New Brunswick’s Liberal opposition is taunting Premier Blaine Higgs for backing off an early election this fall, claiming he was afraid of losing because the province isn’t doing as well as he lets on.

A new program for students at the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University promises to give students access to mental health support around the clock every day.

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A Fredericton woman who was reported as missing this week for the third time in about a month has been located and is safe, the Fredericton Police Force reports.

The Fredericton Police Force issued an advisory on social media Wednesday morning announcing that Chelsea Sacobie, 29, of Fredericton, had been reported as missing.

It said Sacobie was last seen in Fredericton on Sunday.

However, in a followup post later Wednesday morning, the police force said Sacobie had been located and was safe.

Wednesday’s advisory marks the third time since last month the police force has issued such alerts about Sacobie. It posted identical advisories Oct. 18 and Nov. 10, following up shortly thereafter that she’d been found and was safe.

Wednesday’s alert made no mention of the previous instances in which she was reported as missing. The Fredericton Independent inquired with the Fredericton Police Force about the potential reasons the repetitive nature of the missing-person reports on Sacobie.

“Unfortunately, due to privacy concerns, we cannot detail such factors,” police spokesperson Sonya Gilks wrote in an email Wednesday.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Snowfall warnings were still in place Wednesday evening for parts of central and southern New Brunswick as snow coated the roads.

The average cost of rent in New Brunswick in October was nine per cent above where it was last October, according to figures released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.

Rose House is a 12-bed transitional house for women in Saint John’s Waterloo Village. For Tanzie Jamieson, it’s a place of opportunity.

On Tuesday, Pamela Bentley asked the city's growth committee to fund an additional bylaw officer for the Community Standards program. The committee voted in favour unanimously.

Spokesperson said divers were assisting in police investigation

The RCMP confirmed the force’s dive team was in the Florenceville-Bristol area on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 19 and 20, to assist in an investigation.

The Western Valley Region RCMP spokesman said the dive team joined multiple RCMP units in the area on Sunday afternoon and Monday.

He said the team was assisting the force’s Major Crime Unit.

The spokesperson dismissed rumours spreading throughout the community that someone fell or jumped off a bridge in Florenceville-Bristol.

“We can confirm that this was not a first-response situation,” he said.

Beyond that, however, the RCMP said they could not disclose additional information regarding the ongoing investigation.

The post RCMP confirm dive team’s presence in Carleton North first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Two officers in ceremonial red serge switched from ceremony to active duty

A pair of RCMP officers switched from ceremonial duties to active duty on Nov. 11 following Remembrance Day ceremonies at Hartland War Memorial in front of the Hartland Community School.

In a media release on Nov. 21, the Western Valley Regional Detachment said two West District West District RCMP members, still dressed in ceremonial attire, arrested a man in possession of a loaded gun following the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremony.

The RCMP said Sgt. Dan Sharpe and Cst. Cassandra Duguay were leaving the Remembrance Day ceremony when they observed a suspicious vehicle nearby that they believed to be connected to an unrelated file the police were currently investigating.

When police approached the vehicle, the driver hopped out and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Sharpe and Duguay apprehended the individual, who was found to be carrying a loaded firearm.

The RCMP said the officers took the 37-year-old man into custody, after which he was released and scheduled to appear in Woodstock Provincial Court on Feb. 13, 2024, at 9 a.m.

The investigation is ongoing.

The post Armed man arrested following Hartland’s Remembrance Day service first appeared on River Valley Sun.

One of the RCMP officers who fatally shot a knife-wielding man on the Kingston Peninsula while responding to a domestic call on New Year's eve in 2021 "broke down" when she learned he had died, according to a colleague.

The Higgs government announced new measures Tuesday to help low-income New Brunswickers cope with the high cost of living.

Moncton is proposing to change its approval system for housing that results in public hearings and notices going to neighbours.

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The RCMP says a suspect alleged to have been carrying a loaded handgun at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Hartland was arrested by two Mounties attending the event.

An RCMP news release issued Tuesday reported that two members of the force, who were attending a Remembrance Day ceremony in ceremonial Red Serge uniforms, arrested an armed man at that location.

