Latest / VOCM On Demand / VOCM News Mid-Day Update September 29th

Transcript

VOCM News Mid-Day Update September 29th · VOCM On Demand

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Local News Now, a VOCM News Update.
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  Speaker 2: I'm Sarah Strickland. It looks as though there won't be
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  Speaker 2: a mass exodus from the provincial government's operating grant program
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: for daycares. Earlier this month, it was revealed that members
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  Speaker 2: of the advocacy group NL Child Care Licensees were planning
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  Speaker 2: to opt out of the program as of October 1st
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  Speaker 2: due to concerns with changes. A series of meetings was
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  Speaker 2: initiated between the group and government, and now it appears
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  Speaker 2: as though there has been a resolution. A letter from
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: the group, posted to the Kids Campus Portugal Co. Facebook page,
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  Speaker 2: says it has received confirmation from the Department of Education
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  Speaker 2: that enrollment requirements for its members will stay the same
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  Speaker 2: for the remainder of its contract, which expires on March 31, 2027.
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  Speaker 2: They say that means there will be no impact to funding.
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  Speaker 2: The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it is extremely concerning to
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  Speaker 2: see recent online videos showing a number of vehicles not
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: stopping for a school bus. Videos recently posted to social
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  Speaker 2: media show several vehicles driving by on Thorburn Road, a
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  Speaker 2: four-lane route, while a school bus was stopped with lights
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  Speaker 2: flashing and arm extended. One of the vehicles that drove
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  Speaker 2: by in the outside lane on the opposite side of
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  Speaker 2: the road was another school bus. Constable Steph Meyer says
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  Speaker 2: drivers need to be cautious, especially during times when they
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  Speaker 2: know school buses will be on the roads. She believes
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  Speaker 2: more public education on the rules is needed.
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  Speaker 1: We're still issuing these tickets. People are still not understanding
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  Speaker 1: that they have to stop in all directions, and with
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  Speaker 1: multi-lane highways as well. So if there are four lanes
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  Speaker 1: of traffic, regardless of which lane you are in, you
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  Speaker 1: have to stop if that stop sign is out and
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  Speaker 1: the lights are flashing. It's illegal to pass a school
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  Speaker 1: bus that is stopped with the arm extension and the
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  Speaker 1: lights flashing. And the penalties for passing a school bus
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  Speaker 1: are quite high. They can be up to $ 1, 200 in fines.
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  Speaker 1: and a significant amount of points. So, you know, we
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  Speaker 1: need everybody to, you know, not drive distracted, keep their
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  Speaker 1: eyes on the roads, look out for the school buses,
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  Speaker 1: and stop when necessary.
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  Speaker 2: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is discontinuing its practice of
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  Speaker 2: spraying down vehicles boarding the Gulf ferries. VOCM's Richard Duggan reports.
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  Speaker 3: It's been the routine for all traffic boarding in Port-au-Basque
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  Speaker 3: and Argentia in efforts to prevent the spread of potato wort,
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  Speaker 3: the fungal disease which is commonly found in Newfoundland soil,
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  Speaker 3: poses no risk to humans but can devastate potato crops.
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  Speaker 3: It's a risk to farmers in the Maritimes who could
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  Speaker 3: have their crops wiped out by the fungus, which presents
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  Speaker 3: on spuds as a cauliflower-like gall. A 2021 outbreak in
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  Speaker 3: Prince Edward Island led to a loss of $ 120 million
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  Speaker 3: in exports. The practice of hosing down vehicles at the
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  Speaker 3: ferry terminal is being discontinued due to funding cuts at
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  Speaker 3: the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Liberal government outlined its
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  Speaker 3: plans in the budget to cut roughly 40,000 jobs in
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  Speaker 3: the public workforce and reduce spending at the CFIA by
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  Speaker 3: 15 percent. Twenty-one people are employed by the CFIA in
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  Speaker 3: Port-au-Basque and in Argentia.
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  Speaker 2: That's your news. I'm Sarah Strickland.