Public School Board Approves Budget

A good news financial report for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.

Last night the school board voted to pass the 2013/2014 budget.

The budget has a surplus over 6 thousand dollars.

However Superintendent of Business Dean Carrie says the money is going to some basic costs including some capital projects at Valleyview, Beaver Brae, Dryden High and Red Lake High School.

Total spending will be about 83.5 million dollars next year, down about 1.7 million dollars from
this year.

Feedback Encouraged by Event Center Committee

Our survey says!

Kenora's Event Center Committee continues to gather feedback from the public about what they'd like to seen in any potential expansion of
the Kenora Rec. Center.

Chris Van Wallenghem is co-chair of the Committee and says they are encourging local residents to fill out an on-line survey.

The survey can be found on the city's web portal at Kenora.ca

Van Wallenghem says once they compile the information from the survey,
they will be presenting it to city council in July.

Mixed Views on Passage of Provincial Budget

The PC Candidate for Kenora-Rainy River Riding is disappointed with the NDP's decision to support the Liberal's budget.

Randy Nickle says it's like the NDP just wanted to get it over with.

Nickle says there's really nothing special that's being provided for Northwestern Ontario.

However,  Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle is happy to see the budget passed, since several initiatives in the fiscal document will help northerners.

The budget passed by a vote of 64 to 36 yesterday.

Cliffs Suspending Ring of Fire Project

Cliffs Natural Resources is temporarily suspending its environmental assessment activities for the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario.

The company is citing a number of delays and uncertainty including provincial and federal environmental assessments as well as unresolved issues related to land surface rights.

Cliffs also cites ``unfinished agreements with the Government of Ontario that are critical to the project's economic viability.''

The company says it will continue to work with the provincial government and First Nations communities in an attempt to restart the work.

Junior Track and Field Results

Some impressive results at the Junior track and field meet at T.A. field yesterday.

There were a number of multiple gold medalists.

11 year old Jacob Frankham was tops in the 400 and 200 meter races, and third in the 60 meter dash.

Alyssa Turcotte won the 10 year old girls 60 meter and 200 meter races and the long jump, while nine year old Jason Debbo was top in the 60 meter dash, the 200 meter and the 800 meter races.

Xavier Wickham, 11,  placed first in the high jump and also topped the field in the 60 meter
dash and was second in the 200 meter race.

Today the Intermediate Track and Field meet takes place at Thomas Aquinas.

Two Arrested in Downtown Drug Bust

A couple of people have been arrested as a result of a drug bust in downtown Kenora.

The OPP say the Emergency Response Team and Aboriginal Intelligence Unit helped execute a search warrant on an apartment on 1st Street South.

Police say they seized a number of prescription pills, including hydromorphone capsules and morphine, as well as 54 marijuana cigarettes and three codeine pills.

About 15 hundred dollars in cash was also seized.

42 year old Dax Davies and 32 year old Shanalee Paulson face charges of trafficking and
proceeds of crime.

They are due to appear in Kenora Court on August 1st.

Trustees Say Goodbye to Lakewood Tonight

The end is drawing near for Lakewood School.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board will be closing the elementary school at the end of this academic year.

Lynn McAughey is principal at Lakewood and says they are inviting parents, students and past students to the School for a special celebration next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, trustees from the public school board will get to say their goodbyes tonight.

The monthly open meeting of the board will take place at Lakewood starting at 7:00 this evening.

Plane Crashes Near Lac du Bonnet

Two men have been taken to hospital after their small plane crash landed in eastern Manitoba.
 
 A rescue official says the Cessna took off from a private airstrip near Lac du Bonnet around 9:00 this morning, then had mechanical problems.
 
The plane tried to go back but was forced to make a hard landing.
 
The pilot and passenger were pulled from the aircraft with
unspecified injuries.

Roof Repairs at City Hall Begin

Kenora City Hall is about to get a makeover.

Scaffolding is starting to go up at the heritage building on
Main Street South.

Earlier this spring, council agreed to spend over half a million
dollars to replace the roof of the century old structure.

Empire Restoration from Ottawa will be doing the work over the
next couple of months.

Hospital Joining MediTech Network

Lake of the Woods District Hospital will soon be less isolated from other hospitals in the region.

The hospital has just joined up with the MediTech Network.

