Local High Schools Plan Exhibition Sports Season

It might not lead to a provincial high school championship but the Keewatin Patricia and Rainy River District School Boards will get back into the sports season after the exams period.

Beaver Brae Principal Clinton Bruetsch says a compromise to allow volunteer coaches was made to allow a season to take place.

Bruetsch adds they intend to resume boys and girls hockey, boys basketball, girls volleyball, and curling.

Bruetsch adds they have asked the seperate school board to participate in the exhibition season as well.

Kenora Forest Products Look for Spring Start-Up

Finally some good news for the forest sector in Kenora.

Kenora Forest Products is hoping to resume production this spring.

Mill Manager Rod McKay says they are looking at a May or June start up date.

McKay says an improvement in the U.S. housing market makes it feasible to resume operations.

He says initially, they hope to employ as many as 105 people at the mill and another
150 in woodland operations.

Gravelle Looking Forward to Leadership Convention

Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle thinks its going to be a tight race between his choice for Liberal Leader Sandra Pupatello and former Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.

The final vote for the leader of the Provincial Liberals comes down this weekend.

Gravelle is pleased the majority of the delegates from his riding selected Sandra Pupatello in the first round of voting last weekend.

SMB Ready for Expansion Project

École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys is growing.

Last week the Kenora Catholic District School Board announced the province had agreed to fund the
school expansion.

Initially, the Catholic Board had been talking about a four classroom addition, but that's been increased to
six new rooms.

Phyllis Eikre is the director of education and says it will help house the growing population at the school.

Eikre says the expansion should be open for classes starting in the fall of 2014.

Murder Trial Enters Third Week

Another week of testimony is underway at the Kenora court House into
the second degree murder trial of Angela Duchesne and Kenneth Ivall.

One of the people involved in the assault of Ed Wilson on March 21st, 2009
was on the witness stand this afternoon.

Ian Hagar says he and a couple of buddies showed up at the Tower Motel
and notice a man and a woman arguing.

He says he heard a woman being slapped and a short time later, the
man, who has been identified as Ed Wilson was attacked.

Hagar admits he was part of the group that was involved in the assault
and says they left the scene after he kicked the man in the head, while
he was lying in the middle of A Street West.

Hagar says he was only interviewed by police 10 months later and says he
didn't come forward at the time, because he didn't want to get involved.

The Trial is scheduled to resume this morning.

Health Unit Celebrates National Non-Smoking Week

It's the first tobacco use campaign of the year.

This is National Non Smoking Week, and this year's theme is "Live, work play...even better smoke free".

Roberta Lappage is the youth corrdiantor with the Northwestern Health Unit and says it focuses on creating a healthy environment for everyone.

Lappage adds the Smokers Hotline is another great resource if you are trying to quit.

Liberals Set to Revoke Bill 115

The governing Liberals are repealing a controversial law that outraged public school teachers and limited their ability to strike.

They say the change will take effect tomorrow, but it won't affect contracts already in place.

Education Minister Laurel Broten says the move removes legislation that became a lightening rod in the labour battle with teachers.

The legislation allowed the Liberals to impose contracts on about 126-thousand teachers and education workers earlier this month, which froze the wages of most teachers and cut their benefits.