NOVEMBER
November 2: Sure, St. FX is outside of our usual coverage area but you can’t ignore a national championship especially when you have local residents playing. Emma Taylor and Tanisha Campbell both played a role in getting St. FX the championship win in women’s rugby this fall.
November 2: A Pictou man accused of possessing, accessing and making child pornography available had his charges stayed in provincial court after his lawyer successfully argued that his trial didn’t take place in a reasonable amount of time. Earle Victor MacDonald, 38, walked out of the courtroom a free man after charges that were laid two years ago were stayed. However, his legal problems are not all over – he now faces a new charge of bestiality and is expected to return to court this month to enter a plea.
November 9: County councillor Jim Turple took up the Pictou County Health Authority’s invitation to sample the food at the Northumberland Veterans Wing and he didn’t like the results. The bulk, pre-frozen food has met with some criticism in the past, but when county councillors were treated to a recent meal, it didn’t seem so bad. However, Turple said when he returned on his own, the food that was served to him was bland and tough. Others supported Turple’s opinion and the health authority agreed to do a 28-day assessment of the food.
November 16: On one of the coldest days in November, Pictou County came together for those in need. The News, East Coast FM and Tim Hortons teamed up with the Pictou County (East) Food Bank to collect close to 20,000 pounds of food for local residents. It was a great first effort that will hopefully become a tradition.
November 19: In today’s economy, there aren’t many projects that can claim they’ve finished on time and on budget. But the Pictou County Wellness Centre managed to do just that and opened its doors to special guests on this day to show off the new facility. The Wellness Centre now operates seven days a week, hosting two ice surfaces, the YMCA, aquatics area, daycare and conference rooms.
November 23: The Nova Scotia Government is hoping a $150,000 reward will jar someone’s memory into coming up with more information that may lead to an arrest in the Ed Phalen murder investigation. Phalen was shot and killed outside his Trenton home on Oct. 25, 2011. Police say the investigation is still ongoing.
November 27: Dave Gunning turned a negative into a positive by collecting pennies for the IWK Hospital after the Royal Canadian Mint considered charging him for using the image of the penny on his latest album. When the mint changed its mind, Gunning decided to give the penny a little bit more attention by collecting as many coins as he could for the children’s hospital.
December 12: It’s been a long time coming, but the Town of Stellarton has awarded a tender to repair a sinkhole in the town to a New Brunswick-based company. The work will also include repairing the walking trail that was torn up as part of the investigation into the cause of the sinkhole.
December 18: The Town of New Glasgow and the Municipality of Pictou County announced a plan that will see Pictou County’s two largest municipalities working more closely to improve infrastructure and the environment within its boundaries.
December 20: More than four years after being fired by the Town of Stellarton, former police chief Ambrose Heighton will be returning to the station. Heighton was fired in 2008 after he allegedly wrote a letter with accusations about members of the Pictou RCMP. Heighton appealed the town’s decision and the matter was sent to the police review board. The review ruled in April that Heighton should not have been fired for this misconduct though they did deem his actions as inappropriate for a police chief.
