Railway Street Fire called "suspicious"

A fire to a small four unit apartment complex on Railway Street is being described as suspicious.

The OPP and the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office have wrapped up their investigation of the building where the blaze broke out.

While the cause hasn't been determined, the investigation is continuing.

The fire broke out last Wednesday night around 8:00 and caused extensive damage.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

Impaired Driving Charges up in Kenora in 2011

The message about not drinking and driving doesn't seem to be getting through to all motorists.

The Kenora OPP say they have seen an increase in the number of impaired driving charges so far this year.

As of this past weekend, 67 charges have been laid, which is an increase from 58 at the same time last year.

Over the weekend, there were three more impaired driving charges laid, including one against a 32 year old Rat Portage woman

She was arrested following a single vehicle accident early Saturday morning at the intersection of 9th Street North and Houghton Road.

SIU releases name of man killed at Kakabecka Falls

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has released the name of a man who died at Kakabecka Falls Provincial Park.

23 year old Kurtis McVittie of Huntsville was at the park last Wednesday afternoon.

The SIU is asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has video or audio recordings relating to his death to come forward.

Investigators have identified four police officers who may have witnessed the incident and a number of civilian witnesses have also been identified.

Healthy Kenora Together

For the second time in two weeks a local community group is out with a plan to make Kenora a healthier place to live.

The Northwestern Health Unit has come out with a document called "Creating a Healthy Kenora Together.

Judy Underwood says some of the ideas are a little different than past studies.

Underwood says a number of community groups were invited to provide their input on the plan.

C.O.'s ready for Hunting Season

The Ontario Conservation Officers Association is urging hunters to put safety first as they head out this fall.

The association says tens of thousands of Ontario residents participate in a wide variety of hunting activities.

The association says even the most experienced outdoors enthusiasts often forget to adequately plan before heading out.

Hunters are advised to tell someone where they're going, dress appropriately and carry basic survival equipment at all times.

Ministry of Health Trying to clear backlog of Travel Grant Applications

The Ministry of Health is working to clear up a backlog of Northern Health Travel Grant applications .

Spokesperson Andrew Morrison says they'll be moving work between Thunder Bay and Sudbury

Morrison blames the backlog on the postal walkout over the summer.

He says there are about 20 thousand applications that have to be cleared. 

Optimism for northwestern Ontario's Mining Industry

The mining industry has a bright future in northwestern Ontario.

So says Craig Ravnus, a District Geologist with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.

Ravnus says the rock types in this area are expectional, but notes continued exploration is needed.

Ravnus says most exploration companies are in the early stages of work.

Writers Festival this weekend

Writers across northwestern Ontario are being invited to the Word on the Water Writers' Festival next weekend in Kenora.

The three-day festival is hosted by the Kenora Writers Group.

The festival begins Friday evening with Writing in Four Directions with members of the Aboriginal Writers Collective of Winnipeg.

Organizers say the group has some great stories to tell.

Weekend sports re-cap

The Thomas Aquinas Senior Boys volleyball team's winning streak came to a halt this weekend in Dryden.

An undermanned Saints squad finished third at the Pumpkin Smash tournament after beating Fort Frances in the Bronze medal game, two sets to one.

The Saints had cruised into the semi-finals, but lost to Manitouadge in two straight.

The Kenora Triple "a" midget Thistles earned three of a possible four points over the weekend.

The Thistles hosted the Parkland Rangers for a pair of games at the Rec. Center.

The Kenora Midgets won the opener Friday night 6-1, but dropped a 4-3 shootout decision Saturday night.

Beaver Brae's football team will wrap up the regular season in the Winnipeg High School Football League at Home on Thursday.

The Broncos dropped their fourth in a row, a 42-13 decision to Kildonan East on Friday.