Several crops in New Brunswick including potatoes, blueberries, apples and cranberries depend on snow for moisture and protection from extreme temperatures. The insulating layer can prevent fruit from drying out and being destroyed.

N.B. Power is appealing to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board to save it from a "deleterious" financial loss caused by the Higgs government blowing up months of its corporate budgeting last fall.

Maritime Snowmobile Championship Racing will pay tribute to late Red Buckingham as it returns to Connell Park Raceway

By Bob Fowlie

When Maritime Snowmobile Championship Racing returns to Woodstock’s Connell Park Raceway after a 42-year absence, the memory of Leighton “Red” Buckingham will be honoured with racing in the 440 class and the awarding of the Red Buckingham Memorial trophy to the most sportsmanlike driver.

Born in 1928 and raised in Woodstock, Red was part of the legendary Woodstock Red Raiders basketball team, the squad that won the Canadian Juvenile Championship in 1946. Steady Reddy was the nickname given to him by coach Bob Brown.

A tribute written after Buckingham’s death described him as “a special sort of person who sunk warm spots of memory in your mind that you didn’t really realize were there.”

Buckingham’ ’s daughter, Gail Lipsett, says her dad’s “quietness and modesty became him. Even though he was easygoing, as a salesman, he was trustworthy, and that made him a good businessman. Steady Reddy served him well in business and sports.”

Buckingham was very much a trailblazer in snowmobiling (no pun intended) and a pioneer of snowmobile racing in Woodstock.

Bombardier launched the first Ski-Doo in 1959, and in 1967, Red’s Service Centre opened, dealing in snowmobiles and, in particular, Bombardier Ski-Doos.

It soon became a hub of business for snowmobilers. Sledders from all over New Brunswick and Maine came to have their sleds serviced and to purchase new Bombardier machines and clothing.

Lynn Avery, a member of the committee organizing the rebirth of racing and a racer herself, remembers Buckingham’s shop with fondness.

“It was busy as could be and as a kid who loved snowmobiling, the greatest way to spend time,” she said. “Downstairs in the shop I watched and learned as Donnie Derrick and others changed out pistons and tuned up sleds.”

Given how snowmobiles were Buckingham’s business, it was only natural the sport became his passion.

Not only did he participate in races, but he and his friends were known for snowmobile outings. A couple of excursions took them across New Brunswick, no small thing as the province’s excellent groomed trail system of today did not exist back then.

Being a Woodstock Y’s Men Club member, he was instrumental in starting the Maritime Snowmobile Championships here in Woodstock in 1969.

Buckingham’s racing participation was in the 440 class on a 440 Ski-Doo Blizzard Free Air.

After Red’s death in March of 1971, the Woodstock Y’s Men created the Red Buckingham Memorial trophy for All-Round Driver, which became known as the most sportsmanlike driver.

First presented in the 1972 races — again, right here in Woodstock — Red Buckinigham’s family wanted to reinstate the trophy in his honour and memory.

They look forward to presenting it at the races when they roar back to life Feb. 16 to 18 at the Connell Park Grandstand and Raceway.

You can be sure it’s what Red would have wanted.

The post Racing event to honour Woodstock snowmobile pioneering legend first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The terms 'federal penitentiary' and 'family friendly neighbourhood' aren’t usually used in conjunction with one another.

The Charlotte County Archives are sharing digitized home movies from the 1900s with the community.

A collection of the photos you sent us this week.

Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay led a Grandmother Moon ceremony at the Women's Resiliency Lodge in Gagetown.

Force asking for public’s assistance as it gathers info surrounding crime on Landegger Drive

The Nackawic RCMP is asking for the public’s help following a recent break, enter and theft in Nackawic.

In a Feb. 2 media release, the Nackawic detachment of the West District RCMP said it believes the crime occurred between Jan. 26 and 29 from an outbuilding at a property on Landegger Drive in Nackawic.

Police said an individual entered the building by forcing open the back wall. He then stole several items, including:

— Yardworks 15 cubic foot trailer

— Air compressor

— Husqvarna Weed Eater

— Lawnmower batteries

— Gas can

— Bottles of mixing/motor oil

— Accessories kit for air tools

— Air hose

— Grease gun

— Siphon pump

— Bluetooth ear protection

— Safety glasses

— $150 of gas

The RCMP asks that anyone living in the area who witnessed suspicious activity between January 26 and 29 or who has information that could help further the investigation contact the Nackawic RCMP at 506-357-4300.

