Man Accused in Death of New Waterford Native Back in Court

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

A Brampton Ontario man charged in connection with the hit-and-run death of a New Waterford native is due back in court today.

Tanvir Singh Padda was charged in mid-November with criminal negligence causing death and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

The arrest came almost a month after Jordan Gillis was found lying in the street in Waterloo, Ontario on Oct. 20.

After weeks of searching, police traced the suspect vehicle to a Brampton address.

Padda was represented by his lawyer during his first court appearance on December 13^th.

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Gas and Diesel Up

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The price of gas and diesel went up overnight.

Gas rose by 1.4 cents a litre while diesel took a 3 cent a litre jump.

The minimum price for a litre of regular gas in Cape Breton is now $1.34.2.

A litre of diesel now goes for a minimum of $1.46.2.

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Snow Clearing Underway, CBVRSB Classes Cancelled

Written by Dave Desveaux. Posted in Local News

Cape Bretoners will be digging out once again today in the wake of another blizzard. The island was still in the grip of an intense low pressure system overnight, though Environment Canada says the system is on a northeast track toward Newfoundland and Labrador this morning. The storm brought high winds and upwards of 30 cm of snow, leading to hazardous road conditions and a slew of cancellations yesterday. Today, classes are cancelled once again for students in the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board. We’ll air any other major cancellations as they’re announced. Early this morning, over 600 Nova Scotia Power customers were offline on the western side of the island in the Cheticamp and Margaree areas, but those customers have since been reconnected. A number of flight cancellations are being reported in both Sydney and Halifax, and passengers are advised to phone ahead to check with their airlines before leaving home this morning. Maritime Bus says some of its routes may be delayed or cancelled, and has advised customers to postpone their travel if possible.  The plows have begun to get on the roads, but driving conditions may still be challenging in some areas and winds are expected to remain fairly high this morning as the storm moves away from the island. We’ll have more weather details in a few minutes. 

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Faculty and CBU To Meet With Mediator

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The Faculty Association and Cape Breton University administration are due to meet with a mediator in a last ditch effort to avert a strike today.

Either side can give 48 hours notice of a walkout or lockout as of today.

The move followers a two-week cooling off period after a conciliator’s report was filed, earlier this month.

Professors voted 92% in favour of a strike last month to back demands for a lighter work load and parity with their counterparts at other universities.

 Both sides have been saying all along that they’re hopeful a strike can be averted.

 

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Parents Want Drunk Driver’s Picture Posted

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The parents of a teenager who died in a collision with a drunk driver in River Bourgeois are appealing to the liquor corporation to post pictures of the man in its stores.

52-year-old Michael Gerard Cooper from Cleveland in Richmond County is due to released from prison either today or tomorrow.

Cooper has now served his entire sentence on two counts of impaired driving causing death, imposed in 2007.

He was convicted after the car he was driving collided with the vehicle carrying19 year-old Angela Smits from Sydney and her 20-year-old boyfriend Michael MacLean from Albert Bridge in May of 2004.

The pair died in the crash.

Gerard Smits says he wants liquor stores and bars to be aware of Cooper and the restrictions placed on him so he won’t able to buy alcohol.

Besides the prison term, Cooper was banned from driving for  99 years and prohibited from drinking for two years after his release.

But at several hearings with the Parole Board of Canada, Cooper has said he won’t stop drinking and driving.

Both the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and the province’s Utility and Review Board say they’re looking at the request from Smits.

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