OPP Charge Woman for Careless Driving

A woman from Winnipeg is facing a careless driving charge following an accident this morning on Highway 17 near Royal Lake Road.

OPP say the accident took place just before 3:30 when a Ford Expedition crossed over the centre line and hit a tractor trailer.

All 5 occupants of the Ford were taken to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital with minor injuries.

The occupants of the tractor trailer were not injured.

Geography Teachers Descend on Kenora

The City of Kenora is Geography Central this weekend.

Geography teachers from across the province are in town for
a two day conference.

The Ontario Association of Geographic and Environmental Education
is holding its spring convention at the Minis Hall.

Some of the highlights are tours of Tunnel and Pow
Wow Islands.

The Conference will wrap up tomorrow afternoon at Beaver Brae.

Water Levels on the Rise Again

Heavy rains this past weekend are starting to affect water levels on
Lake of the Woods.

The Lake of the Woods Control Board says its noticed an increase of about
eight inches in the past week alone.

As a result, the Control Board has ordered another increase in outflow from
the Norman Dam today.

Water levels below the dam on the Winnipeg River are expected to rise
about eight inches.

The lake is expected to go up another six to eight inches over the next
week as well.

Sunset Country Hoping for Better Tourist Numbers

Last weekend may have been the Canadian start to the tourism season but this weekend is the start for American tourists.

Executive Director of Sunset Country Travel Gerry Cariou says there are signs that we could see a lot of American travelers.

He says the American economy seems to be turning around, and a lower Canadian Dollar should also
help tourist lodges.

Cariou says the start of the tourism season has been affected by the late spring.

Big Trout Lake Man Arrested

A man from Big Trout Lake is paying the price.

With the assistance of Provincial Police and the Northwest Region Crime Unit, officers arrested 23-year-old Robinson Hudson following an investigation that started on May 2nd.

Police say it involves a theft from the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Economic Development office
.
Police add that Hudson is charged with one count of theft over 5-thousand dollars and Breach of Trust.

He is scheduled to appear in court on June 6th.

OnStar Joins Amber Alert Program

The OPP says the OnStar auto security service is a new partner in
the provincial Amber Alert program.
   
The program notifies the public whenever there is a report of an
abducted child in Ontario who may be in danger.
   
Police say when an Amber Alert is issued, OnStar will be able to
share the information with its more than 430 thousand Canadian
subscribers.
   
They will be informed of the alert when they contact OnStar for other services.

Gas Prices Jump Again

Its looks like gas prices have taken a big jump for the second weekend in
a row.

After bouncing around for the past day or so, most service stations in Kenora have hiked their prices to 144.9 cents a liter.

That's 11 cents higher than earlier in the week.

Last week, gas prices jumped five cents a liter just prior to the Victoria Day long weekend.

Highway 502 Re-Opens In Time for Weekend

Perfect timing for the Memorial Day long weekend.

Highway 502 between Fort Frances and Dryden is now open to traffic.

The road was closed earlier this week as the result of a wash-out 11-kilometer
s north of Highway 11.

The highway reopening will make it easier for american visitors to come to the area to enjoy what should be a good weekend in the great outdoors.

Dryden Inquest Wraps UP

Eight recommendations have come out of the coroner's inquest looking into the death of 74 year old Edwin James Davis.

The Fort Frances man died when the groomer he was operating fell through the ice on Little Manitou Lake in February 2011.

Davis was working for Manitou Gold at the time.

Ministry of Labour Lawyer David McCaskill says the 5-member jury did a good job to help address a growing concern of ice road safety.

One of the key recommendations is having all machines regardless of age, be required to have safety equipment and updated features.

The groomer Davis was using didn't have an escape hatch.

NAN Receives FedNor Funding

The Deputy Chief of the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation is pleased with new funding announced by FedNor.

Les Louttit says the 60 thousand dollars will help Aboriginal business owners and maximize the benefits of existing and emerging opportunities.

He says it wasn't always that easy.

Louttit says the funds will also go to develop the Ring of Fire.

Quiet Week for Forest Fires

There are three active forest fires in Northwestern Ontario.

The Ministry of Natural Resources two are in the Red Lake district, one on Flat Lake Road and the other in Pikangikum.

The third fire is in the Nipigon district.

Officials say all three of them are human caused and don't pose any problems.

Farmer's Market Proving Popular

The weekly farmer's market in Kenora is going to be a success, even
before the event begins this summer.

Don Denver from the Lake of the Woods Development Commission says they've already sold out their display tables for the months of July and August.

In fact, demand is so high that an extra tent is being set up to handle
the overflow from the Whitecap Pavilion.

The first farmer's market is slated to take place June 19th.