The RCMP reminded the public that they can provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

The post RCMP investigating break, enter, and theft in Nackawic first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Artist Christopher Griffin and his family wanted to spread some joy last weekend with a herd of elephant snow sculptures near the historic Saint Andrews Blockhouse.

The New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission has been tracking unclaimed financial property through a new program.

An outreach team in Saint John says it’s having success helping unhoused people become housed.

Social Development has denied a request from Horizon Health Network to grant "critical state" status to three more Fredericton-region hospitals, which would have temporarily prioritized their patients on the nursing home waitlist.

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The Nackawic detachment of the RCMP is hoping members of the public can help with its investigation of a burglary at a building in the village last weekend.

“The incident is believed to have occurred between Jan. 26 and Jan. 29, 2024, from an outbuilding at a property on Landegger Drive in Nackawic,” the Mounties said in a news release Friday.

“An individual gained entry by forcing open the back wall, and stole a number of items.”

Among the property that was stolen, police said, was a Yardworks 15-cubic-foot trailer, an air compressor, a Husqvarna Weed Eater, lawnmower batteries, a gas can, bottles of mixing/motor oil, an accessory kit for air tools, an air hose, a grease gun, a siphon pump, Bluetooth-enabled ear protection, safety glasses and $150 worth of gas.

The RCMP is urging anyone living in the area and who may have witnessed suspicious activity during the specified period or who has relevant information that could further the investigation to contact the Nackawic RCMP at 506- 357-4300. 

Tipsters can also provide Information anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App or online through Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

The investigation is ongoing, the release said.

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

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New Brunswick's highest court has agreed to review a judge's decision to not certify a class-action lawsuit that alleges a former nurse at the Moncton Hospital administered a labour-inducing drug to potentially 'hundreds' of pregnant women without their consent.

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A Temperance Vale man will return to court in the spring for sentencing after a judge found him guilty Friday of inviting a teenage girl to touch him while he was masturbating in the shower.

The 33-year-old defendant stood trial last year on a count of sexual exploitation, alleging he directed or invited a minor over whom he was in a position of trust and/or authority to touch him for a sexual purpose.

There’s a court-ordered publication ban on information that would tend to identify the victim, so the Fredericton Independent isn’t naming the offender, given the relationship between them.

Fredericton provincial court Judge Natalie LeBlanc presided over the case, and she rendered her decision Friday: guilty.

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A Moncton man repeatedly sexually touched students at schools while working as a supply teacher in the fall of 2022 and filmed boys in public pool locker rooms, a judge heard Friday. 

Charlotte Bright, 76, charged with the deaths of 14 horses between Feb. 1 and April 8, 2023 has elected to be tried before a Court of King’s Bench judge without a jury.

For Jim Allan and the Montreal Lagers, pond hockey is more than just pond hockey. He is rallying other teams together to keep their travel plans for the cancelled World Pond Hockey Championship in Plaster Rock, N.B.

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A Currieburg woman accused of severe animal neglect after 14 horses were found dead on an area property last spring has chosen to be tried at a higher level of court, without a jury.

Charlotte H. Bright, 76, of Currieburg Road, just a few kilometres west of Stanley, stands charged with three criminal counts alleging animal neglect and cruelty.

The New Brunswick SPCA laid the charges, accusing Bright of killing, maiming, wounding or otherwise injuring horses she owned or cared for; neglecting those horses by failing to provide them with adequate food, water, shelter and care; and causing the animals unnecessary pain or suffering, all in Currieburg between Feb. 1 and April 8.

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Swimming represents the latest stage in Pallmer’s ongoing evolution. The Fredericton-based electro classical trio will be playing shows in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick later this month. Matt Carter Pallmer…

The post Pallmer hitting the road in support of new album appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Some New Brunswick households woke up to a snowy Friday morning, with school cancelled for two districts. Anglophone North and Francophone Northeast closed all of their schools for the day and in Francophone South, five schools were closed.

New Brunswick students may be sent home early on April 8 so they can "safely arrive at their after-school destination before the eclipse begins," said a spokesperson with the Department of Education. 

