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.

Student Consortium Testing New Bus Routes

The Northwest Student Services Consortium is making sure there are no service glitches this fall.

General Manager Judi Green says the closing of Lakewood School has created a number of concerns that need to be looked at.

Green says the tests will look at routes, timing, bus numbers.

She adds the test will take place during PA Day on June 7th with the full fleet of buses.

Parents are reminded that schools will be closed that day.

Morning Victories for Saints at NWOSSA

A good start for the Thomas Aquinas Saints soccer teams at the NWOSSA single "A" soccer championships.

The T.A boys ran away with a 3-0 win over Marathon in the morning game.

They will be back on the field at 2:00 for the second game.

The Saints girls were also victorious this morning earning a 1-0 win over Ecole Saint Josph.

Gilly Derouard scored the lone goal.

The girls are back on the pitch at 4:00.

Highway 17 East Re-Opened Near Redden's

Highway 17 at the east end of the Kenora By-Pass has been re-opened following a single vehicle accident.

Shortly after 8:00 this morning, a camper van flipped onto its side near the entrance to Longbow Lake Road.

Police have blocked off the highway, and are sending eastbound traffic back to the Jones Road as
a detour.

A number of police cruisers attended the scene along with the Long Bow Lake Volunteer Fire Department to clear the wreckage.

Four Killed in Ornge Helicopter Crash

CFB Trenton says four people are dead following an Ornge air ambulance helicopter crash in northern Ontario.
  
A spokesman at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton says the helicopter crash site near Moosonee was located this morning and all four people on board are confirmed dead.
  
The Ornge air ambulance service says two pilots and two paramedics were on board the aircraft, but no patients.
   
Ornge says it has notified the family members of those who were on board.
   
 Ornge said the Sikorsky S76 helicopter left its base in Moosonee en route to Attawapiskat at about midnight and contact was lost with the aircraft shortly after takeoff.
   
The Transportation Safety Board has been notified and will be
investigating.

Plane Crash Under Investigation in Red Lake

A provincial police dive unit will join the search this morning for two people missing following the crash of a float plane in Red Lake.

The OPP says the plane took off about 5:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon en route to a tourist camp north of the community.
   
Police say the plane went down soon after takeoff about 200
metres from shore in the Bruce Channel between Cochenour and
McKenzie Island.
   
A man and woman from the United States are believed to have been the only people on board but their identities have yet to be confirmed.
 
There is no word on what caused the crash, although it was cloudy and windy and the lake was choppy at the time.

The Transportation Safety Board is also sending two investigators to the accident scene.

Community Wellness Day at Beaver Brae

Beaver Brae students are being released from their classrooms today.

The second annual Community Wellness Day will be taking place all
day throughout the high school.

Jodi Hall is one of the organizers and says its an opportunity for the
students to try something different.

The Community Wellness Day will start with an assembly, and will include a break for a free lunch up in the cafeteria.

Campbell Reluctantly Supports Provincial Budget

The provincial budget has some room for improvement.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. spoke out on the budget this week in the Ontario Legislature and says there are things the cash-strapped Liberal government can do to
increase revenue.

She says the number one concern is tax loopholes that large corporations are taking advantage of.

Campbell is also urging the government to develop a better relationship with first nation communities in the region so that major projects such as the Ring of Fire and the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway west of Kenora, can move forward without delay.

Saints Soccer Teams Play NWOSSA Finals Today

Thomas Aquinas soccer teams are hoping to book themselves a ticket to the All-Ontario Single A
championships today.

The Saints girls team is home for the best-of-three NWOSSA finals against Wawa.

Game one is this morning at 10:00, with game two slated for 4:00.

Meanwhile, the T.A. boys squad is in Marathon for a best-of-three series against the Falcons.

Game one is this morning.

Beaver Brae Honors It's Top Athletes

Beaver Brae has payed tribute to its best and brightest athletes.

The annual Bronco Athletics Banquet was held last night and Jodi Melillo,
a soccer and hockey stand out, took home honors as Female Athlete of the year.

Meanwhile the Male Athlete of the Year award was shared between David
Simpkin and Davin Iverson.