“On Nov. 11, 2023, Sgt. Dan Sharpe and Const. Cassandra Duguay of the West District RCMP were leaving a Remembrance Day ceremony in Hartland when they observed a suspicious vehicle nearby that was believed to be connected to an unrelated file that is currently under investigation,” the release said.

“When police approached the vehicle, the driver hopped out and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Sgt. Sharpe and Const. Duguay apprehended the individual, who was found to be carrying a loaded firearm.”

The RCMP also released a photo Tuesday of the firearm that the man is alleged to have been carrying.

The 37-year-old suspect was released from custody on conditions and on a promise to appear in Woodstock provincial court Feb. 13, the release said.

It didn’t note what charges the RCMP expects to lay in relation to the incident.

The investigation is ongoing, the release noted.

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

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A pricey painting from Fredericton's Beaverbrook Art Gallery was sold at auction Tuesday in London. 'Beach Scene, Lancashire' by British painter L.S. Lowry sold for slightly more than $2 million Cdn at Sotheby's.

Social Development Minister Jill Green says assistance going to those who need it most.

The provincial government is implementing affordability measures to help New Brunswickers face tough financial times.

Social Development Minister Jill Green said the measures assist those who need it most.

“This government recognizes that many New Brunswickers are having a tough time making ends meet,” said Green. “We know low-income New Brunswickers cannot wait any longer for the assistance they need, and these initiatives ensure they can access that assistance right away.”

The measures being implemented are:

• A $200 Low-Income Seniors’ Affordability Supplement to recipients of the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit for the 2023 benefit year. This supplement, in addition to the existing $400 Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit, will remain in place until the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit is permanently increased to $600.
• Effective in January, a policy change for spousal contributions to facility-based care to ensure at least 60 per cent of the household income remains with the spouse at home.
• Effective in February, a monthly $200 household supplement for social assistance recipients and youth engagement services recipients to help with the rising cost of food and shelter.

“We want to continue to support our seniors and allow them to age with dignity, on their own terms,” said Kathy Bockus, the minister responsible for seniors. “New Brunswick seniors who are in their own homes and have a loved one in long-term care, or who need a little extra help with their household bills, will not have to wait for the assistance they need.”

The Department of Social Development will spend an additional $19.4 million in 2023-24 on these initiatives. The full-year cost of these measures is $65 million starting in 2024-25.

The post Province announces affordability measures first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A Fredericton home-design and construction company is facing allegations of workplace safety violations in the wake of a worker’s death on a jobsite two years ago.

WorkSafeNB, the province’s workplace-safety watchdog agency, laid charges under the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Act in Fredericton provincial court recently against New View Designs by Laurie Cole Inc., based on St. Mary’s Street.

The charges allege the company failed to ensure a metal scaffold was erected in accordance with manufacturer specifications; that the scaffold was outfitted with a continuous access stairway starting at ground level, level that the structure was greater than six metres in height; and to provide safety instructions needed to protect an employee’s health and safety.

Laragh Dooley, executive director of corporate communications for WorkSafeNB, confirmed the charges stem from a Dec. 6, 2021, accident that claimed a worker’s life in Fredericton.

“While there were issues with the scaffolding, including missing guardrails, the fatality resulted when the supervisor fell from the scaffolding,” she wrote in an email to the Fredericton Independent.

Dooley declined to name the supervisor, though she noted it was a man between the ages of 30 and 50.

The charges were before provincial court Judge Lucie Mathurin on Monday.

Halifax lawyer Brad Proctor appeared by telephone to represent New View Designs. No representative from the company attended Monday’s court proceedings.

He asked for an adjournment because he needed time to obtain disclosure of the Crown file and to confer with the prosecutor who will be assigned the case.

The judge set the matter over to Dec. 18 for pleas.

Dooley, when asked why it took almost two years after the worker’s death for the matter to get to court, noted the Occupational Health and Safety Act gives the agency up to two years to investigate incidents.

