Two former Higgs government cabinet ministers on Friday questioned auto insurance companies using a person's credit score when calculating premiums.

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Counsel for a Nova Scotia man accused of incest said Friday the defence wants to hear from - and cross-examine - a lone witness at the preliminary inquiry: the complainant.

The case of a 57-year-old Dartmouth, N.S., man was back on the Fredericton provincial court docket Friday to schedule a preliminary inquiry.

Through defence lawyer Edward Derrah, the accused previously elected to be tried in the Court of King’s Bench by judge alone, without a jury, on charges of sexual assault, incest and sexual interference, alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2022, in the Coles Island area, east of Fredericton.

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A moose caught on camera circling a light post near Stanley, New Brunswick, was likely experiencing neurological problems caused by a parasite that got into the animal's spinal cord and brain, says a University of New Brunswick biologist.

Force’s Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit issues 93 tickets over two days

The RCMP issued 93 tickets and towed two cars on Feb. 8 and 9 during a Western Valley Region enforcement operation by the New Brunswick RCMP’s Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit (TTEU). 

In a press release, TTEU said it issued the tickets under the New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Act, including 50 tickets for speeding and seven for using a hand-held electronic device while driving. 

Additionally, officers arrested one person for driving while impaired and another for driving while suspended.

“The RCMP Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit focuses on behaviours that pose the greatest risk to the public, whether it’s driving behaviours or criminal activity,” said Sgt. Ghislain David with the Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit. “We all have a role to play when it comes to making our roads and communities safer, and our top priority remains ensuring public safety by limiting the number of dangerous drivers on our roadways.”

The release reminded the public that it can assist in keeping dangerous drivers off the road by reporting them to the police. 

Anyone who sees a dangerous or suspected impaired driver should call 911. Their description of the driver, vehicle, licence plate number and direction of travel can assist police in making New Brunswick roads safer.

The post RCMP target Western Valley Region drivers for infractions first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick’s Energy Poverty Campaign kicks off February 24 with an unforgettable evening of music led by multifaceted Saint John musician Matthew Elliott (aka Stephen Hero). …

The post Energy Poverty Campaign Kickoff with Stephen Hero appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

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A Quebec man was acquitted Thursday on a charge of sexual assault, stemming from a 2019 incident during which he had anal sex with a teenage girl in Oromocto.

Evan Audet, 22, of Shannon, Que., stood trial before Court of King’s Bench Justice Terrence Morrison last fall on an indictable charge of sexual assault, alleged to have occurred between Aug. 11 and Dec. 31, 2019.

Audet was 18 years old at the time, and the female complainant was 16.

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TransAqua's board chair is questioning whether Moncton has proof the utility's sewage composting site is the source of a pungent smell in the north end a week after councillors gave the organization an ultimatum about the facility.

Following a letter in January saying Premier Blaine Higgs’s election speculation cost taxpayers $1.7 million, the head of Elections New Brunswick told MLAs on Thursday that her office had told Higgs's staff that money was being spent because of his election musings.

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A science museum and educational centre in downtown Fredericton is feeling the financial crunch, as it announced Thursday it’s closing temporarily and laying off staff.

Science East Science Centre’s board of directors announced the move on Facebook on Thursday afternoon.

“Due to financial and operational considerations, the Science East Science Centre is temporarily closing to the general public as the board assesses next steps,” it said.

“Unfortunately, given the constraints, we have had to make the difficult decision to lay off many of our talented staff. We are maintaining a core group of employees who will continue to deliver outreach programs and help us rebuild the organization.”

The post said the facility and its skeleton staff will continue to offer its educational programs on science and technology for school and group bookings only.

“Science East will also continue to provide workshops in schools and the community, resources for educators, and work with our partners to organize the 2024 Anglophone Regional Science Fairs,” the board’s statement said.

The board said it hopes Science East can offer a summer program in the months ahead, noting it’s “assessing” its options, and any such developments will be announced in the organization’s newsletters and on social media.

“As an organization that relies heavily on government and corporate funders on a project-by-project, program-by-program basis, we are sometimes required to re-evaluate and realign activities based on available funds,” it said.

The post indicated that those with Science East memberships will find they’re still valid at partner organizations, and members will receive updates via email.