District of Carleton North looks to boost security measures to help prevent postal box break-ins

The District of Carleton North is concerned about recent mailbox break-ins in their municipality and is looking to improve security around their district’s rural boxes.

Deputy Mayor Karen Hargrove raised concerns at a recent District of Carleton North council meeting. She noted her father had dealt with the issue when mailboxes in his yard were broken into.

“It is quite shocking,” she told the council. “It was next to the business and there’s houses all around it. It shook my father up.”

Councillor Angel Connor, who works for Canada Post, said break-ins have been an ongoing issue, and Canada Post is aware.

The corporation offers preventative suggestions, such as utilizing direct deposit for cheques and having parcels delivered to an actual post office instead of rural boxes. Still, many councillors noted these were only ‘band-aid’ measures.

“I feel that as a municipality we should speak up,” said Hargrove. “Stealing mail is a federal offence.”

Connors noted that even when culprits are caught on camera, culprits aren’t always punished, pointing to a recent case where an offence was captured on video and a person was formally charged, but those charges were later dropped.

Hargrove told the council her father’s experience didn’t offer much hope, noting the RCMP were notified, but no one visited.

“He did receive a phone call in the afternoon,” said Hargrove. “The constable said that without video surveillance, it wasn’t worth their time to come investigate it in person.”

Unfortunately, when mail theft happens, there is more than just material loss, as people’s identities are at risk of being stolen, which the council agreed can significantly impact the individual’s lives.

Connor said there have been local cases of identity theft linked to mailbox thefts.

Many councillors shared frustrations at the insufficient response from both the RCMP and Canada Post.

Mayor Andrew Harvey suggested the district send a formal letter to Canada Post regarding the issue.

The district will request a list of community mailbox locations to see if the municipality can improve security.

The council will also be formally asking the RCMP to attend the next council session to discuss the issue and what preventative measures are being taken.

River Valley Sun reached the Canada Post Customer Service Centre, which said there is very little Canada Post can do to prevent mail theft.

“Individual rural boxes are the sole responsibility of the owner and any theft from those boxes is out of our control,” advised the Canada Post representative.

The spokesperson said that in the event of a Canada Post break-in, the corporation will replace the lock, make necessary repairs, and inform local law enforcement.

“Beyond that, however, we can’t prevent an attack on mailboxes.”

The post Concerns raised over frequency of mail theft first appeared on River Valley Sun.

New Brunswick’s minister of natural resources and energy development says he’ll be leaving politics when the provincial election is called this year.

Work on the Marysville Bridge has halted for the winter — and residents are frustrated.

New Brunswickers pay more than most for federal clean fuel regulations. The CBC’s Robert Jones breaks it down.

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The Fredericton Police Force took to social media Thursday evening to recruit the public’s help in tracking down a city resident wanted in connection with several investigations.

“The Fredericton Police Force is seeking the public's assistance in locating Jared Grant Sacobie, age 33, of Fredericton, who is arrestable on several police files,” the force said. 

Sacobie is described as being 5’10” tall, weighing 291 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Fredericton Police Force by calling 506-460-2300 or emailing [email protected].

Those wishing to provide tips anonymously can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, the force said.

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

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New Brunswick schools are doing what they can to hire more staff and create new classrooms in response to significant growth in immigration, according to the Department of Education.

Grand Manan residents are relieved an air ambulance will be stationed on the island beginning in the fall. The island lost its medevac service in 2022, after changes to Transport Canada regulations led to the loss of a contract with Ambulance New Brunswick.

A Moncton man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2022 shooting death of Joedin Leger, becoming the second person to plead guilty in the 18-year-old's death.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal says it wants to move quickly to address a so-called “legal gap” that could affect dozens of the province’s most vulnerable children.

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A homeless man who was clearly unwell mentally refused to deal with any court officials or staff other than a judge Thursday as he appeared in custody on assault and public disturbance charges.

Abdusalam Zakaria, 51, of no fixed address, made an initial appearance in Fredericton provincial court Thursday afternoon by telephone from the cellblock at the city police force station.

Judge Mary Jane Richards told him he faces charges of assaulting William Morrison and causing a disturbance at Dollarama on Prospect Street by yelling.

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The World Pond Hockey Championship brings teams from around the world to the Western Valley region of New Brunswick every February. But this year, there was not enough ice to safely go forward with the event, which was scheduled to begin on Feb. 15 in Plaster Rock.

