening after a fire in a camper trailer in Millvale, Nova Scotia. The victims have been identified by family as 30-year-old RJ Sears, 28-year-old Michelle Robertson, and four children, eleven-year-old Madison, eight-year-old Robert Ryder, four-year-old Jaxson, and three-year-old Colin.
Sears’ father told the Canadian Press that the family had been at the trailer for a short stay. It’s not clear when the fire happened.
Police say preliminary investigations do not indicate the fire is suspicious in nature, though the fire marshall is investigating.
The Town of Amherst, in conjunction with Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, have set up a memorial in Victoria Square in Amherst where people can come and pay their respects to the victims and their family.
New Brunswick’s COVID-19 cases surged over the weekend, with 122 new cases reported and five more people admitted to hospital since Friday. The surge has prompted new rules for schools province-wide. As of Tuesday, students of all ages must wear a mask in school and while on school buses. Masks may be removed when students are eating, drinking or engaged in sports or physical education classes, says the province.
Skateboards are no longer banned on the streets of Sackville. In a 4 to 3 vote Monday night, council passed second and third reading of a revised streets bylaw that will allow people to ride skateboards on streets with certain restrictions, such as wearing helmets, yielding to cars, and refraining from tricks.… Continue