Ten Quick Bits of News in the Last Week …

Killer Goes After Killer in Jail:

Phillip Pynn – recently convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of Nick Windsor – is back on trial for a separate issue: it seems he and 4 other inmates are being accused of starting a riot in Her Majesty’s Penitentiary, wherein their target was another convicted killer, Kenny Green.

St. John’s Named “Most Entrepreneur-friendly” City in Atlantic Canada:

The 2014 Entrepreneurial Communities report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) was recently released and declared St. John’s to be the Atlantic Provinces’ most “entrepreneur-friendly city.” The annual report uses 14 indicators to determine which Canadian cities offer the best entrepreneurial environment. St. John’s also made it onto the top 10 Canadian cities in which it’s good to be an entrepreneur.

Record-breaking Cruise Season Pumps 2 Million Bucks into St. John’s:

From June 2 to October 17, our harbour welcomed more than 24,000 passengers and crew from 17 cruise ships. “This year was a record high, with cruise ship passenger numbers up 29 percent from 2013,”said Mayor Dennis O’Keefe, who also chairs the City’s Cruise Ship Committee. “This year’s economic impact is estimated to be 2.1 million dollars.” And it’s full steam ahead for the future: Even Disney Cruises have have expanded their itineraries to visit the Port of St. John’s next year.

Wildly Windy Weekend Wields Widespread Damage:

Winds clocking in at up to 120-130 KM/Hour wreaked havoc in the greater St. John’s area this Saturday, overturning rack corrals at one Sobeys location, and even demolishing a few rowhouses that were being built near Booth Memorial High School. The roof was also torn off a townhouse on Galway Street in Mt. Pearl, forcing occupants to evacuate the building. Red Cross stepped in, providing temporary shelter and other support to the affected family.

Four MUN Grad Students $100,000 Richer After Winning International Competition:

Team Memorial won “Best in World” status, and a whopping $100,000, at the 2014 G20 Global Business Challenge (GBC). It’s a prestigious international graduate business competition that wrapped up in Australia on November 6th. The winning trio were: Dave Winsor, Dan Goossens, Janine Brophy, and Lica Christense. To win, they beat out stiff competition from 40 universities from 18 countries worldwide, such as Berkeley, Warsaw School of Economics, and the University of Nottingham. Teams were challenged to develop an innovative solution to use, recycle and/or manage water.

North Atlantic Ziplines Looking to Build Wilderness Race Course:

North Atlantic Ziplines are looking to develop a wilderness race-obstacle course under and near their existing zipline course in Petty Harbour. A portion of the course will lie within the floodplain and floodplain buffer. This portion will be left in its natural state with no development in this area. A Discretionary Use Application has been submitted to city council, who will yay or nay this proposed development at their regular council meeting on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014.

This Year’s Santa Claus Parade Feeling Seriously Deflated:

Relative to other years, the number of floats set to appear in the annual St. John’s Christmas Parade is not even half what it usually is. On the surface, this means a more lacklustre experience for kids along the street, but it’s also a shame because the parade usually collects around 20,000 pounds of food, and $20,000 for the food bank. To remedy this, the Downtown Development Commission is asking the corporate community to help out, reminding them there’s still time to commit, and the DDC will do everything they can to make it easy to get involved.

Johnny Cash’s Son Stripped to his Underwear in Deer Lake:

True story: police were recently notified that, not only was the son of Johnny Cash in Deer Lake, but that he was drunk and stripping off his clothes in the airport. An intoxicated John Carter Cash was persuaded to get himself dressed without incident, and was released without charges (though he did miss his flight home to Tennessee). Like his father, John came here to hunt big game.

Hydro Looking for a 2.8% Increase in Islander’s Power Bills:

NL Hydro is seeking to increase the power bills of those of us connected to the main grid in Newfoundland, by 2.8%. The increase will affect more than 245,000 residents, and about 26,000 businesses. NL Hydro is quick to remind us we currently enjoy the lowest electricity rates in Atlantic Canada, and the fifth lowest rates in Canada. If approved, these new rates will come into effect February 1st, 2015. VP Rob Henderson says NL Hydro needs to charge more for electricity so they can upgrade and maintain its aging means of generating and distributing electricity.

Joyride Ends in a Bang on Bannerman:

A teenage boy took a car on a joyride, and was chased by police … into a house on Bannerman Street, near the park of the same name. (Does house insurance even have a clause for “joyriding teenager damage?”). The boy also took out another vehicle before using the house in lieu of his brakes. He then tried to flee the scene on foot, but was swiftly apprehended by RNC.