“Complex investigations, such as those involving a fatality, can take a year or more to conclude because the process involves thorough examination of the incident site, witness statements, examination of any machinery or equipment, personal protective equipment present, work procedures and whether the worker(s) received adequate training and supervision,” she said.

“This investigation required participation from the employer and the scaffolding manufacturer, which was not always readily available. In addition, the Crown asked for additional time to review the file.”

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Police release photos of suspicious truck as it searches for man and woman

Western Valley Region RCMP released photos of a truck used by a couple in the alleged theft of fuel and a separate gun crime in Carleton North on Nov. 8.

In the release, the RCMP asked for the public’s help to identify two persons of interest following the theft and the firearm offence in Florenceville-Bristol,

The police said the theft occurred at approximately 8:36 a.m. on Nov. 8, when a man and a woman stopped at a business on Route 110 in Florenceville-Bristol, fuelled their vehicle and left without paying.

Later the same day, the RCMP said, the driver, believed to be a male, pointed a firearm at another vehicle on Route 110 in Florenceville-Bristol. RCMP members patrolled the area, but the individuals had left the scene.

Police released surveillance footage photos, hoping someone could identify the vehicle, described as a black, older model Dodge RAM with a broken tail light on the driver’s side, a missing front bumper, and a set of cab lights on the roof.

The RCMP described one truck occupant as a blond man with blond hair, a beard, and a mustache and the second as a woman with red hair.

The RCMP asks anyone with information about the incidents, or who recognizes the vehicle in the photos, or who has dash cam or security footage from the area at the time of the incident to contact the Western Valley Region RCMP at 506-325-3000.

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

The investigation is ongoing.

The post RCMP investigate fuel theft and firearm offence in Florenceville-Bristol first appeared on River Valley Sun.

COVID-19 has killed at least four more New Brunswickers aged 65 or older, and a child under four is among those hospitalized for or with the virus between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11.

Trina Jones plans to replace Jan. 1 event with Family Day event in February

Woodstock Mayor Trina Jones will no longer greet the New Year with the Mayor’s Levee at Connell House.

Jones told council the traditional New Year’s Day event at Connell House in downtown Woodstock has become a challenge on several fronts.

“We had trouble last year pulling it off,” she said, noting the staff scrambled to find a caterer and many spent most of New Year’s Day working.

“I didn’t want to subject staff to a full day on New Year’s Day,” Jones said.

Coun. Julie Calhoun-Williams agreed with the mayor’s decision, saying many residents can’t find time to attend a New Year’s Day event.

Former Mayors Art Slipp, Jeff Wright, and Randy Leonard used the Mayor’s Levee to deliver the State of the Town address and hand out certificates of appreciation to volunteers and residents who have dedicated time and effort to benefit the town.

Jones said she wants to continue that tradition but plans to make it part of Family Day events in February.

She believes a larger venue, such as the AYR Motor Centre and a weekend in February, would make it easier for a larger cross-section of the community to attend.

“We’re trying to capture more than the diehards,” Jones said.

Coun. Jeff Bradbury expressed disappointment with Jones’ decision to discontinue the levee.

“It’s a long-standing tradition,” he said.

Bradbury said he and many others always looked forward to the New Year’s Day event.

Jones acknowledged Bradbury’s point but said the New Year’s Levee is no longer a tradition, noting it wasn’t held in 2021 or 2022 because of COVID.

Calhoun-Williams suggested that the event’s change in time and place would capture new people.

“We’re not keeping tradition anymore just to keep tradition,” she said. “We’re moving forward.”

Jones said she will continue honouring volunteers and others for their community support, adding she wants to get recommendations from the public regarding who deserves such an honour.

She also believes February is a better time to deliver the State of the Town address.

“It’s hard to give the State of the Town on Jan. 1,” Jones said.

Noting the event is the “Mayor’s” Levee, she said the decision to discontinue the tradition is hers and didn’t require a motion from council.

Jones said she and the staff will plan an event in conjunction with Family Day on Feb. 19.

The post Woodstock Mayor discontinues New Year’s Levee first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The Mactaquac bridge reopened Tuesday, but as a single with traffic lights, after about a week of being fully closed.

