O.P.P Charge Two Men for Weekend Death and House Fire

Two men are facing charges of second degree murder and arson after police discovered a deceased male at a house fire over the weekend.

21-year old Langford Ogemah of Kenora was found dead inside a Lakeside area house when emergency crews arrived after reports of a fire.

A post mortem was conducted on Sunday and found that foul play was the cause of death.

20-year old Peter Fisher and 22-year old Ringo Carpenter were charged in relation to the incident and appeared in Kenora Court on Monday for bail hearings.

Penny Back as KPDS Board Chair

Almost a decade and counting.

Dave Penny is back for another year as chair of the Keewatin-Patricia
District School Board.

He was acclaimed for the position for the ninth time in board elections held week.

Kenora trustee Cecile Marcino is also back for another year as vice-chair
of the public school Board. 

Apartment Rents on the Rise

It costs a little more to rent an apartment in Kenora.

The latest figures from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
shows the average price for a two bedroom unit was 785 dollars last year.

That's up from 757 dollars last year.

Kenora's far from the most expensive city to rent a apartment.

Sudbury tops the list this year at 915 dollars a month. 

OPP's Northwest Crime Unit Investigating Weekend Fatality

The OPP is continuing its investigation of a fatality over the
weekend in the Lakeside area.

Kenora's Fire and Emergency Department was called out around
4:30 Saturday morning to a home in the 6th Street South area.

Police say the blaze was small and caused only minimal damage.

However, the body of a deceased male was found inside the house.

The fatality is being called suspicious, but so far the name of the deceased
has not been released. 

Rickford Promises Infrastructure Funding

Call it a belated Christmas present.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says the federal government plans to announce
funding for a number of municipalities and first nations in the new year.

He says its part of an infrastructure program announced in this year's budget.

Rickford hints the City of Kenora will be one of the recipients of the funding.

Northern Electricity Rebate Program Extended

The Provincial Government is extending it's Northern Industrial Electricity Rate.

The program will now be available for another three years and will provide a lower costing electricity rate to mining and forest industry companies.

Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Spokesperson Larry Hebert says many believe this rate saved the two industries.

The province is putting 360 million dollars into the three year program.

Elementary Teachers in Rainy River to Strike Today

Elementary teachers and support staff within the Rainy-River District School Board are staging a one-day strike today.

That will impact schools in Fort Frances, Atikokan and Rainy River. 

Last week, elementary staff in the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board held their one-day strike as part of a province-wide protest against Bill 115.

The legislation imposes contacts on elementary and secondary school teaches in the public school system.

Storm Win K-Town Classic

A good weekend for local girls hockey teams.

Kenora teams took gold and bronze at the K-Town Classic
Under 19 hockey tournament at the Rec. Center.

The K-Town Storm won the tournament edging the Northwest Warriors
from Fort Frances 3-2 in the A-side final.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas Saints edged the Kelvin Clippers from
Winnipeg 4-3 in the bronze medal game. 

Midget and Senior Thistles Split Weekend Games

Both of Kenora's Triple "A" hockey teams split their games over the weekend.

The Senior Thistles made the 10 hour bus ride to Williston, North Dakota.

Yesterday, the Thistles needed overtime to get by the Williston State Tetons
3-2.

Saturday, the Kenora senior squad were edged 6-5 by the Tetons.

At the Kenora Rec. Center, the Kenora Midgets got by the Yellowhead Chiefs
5-3 Saturday night.

The Thistles rebounded from a 4-3 loss to the Chiefs on Friday night.

One Man Killed In Lakeside Blaze

On Saturday December 15, 2012 at 4:30 am, members of Kenora Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Kenora Fire Department responded to a fire inside a residence on Sixth Street South in the City of Kenora.

 Minimal damage was caused by the fire.

But one male was located deceased inside the residence.

Members of the OPP Regional Crime unit are assisting with the investigation into the death. Identity of the deceased will not be released until notification of the next of kin can be completed.

