The Central Newfoundland Morning Show from CBC Radio Nfld. and Labrador (Highlights)

When Private Stephen Norris left Three Arms, Newfoundland to volunteer during the first world war, he likely didn't think about how his decision would resonate for decades. He was killed in action in 1916, but his story has touched many young lives to this day. Now author Joan Sullivan is telling that story and its aftermath in a new book. In the Field is a short, but powerful read.

There are about a dozen veterans of the 166th Newfoundland Field Regiment still living, nearly seventy years after the end of world war two. Reverend Wesley Oake of Gander is one of them. With a head full of snow white hair, straight as an arrow posture, he's still doing his regiment proud. Last summer, he represented Newfoundland at the memorial service at Beaumont Hamel in France. Now, he's on his way to Ottawa, where he'll march in the Remembrance Day Parade. He's also going to lay a very special wreath in memory of the 166th. Host Leigh Anne Power dropped by his home to speak with him before he left for Ottawa.

Yesterday the Eastern School Board backed down, at least partially, in Swift Current. Only older students will be bussed to Clarenville next fall. That came as a shock in Trinity Bay North, where parents are also fighting to keep their school. David Zelcer spoke to Cindy Cotter, who' s on the school council as well as parent Michelle Lodge. And David Newell asked MHA for Bonavista North, John Little, what he was doing to save the school in his district.

You are already starting to see candy canes in stores. The Christmas catalogue sitting on your coffee table is dog eared and torn. Yes, the big event is only 46 days away. For many people, the thought of Christmas brings stress and fear, because it can be too expensive for our budgets. Al Antle is the executive director of Credit Counselling Services of Newfoundland and Labrador. That's a not-for-profit agency that provides financial counselling to over one thousand families every year.

Any worker who's been injured on the job would tell you it's important to have a workers' compensation system in place. But how to manage that system, and ensure benefits are there for those who need them, is a challenge. Employers pay into the workers' compensation system and, in this province, they say those premiums are hurting their ability to compete. The province's employers' council has some ideas on how to improve workers' comp. Richard Alexander is executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Employers' Council. He speaks with host Leigh Anne Power. And to get the other side, host Leigh Anne Power talked to Leslie Galway, the head of the province's Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission.

Often when you think of addiction treament facilities, beautiful scenery and park-like settings are the last things that come to mind. But a new operation in Northern Arm designed to treat addicts of all kinds looks like an country get-away. Serenity on the Rock is slated to open in January of 2013, and will have space for over a dozen clients for each six-week program. That program is private and there is no government involvement. Sherri Skeans is a partner at Serenity on the Rock, and she spoke to the CBC's David Newell.

Peter Penashue took a drubbing in the House of Commons yesterday.But for the first time in a long time, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs got to his feet and spoke.

It is a weekly ritual in many households. We gather up the garbage and try to stuff it into those big, black bags in time to rush it to the curb. These days in the town of Badger, if you have too many bags you might have to run to the town hall before you throw out your trash. That's because the town council there has new rules for household waste. Our David Newell spoke with Badger Mayor Mike Patey to find out more

In the summer, nurses in Central Newfoundland gathered in Lewisporte to protest what they're calling job cuts. They say when the new hospital in that community opens, there'll be one less job for an RN on the overnight shift, which they say will endanger patients. Recently, they were speaking out about the proposed new flu shot policy that would require nurses who didn't get it to stay home without pay. Now there's more controversy. Nurses say Central Health officials are visiting rural sites with news of more cuts to the numbers of RNs in the system. Debbie Forward is the president of the nurse's union.

It's been 5 years since the province filed the first civil lawsuits aimed at getting back cash lost in the House of Assembly spending scandal. And now there's a new action underway to recover millions. It's targeting the son and daughter of a man who's already been convicted of criminal charges. Rob Antle is with the CBC's investigative unit. He's been digging into this and he joins us this morning to discuss that new case... and give us an update on how successful government has been overall at getting taxpayers' money back.

Joel Plaskett Emergency are making their way to Central Newfoundland this week. It's a first for the indie rock band. But as frontman Joel Plaskett explains, it's smaller venues like these that can make the most memories. Melissa Tobin spoke with him about the tour.

Tonight on Here and Now, CBC news begins an exclusive look inside one of the biggest drug investigations in the province's history. The series is called Inside Operation: Roadrunner And over the next three nights CBC news will give you a rare look inside the world of police surveillance videos, wire taps and undercover work. Provincial affairs reporter David Cochrane is behind this story.

Appleton was among several towns that came to the aid of those people forced to land in Gander on September 11, 2001. The story of "The Plane People", as they became known, has been told in documentaries, films and song. And now, the town of Appleton has a special monument of the reason for their visit to central Newfoundland. The town just received a section of steel from the World Trade Centres. It will soon be turned into a permanent monument at the Peace Park in the town - to remember the victims of 9-11. The CBC's David Zelcer spoke to Appleton Mayor Derm Flynn about the steel.

As we prepare to mark Remembrance Day on Sunday, many of us are thinking about the soldiers who fought and died. We're probably not thinking about the pigeons who helpled those soldiers win the first and second world wars. Allied troops under radio silence would often send pairs of pigeons carrying vital messages from the front lines to commanders back in England. The birds could fly more than 500 miles at a time, at speeds up to 70 kilometres and hour. Last week in Britain, a homeowner who'd found a pigeon skeleton while cleaning out his chimney noticed something strange. Attached to the bird's leg was a message canister used in the second world war. The man brought the message in to Bletchley Park, once the code-breaking hub of the allied forces, and now a war museum. Colin Hill is the curator of the War Pigeon exhibit at Bletchley Park, and host Leigh Anne Power called him to ask about the discovery.

Back in 2005, the federal liberal government introduced a pilot project under the employment insurance program. The project offered a special extension of five extra weeks of benefits in areas with high unemployment or season industries. It's been a great help to people in the fishing and forestry industries in this province, and has been renewed every year...until now. Last week, the federal government announced the extra five weeks of benefits will end this year. Paul Kean says that's going to make life a lot tougher in rural Newfoundland. He's a long-time fish plant worker and union rep in Valleyfield.