Seven-piece Moncton ensemble Les Moontunes reach towards the darker corners of the galaxy with their new single, Elephant Wizard. Matt Carter  Les Moontunes are one of the most interesting bands…

The post Meet the Elephant Wizard appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Fredericton councillors agreed in principle Monday to cutting the city's inside tax rate by one cent next year, but not before debating whether the decrease should go further out of concern for residents struggling with rising costs.

Child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock says New Brunswick needs to take action immediately to improve student literacy. 

Jon Mullane: The Feels Like Christmas Tour with Special Guest Alfie Zappacosta arrives at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre this Thursday.  Eric Alper  The Feels Like Christmas Tour features performances…

The post Jon Mullane and Alfie Zappacosta at the CSAC, Nov. 23 appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Fredericton’s community/campus radio station will hold its fall fundraiser November 23 at The Cap featuring live performances by Qwinn, Joe Ross, Travis Flynn, Stephen Hero and more. Matt Carter From…

The post CHSR Fundraising Concert – Nov. 23 at The Cap appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

The MRTI Agency rolls out a blues inspired concert series with performances at Dolan’s Pub between January and April.  Matt Carter Just a few weeks after making things official with…

The post A Blues Series for the Winter Months appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

NBCC and local group hosts drive-in movie, carolers event to raise funds for local charities

Laughter, cheering, and singing will fill the air when NBCC hosts a drive-in movie night on Friday, Nov. 24, at 6:30 P.M.

The movie being played at the event is the holiday classic “Elf” starring Will Ferrell.

Home Zone Electronics is the movie and screen provider, and McConnell Transport will provide the trailer, which will serve as the movie screen backdrop.

To enter the event, guests must pick up a pass before Nov. 24. You can pick up passes at CD Hairwaves or the NBCC campus.

Admission is by donation, with all proceeds going to the NBCC Emergency Food Resource Cupboard and Woodstock High School Backpack Program.

These programs supply over 100 students in the local community with needed food. Both programs raise funds to purchase food for food-insecure students in the local area.

The event, sponsored by Woodstock Tourism and NBCC, will give all attendees a complimentary pop or water and a bag of popcorn provided by Exit Realty Platinum.

Organizer Maryann Walker says people can start to park at 5:30 p.m., with the carolling beginning an hour later. The Palmer family will perform a series of carols. A special guest will be on hand for a tree-lighting ceremony. The movie will follow, with sound broadcast through vehicle radios.

Kelly Shaw will be on site to offer Beavertails and hot donuts during the carol sing and will have nachos for purchase during the movie.

The post Charity with Christmas cheer first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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An Oromocto man is going to trial on allegations that he maimed his wife and kidnapped her last month.

Adam Crowley, 29 of Tweedsmuir Court, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on Monday to elect mode of trial and enter pleas on several serious, indictable charges.

Crowley is on remand at the jail until the case against him concludes.

He’s accused of committing an aggravated assault on his wife, Karimah Crowley, by maiming her; kidnapping her with the intent of confining her unlawfully; uttering threats to cause her death and/or bodily harm; and committing mischief by interfering with his wife’s lawful use of her property.

The charges allege events in Fredericton on Oct. 14.

Defence lawyer L.A. Henry said her client was electing to be tried in provincial court and pleading not guilty to all counts.

Judge Lucie Mathurin set the case over to Dec. 1 for a case-management conference to determine if the issues at trial can be narrowed.

Trial dates will be set at that time as well.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Dozens of Moncton residents packed city council chambers Monday evening calling for a scrapyard and other businesses to be moved away from their homes.

There’s a new debate emerging about abortion in New Brunswick — between groups who support access but have different approaches on how to pursue that goal.

Nearly a month later, with the help of hundreds of car enthusiasts on social media, Sébastien Michaud's beloved 1992 Honda Prelude was found after a citizens’ pursuit tracked the car across three provinces.

Saint John's former girls' high school has been sold, and the seller's real estate agent says the plan is to turn it into an apartment building.