“All existing bookings are still in place, and we look forward to welcoming groups to the Science Centre,” it said.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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The office of New Brunswick’s child, youth and seniors advocate serves another population that isn’t in its title — vulnerable adults.

Fredericton’s Science East will temporarily close its doors to the public, citing financial pressures and operational concerns. The organization posted the decision to its Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

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A Fredericton man accused of threatening a justice-system participant is in the process of retaining legal counsel, court heard this week, and he’ll answer to the indictable charge next month.

Michael G. Burden, 75, of Barton Crescent, stands charged with threatening violence against Virgil Arbeau Nov. 13 with intent to provoke a state of fear in an effort to impede the administration of justice.

The charge doesn’t indicate in which case Arbeau is involved and in what capacity.

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New Brunswick is projecting a budget surplus for the current fiscal year of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, six times higher than originally planned and despite surging health-care expenses, new figures show

American Iron & Metal wants a judge to quash the environment minister's suspension of the company's approval to operate a Saint John harbourfront scrapyard, alleging he acted "arbitrarily and unreasonably," exceeded his jurisdiction and breached his duty of procedural fairness.

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A Florenceville-Bristol woman who’s been remanded on allegations of parental abduction denied the charges against her Thursday, and she’ll stand trial in the spring.

The 42-year-old defendant appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone Thursday, as she’s being held in custody at the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre in Miramichi.

Appearing in person in court on her behalf was defence lawyer Wanda Severns.

The accused faces charges alleging two violations of a custody order, specifically that while she had the lawful care of two children under the age of 14, she took them with the intent of depriving another woman of her guardianship of those minors.

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A woman already serving a prison sentence saw that stint behind bars extended by more than two years when she pleaded guilty Monday to serious drug charges.

Megan Elizabeth L. Hanson, 28, and Robert (Robbie) Wayne Waugh, 46, both formerly of Route 104 in Millville, were scheduled to stand trial this week on joint charges of possessing cocaine and methamphetamine in Millville on Sept. 8, 2022.

However, rather than proceed to trial, defence lawyer Michael Mallory, representing Hanson, told Judge Andrew LeMesurier his client wanted to plead guilty to both counts.

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A 42-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman are dead after the cars they were driving collided n Penobsquis, the community northeast of Sussex where they both lived.

Prince Edward Island’s Gizmo will be passing through New Brunswick this month as part of the band’s current Maritime tour playing shows in Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton and Sackville.  Gizmo’s…

The post PEI’s Gizmo playing shows in NB this month appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Police and others searched Wednesday night for a man who went ice sailing near the eastern New Brunswick community of Grande-Digue and didn't come back. The search may resume Thursday.

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Warning: This story includes graphic descriptions of extreme child abuse.

A judge “double-counted” a Fredericton woman’s horrific and violent acts toward her seven-year-old daughter and therefore erred when calculating her prison sentence, an appellate lawyer argued Wednesday.

The case of a 34-year-old Fredericton woman whom provincial court Judge Natalie LeBlanc sentenced last summer to 9½ years in prison was before the New Brunswick Court of Appeal on Wednesday morning.

The offender had pleaded guilty early last year to aggravated assault, assault with a weapon (a metal rod), unlawful confinement and failure to provide the necessaries of life (medical care).

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Joe Barrie said there were plenty of options to save the boat — and even now, with it sitting encased in ice to the top of the cabin, he said it can be salvaged.

A $300 affordability payment to working families in New Brunswick, announced with great fanfare by Premier Blaine Higgs last month, now has an asterisk attached.

William Doiron took his own life after being a victim of a global sextortion scheme, where he was convinced into sending explicit sexual images and then blackmailed.

In honour of Black History Month, Robert and Tanika Chambers have started a community reading and music project to foster cultural awareness in Carleton County.

After neighbours struck down a plan for a temporary overnight shelter in St. Stephen, a local non-profit already running a warming centre will expand to offer overnight services.

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An increased police presence near Tilley is part of an effort to locate a Perth-Andover man who’s been missing for more than two weeks, the RCMP reports.

The RCMP’s Perth-Andover detachment issued a news release Tuesday indicating that resident Donald James Pirie, 29, AKA DJ Pirie hadn’t been seen in the community since Jan. 29.

It asked for tips from the public on his whereabouts.