Hospital vice-president, Cindy Gasperini says there's a number of benefits of being able to share patient information with other hospitals.

Gasperini says initially the MediTech system will just include patient
records and billing information.

It will later be expanded to include lab test results and pharmacy

Hospital Pleased With Results of Patient Surveys

No-one likes going to hospital, but patients who have to be admitted to
Lake of the Woods District Hospital have good things to say about their
experience.

A recent patient satisfaction survey show that 94 percent of patients
rated their experience as good.

97 percent also said they would feel comfortable returning.

And 97 percent also said they would recommend the hospital to a family
member or friend.

Chief executive officer Marc Belcaen says this was the highest number of
returned surveys they had and are pretty pleased with the results.

Rain Helps Put a Damper on Forest Fires

Despite recent rains, the forest fire situation remains a big concern in the Northwest.

Debbie McLean with the Ministry of Natural Resources says it has been a busy start to the season with 139 forest fires so far this season.

To date over 38-hundred hectares of forest has been burnt this season.

McLean says the recent rain fall has helped lower the fire hazard but has created a number of lightning caused fires.

Another Boating Fatality in Northwestern Ontario

For the third time in less than a week, someone has been killed in a boating accident in northwestern Ontario.

The OPP say they responded to a call on Manion Lake, northwest of Atikokan, after learning that three men from Minnesota were thrown out of their boat.

A group of fishermen found the men in the water and they were taken to shore.

However Provincial Police confirm that 64-year-old Douglas Davis from North Mankato was pronounced dead at the scene.

Inquest Almost Ready to Get Underway

Anyone who wants to take part in the inquest into the tragic deaths of seven
First Nations teens in Thunder Bay will get a chance to state their case today.  

Regional Coroner Dr. Michael  Wilson says only those with an direct interest in the outcome will be given standing at the upcoming inquest.

Today's hearing takes place at the provincial government building in Thunder Bay.

Air Show Essay Contest for Students

Soaring to new heights.

A couple of local students will get a chance to win a ride on a
stunt plane at the upcoming Kenora Airshow.

Barb Manson is one of the organizers and says Super Dave, one of their
featured pilots has volunteered to take two kids for a ride.

Local students have until June 15th to write a 500 word essay outlining
why they want to go flying with Super Dave.

Elementary Track and Field Today at T.A.

It looks like Mother Nature is co-operating for today's elementary school track and field meet.

This year, the racing, jumping and throwing competitions is taking place up at Thomas Aquinas School.

About 300 grade four, five and six students are competing in a number of different events today, including
high jump, long jump, 60, 200, 400 and 800 meter races.

Today, the junior aged students will take center stage, while tomorrow it will be the intermediate aged students turn.

Hospital Achieves Accreditation

Some recognition for Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

It has rececieved a commendation from Accreditation Canada.

Marc Belcaen is the Chief Executive officer of the Hospital and says
its a long process to be accredited, but well worth the effort.

Belcaen says the hospital will continue to work on the few areas that they fell short in the accreditation process.

Local Nursing Students Set to Graduate in the New Year

Local hospitals should have their pick of new nurses come the new year.

The next graduating class of the Bachelor of Nursing program offered
through Lakehead University and Confederation College will complete their studies in February of 2014.

Laura Christie is with Con College in Kenora and says that good news for local health care facilities.

The next RN course offered through Con College will start up in the fall, with a minimum of 24 nursing students expected to enroll.

Water Levels Easing On Lake of the Woods

Water levels on Lake of the Woods are starting to stabilize.

The Lake of the Woods Control Board says the lake went up four inches
in the past week.

That's slightly lower than we've seen over the past couple of weeks.

The Control Board says outflow from the Norman Dam has more than tripled
since the middle of May due to all the rainfall seen in the basin.

Anyone with concerns about water levels is invited to attend an open house
being staged by the Control Board on Tuesday night at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Staffing Levels Improve At Local ER

Things are starting to look up for the Emergency Department at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Chief of Medical Staff, Dr. Kerry McDonald expects that by the summer, all available shifts in the ER will be staffed local physicians.

That means locums will not be needed to help keep the emergency room
operating.

McDonald adds that it will also be a substantial saving to the provincial health care system.

He adds that it provides some continuity of care, as the doctors will become
more familiar with the patients that frequent the ER.