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Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of a violent crime.

A Fredericton woman who admitted to second-degree murder for stabbing a man in the chest and face claims she should have been convicted of manslaughter because it was a robbery that went wrong.

Angela April Walsh, 25, AKA Ali Morningstar, formerly of Kings College Road, pleaded guilty in early 2023 to second-degree murder in the April 2020 death of Clarke Ernest Hunter Greene, 31, and she was sentenced in June to life in prison - the only sentence available for murder under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Court of King’s Bench Justice Kathryn Gregory also set her parole-ineligibility period at 13 years, meaning Walsh must serve at least that long in prison before she can apply for parole.

However, Walsh filed a handwritten notice of appeal with the New Brunswick Court of Appeal on Sept. 14, first asking for an extension of time to file that appeal.

In criminal cases, intended appellants are supposed to file notices of appeal within 30 days of cases’ conclusions, and Walsh missed that deadline by a couple of months.

“The reason that I’d like an extension for an appeal is that I had no knowledge that there was a timespan for it,” Walsh wrote in a note attached to her notice of appeal.

“I am also a first-time federal inmate, so I’m still new to the processes.”

In more serious cases such as murder, appeal courts usually grant such extensions, especially if the appellant is self-represented and serving a term of incarceration.

Change of story led to lesser charge

Walsh was originally charged with first-degree murder in Greene’s death, but at the outset of her trial in January, her spouse, Zachery David Murphy, 25, testifying for the Crown, changed his story.

He told a provincial court at Walsh’s preliminary inquiry that she had hatched the plan to kill the victim, and he relayed a similar account to police when he was initially interviewed after his arrest in the spring of 2020.

However, as a key witness for the prosecution at Walsh’s jury trial, he claimed the whole thing was his idea.

That brought the trial to a halt, and during a recess, the Crown and defence lawyers conferred, eventually coming back to the court with an agreement for a guilty plea to the lesser count of second-degree murder.

Murphy had previously also been charged with first-degree murder for his lesser role in Greene’s death, but he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was co-operating with the prosecution up until his testimony at Walsh’s trial.

Likewise, he was sentenced to life in prison, but he’s eligible to apply for parole after serving 11 years.

During Walsh’s sentencing hearing, court heard she had decided to lure Greene to Wilmot Park in downtown Fredericton in the early-morning hours of April 15, 2020, to rob him.

Walsh met the victim at the park’s gazebo, and at her direction, Murphy hid in the greenery, only to approach Greene from behind and striking him with a pipe.

With Greene incapacitated, Walsh pulled a knife out of his pocket, jumped on top of him and started stabbing him over and over, in the torso and the face. Court Walsh gouged out Greene’s eyes in a rage, and then concluded her attack by stomping on his face.

Then she stood and stomped on his face with her foot.

Medical evidence showed Greene was stabbed in the face seven times and the chest 12 times. One blow punctured his heart, another his lung and another still cut a pulmonary artery.

His body was found at the gazebo by a passerby later that morning.

During her sentencing decision, Gregory described Walsh’s actions as “an inexplicable, spontaneous explosion of violence.”

Grounds for intended appeal

In handwritten notes attached to the notice of appeal form Walsh filled out at the Nova Institution, a women’s prison in Truro, N.S., she outlines her reasons for challenging the outcome of her case despite her guilty plea.

Her main contention is that there wasn’t any intent to kill.

“I believe that this crime was an unintentional one as it was only supposed to be a robbery, but it went wrong and someone regretably [sic] lost their life in the process,” she wrote.

“I feel horrible, ashamed, sad, disgusted with myself and guilty that a crime of this nature had occured [sic]. Therefore, considering the evidence, I believe second-degree murder should be reduced to a manslaughter charge instead.”

The language included with the notice of appeal, however, specifically avoids mentioning that she committed the acts in question, and it also questions some of the facts of the case that were relayed to the court during sentencing.

The killer contends court heard she had a driver’s licence when she didn’t have one or know how to drive, and that her hair colour was erroneously reported as being brown or red when she had “platinum blonde” hair in the time before and after Greene’s death.

