Education Review on the Way

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

Premier Stephen McNeil says the province is poised to conduct a sweeping review of the Nova Scotia’s public education system.

 

McNeil adds it’s been 25 years since the system last went under the microscope and much has changed in that time.

 

 McNeil says the process will go beyond the curriculum review he promised during the election campaign last fall.

 

Among other things, he says the review will look at the length of the school day, the length of the academic year and the use of technology in classrooms.

 

Meanwhile, Education Minister Karen Casey is scheduled to release the names of those carrying out the review as well as more details on the terms of the review, today.

 

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Mobile Care Team Gets Just 47 Calls

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The new night-time mobile care team in New Waterford has had just 47 calls since it began operating at the end of September.

The team of an Emergency Nurse and an Advanced Care Paramedic operates between the hours of 7:00 at night and 7:00 in the morning from Monday to Thursday.

 

They make visits directly to people’s homes for less urgent and non-urgent cases.

 

Cape Breton District Health Authority spokesperson Greg Boone puts the low volume of calls down to people having to get used to the new system.

 

The mobile care team is part of the new Collaborative Emergency Centre or CEC in New Waterford.

 

The District recently sent another mailout to people’s homes updating progress on the CEC.

 

Meanwhile, Boone says the District is urging people to use the new Mobile Care Team.

 

He adds, as the service develops, they’re prepared to make adjustments as needed.

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Home Support Workers Reject Offer

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

 Home support workers with the Northside Homemakers have voted 100% to reject their employer’s offer.

 

The vote for members of NSGEU Local 83 which serves the Sydney area took place on Sunday.

 

Union president Joan Jessome says the main outstanding issue is wage parity with workers who do the same job in hospitals and long term care homes.

 

Local 83 is one of 14 home support locals represented by the NSGEU that are currently in negotiations.

 

It’s the sixth local to reject the employer’s offer coming out of conciliation, over the issue of parity.

 

The 14-day countdown to a strike will begin on February 26^th when the conciliator’s report is filed.

 

The NSGEU says there are about 57 members in the Northside Homemakers Local.

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Veterans Affairs Emergency Meeting in Membertou

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

MLA’s with the Legislature’s Veterans Affairs Standing Committee will be in Cape Breton today for an emergency meeting.

The meeting to discuss Ottawa’s closure of the Sydney Veterans Affairs Office was called on Thursday.

Local veterans and veterans advocates are expected to testify at the committee hearing which gets underway at 11:00 this morning at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.

Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino was also invited to attend but he says he can’t make it because of previously scheduled commitments.

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Man Due in Court After Weekend Break-ins

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

A 21 year-old man is due in Sydney Provincial court today after Cape Breton Regional Police responded to a security alarm call shortly after 8:00, yesterday morning.

 

Police say when they arrived at the home on Eskasoni road, officers noticed that a Break and Enter had occurred.

 

They add a K9 team was called to assist and officers found several other homes and barns had been broken into and several articles had been stolen.

 

Police say they later arrested John Coady MacDonald at another home in the area and recovered some stolen articles.

 

He’s been charged with break and enter, theft, possession of stolen goods and possession of break-in instruments.

 

Coady was remanded to the Cape Breton Correctional Centre until today’s court appearance.

 

Police add their investigation is ongoing and further Arrests and Charges are expected.

 

 

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