Ride for Memories raises thousands for Alzheimer's

The final figures are in from this weekend's Alzheimer Society Ride for Memories.

The more than 31-thousand dollars raised was about 4-thousand less than expected.

But Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society of Kenora-Rainy River Districts, Lynn Moffatt says it's still significant money for people suffering from Alzheimers and their families.

A record 160 motorcycle enthusiasts from across northwestern Ontario participated.

OPP Launch and Equipment Drive in Kenora

An equipment drive has been launched to help kids get the gear they need to play hockey this winter.

The OPP is teaming up with Source for Sports in northern Ontario to collect used equipment.

Debbie Novak is with Triple Play and says they will be working with those two groups making sure the equipment is distributed to children in need.

Tagg's Source for Sports will be accepting used hockey equipment for the next three weeks.

Canfield Optimistic Province will help pay for bridge repairs

The City of Kenora's lobbying efforts seem to be paying off.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says he's had productive talks with the Minister of Infrastructure last week at the AMO conference in London.

Canfield says he's received guarantees that the province will help pay to fix up two aging bridges along Lakeview Drive.

Canfield is hoping the province picks up at least 90 percent of the cost of the bridge work, which could exceed seven million dollars.

Transportation Safety Board investigates Sioux Lookout plane crash

Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating the crash of a float plane near Sioux Lookout that claimed the life of an American pilot.

Board Spokesperson Chris Krepski says initial reports suggest the plane was trying to land on the chutes of Abram Lake when the aircraft flipped over into the water.

Another pilot flew over the site and reported the crash.

Police say the pilot, a Sunfish Lake, Minnesota resident, was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

College Strikes Draws Closer

If a contract isn't in place by midnight tonight, support staff at Confederation College will hit the picket line.

Spokesperson Adair Conlon says their bargaining team will be at the table today.

Conlon says they've set up their strike headquarters and they're prepared to walk out.

Ring of Fire Agreement Reached

Four remote First Nations in the Ring of Fire mining zone are to sign an agreement today to ensure they benefit from ongoing mining and exploration activities.

The bands say the agreement is expected to change how mining companies will work with First Nations in the Ring of Fire area.

All four first nations Chiefs are to attend the signing in Thunder Bay.

The Ring of Fire, about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is believed to host large deposits of chromite and nickel

Fewer Fires Burning in Northwestern Ontario

With summer starting to wind down, Ministry of Natural Resources Fire crews are starting to make good progress on the wildfires that have been raging across the region.

There are now 41-active fires burning in Northwestern Ontario.

Information Officer Debbie McLean says blowdowns and fallen timber have made their task difficult.

Over the weekend there were 26 new forest fires reported in this area.

Astros Win Men's Slo-Pitch Title

Another season in the Men's slo-pitch league is over. The Astros took top honors this year.

They got by Titan Construction in two straight games in the best-of-three A-side Championships.

Kroppy's Hawks took the B-Side title by downing the Master Batters in two straight.

Investigation continues into downtown fire

The Ontario Fire Marshall's office is going to be investigating a blaze at a rooming house in downtown Kenora.

The fire broke out yesterday morning and caused extensive damage.

Fortunately no-one was hurt.

The cause of the blaze still hasn't been determined.

Pilot Dead following plane crash near Sioux Lookout

A Minnesota man is dead following a plane crash near Sioux Lookout.

The OPP say a small aircrash went down in Abram Lake yesterday afternoon around 4:00.

The only occupants were the pilot and a dog.

Police say the pilot was taken to hospital but was pronounced  dead.

He was a resident of Sunfish Lake, Minnesota, but no name has been released.

A post-mortem exam will be conducted today at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Woman in Sprague charged with attempted murder

A woman in southern Manitoba has been charged with attempted murder after she allegedly tried to use a gas stove to kill her common law husband.

R.C.M.P at Sprague say a 51-year-old man awoke to the smell of propane gas in his rural residence late Friday morning.

He noticed it was coming from the stove and while trying to dissipate the fumes a small explosion occurred that left him with minor injuries.

The man also noticed that his wife and all their pets were not in the home and one of the family vehicles was gone.

A 47-year-old woman appeared in a Winnipeg Court yesterday to face the charge. 