“Therefore, I couldn’t be the ‘redhead’ that was seen walking with the victim shortly before the crime occured [sic],” Walsh wrote.

She also denied that she ever gave statements to police even though court heard she’d discussed the events at the park with police after her arrest.

In fact, in hearings before her trial, video of her statement to police were played for the court to determine admissibility.

“And lastley, [sic] I got my lawyer at the time, T.J. Burke, to make sure that all evidence was to be laid out for the trial when the Crown was showing evidence,” she wrote.

The killer further argues that a reference to her alternating hands in her repeated stabbing of the victim shows the attack couldn’t have occurred as the court was told.

“It also states that I’m ambidextrous when in fact I’m only right handed, so I couldn’t have used both hands in this crime as I’m unable to do so,” she wrote.

Walsh contends no clothing with stains testing positive for blood were found at her residence.

“There should also be body-cam video-footage of my arrest from inside my residence that shows that I did not throw a cellular device behind me, but rather dropped it on a pile of clothes next to my right arm,” she wrote.

Court of Appeal Justice Raymond French is scheduled to hear Walsh’s motion for extension of time to file her notice of appeal Dec. 6.

Thus far, Walsh is self-represented in her appeal process.

You can contact Don MacPherson at [email protected].

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Written by Dakshesh Thackar, Woodstock High School student journalist

On Saturday, Nov. 4, Woodstock was rocking as The Scene Promotions company put on the first Big Battle of the Bands as a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Carleton York. The event, hosted at the Best Western Plus Hotel and Convention Centre, saw five bands from across the Maritimes take the stage to compete for the title and $1,000 in prize money. Taking part were Tee 4 Three from Moncton, Run the River from Fredericton, Old Habits from Moncton, The Martin Boys from Woodstock, and Turbo from Halifax.

“We intentionally had very unique bands playing. When Daniel Monteith, Mellissa Hargrove, other organizers, and I sat down and talked about what we wanted as a vision for the event, we wanted something that served the bands and the entire music scene. We wanted diverse original bands that could show themselves to our audience,” said Corey Crouse, who runs The Scene Promotions. 

The performance was presented by The Scene Promotions, with Daniel Monteith acting as MC for the night.

 As the night unfolded, each band delivered captivating performances to an audience of over 200 music enthusiasts. The competition was fierce, with each band receiving a 30-minute setlist to showcase their unique styles and greatest talents.

Judges Eddie Young, Erika Betts, Shaun Monteith, and Shaun Albright faced the difficult task of deciding upon the winner of the Big Battle of the Bands. 

Turbo emerged victorious and took home the $1000 prize and the coveted trip to Sabian, with The Martin Boys coming runners-ups and receiving the virtual fan award!

Crouse’s goal with The Scene Productions is to grow the region’s music scene and expose all ages to live music. 

“We want you to come if you can’t afford a ticket. We want you to come if you don’t have any friends to go with. It’s not about making money; it’s about making it happen.”

Steven and Ruth Rideout from Big City Sound, Randy Ross, Sally Teague, Ryan Martin, Ryan Duffley, Jennifer Connor, and Melissa Hargrove all helped with the event’s sound, production and marketing. While all proceeds went to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Carleton-York, the event saw sponsorships come from all corners of the region. 

“The performance went absolutely seamless,” said Crouse. “It was their hard work which allowed us to have a great performance. There were no immediate sound checks when the bands went up on stage; there were multiple bands coming and going fast on and off the stage, and we were actually ahead of time with our schedule, which put more pressure on our sound crew. It was because of their professionalism that the show went the way it did with all of the pressures on board.”

As the echoes of the last chords faded away into the Woodstock streets, not only had some of the Maritime’s greatest talents been showcased, but a spotlight shined on Woodstock’s prosperous, vibrant, and ever-growing music scene, all while raising funds for a good cause.

The post Woodstock celebrates the Battle of the Bands first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Motorists who were looking forward to the opening of the new international bridge between Edmundston and Madawaska, Maine, will have to wait a few more months, and it's going to cost more than expected.

