QHC consultant deemed local newsmaker of the year

He made headlines in the Spring and continues to lead the news well into the New Year. The Quinte Broadcasting news team has selected Graham Scott…..the provincially-appointed Supervisor at Quinte Healthcare as its Newsmaker of the Year for 2009. In April, Scott was hired to address governance and financial issues at the hospitals in Belleville, Trenton, Picton and Bancroft. He has removed the old QHC Board of Directors and selected a new team. and, has cut a projected two year deficit of 15-million dollars to a more managable 3-million dollar figure. He recently made headlines for scolding the media for sensationalizing his contract….which potentially could pull in 509-thousand dollars….although he says he’ll make half of that amount.

Teams working at retaining industry in Quinte

2009 certainly could have been a better year on the local industrial scene in Quinte, but hope springs eternal.

Despite losing some manufacturing plants, the C.E.O. of the Quinte Economic Development Commission, Chris King, says they and Loyalist College, are working hard to keep existing industry here.

Chris King says there are several companies looking at the Quinte region for next year, and beyond, and he expects at least some of the empty factories to become active again.

Brighton mayor has high hopes for 2010

Brighton Mayor Chris Herrington has high hopes for the municipality in 2010.

Herrington mentioned just a few of her goals in a year-end interview with our newsroom.

Herrington also predicts a rebound in housing starts, to at least one-hundred in 2010, Brighton will recruit one more new doctor, and 75 per cent of the 850-thousand dollar fundraising goal for the new track and field facility at the high school will be reached.

Chirs Herrington says the waterfront development plan was created this year, the new community centre opened, and there has been a lot of progress on the Brighton-specific growth management strategy.

She says says construction of the new Brighton Public School will begin next year, and the municipality will have the most consultative and comprehensive official plan the community has ever had.

Herrington also predicts a rebound in housing starts, to at least one-hundred in 2010, Brighton will recruit one more new doctor, and 75 per cent of the 850-thousand dollar fundraising goal for the new track and field facility at the high school will be reached.

Carbon monoxide detector saves Belleville family

The Belleville Fire Department is crediting a carbon monoxide alarm with keeping a Kensington Crescent family healthy.

The carbon monoxide alarm went off Saturday evening, and the fire department had the Mother and her two young children checked for CO2 levels at Belleville hospital.  Only minimal traces were found in their blood.  If the family had been asleep, and there had been no carbon monoxide alarm in the home, the circumstances could have been much more serious.

The Belleville Fire Department remind you that CO2 is odourless, and invisible, and can be fatal.

Power outage in many Eastern Ontario towns

Thousands of eastern Ontarians will likely have to wait until later today for their power to be restored.

Heavy snow and trees falling on power lines caused a series of outages yesterday (SUN).

Hydro crews got the lights back on for most people east of Ottawa, but more than six-thousand residents in Tweed, Perth, and Bancroft were still in the dark at midnight.

6:30 AM UPDATE: About 2 thousand homes and businesses remain without power north of Kaladar, in the Denbigh and Ompah areas.

Fog leading to ice covered trees and power lines caused widespread power outs Saturday night and yesterday, but most people have had their electricity returned.

For those still without power, Hydro One says the lights should be back on by noon, or by 3 this afternoon, at the latest.

11:15 AM UPDATE: Estimated time of restoration now 6pm

Alleged drunks from Brighton, Trenton, Tweed and Barrie jailed in Belleville

Several towns and cities were represented in the cells at the Belleville Police station on the weekend.

One single sweep of the city’s entertainment district Saturday night brought in men from Brighton, Trenton, Tweed and Barrie.

Police say the men were arrested between one and three in the morning for being drunk in public.

They were held until sober for their own protection.

Twice the legal limit found in alleged drunk driver in Belleville

A 30-year-old man is due to appear in court on charges of drunk driving after being stopped in a Belleville RIDE programme.

City police were checking vehicles in the area of Cannifton Road Saturday night when they stopped the man on suspicion of intoxication.

Police say a road-side breath exam showed the man had twice the legal limit of blood-alcohol levels.

“Everything’s OK” following chimney fire in Marmora

Emergency crews made quick work of a potential threat in Marmora.

Marmora fire chief Tony Brownson says “everything’s OK” at the Cordova Rd. home that had a chimney fire this morning (SUN).

Fire crews were dispatched around 9:30 this morning  and Brownson says the fire was out a half hour later.

The chief says no one was injured and there was no damage to the home.

For a behind-the-scenes look at this story, visit the reporter’s blog at http://jenniferlester.ca.

Repatriation bus scheduled for Monday

A bus will be leaving the Legion in Belleville for tomorrow’s repatriation in Trenton.

Legion spokesperson Bob Morris says a bus will be available on a first-come-first-served basis at the Legion on Pinnacle St. between one and 1:30 tomorrow afternoon.

Parkhurst Transportation has often sponsored the buses to and from repatriation ceremonies for fallen Canadian soldiers during the Afghan mission.

The body of 30-year-old Andrew Nuttall will be repatriated at CFB Trenton at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon.

For a behind-the-scenes look at this story, visit the reporter’s blog at http://jenniferlester.ca.

Winter driving conditions fall upon Quinte

Slick road conditions have befallen Quinte.

A heavy fog and icy roads are present in most of our listening area.

Local police and fire services say they have not needed to attend any accidents this morning in spite of the treacherous driving conditions.

Environment Canada says the mercury dropped sharply from above the freezing mark to below it around 5:30 this morning.

With humidity hovering around 100%, the fog is bringing ice with it.

Fog is expected to clear later this morning.

For a behind-the-scenes look at this story, visit the reporter’s blog at http://jenniferlester.ca.