Local High School Teachers Hold Strike Vote Today

Local members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation will be taking a strike vote later today.

Local union president John Dykes says it will likely take a few days to tabulate the results.

Teachers are upset with legislation passed earlier this month by the provincial government which bans strikes and freezes salaries for the next two years.

Earlier this month, local members of the Elementary Teachers Federation also held a strike vote, with 100 percent voting in favour.

Council Says Not to Tax Break on Mill Property

Kenora City Council is turning down a request from Resolute Forest Products, formerly AbitibiBowater to waive the taxes on its property on 9th Street North.

The company argues that some of the buildings left on the old mill site are damaged and are not usable.

Councillor Ron Lunny says they're not buying that argument.

Resolute wanted the taxes waived on the buildings for the 2011 tax year, the last year that it still owned the property.

Council Continues To Debate Future of JM Arena

Plans to turn the Jaffray Melick Arena into an indoor soccer complex is still generating debate at city council.

Yesterday, Councillor Louis Roussin says while he supports the concept,

he's concerned about the price tag attached to the proposal to twin the Rec. Center ice surface.

He says he's seen figures as high as 13 million dollars to build a second rink.

Roussin says if there is no government funding for the project, there's no way the city can afford a second arena.

He suggests it would be cheaper to put an ice plant into the JM Arena.

Northwest OPP Hand out Awards

The Ontario Provincial Police are celebrating their own and regular citizens today in their Northwest Region Awards.

During the fall of last year Daniel Morrison was working with the Ministry of Natural Resources conducting an animal count survey near Armstrong.

Morrison heard his coworkers cried for help and found her being mauled by a bear.

Morrison says he used his hunting knife to fight the bear off.

Morrison as well as Constable Randy Gosse and CO Ross Johnston received the Commissioner's Citation for Bravery and Lifesaving.

Classes Cancelled This Morning at Thomas Aquinas

Students at Thomas Aquinas will get a chance to sleep in today.

Hydro One has a power outage scheduled for the Jaffray Melick area from 9:30 to 12:30 today.

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says due to the outage, classes will be cancelled for the morning.

It adds that the school will be open for anyone arriving by bus today.

Grade 9-12 students are asked to report back to school for 11:25 for period 3 classes this morning, while Grade 7 and 8 students don't have to show up until 12:40.

Thomas Aquinas is the only school affected by today's power outage.