Greater Woodstock Chamber of Commerce event kicks off Christmas season for residents and businesses

On Friday, Nov. 17, a torchlight parade, a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the lighting of the Christmas tree helped launch the Christmas season in New Brunswick’s First Town.

We will have the full story on this event with more pictures later this week, as the reporter who covered this event is dealing with a death in the family. Thanks for understanding.

The post Kickoff to Christmas brings holiday cheer to Woodstock first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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Mounties are investigating an assault complaint from last month in Oromocto, and after releasing photos of three suspects being sought in the case Monday, they were identified, the RCMP now reports.

The RCMP’s Oromocto detachment issued a news release Monday about an early-morning incident at an Oromocto business that reportedly saw a man being assaulted outside the premises.

“On Oct. 21, 2023, at approximately 3:25 a.m., members of the Oromocto RCMP detachment responded to a report that three individuals had assaulted a man outside of a business in Oromocto, and then fled the scene before police arrived,” the release stated.

Images of the three suspects were caught by store surveillance cameras, the RCMP said, but thus far, investigators have been unable to identify them

As such, the Mounties released images in the hope that members of the public might be able to provide their names or information that could lead to them being identified.

All three were described as being in the early 20s with slim to average builds, the release said.

In an update issued not long after the original release, the RCMP advised the three men had been identified, and it thanked the public for its assistance.

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

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A Harvey man who was jailed four years ago for causing a 2017 crash in which his younger brother was killed has admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol this summer.

Brandon Richard Forret, 25, of Harvey, was charged by police this fall with impaired driving, alleging events from Aug. 19 in Fredericton.

Defence lawyer L.A. Henry appeared on his behalf in Fredericton provincial court Monday, noting he’s out of province for work.

“He’s in Alberta,” she said.

The plan was to have Forret appear by telephone in court Monday, the defence lawyer said, but Judge Lucie Mathurin pointed out that since the charge against her client is a summary-conviction matter, that wasn’t necessary since his counsel was present.

Henry said her client was pleading guilty to the charge, she asked that a pre-sentence report be ordered and prepared for the court’s consideration.

The judge ordered that report, and she scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 23.

The defence lawyer asked Forret could appear by video from Alberta for the sentencing hearing, but Mathurin said that wasn’t possible because the offender would be required to sign paperwork at the time of sentencing.

Crown prosecutor Christopher Lavigne said current public policy is for courts to impose a release order on those who admit to impaired driving and other related offences prohibiting them from driving while they await sentencing.

Forret’s absence from the jurisdiction at the time of his guilty plea posed a challenge, he noted.

“He is somebody who relies on driving for his livelihood,” Henry said.

Mathurin said while the court would normally impose such an order pending sentencing, it’s not feasible since Forret wasn’t present to sign such an order.

However, the judge reminded Henry that once her client is sentenced, he will be subject to a mandatory driving prohibition as part of that sentence.

“He will be prohibited,” Mathurin told the defence lawyer. “He needs to be here for sentencing.”

Tragic crash in his past

This marks the second time Forret has admitted to a crime related to driving.

He made headlines a few years ago after he was charged with dangerous driving causing the death of his younger brother Dawson Forret.

Dawson, 16, was killed in a late-night crash on Oct. 5, 2017 on Route 640 in Yoho when Brandon Forret was at the wheel.

Brandon Forret was also charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm to Teagan Wilcox, Dawson’s best friend, who was also in the car.

Brandon Forret pleaded guilty to both counts in 2019 and was sentenced to nine months in jail for those crimes.

During the sentencing hearing four years ago, court heard Forret had the car he was driving up to speeds of 160 to 176 kilometres per hour when he went onto the shoulder of the road and lost control of the vehicle.

He and the two passengers were ejected from the car, as no one was wearing a seatbelt. Police reported alcohol wasn’t a factor in the 2017 crash.

In addition to the jail term, Forret was on probation for a year following his release and was prohibited from driving for two years.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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The provincial court trial for a Haneytown man accused of sexually assaulting and touching an underage complainant a decade ago will be held next fall.