The investigation is continuing and further information will be released as it becomes available

New Family Physicians Practicing in Kenora

Two new physicians in Kenora will be taking new patients in the new year.

Randy Belair from the Paterson Medical Centre says they are setup at the Clinic but there are some changes slowing down how physicians can accept new patients.

Belair wants to remind anyone without a family physician to register with healthcare connect online at  http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/healthcareconnect/public/

Senior Thistles back in Action this Weekend

The Kenora Triple "a" Senior Thistles will see their first action in almost a month.

The Thistles are in Williston, North Dakota for a pair of games this weekend.

Thistles head coach, John Tressor says they are trying to pick up more games in the new year.

The Thistles will play the Williston State Tetons tomorrow night and then again on Sunday afternoon.

NOTO Executive Cites Tough Times for Resignation

The executive director of Nature and Outdoor Tourism in Ontario is stepping down.

Doug Reynolds says that the outdoor tourism industry is taking quite a hit, and that NOTO is going through a restructuring process.

Reynolds adds that times are tough.

Reynolds will remain as director until the end of January.

Health Unit Issues Holiday Safety Tips

The Northwestern Health Unit has some safety reminders this holiday season.

Health Promoter Jessica Kivell says that when purchasing toys for children, pay attention to the age guidelines.

She adds that they are based on safety, not the intelligence or skill level of a child.

Other reminders include keeping candles away from children, and only have soft, unbreakable decorations low on the Christmas tree.

Funds Being Sought for Legion Repairs

A northwestern Ontario MP wants to give Royal Canadian Legion easier access to funds for repairs to their buildings.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River's John Rafferty is proposing the federal government set up an infrastructure renewal fund that would match what ever dollars Legion's can raise for upgrades.

Rafferty make his request in a motion put forward in the House of Commons earlier this week.

Girls Hockey Tournament This Weekend

Girls hockey is once again center stage this weekend.

The K-Town Classic features seven teams with players under the age of 19.

The tournament began last night with the K-Town Storm blanking the Thomas Aquinas Saints 2-0.

Maddie Trudeau and Eve Charlebois scored for the Storm, while Aryn Puls earned the shutout.

The tournament continues today at the Kenora Rec. Center and will wrap up Sunday afternoon with the championship game.

Kenora Vacancy Rate Increases

The vacancy rate in Kenora has gone up.
The rate has increased to 5.5 percent in the annual report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Warren Philip is a market analyst and says the numbers suggest people are moving out of rental units.

Philip adds that this years increase of half a percent will benefit people looking for rent in the city.

Kenora Transit Looks to Purchase New Buses

Kenora's Transit system could be boasting a couple of new buses next year.

The city is in the market for one bus for the conventional transit system, and another for Handi-Transit.

The city's fleet manager, Mike Mostow says the good news is federal gas tax funding should cover most of the cost of purchasing the new vehicles.

Mostow says it will take almost a year to take delivery of the new buses if council approves the purchase at next week's open meeting of council.

Quebec Man Faces Charges in West Highway Accident

A 34 year old Quebec man faces charges in connection to a multiple-vehicle accident on Highway 17 west of Kenora.

The accident took place yesterday morning near Inglis Lake closed the Trans-Canada Highway down for more than three hours.

The OPP say a westbound semi swerved into the eastbound lane to avoid a collision with another westbound transport.

Police say the tractor trailor unit ended up colliding with a couple of passenger vehicles in the eastbound lane and before crashing into traffic in the westbound lane.

A total of three people had to be transported to Lake of the Woods District hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The driver of the westbound transport has been charged with careless driving.

Development Commission Supports Sale of Lakewood

The Lake of the Woods Development Commission is pleased to see the proposal for an adult education center at Lakewood School is moving forward.

Earlier this week, the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board approved the sale of the school property to Seven Generations.

Geordie McEwen has been involved in the project from the beginning and says having more post-secondary opportunities in the city is a big bonus.

McEwen adds the commission is also looking to assist the ownership group to create a new student housing complex on the Lakewood property.