Fire Department Investigates Cause of Early Morning Blaze

The Ontario Fire Marshall's Office has been contacted about an early morning fire in downtown Kenora.

The blaze broke out just before 3:00 in a large house, that contained a number of apartment units.

Fire chief Warren Brinkman says he believes he knows where the fire originated, but wants to be able to access the interior of the building before confirming the cause.

Brinkman also credits the use of working smoke alarms for getting all ten people inside the building out safe and sound.

The fire has caused extensive damage to the structure of the building, including the roof area, which has been completely destroyed.

Northwest LHIN's Receives Funding for Seniors

The North West Local Health Integration Network is getting 1.23-million dollars in Provincial funds to help local seniors.

The money will improve services for seniors who are dealing with complex mental health, dementia and other neurological conditions.

The cash will allow health care providers to hire new nurses, personnel and support workers.

Ignace Sawmill Scheduled to Re-Start

After sitting idle for 5-years, the AbitibiBowater Sawmill in Ignace is set to re-open.

AbitibiBowater says it plans to spend 32-million dollars in capital investments over 24 months to reopen and upgrade the facility.

Construction will take place over the next two years and it is expected the mill will be operational in 2014.

Ignace Mayor Lee Kennard says the project is expected to create 90 jobs in the Mill and 80 harvesting jobs.

All Day Kindergarten Programs Proving Popular

All-Day junior and senior kindergarten program are proving to be very popular this fall.

The Kenora Cathlic District School Board is adding two new classes this fall to meet rising demand.

Director of Education Phylis Eikre says initially they had planned to offer three classes at Pope John Paul but have ended up with four and a half classes. 

Eikre says overall, their board is projecting an increase in enrolment.

Another school years starts up

Summer break is over and classes are back in session for Elementary and High School students in the Keewatin-Patricia School District.

Director of Education Jack McMaster says improving literacy, numeracy and behavioural skills will be the focus this year.

McMaster says fine tuning their strategic plan will be the priority at a Board level.

McMaster says the plan focuses on better communication between teachers as well as more classroom interaction with students.

Tennis Throwdown results

A total of 26-competitors from Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Vancouver and Australia competed in the Kenora Patricia Tennis Throwdown Tournament in Kenora over the weekend.

Lindsay Lunny of Thunder Bay was a force in the women's events.

She took top honors in the women's single, and teams up with Gillian Lunny from Kenora for the Women's Doubles and paired with

Brian Lunny for the mixed doubles title.

Sioux Lookout's John Libler won the Men's Singles title.

Libler also won the Men's Doubles event with partner Brian Legros.

The two beat Dryden's Stephen Cortens and Kenora's Patrick Lessard in the Final.

Australian Patick Cooper was the Junior Champion.

Local Anglers win I-Falls Bass Tournament

Make it two in a row for Kenora's Jeff Gustafson and Dryden's Scott Dingwall.

The two captured the International Falls Bass Tournament in Minnesota over the weekend.

Dingwall and Gustafson had a 2-day total of 31.44-pounds, about 3-pounds more then the second place team from the United States.

Dingwall and Gustafson take home 10-thousand dollars as a result.

Early morning fire in Kenora

Fire crews have brought a blaze in downtown Kenora under control.

The fire broke out just before 3:00 this morning to an older home on 3rd Street
South.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says it didn't take long for the fire to take hold and make its
way quickly into the attic area.

All available fire trucks are on the scene, and Brinkman says they are just dealing with a couple of
hot spots.
The house had a number of rental units inside, but Brinkman says its unclear at this time where
the fire might have started.

All 10 people living inside the building managed to escape.

OPP Search for Missing Man near Morson

The OPP's Marine Unit is searching for a missing 68 year old man on Lake of the Woods.

Police say the man was reported missing on Saturday evenung after going out for a boat ride on Obabikon Bay.

When he failed to show back up at his camp, friends and family went looking for him.

His clothes were found on a rock and his boat was found floating in the water a short distance away.

Police believe his boat may have drifted away and he went swimming after it.

Bill Amason is from Summerfield, Florida, but is a seasonal resident of Morson.

The OPP's underwater search and recovery unit is en route to help out with the search.