New Digital Mammography Machine Unveiled

Screening for breat cancer in Kenora has gotten a major boost.

The Hopsital Foundation has announced the installation of a new digital mammography machine.

Jess Rheault with the foundation says the purchase was made to retire outdated equipment.

Rheault adds the purchase of the mammography machine was made at the halfway point of the million dollar D-I campaign which has currently raised $430,835.

The next step is the purchase of a digital x-ray which can't be done until the million dollar mark is reached.

Snowbirds Coming to Kenora this Summer

The Snowbirds will be making an appearance in Kenora this summer.

The Kenora Airport Authority is planning a three day air show at the
beginning of July.

Councillor Ron Lunny says they hope to make the air show an annual event.

Lunny says the air show will take place at the Kenora Airport with the
Snowbirds set to perform on July 3rd.

Baltesson Elected Chair of Kenora DSB

A change at the top at the Kenora District Services Board.

Barry Baltesson from Lake of the Woods unincorporated area is the new chair of the DSAB.

He replaces Phil Vinet of Red Lake, who stepped down last month.

Baltesson was acclaimed to the position yesterday and is the first representative from an unincorporated area to chair the District Services Board.

Concern Raised About Local Homeless Shelters

A major overhaul is needed in Kenora District Services Board funding for homeless shelters.

The suggestion comes from the represtentatives of Sioux Lookout and Kenora.

Sioux Lookout Mayor Denis Leney says several people are in area communities getting intoxicated and using the shelters as homes.

He says some clients go out get drunk, get arrested, go out and drink again and end up staying in the shelter to sleep things off.

He voted against a resolution to fund the Out-of-the Cold Shelter to the tune of 26-thousand dollars.

The resolution did pass with 26-grand going to the Red Lake Shelter and 15-thousand to the Kenora Fellowship Centre.

Ed Wilson Murder Trial Continues

More details are coming to light about the morning Ed Wilson died in the
Norman area on March 21st, 2009.

Yesterday, Garry Lake was back on the stand talking about an altercation
that took place outside the Tower Motel shortly after 2:00 in the morning.

Lake says he saw Wilson forcefully hit Angela Duchesne.

He says some of the people standing outside the motel decided to teach
Wilson a lession and began to beat him up.

Lake admits that he grabbed Wilson's head and kneed him in the face.

Initially he told police that Wilson was still standing when they were finished
with him.

But yesterday he says Wilson was lying on the ground when one of the members of the group gave him a soccer-type kick to the head.

Jurors at the second degree murder trial of Angela Duchesne and Kenneth Ivall are getting a rare
day off today.

Testimony is scheduled to resume Monday at the Kenora Court House.

Council Urges Help for New Doctors

The province needs to make it easier for new doctors to begin practicing
in northern Ontario.

That's the appeal from Kenora City Council.

Councillor Rory McMillan says the Ministry of Health has only one formula
which governs how many doctors are allowed to practice in a given area.

McMillan says some cities in southern Ontario have a glut of doctors wanting
to set up a practice, but that's not the case in the north, so different regulations are needed.

Teams Wanted for Carnival Snow Sculpture Contest

Local artists unite.

Organizers of the winter carnival are looking for teams for this years snow sculptures.

Special Events Coordinator Mark Duggan says the theme this year is "lake life."

Interested teams can contact mark at 467-4638.

Senior Thistles Play First Home Games of the Season

The Kenora Senior Thistles will take to the ice this weekend for their first two home games of the season.

The Thsitles are welcoming the Bottineau Lumberjacks from North Dakota to the Kenora Rec Centre.

Coach Brian Olson says the Lumberjacks are a good match up for the team, adding they beat the Lumberjacks in their first two games of the season.

The first game is tonight at 7:20 and the second game is Saturday afternoon at 1:20.

Tickets will be available at the door.

Hunter fined $2,000

The Ministry of Natural Resources have charged a New York make 2-thousand dollars.

The charges stem from an incident in October when the Man left an untagged deer hanging from a tree near Sioux Narrows

The man has been charged 15-hundred for failing to immediately attach his game seal when harvesting a deer and 500 for littering on Crown land.

The Ministry of Natural resources wants to remind hunters that if they have harvested a deer, they must do it right after the kill and attach a game seal to it.

Missing Girl Located

Kenora O-P-P confirm that a missing girl from the White Dog First Nation has been safely located.

15-year old Chantel Cameron was located by police in Edmonton Alberta.