Mathew Peter Robert Gratton, 28, of Broad Road, elected to be tried in provincial court and pleaded not guilty last month to charges of sexually assaulting a minor and touching that child for a sexual purpose.

The RCMP charges allege events in Haneytown between Dec. 17, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2016.

There’s a court-ordered publication ban in place protecting the identity of the complainant.

The matter was back in Fredericton provincial court Friday for a case-management conference and to scheduled trial dates.

Judge Cameron Gunn set the trial down for Oct. 9 and 10, 2024.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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A former car salesman fired from a Fredericton dealership after being accused of getting handsy with a female co-worker has seen the criminal charge against him dropped.

The second trial of Stirling W. Peterson, 57, of Niagara Falls, Ont., but formerly of Fredericton, on a summary charge of sexual assault got underway in Fredericton provincial court late last month, 

The complainant testified that Peterson grabbed her breast on one occasion and then her buttocks on another while both were employed at Fredericton Hyundai between November 2019 and April 2020.

The woman said Peterson touched her breast while they passed one another in a stairwell at the dealership, and no one else was around. But she noted that two other employees witnessed him grab her behind while she was bent over cleaning her desk in a public area.

The defendant was one of the top salespeople at the business at the time.

The complainant said she was dissatisfied with how management at the dealership dealt with the inappropriate conduct, and she decided to go to the Fredericton Police Force to report the unwanted touching months later.

Peterson was subsequently fired.

During a recess after the complainant’s direct examination and before the defence’s cross-examination was to begin Oct. 27, the lawyers said new attention had come to their attention that merited an adjournment of the trial while the parties looked into what they’d been told.

Judge Cameron Gunn adjourned the matter to Nov. 17, when a date for the continuation of the trial was to be set.

The substance of the new information was never mentioned on the court record.

But when the matter came before the court Friday, prosecutor Christopher Titus said the Crown was withdrawing the charge against Peterson.

Peterson wasn’t present for Friday’s proceedings, but defence lawyer Edward was on hand and didn’t object to the Crown’s motion.

Titus gave no explanation for the decision to withdraw the charges, and again, the nature of the new information that led to the adjournment last month wasn’t discussed.

And thus, the prosecution against Peterson came to a close.

Conviction followed by appeal

This marked the second time Peterson stood trial on the allegation.

Judge Natalie LeBlanc convicted him last year after trial, and she sentenced him to a year of probation. The provincial court judge also imposed orders requiring Peterson to submit a DNA sample for a criminal database and to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

But in a decision issued in February by the summary appeal court, King’s Bench Terrence Morrison found LeBlanc had misconstrued and confused testimony, leading to an erroneous ruling.

Her mistakes resulted in “a miscarriage of justice in this case which warrants a new trial,” Morrison wrote.

You can contact Don MacPherson at [email protected].

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Planned upgrades to water services will mean no water for a time and rerouted traffic in the downtown

Residents and businesses in downtown Woodstock will see traffic rerouted most of the day, with the area having no water later on Monday, Nov. 20.

According to a notice released by the municipality, construction in the downtown area will start at 8 a.m. and continue into late evening. The areas affected are Connell Street from Main Street to Green Street, as well as King Street, Queen Street, Harvey Street, Wellington Street, Carleton Street, Emerald Street and Regent Street.

Those areas will lose water at approximately 5 p.m., with water service expected to be restored late that evening. Once the homes and businesses are reconnected, the area will be under a boil-water advisory.

The municipality notes that water may be temporarily discoloured following construction.

During a boil-water advisory, water for drinking, preparing infant formula, juice, ice cubes, washing fruits and vegetables, cooking, and dental hygiene should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute. While adults and older children can bathe, shower, or wash with tap water, infants and toddlers should be sponge-bathed to ensure no water is swallowed.

Once the boil-water advisory is lifted, the public will be notified. The town thanked people for their patience during the process. Stay tuned to the River Valley Sun’s website for updates on the boil-water advisory.

The post No water/boil-water order and traffic disruptions in Woodstock Monday first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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