The Regional Municipality will be holding public consultations next week as it draws up the budget for the coming fiscal year.

It says Mayor Amanda McDougall, councillors and staff will be at the meetings that start at Centre 200 in Sydney on Monday.

That will be followed by a meeting at the Miners Forum in Glace Bay on Wednesday of next week and another session at the Emera Centre in North Sydney the next day.

All three events are scheduled for 6-8 pm and will be livestreamed on the municipality's website.

The provincial Health Department says adults at highest risk of severe illness because of COVID-19 can get another dose of COVID-19 vaccine starting today.

It says Nova Scotia has accepted a discretionary recommendation by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization for a spring COVID-19 booster dose for people at highest risk because of ongoing circulation of COVID-19.

The Department has released a list of people who should get a spring dose if their last dose was more than six months ago.

The list includes people 80 years old and older, adults living in long-term care, nursing homes, or residential care facilities and adults who meet criteria for being moderately to severely immunocompromised.

It says the spring dose will only be available until June 30^th.

Cape Breton East MLA Brian Comer announced a total of $16.6 million in provincial and federal money for affordable housing projects this morning.

He was joined at the event at Parkview Seniors Apartments in Sydney Mines by Sydney-Victoria MP Jaime Battiste.

The province says the projects will create 236 new rental units with more than half offered at rents at or below 80 per cent of the local market average.

Three of the ten projects are being built in Cape Breton.

Stephen Jamael Property Rentals in Sydney is getting $3.8 million for 36 units in two projects.

And Future Growth Co-op Ltd. in Sydney Mines is getting $3.9 million for 22 units.

As predicted, the price of gas took a big drop, overnight.

Gas went down by 9.7 cents a litre and now goes for a minimum of $1.48.5 in Cape Breton.

The price of diesel fell by 5 cents.

The minimum price for a litre of diesel on the Island is now $1.67.5

Cape Breton East MLA Brian Comer announced a total of 18.3 million dollars in provincial money for fourteen community rinks at the County Arena in Coxheath, this morning.

8.15 million dollars is going to renovations at the Canada Games Complex at Cape Breton University as it’s turned into a dedicated hockey hub for women and girls.

The County Arena is getting $4.3 million for updates.

The work includes new washroom and changeroom facilities, as well as accessibility and energy efficiency upgrades.

And the Eskasoni Arena is $150,000 for accessibility improvements.