She was reported missing last week after family had not heard from her since January 1st.

At that time she was trying to get back home to the White Dog First Nation.

Rickford Responds to Idle No More Protests

 Kenora MP Greg Rickford says it's disapointing that protests continue, especially regarding last Friday's meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and First Nations leaders.

However, Rickford says he has no problem, as long as they remain peaceful.

Rickford adds that more talks between the government and First Nations are scheduled in the coming weeks.

Ed Wilson 2nd Degree Murder Trial Continues

Some of the people who were at the Tower Motel the night before Ed Wilson
died were on the witness stand yesterday at the second degree murder trial
of Kenneth Ivall and Angela Duchesne.

Melanie Kolisnik says she was with Ed Wilson on March 20th, 2009 and noticed both Ivall and Duchesne in the bar that night.

She says she didn't notice any trouble brewing, but says Ivall hit her with
the door of the Motel, as he was leaving just before closing time.

She had been outside sharing a cigarette with Wilson at the time.

She says at that point she went back into the bar and didn't see Wilson for
the rest of the night.

She adds that she waited outside the Tower Hotel around 2:30 in the morning for about a half an hour waiting for a cab, but didn't notice anyone else around.

Testimony will resume this morning at the Kenora Court House.

Canfield Eyeing Top Job at NOMA

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield is looking to take on some additional duties
later this year.

City council is nominating Canfield for the position of president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.

Canfield says the current president, Ron Nelson is planning to step down in the spring.

The NOMA AGM will take place at the end of April in Thunder Bay.

New Land Ambulence Base Officially Opens

Kenora Paramedics have a new place to call home.

The new ambulance building on Barsky's Hill had its official ribbon cutting Tuesday afternoon.

Dan McNeill, is Chief Administrative Officer with the District Services Board and, says the new building was a long time coming.

McNeill adds that the paramedic service moved into the building in September.

Hospital OR Due for Renovations

Stepping out of the 1950's.

That is the hope for the Lake of the Woods District Hospital after announcing a capital project with the Ministry of Health

CEO Mark Balcaen says the project is to upgrade the operating facilities that were built 60 years ago.

Balcaen adds before any work can begin they need to go through the planning phase which will take 3-4 months.

Old Man Winter Arrives with a Vengeance

Make sure your heater is working!

It's going to be extremely cold the next few days and there's no end in sight.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says a windchill warning is in effect across Northwestern Ontario.

The temperature will likely reach minus 40 to minus 45 with the wind.

Highway 17 Blockade Ends

Traffic is flowing again on the Trans-Canada highway near the Manitoba/Ontario border.

Shoal Lake #39 and #40 First Nations held a blockade as part of the Idle no more Movement.

Darrell Redsky was part of the protest and says they are reminding the government about the power of the treaty.

Redsky adds the protest was in part of a national day of action.

Traffic was completely blocked off from 1:00 until 2:00 when police allowed single lane traffic flow.

OPP to Monitor Idle No More Blockades

Expect some traffic delays this afternoon on Highway 17 west of
Kenora.

The Shoal Lake #39 and #40 First Nations are planning a blockade of
commercial truck traffic near the Ontario/Manitoba Border.

OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis says officers will be standing by to ensure
the protests remain peaceful.

Today's protest is scheduled to take place from 1:00 to 4:00.

A similar protest is being planned for Highway 11/17 near Nipigon today.

Municipal Budget Delayed

It could be a while before Kenora's 2013 budget is ready.

City council got a good head start in the fall, but the municipal
auditor general left midway through the process.

Councillor Ron Lunny says it will be up to other staff to pick up the
slack.

Lunny says right now it looks like the city will be able to post a modest
surplus on its operations in 2012.

Civilians Take Witness Stand At 2nd Degree Murder Trial

A couple of civilian witnesses took the stand at the 2nd degree murder trial of Kenneth Ivall and Angela Duchesne yesterday.

Ron LaLonde says he ran into Ken Ivall a couple of times on March 20th, 2009.

He says he had a couple of drinks with him at the Tower Hotel, but last saw him around 11:30 that night.

He then ran into Ivall and Angela Duchesne around 2:45 the next morning at the Tim Horton's on Lakeview
Drive.

Lalonde admits he doesn't remember much about their encounter and says he didn't actually hear about
the death of Ed Wilson until the next morning, when he was woken by a phone call from an employee at
the Tower Hotel.

Testimony is scheduled to resume this morning at the Kenora Court House.