Education and Early Childhood Development officials are facing questions from a legislative committee today about a recent audit of the department's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roulston Lake’s thin ice forces organizers to make difficult decision

With much disappointment, the organizers of the 2024 World Pond Hockey Championship, scheduled for February 15-18, 2024, in Plaster Rock, announce the cancellation of this year’s event.

“The unseasonably warm weather we have experienced up to this point has resulted in a less than adequate amount of ice on Roulston Lake to administer the event safely and effectively,” said Danny Braun, World Pond Hockey organizer. “The safety of players, spectators and volunteers is our top priority.”

More than 100 men’s and women’s teams from around the globe registered for this year’s event. Braun said the World Pond Hockey Championship has become an important sport-tourism event and economic benefit for the Western Valley region of New Brunswick each February.

“All the volunteers and organizers are disappointed, but we will regroup and plan for an even better event next year,” he said. 

The post Warm winter cancels 2024 World Pond Hockey Championship first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Trial resumes for man accused of kidnapping in case that saw his partner die in hail of gunfire

Police testimony at the provincial court trial of Rodney Butler on Jan. 31 revealed numerous guns and boxes of ammunition were located throughout his home on the day his partner, Christine Pelletier-Thibodeau, 35, was fatally shot during a hail of gunfire just outside the basement door.

Butler, 49, of Bulls Creek, was charged by RCMP with intentionally discharging a firearm while reckless as to the life and safety of another person, indictable assault, uttering threats, using a handgun to kidnap Chris Demerchant, unlawful confinement, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, possession of a firearm without a licence, and illegal possession of a firearm in a vehicle on Nov. 13, 2021, at Bulls Creek.

As the trial resumed before Associate Chief Judge Brian C. McLean, Crown Prosecutor Rodney Jordan requested an amendment to the first charge, noting it referred to shots fired at Ryan Purvis, who was now deceased as a result of an unrelated 2023 drowning in Woodstock.

No charges have been laid in relation to the shooting of Pelletier-Thibodeau, who died as a result of her injuries. Over the next several days, police tape was erected around the property, including Butler’s residence, which was surrounded by a vehicle salvage yard.

Sergeant Chris Kean, a member of the RCMP identification unit in Fredericton, testified that he arrived at Butler’s property on Nov. 14, 2021, to locate and report on evidence at the scene. A series of photographs the officer took were reviewed during his day-long testimony and entered into evidence by the crown.

Sergeant Kean told the court Pelletier-Thibodeau’s body was lying on the ground outside the basement door. The deceased was wearing jeans and work boots and had a knife belted to her waist. A yellow blanket covered her body.

Inside the home, the police photos showed Butler’s home was disorganized and under renovation at the time of the incident. There was a large bag of marijuana in

the house, several stashes of beer, bottles of twisted tea and empty beer cans in different locations.

Sergeant Kean said a total of 12 guns and several boxes of ammunition were found unsecured throughout the premises. Most of the firearms were long guns, such as rifles and shotguns. Some were standing in corners or lying on top of furniture. A cabinet containing six long guns was found open.

“There were guns and ammunition all through the house,” said Kean.

There was a handgun discovered, a Luger, but it was not the nine-millimetre pistol allegedly used by the accused in the kidnapping. That weapon was never found.

However, two bullets from a nine-millimetre handgun were on the floor in Butler’s bedroom, one near an open window overlooking the driveway. A whole box of nine-millimetre ammunition was also sitting on Butler’s bed. There were also two knives in the room and a spent shotgun shell on the bedroom floor. Another empty shotgun shell was found in another part of the main house.

In the basement, a 12-guage shotgun and a rifle were standing in the corner by the door. There were four spent shotgun shells and wads on the basement floor, along with one nine-millimetre bullet. One shotgun bullet on the floor near the basement door had never been fired. The shells and bullet were from a 12-guage shotgun.

Bloody footprints were photographed on the stairs leading from the basement to the main part of the house. The butt of a shotgun also showed signs of blood.

During cross-examination, Sergeant Kean said the outside of Butler’s home sustained damage from shotgun fire. The window in the basement door was shattered, and there were holes in the door frame, in the exterior siding above, and to the left side of the basement door.

