NB-Double-Homicide-Charge)
New Brunswick R-C-M-P have arrested a second person in the deaths of two people whose bodies were found inside a burned-out vehicle in Chipman.
The Mounties say 34-year-old Corey Agnew of Minto was arrested at a Chipman home yesterday and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Robert Waugh and Victoria King.
Their bodies were found last November 25th.
Agnew’s arrest comes after 42-year-old Mark Elley was arrested at his home in Chipman and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. (The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Power-Rates)
The New Brunswick government says it has asked for an audit of N-B Power’s billing process after receiving hundreds of complaints.
Premier Susan Holt says she has instructed the utility to conduct an independent third-party audit of their systems, including how meters are read, to figure out why people are seeing a sharp spike in their electricity bills.
In hundreds of posts on N-B Power’s social media page, people are complaining that their power bills for December inexplicably doubled.
The premier says she has asked the utility to appear before a public accounts committee in February to discuss the situation.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Oromocto-Drug-Arrest)
Six people from the Oromocto First Nation in New Brunswick have been arrested as part of an investigation into illegal drug trafficking in the community.
The R-C-M-P says two women and two men from Oromocto were arrested on January 16th along with a Burton man and another man from Geary.
The Mounties say the search of a home on the First Nation turned up cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription medication along with drug paraphernalia and cash.
The police investigation had started the week before. (The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Homeless-Shelter)
New Brunswick says a shelter is now open in Fredericton for people experiencing homelessness.
It says the centre at 355 Smythe Street is open daily from 8 p-m to 8 a-m.
A news release says the shelter offers various services, including sleeping accommodations for 32 people, access to personal hygiene facilities and warming areas.
It says the shelter will remain open 24 hours a day during prolonged periods of extreme cold temperatures.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Disability-Benefit)
Newfoundland and Labrador residents looking to access the province’s disability benefit don’t need to apply for it.
The government says payments will be automatically made to those who qualify once they’ve filed their taxes and received the federal disability tax credit.
The provincial government announced its disability benefit last June that includes a monthly benefit of up to 400-dollars and a 12-hundred-dollar annual contribution to a person’s registered disability savings plan.
The first monthly payment will come this July. (The Canadian Press)
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Nova Scotia officially kicked off African Heritage Month yesterday.
The official proclamation happened at the Black Cultural Centre in Cherry Brook.
This year’s theme is Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance.
It highlights the achievements and resilience of African Nova Scotians who have helped to shape the province’s history for more than 400 years. (The Canadian Press)
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(Backhoe-Bandits)
Some contractors are speaking out after a string of break-ins at area banks involving stolen heavy equipment.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary asked contractors last week to consider installing more locks and alarms after someone used heavy equipment to tear into a bank in Mount Pearl.
However, contractor Robert Crowley says his machines were secure when someone stole his 400-thousand-dollar front-end loaded last month to smash into a bank in Holyrood.
Crowley says the problem is that police arrested four suspects before letting three of them go. (The Canadian Press)
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(NS-African-Heritage-Month)
(Atlantic Update by Lisa Laporte)
