Metro Halifax's first shooting of 2013 is now the first murder of the year. 24 year old Raymond Floyd Peters was shot at least twice Monday evening in the area of Primrose and Pinecrest in Dartmouth. He died in hospital yesterday afternoon. Police do have a suspect but so far no arrest has been made. They're looking for a black male in his 20s. Peters was no stranger to the criminal justice system. He's had 12 convictions in the last 5 years including sexual assault, robbery and drug possession. Police believe he and shooter knew each other. Let's hope this isn't the beginning of another troubled year with guns in the city. There were 12 murders in Halifax last year and 18 in 2011.
A new twist in the controversy over allegations of physical and sexual abuse at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. The home's executive director is suggesting some of its former residents are alleged to have abused other children at the home. Veronica Marsman targets 59 former residents in a court affidavit made public yesterday. Marsman says she's also personally not aware of any abuse at the home either as a resident, a staff member, board member or as the current executive director. Marsman's comments come as the home and the province officially decide to fight the class action lawsuit by former home residents accusing former staff members of abuse. Lawyer Ray Wagner calls Marsman's comments an unprecedented attack on the victim.
This thing is starting to get messy, very messy.
Another city councillor has publicly suggested there are measures that can be taken that will improve crosswalk safety in the city. Hammonds Plains councillor Matt Whitman told my radio show yesterday afternoon his residents are as concerned as others in HRM about the ongoing car-pedestrian collisions. He says three-quarters of the tweets he receives for example are about this issue. Whitman says he is part of a council committee led by Sackville's Steve Craig that will present ways to improve crosswalk safety to city council later this month. I can't wait to see what the report suggests and how Traffic Authority Ken Reashor will respond. So far he's been reluctant to do anything about the crosswalk issue other than remove several crosswalks from around the city. Stay tuned!
There was a rather unusual sight on a pond off Prospect Road Monday afternoon. A police officer on patrol noticed a car parked by the road side and out on the ice were two people. One was a woman with a camera, the other a man, naked as a jaybird running across the ice while she took pictures. The pair explained to the cop they were working on a project. He let them go with just a warning about public nudity. I'd be interested in hearing the details of this project, wouldn't you?
Have a great day. Get involved. And if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
Rick Howe