Two shotgun wads were on the ground outside by a snow blower not far from Pelletier-Thibodeau’s body. Earlier testimony at the trial indicated she was carrying a shotgun on the day of the incident.

Farther out in the driveway, two shells from a different (410) shotgun and two wads were found on the ground at the rear of a silver truck involved in the incident.

“Clearly, there was more than one firearm being used here,” suggested Defence Counsel Alex Pate.

“Yes,” replied Sergeant Kean.

The silver truck parked in the driveway was hit by shotgun fire from Butler’s house and sustained damage on the passenger side. No other vehicles parked nearby were damaged by bullets, including Pelletier-Thibodeau’s Ford Escape.

Sergeant Kean testified a baseball hat was on the ground near the silver truck, and two beer cans were photographed on the back.

Three footprints were spotted in a muddy part of the driveway, and one print appeared different from the other two. Under redirect from the crown, the officer agreed there was lots of foot traffic on Butler’s property, so there was no way to determine if the footprints were related to the incident.

The police officer told the court a 35-calibre, loaded rifle with a scope was found in the grass about 80 meters from Butler’s property, down a bank on the opposite side of the highway near the St. John River. A complete rifle round was also located in the grass, with two full rounds still in a holder. No spent casings from the rifle were situated on the grass or around Butler’s home.

The crown closed its case, and the trial was adjourned until Feb. 29 at 9:30 a.m. when Butler is expected to take the stand in his own defence.

Earlier testimony

On Jan. 11, Chris Demerchant, 53, of Scotts Siding, testified he was kidnapped from his home by Butler at gunpoint, pistol-whipped around the head, and taken to Butler’s home at Bulls Creek where he believed he would meet his death.

Demerchant said he was loaded into the backseat of Pelletier-Thibodeau’s Ford Escape. Butler sat next to him. As the vehicle started moving, Butler pistol-whipped Demerchant around the head with a nine-millimetre handgun and threatened to shoot him in the knee. Pelletier-Thibodeau was behind the wheel at the time, while Butler’s friend, Timothy Grant, was in the front passenger seat.

They went looking for Ryan Purvis in a wooded area near Benton. Butler was angry with Purvis. He exited the Ford Escape with the handgun, and Demerchant heard a series of gunshots. Then, Demerchant saw Purvis speed off in the van he had borrowed to boost his car. Butler returned to the backseat of the Ford Escape, and they raced off after Purvis toward Scotts Siding.

Demerchant said he was “dazed up” and bleeding profusely when he looked up from the backseat and saw he was back home. There was no sign of Purvis. He saw his van parked in the driveway go into reverse, strike a mailbox, and enter a ditch. Demerchant said he tried to get out of the Ford Escape at that point but was attacked again.

“I took a shit-kicking on the road,” Demerchant told the court. “It was a pretty good beating.”

Demerchant struggled to his feet, and they loaded him back into the Ford Escape. Butler was next to him again in the backseat. Pelletier-Thibodeau was still driving with Timothy Grant in the front passenger seat. They headed for Earle DeLong’s residence at Dead Creek.

Everyone went inside. Butler told Demerchant to go wash the blood off his face. Then Butler took him to the kitchen and sat him on the floor. Pelletier-Thibodeau began poking Demerchant with a shotgun and threatened to cut his throat. Other people were in the room at the time, but no one said a word about what was happening.

A few minutes later, Butler, Pelletier-Thibodeau, and Demerchant climbed back into the Ford Escape and drove to Bulls Creek, about 20 minutes away. This time, Timothy Grant was not in the vehicle, having left the area on foot.

“I asked them to take me home,” Demerchant said about the ride to Bulls Creek. “I said this is crazy.”

At Butler’s residence, they all went into the basement. Demerchant sat on a wooden chair in the dark. He had a beer and waited. Butler kept the handgun on him while Pelletier-Thibodeau continued to jab him with a shotgun. He looked around the room and saw another gun. His phone rang. It was his brother, Troy Demerchant.

“They told me to tell him I’m alright, don’t worry about it,” Demerchant testified. “I had a gun to the side of my head.”

Soon after the phone call, Troy Demerchant drove into Butler’s driveway in his truck. Troy Demerchant shouted for Butler. In response, Pelletier-Thibodeau and Butler both opened fire into the yard. Suddenly, Pelletier- Thibodeau was hit.

