Police are looking for two fugitives in connection with a bizarre case on the South Shore. A Lunenburg County man was shocked to see a teenage boy, wearing only a black hoodie and chained at his wrists and on his legs, standing on his driveway Monday. The 16 year old needed help, said he'd just escaped from a home where he'd been held prisoner for two weeks. The man managed to cut the chains off. The RCMP's now looking for 47 year old David James Leblanc and 31 year old Wayne Allan Cunningham. Both have been charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement but are on the lam today. Leblanc is already facing charges of child pornography and sexual assault involving two young boys, ages two and five. Cunningham has served federal prison time for a variety of charges.
Monday was the second time the boy had escaped from the home in which he was being held. A few days earlier residents spotted a boy walking along the road and jumping into bushes everytime a vehicle approached. He was apparently re-captured and chained to prevent future escapes. That didn't work so well as we now know. The Faulkner Road house in Upper Chelsea is also apparently linked to some online bondage sites. Strange story.
We'll get a Supreme Court of Canada decision today on an interesting court battle underway here in Nova Scotia. A 17 year old high school student and her dad have asked the court to protect their identity while they attempt to force Eastlink to reveal the identity of a cyberbully. 2 years ago the girl found a fake Facebook page using her photo. It ridiculed her looks and made references to sexual practices. The family wants Eastlink to reveal the name of the person who created the page so they can sue for defamation. The Nova Scotia courts granted the order, but required the family's name to be public. Today's Supreme Court of Canada ruling will be the deciding factor. The dad says he made a promise to his daughter he'd find out who created the Facebook page. I hope the court today sides with the family and protects their identity while they seek out the idiot who thought it would be fun to bully a young teenager.
Is it the kiss of death? Or a boost? The Halifax Dartmouth and District Labour Council has endorsed candidates running in 9 of the city's newly created districts in the October municipal election. Only two of those 9 are incumbents, Jackie Barkhouse and Jennifer Watts. Labour council prez Kyle Buott told my News 95.7 radio show yesterday the endorsements follow a questionaire they sent out to most of the candidates running for office. They're now publicly supporting the candidates whose values closely align with labour's. Both Barkhouse and Watts are involved in election fights with other incumbents. Barkhouse and Bill Karsten are in one scrap out Eastern Passage-Woodside way, while Watts and Dawn Sloane are among the candidates fighting for the new Peninsula North district.
Another election fight featuring a couple of incumbents has taken a nasty turn. Steve Streatch and Barry Dalrymple are campaigning for the new Waverly-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley seat. Streatch fired off a release yesterday lambasting his challenger for not doing enough to improve the Fall River area's growing traffic problems. Dalrymple says not true and tells the Herald Streatch's attack was "one of the most disgusting, low-ball, dirty political things I have seen in a very long time." Jeesh, a little over-reaction Barry. Perhaps he doth protest too much.
Have a great day. Get involved. And if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
Rick Howe