In a followup advisory Wednesday afternoon, the Mounties said there was a search underway near Tilley, about 18 kilometres north of Perth-Andover.

“Residents of Currie Road, near Tilley, may notice an increased police presence, including police dog services and ground search and rescue, as we actively try to locate Donald James Pirie,” the RCMP said on social media Wednesday.

It also emphasized that police presence was unrelated to the RCMP operation still underway in Stanley, where residents were advised to shelter in place due to an unspecified situation.

Pirie is described as being about 5’8” (178 centimetres) tall, weighing about 170 pounds (77 kilograms), with blue eyes and blond hair. 

The missing-person advisory Tuesday noted Pirie has a scar in the middle of his head and several tattoos, and that he was last seen wearing a gold watch, a gold chain with a cross  and black shoes.

Anyone with information on Pirie’s whereabouts is urged to call the Perth-Andover RCMP at 506-273-5000.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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More than a year after Saint John police cracked down on false alarms at businesses, the force has implemented a more stringent condition to further tackle the problem.

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Part of the Village of Stanley is on lockdown Wednesday as the RCMP deals with a situation the force only described as “a police operation.”

Minutes before 11 a.m. Wednesday, the RCMP in New Brunswick issued an alert on social media about an ongoing incident in the Village of Stanley, about 40 kilometres north of Fredericton.

“Due to a police operation on Giants Glen Road in Stanley, RCMPNB are asking the public to avoid the area while they do their work,” it said on social media at 10:56 a.m., adding that more information would be shared later.

About a half hour later, the RCMP advised the situation was still ongoing and directed people to remain in their homes.

“Residents of the affected area have been asked to shelter in place,” it said. “Please continue to avoid the area.”

The police force reported the matter, the nature of which it still hadn’t detailed, didn’t meet criteria for the issuance of an emergency Alert Ready message.

It reiterated on social media at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday the operation was still in effect.

The Fredericton Independent will update this story as more details become available.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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A man accused of possessing a dangerously addictive drug for trafficking purposes denied the allegation Wednesday.

Nicholas MacDonald, 29, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday with defence counsel Matthew Oliver to answer to an Aug. 2 charge that he possessed cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in French Village, located just a few kilometres west of Fredericton, near Lower Kingsclear.

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A scrap metal company can resume accepting material at three sites after inspections by the New Brunswick government determined they now comply with the fire code.

American Iron & Metal has been sentenced to pay $107,000 to establish a workplace safety-focused scholarship at the New Brunswick Community College in the name of Darrell Edward Richards, a worker killed at its Saint John scrapyard in 2022.

The 29-year-old Perth-Andover man was last seen on Jan. 29

The Perth-Andover RCMP is asking for the public’s help to locate a missing 29-year-old man from the community.

In a media release on Feb. 13, the RCMP said Donald James Pirie, also known as DJ Pirie, was last seen on Jan. 29 on Skyline Drive in Perth-Andover.

Police have followed up on several leads to try and locate him but have so far been unsuccessful. Police and his family are concerned for his well-being.

The RCMP described Pirie as approximately five feet eight inches (178 centimetres) tall and weighing approximately 170 pounds (77 kilograms).

He has blue eyes and blond hair. He has a scar in the middle of his head and several tattoos, including an angel on his left upper arm and a star on the front of his right shoulder.

When last seen, Pirie wore a gold watch, a gold chain with a cross, and black shoes.

Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the Perth-Andover RCMP at 506-273-5000.

The post RCMP seeking help to locate missing man first appeared on River Valley Sun.

First City School of Dance hosting its 3rd annual Adult Dance Conference, Feb. 20-25. Matt Carter  To some, a pandemic lockdown might not sound like an opportune time to launch…

The post FCSD Adult Dance Conference Feb. 20-25 appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

A Saint John Transit bus fatally struck a pedestrian in the Crescent Valley area of the city's north end on Tuesday evening.

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Editor’s note: The defendant in this court report and the journalist covering the case share the same first and last names, but they aren’t related or connected in any way.

A judge cancelled a Noonan man’s trial - set to begin later this week - on charges of sexual assault and touching of minors after hearing Tuesday that he and his defence counsel had a falling out.

Donald Ashley MacPherson, 65, of Hughes Street in Noonan but formerly of Canada Street in Fredericton, elected last year to be tried in provincial court and pleaded not guilty to two indictable counts each of sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation.