“When she got shot, everything went silent,” Chris Demerchant testified. “That’s when I got out of there.”

As Demerchant ran past Pelletier-Thibodeau, he heard her say: “You shot me Rodney.”

“He shot her in the back of the neck,” Demerchant told the court.

Demerchant said he ran outside and down the driveway. His brother, Troy, was still under gunfire when he yelled for him to call 911. Demerchant said he took refuge in a ditch and then went to a neighbour to get a ride home to Scotts Siding.

Under cross-examination, Demerchant said he did not think his brother arrived at Butler’s residence with a firearm. He testified he did not know if Purvis was outside with his brother.

Timothy Grant testified Butler called him the day after the incident. He confessed he shot his partner, Pelletier-Thibodeau, about 20-30 feet from the door when she

accidentally stepped into the line of fire. 

Grant said Butler called him back later and blamed her death on the Demerchants.

The post Police evidence reveals guns, ammunition throughout Butler home first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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Two criminal car dealers saw their sentencing hearing delayed by a month Wednesday after government officials put off contacting those they fleeced for victim-impact statements to the last minute.

Peter Geoffrey Kennedy, 58, of no fixed address, and William (Williie) Cornford, 55, of Mataya Drive in Fredericton, were scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in…

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New Brunswick’s family court system is still sorting out the potential impact of a legislative mistake that created a 43-day legal void in the province’s child protection regime.

The man appointed by the New Brunswick government to defend the public interest at  Energy and Utilities Board hearings is urging the body to cut the amount consumers are being charged for federal clean fuel regulations by more than half in an upcoming decision. 

International students at St. Thomas University share their recipes with chef Michael Greer, who then serves up some home cooking away from home.

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Warning: This report contains graphic details of sexual crimes against a minor. 

A Burton man headed to prison for forcing his daughter to touch his penis professed his innocence Wednesday but also claimed childhood trauma affected his mind, muddying his thoughts.

The 63-year-old offender appeared for sentencing before Court of King’s Bench Justice Thomas…

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The New Brunswick government won't say how much it's now expected to cost to finish a new Fredericton courthouse, a project the province has twice halted over its cost.

Clinic 554 is going to close after Wednesday, bringing an end to clinic-based surgical abortions that have been provided in Fredericton for the past 30 years.

After at least two years, Anglophone School District West is still struggling with a shortage of bus drivers. Karen Green did the job for decades and liked it, but she has some ideas about what's keeping people away.

Officers apprehend man and young offender during early-morning downtown patrols

A man and young offender will soon face charges concerning drug and weapons charges after their arrest in downtown Woodstock early Monday morning, Jan. 29.

The Woodstock Police Force reported the arrest in a press release on Jan. 31.

“In the early morning hours of January 29th, 2024, at approximately 4:30 a.m., uniformed members of the Woodstock Police Force, while on patrol in the downtown area, observed two males prowling in dark clothing,” the police said in the statement.

Police said the officer’s investigation into an adult male and a young offender resulted in their apprehension for drug and weapons offences.

Police explained a subsequent inquiry by the Woodstock Police Force Street Crime Section revealed that one of the arrested individuals was also linked to a series of property-related crimes and graffiti incidents throughout Woodstock.

“Safeguarding the well-being of the citizens of Woodstock is our top priority,” said Sergeant Seth Cahill. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining a safe community for everyone.”

Deputy Chief Mark Bennett said charges will be laid in court soon.

He said the adult was known to police prior to his latest arrest.

Bennett said officers are trained to be aware of suspicious activities as they patrol the community.

The post Woodstock Police Force arrests individuals on weapons and drugs charges first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A Fredericton man who was reported as missing in the fall of 2022 has been found dead, reports the city police force, noting it doesn’t appear he was a victim of foul play.

The Fredericton Police Force issued a news release Oct. 20, 2022, advising that city resident Shannon Ray Jones, 34, had been reported as missing the day before.

In a followup issued through social media Wednesday, the police force advised Jones had been found and was dead, though it didn’t mention his name in the update.

“The 34-year-old man from Fredericton, N.B., who was reported missing to police on Oct. 19, 2022, has been located deceased,” it said.

“Police do not believe criminality to be a factor in his death.”

In the original release in late 2022, the force said it was seeking assistance in locating Jones, reporting he’d last been seen leaving his home at about 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18, 2022.

