4th Annual Boobie Nights Surpasses Goal

The 4th annual Boobie Nights was a record breaking event.

Organizer Angela Kuchma says they easily surpassed their goal and raised over 61 thousand dollars.

The money will go to the hospital foundation with the goal of purchasing a new digital x-ray to go along with the new mammography machine.

Boobie Nights was sold out for the second straight year.

Wet Weekend Reduces Fire Hazard

All the rain this past week may not have been good for people wanting to spend some time outdoors, but it was good for the forest fire situation.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says there were no new fires reported in the region over the past five days.

The forest fire hazard has also dropped to low right across the Kenora District.

In fact, the Kenora area saw almost 39 millimeters of rain over four days.

That was not the highest total in the region.

Ear Falls was hit by almost 60 millimeters, while Dryden is bailing from 55
millimeters of rain.

Rickford Comments on Senate Spending Scandal

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says they are making adjustments in wake of the Senate expense scandal.

It follows word that the Prime Minister's former chief-of-staff gave senator Mike Duffy 90 thousand dollars to cover inappropriate expenses he was required to pay back.

Rickford says the Conservative government is now working to make things right.

He says they will be clearly outlining the kinds of expenditures, such as travel, that senators can claim in the
future.

UNESCO Decision on Pimachewan Aki to be Delayed

More questions are being raised about a plan to get international recognition for a big stretch of forest along
the Manitoba-Ontario boundary.

Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on trying to have the remote area called Pimachiowin Aki, declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

But Manitoba Opposition Leader Brian Pallister says he's not sure the money is worth it.
 
In the meantime a UNESCO advisory body is recommending that a ruling on declaring the forest a heritage site be delayed at least a year while issues concerning usage of the land by local First Nations are sorted out.

Campbell Re-News Calls for Lower Clinic Rents

The MPP for Kenora-Rainy River is standing up for the Mary Berglund Community Health Center in Ignace.

In the Ontario Legislature last week, Sarah Campbell called on the government to take immediate action to lower the rent, which she says is crippling the medical clinic.

She says rent is over 200 thousand dollars a year, more than three times higher
than similar clinics in other communities across the region.

Campbell adds that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Health have been slow to take action to ensure that services and staffing levels aren't cut.

Former Hockey Player Talks Mental Health

A former member of Canada' national women's hockey program is talk about mental health.

Kendra Fisher had to walk away from the program over a decade ago after being diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder.

Fisher says its important she talk about her experience.

Fisher was in Kenora, Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Fort Frances last week talking to area students.

Bodies Located In Red Lake Crash

The bodies of 2 people killed in a float plane crash in Red Lake have been recovered.

The victims have been identified as 59 year old Jim Bueachene and 58-year-old Brenda Beauchene of Phoenix, Arizona.

Their bodies were found at the bottom of Red Lake Saturday evening.
The Beauchene's died when their float plane went down in the Bruce Channel shortly after takeoff Thursday night.

The Transportation Safety Board is on scene continuing their investigation.

Ornge Cockpit Voice Recorder Recovered

 A cockpit voice recorder may hold clues to the cause of Friday's deadly crash of an Ornge air ambulance helicopter.
 
The Transportation Safety Board says its investigation will likely be aided by the discovery of the voice recorder, which is being sent to the agency's Ottawa lab for analysis.
   
The Sikorsky S-76 had just left its base in Moosonee to pick up a patient in the remote community of Attawapiskat when it crashed early Friday morning, killing the two Ornge pilots and two paramedics onboard.

Countdown begins for Relay for Life

The Canadian Cancer Society is expecting another boost this month.

The annual Relay for Life will be coming up in less than two weeks.

Marj Curtis-Poirier is one of the organizers and are hoping for a similar
success as last year, when they made over 114 thousand dollars.

Relay for Life will take place once again at Lakewood School the evening
of June 14th and early morning hours of June 15th.

Thomas Aquinas Hands Out Sports Hardware

A big night for Thomas Aquinas student athletes.

T.A. held its annual Athletic Awards Banquet last night.

Last year's Senior Male Athlete of the Year Patrick Van Bellingham shared the honor this year with Jarrod Sundmark.

The Senior Female Athlete of the Year was Samantha Burkhart, while Gilly Derouard was the Junior Female Athlete of the Year, and Eric Sundmark was
selected as the Junior Male Athlete.

Three Kenora High School Soccer Teams OFSAA Bound this Week

Three Kenora High School Soccer teams are heading to the provincial championships this week.

The Thomas Aquinas boys team booked its ticket to the OFSAA Single A championships after beating Marathon in two straight games in the best-of-three NWOSSA finals.

T.A. will now head to Timmins on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Saints girls squad also won its NWOSSA final in two straight games against
Wawa and will head to the Sudbury area, where play also begins on Thursday.

The Beaver Brae girls will head to the Windsor area for the OFSAA double A championships
which start Thursday in Tecumseh.