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Protestors want medical records

NACKAWIC - Former mill workers want their personal medical files back from AV Nackawic. Former mayor Steven Hawkes will join about 10 others in a protest march at the mill today. They worked for the previous mill owner, St. Anne Nackawic Pulp Co. Ltd., before it went bankrupt. AV Nackawic bought it in 2005. The new owner requested their confidential medical files, then did not re-hire several employees, Hawkes said. The group is also pursuing complaints to the Human Rights Commission, claiming AV Nackawic discriminated against them due to their medical conditions. AV Nackawic did not respond to a request for comment.

Education

College students seek compensation

EDMUNDSTON - Community college students in Edmundston want financial compensation for the time they lost during a five-week strike by custodians earlier this year. Student council president Mylene Roy says some programs will run up to four weeks longer as a result of the strike, leaving students to pay extra rent, food, utilities, transportation and day care bills. She has 150 signatures on a petition asking for compensation and legislative changes to ensure a similar strike can't disrupt classes again. Post Secondary Education, Training and Labouir Minister Ed Doherty said Tuesday that principals will deal with concerns individually.

Police

Federal money will hire police

REXTON - New Brunswick should use new money from Ottawa to improve police services in rural areas, says Rexton's Mayor David Hanson. The provincial government has yet to say how and when it will spend nearly $9 million from the federal government to hire additional police officers. Hanson would use the money to put more RCMP in rural areas. Public Safety Minister John Foran said he will meet next month with a committee, including representatives from police forces, to determine how to spend the $8.8 million. The minister said he would like to see the money go towards combating organized crime and hiring new officers.

Fire

Nobody would have survived explosion

FREDERICTON - A Fredericton couple returned home the day after a natural gas explosion destroyed the house next door on Monday. The home that Tina Robinson and Darin Jenkins bought at 632 Scully St. last fall suffered damages, but nothing like the complete destruction next door. The house at 642 Scully St. exploded at about 11:30 a.m. - just after Robinson had left her home with friends, and just after Jenkins passed by walking the couple's dogs. Firefighters arrived within two minutes, but flames already engulfed 642 Scully. The owner of 642 Scully St. was out of the country. Nobody in the house would have survived, said Fredericton fire Chief Philip Toole.