He was described as being 5’8” tall, weighing about 182 pounds, with short, brown hair, brown eyes and a medium build.

“Jones was believed to be last seen wearing a dark jacket, blue jeans, white shoes and a ball cap or cowboy-style hat,” the 2022 release stated.

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

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Residents escape, but pets perish, as blaze levels two-unit structure

An early-evening fire on Tuesday, Jan. 30, destroyed an apartment building at 123 Charlotte Street on Woodstock’s southside.

The fire department responded to the reported fire at approximately 8:30 p.m. to battle the stubborn blaze in frigid temperatures with a windchill dropping below minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Fire Chief Harold McLellan said residents of the two apartments escaped the burning building before the fire department arrived, but he believed one or more pets perished in the fire.

He said the first 9-1-1 call occurred at 8:29 p.m., reporting a structure fire “with someone trapped.”

McLellan said the fire crews were on the road by 8:33 p.m. and arrived at the fire within five minutes.

He said Woodstock Police Force members were already on the scene and confirmed everyone safely escaped the burning structure.

Firefighters fought the fire with an external and internal attack but could not gain control as the fire spread through the older two-and-a-half-storey wooden structure.

McLellan said he decided to call in an excavator to bring down the structure.

“It got to a point where it was unsafe to be in the building,” the chief said.

He said the second-level floor was already “spongy,” making an internal attack no longer safe.

“The only logical decision was to call in the excavator,” McLellan said.

He said fire crews wanted to ensure the fire didn’t spread to nearby structures, including a small residence within an estimated nine feet of the burning building.

The neighbouring couple, Noah Walton and Lilli Mazerolle, stood in the cold, watching the firefighters battle the fire in the structure towering over their home.

Walton said he called 9-1-1 at 8:33 p.m. when they discovered the fire next door, but someone had already reported it.

Mazerolle said she believed at least a couple of cats didn’t make it out of the house.

McLellan said he was told pets were trapped inside, but he couldn’t confirm what or how many.

The chief said it is difficult and dangerous for people escaping a burning building to locate pets, especially cats. He explained that scared animals often hide, making locating them through the smoke and flames almost impossible.

McLellan said that in addition to the police force, Ambulance New Brunswick and an N.B. Power crew attended the fire scene. He said power crews shut off electricity to the building.

Mazerolle and Walton said they were also without power.

Mazerolle said they became aware of the fire when they noticed flames coming from the back corner of the house adjacent to their backyard.

McLellan confirmed that is where firefighters first focused upon arrival, calling it the “Bravo-Charlie corner,”

He explained firefighters label each of the four sides of a building with letters, starting with the front as A, then going B, C, and D clockwise.

McLellan said the type of wooden structure, which he described as balloon construction, is challenging for firefighters. He said flames quickly climb up the walls from bottom to top.

He said the older structure, turned into apartments, probably underwent several renovations over the years.

McLellan said that, at this point, they consider the fire as “accidental.”

He said the Woodstock Police attended the fire scene, and he kept the Fire Marshal’s Office informed about the situation.

With what remains of the structure, McLellan explained it would be difficult to determine an exact cause of the fire.

The post UPDATE: Fire destroys Woodstock two-unit building first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A former Fredericton resident accused of exposing himself in public early last year recently saw that allegation withdrawn in court. 

Benedict Chibuzo Maduike, 40, formerly of Patience Lane in Fredericton, pleaded not guilty through defence counsel last summer to an indecent-act charge, which alleged he exposed his genitals with “intent to insult or offend any person” in Fredericton on Feb. 27.

But the case was back in Fredericton provincial court Jan. 19 - not for trial, but for a different conclusion to the case.

Prosecutor Geoffrey Hutchin told court at that time the Crown had decided to withdraw the charge.

Judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc granted the Crown’s motion.

Defence lawyer Alex Pate was on hand to represent Maduike, and he noted he’d let his client know of the outcome.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers says city staff are considering changes to Fredericton's planning advisory committee, holding discussions that include possibly removing the public hearing process for proposals.

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A capital-region man busted with stolen property and for repeatedly violations of court orders saw a few more months tacked onto the time he’s already spent behind bars since last year.

Coltin Alexander Livingston, 32, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court in person and in custody Tuesday afternoon for a sentencing hearing.

He’d pr…

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