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Over $75 million in fees, taxes and other charges collected annually from N.B. Power by the New Brunswick government could be adjusted to compensate the utility for a delay in this year's rate increase, if it occurs.

Amid all their disagreements with the Higgs government over the last several years, two Wolastoqey chiefs say one bright light emerged: cabinet minister Arlene Dunn.

Two couples who fought for gay marriage in New Brunswick in 2005 are still going strong almost 20 years later.

A coroner's inquest into the death of a worker at N.B. Power's Belledune generating station more than four years ago has been scheduled for next week.

The province's police watchdog is investigating whether an on-duty Sussex RCMP officer took and shared intimate photographs or video of a man in custody without his knowledge.

As local residents feared, a sailboat left by its owner to freeze into the St. John River started to sink on Tuesday near Browns Flat.

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A Fredericton Police Force officer admitted Tuesday to assaulting a Hanwell woman last fall and being inside her home unlawfully, and he’ll be sentenced this spring.

What this means for his career in policing going forward isn’t clear, but it’s likely to be at risk.

Fredericton police Const. Colin Holmes, 25, of Fredericton, pleaded not guilty last fall to summary charges of assault, uttering threats and forcible entry.

Those charges alleged Sept. 24 events at the Hanwell home of Deidra Wheeler, and the case was alleged to have been one of intimate-partner violence.

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Three public-sector unions in New Brunswick have filed a legal challenge to the Higgs government’s legislation forcing them into a shared-risk pension system against their will.

Two men in the Moncton area now face a combined 21 charges in connection with accusations they sexually exploited people online and threatened them into paying thousands of dollars.

COVID-19 and the flu have each killed two more New Brunswickers, and hospitalized a combined total of 34 people, including four youths, updated figures from the province show.

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A Fredericton man accused of impersonating a well-known downtown doctor has been approved for an alternate-measures program that would spare him a criminal conviction for the charge.

Trevor R. Marney, 51, of Flemming Road, was charged last month with fraudulently personating Dr. Sara Davidson on Jan. 26, 2023, to obtain custody of a child.

He was back in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday, scheduled to enter a plea to the charge, but defence lawyer Emily Cochrane said the Crown had agreed to allow her client to go through an alternate-measures program rather than the usual criminal-court process.

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A Perth-Andover man hasn’t been seen in a couple of weeks, the RCMP reports, and police are hoping members of the public can held with the effort to locate him.

The Perth-Andover detachment of the RCMP issued a news release Tuesday, advising that community resident Donald James Pirie, 29, AKA DJ Pirie, has been reported as missing.

Pirie was last seen Jan. 29 on Skyline Drive in Perth-Andover, the release said.

“Police have followed up on several leads to try and locate him, but have so far been unsuccessful,” it said. “Police and his family are concerned for his well-being.”

Pirie is described as being about 5’8” (178 centimetres) tall, weighing about 170 pounds (77 kilograms), with blue eyes and blond hair. 

“He has a scar in the middle of his head and several tattoos, including an angel on his left upper arm and a star on the front of his right shoulder,” the release stated.

“He was last seen wearing a gold watch, a gold chain with a cross on it, and black shoes.”

Anyone with information on Pirie’s whereabouts or that could lead to him being found is urged to call the Perth-Andover RCMP at 506-273-5000.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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A psychiatrist told a court Monday he needs more time to complete his assessment and report on a Pomeroy Ridge man accused of touching a minor sexually more than two years ago.

Jarett Wayne Fraser Heuff, 26, of Clark Point Road in Pomeroy Ridge, about 50 kilometres south of McAdam, faces charges of sexual assault and sexual interference, alleged to have occurred in McAdam between Oct. 30-31, 2021.

The girl’s identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban.

Heuff’s mental state has been a central issue in the prosecution, as court heard he suffers from cognitive delays that doctors linked to a potential but unconfirmed diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome.

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A Lincoln man admitted to a variety of crimes Monday, including impaired driving, theft and failures to attend court.

William (Billy) Petten, 34, of Nevers Road, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from jail Monday to answer to numerous criminal charges.

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The plan would allow new zoning in two city locations and aims to address affordability and reduce emissions.