Dryden Woman Found Guilty of Fraud

A Dryden woman has been convicted on two counts of fraud from the Shaw Walleye Masters and the Dryden
Ski Hill.

Allyson Dunham has received a conditional sentence order of 2-years, less a day.

The sentence results in house arrest, a curfew and other strict conditions.

Dunham was charged last March with 2-counts each of theft over $5,000, fraud over $5,000 and criminal breach of trust.

Dunham sat on the executive committees of both the Shaw Walleye Masters and the Ski Hill.

Aspenware Returns to the Northwest

Members of the Wabauskang First Nation will soon start harvesting poplar trees and creating veneers for B.C. based Aspenware.

The operation is being carried out in the Whiskey Jack Forest.

Company President Terry Bigsby says they have also teamed up with Doug Riffel, the owner of Makoose Wood Innovations.

Bigsby says this is only the beginning and notes he's already in talks for a similar venture with Grassy Narrows and Lac La Croix.

Aspenware produces single-use biodegradable wooden cutlery and at one time was thinking about setting up shop in the Dryden area.

Con College Raises Money for Scholarships

An endowment fund for student scholarships and bursaries at Confederation
College has received a big boost.

The annual Charity Golf tournament at the Kenora Golf and Country Club
generated six thousand dollars yesterday.

Jim Madder is the college's president and says they've raised over 100
thousand dollars over the past 16 years.

Madder says the money raised will go to students at the Kenora campus
or local students who have to travel to Thunder Bay for courses there.

Canfield Steps Down From Board of Health

A changing of the guard at the board of the Northwestern Health Unit.

Mayor Dave Canfield is stepping down as the city's representitive.

He'll be replaced by councillor Sharon Smith.

Canfield says with his new duties as president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, he doesn't have the time to commit anymore to the Health Unit.

Mining Conference Expected to Sell Out

A good response to a mining conference taking place in Kenora.

The Exploration Information Session is almost sold out.

The event is put on each year by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and focuses on some of the mining and exploration activity taking place in the Kenora District.

The Exploration Conference will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday and will feature a site visit to the Coventry Resources site near Cameron Lake.

OPP Marine Unit Cracks Down on Boaters

OPP Marine unit is finding some boaters not following the rules.

Several charges were laid during checks of boat on Rainy Lake last weekend.

A 29 year old Alberton township man was charged for not having a fire extinguisher on board.

A 66 year old man from International Falls was charged after Police watched a boat pull a tube with two teenagers without a spotter on board.

A 53 year old White Bear Lake, Minnesota man failed to have life jackets on board his boat.

Two others, a 79 year old man from Oregon and a 56 year
old from International Falls were charged after open liquor was found in their boats.

Water Plant Workers Get New Deal

Workers at Kenora's water treatment plant have a new three contract.

City council has approved a deal with the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers retroactive to January 1st of this year.

The agreement includes a 1.7 wage increase in each year of the
deal.

That's the same increase as other unionized and non-unionized staff have
received this year from the city.

Workers at Barwick OSB Plant Agree on New Contract

Unionized workers at Ainsworth in Barwick have accepted a new four year contract.

The Communication, Energy and Paperworkers union says the 130 members of Local 324-99 voted 77 per cent in favour of the deal that will give them a 10 per cent wage high over the course of the deal.

CEP National rep Stephen Boon says the deal offers long-term stability for the Barwick mill while providing stronger contract language and major monetary improvements for the workers.