Thursday, March 1, 2012

Police Confirm fatality in Rideout Fire

The OPP have confirmed that one person was killed in a fire in the Rideout area of town early yesterday morning.

Police say 56 year old James Rutherford was killed in a blaze at a two story home on Rupert Road.

A post-mortem exam is expected to be conducted later today at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

An investigator from the Ontario fire Marshall's office is expected to arrive at the scene today and look for a possible cause in the fatal fire.

Push the Button Campaign Launched

Area kids are being encouraged to "push the button".

That's the name of a new fire safety campaign launched by the Office of the Fire Marshal and TVO Kids.

TVO Spokesperson Marnie Malabar says kids should ask parents permission to do one thing.

The initiative runs until March 11th.

Rideout Fire still under investigation

The OPP and the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office are continuing to investigate a blaze in the Rideout area of town.

There have been some reports that someone may have been in the house on Rupert Road early Wednesday morning.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says more information will become available as the investigation continues.

The fire destroyed the two-story house but the cause still hasn't been determined.

Regional Economic Development Agency Proposed

Local residents are being asked what they think about a proposed regional economic development agency for northwestern Ontario.

Ian Angus was in Kenora yesterday to talk about the new initiative.

Angus says this won't be just another level of bureaucracy.

Angus says they want some feedback on the kind of board the new agency should have and who should sit on the board.

The federal and provincial levels of government are expected to foot part of the bill for the new agency.

Hunting Tags now available on-line

The Ministry of Natural Resources hopes they can teach old dog's new tricks.

Hunters can now apply for big game draws for moose, deer and elk online.

Spokesperson John Cooper says mostly the MNR's new automated and online systems for licensing have proven popular.

Draws can be entered online on the Ministry website, through the telephone lincensing hotline, and at Service Ontario sites.

Election Results Finalized

The provincial election was five months ago, but Elections Ontario has just finally released the official results.

While Conservative Candidate Rod McKay finished second overall, he polled very well in his hometown of Kenora.

McKay won most of the polls in Kenora and the Sioux Narrows Area.

Sarah Campbell meanwhile, picked up more votes in Dryden, Fort Frances, the Rainy River area as well as in the far north.

There were no changes to the final results in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding.

Local Judokas prepare for Ontario Winter Games

Four members of the Jaffray Melick Judo Club will be heading to Collingwood next week for the Ontario Winter Games.

This past weekend, three of the fighters got a tune-up by competing in the Inner City Judo Tournament in Winnipeg.

Karley Lockhart won gold in her under 15, 44 kilo division, while Thomas Hertz also won his under 15, 34 kilo grouping.

Daniel Gordon was fighting up a weight class, and finished out of the medals.

Taylor Tom will also be traveling to southern Ontario for the Winter Games next week.