Hampton to Run Again for the NDP

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Howard Hampton confirms that he will be running

again in the next provinical election.

The election date has already been fixed by legislation for October 6th, 2011.

Hampton says he has no intention of retiring yet from provinical politics.

Hampton has been an M.P.P. in the Ontario legislature since 1987.

He stepped down as party leader of the NDP last year.

Two charged for possession of explosives

Two Winnipeg men have been arrested for possessing explosives.

Yesterday, the OPP's Organize Crime and Drug Units executed a search warrant on a Mascott area home.

The Northwest Explosives Disposal Unit, a canine unit, a Tactics and Rescue Squad and the Emergency Response Team were also called in to assist.

Police say a search of the property uncovered a quantitiy of explosives,

some pills and drug paraphenalia.

35 year old Mike Decoste and 23 year old Jeremy McPherson were

arrested and charged with unlawful possession of explosives.

They are due in court later today.

Report Critical of Northwest LHIN's use of Consultants

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network has been singled out in a report by the  province's Auditor General.

The report looks at health agencies that paid money for consultants.

NDP Leader Andrea Horvath says the public is paying for these expensive lobbyists.

The Auditor General says the three LHINs studied spent anywhere from 224 thousand dollars to 1.4 million per year on consultants.

Bronco Court Teams lose on the Road

Beaver Brae's court sport teams continue to struggle in NorWOSSA league play.

The Broncos were in Dryden yesterday and were swept by the Eagles.

The senior boys volleyball team lost three sets to one, while the Beaver Brae

junior boys were beaten in three straight games.

In hoops action, it wasn't any better, as Dryden beat the Bronco Senior Girls

39-13, while the junior girls lost 37-23.

Former Kenora Resident Runs for Mayor of Ear Falls

A former Kenora resident is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father.

Kevin Kahoot is one of three people running for the mayoralty of Ear Falls

this Monday.

Kahoot says one things he's been focussing on this campaign is making municipal council more accountable to local taxpayers.

Kahoot is the son of former Keewatin Mayor Bob Kahoot.

He's being challenged by Tracey Simon and Rob Doyle.

Small Business Week Seminars Offered

The Northwest Business Center and the Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corporation are teaming up to celebrate Small Business Week in Kenora.

A couple of seminars will be presented tomorrow.

Mike Greaves from the Business Center says they will be bringing in a couple of
well-known Manitoba businessmen as their keynote speakers.

The seminars will take place at the Super 8 Minis Hall tomorrow.

The first session starts at 10:30, followed by lunch and then the presentation
by Chris and Larry.

Wincrief planning to build pole peeling plant

Wincrief Industries says its still planning to open up a pole peeling plant in the

Kenora area this fall.

The company announced plans to make hydro poles this past summer.

Wincrief spokesperson, Greg Moncrief says they are still looking for the

best location for the plant.

Moncrief says once the pole peeling plant is up and running, it should employ another

dozen or so people.

The facility would be also be a co-operative venture with the Wabaseemung First Nation.

German Offensive Player of the Week in WHSFL

Another honor for Beaver Brae's football team.

Colt German has been named the offensive player of the week in the East Division of the Kas Vidruk Division in the Winnipeg High School Football League.

The Broncos quarterback was 11 of 14 in passing for 211 yards in a 33-8 win over Steinbach last week.

Beaver Brae closes out the regular season at home against the West Kildonan Wolverines on Friday.

Three running for mayor in Machin

The clock is starting to wind down on municipal election campaigns across the region.

In the township of Machin there are three people running for the top job.

Linda Anderson says job creation is one of her main priorities.

Incumbent Mayor Garry Parkes says he wants to continue working on recreation and tourism.

Gordon Dingman says expanding the local taxbase is his main focus.

Votes will be counted up on October 25th.

Drug Bust behind Beaver Brae

An 18 year old Sioux Narrows man has been arrested after being busted

for dealing drugs behind Beaver Brae Secondary School.

The OPP say last Friday afternoon, officers were patrolling the bush behind the

high school and came across a couple of male suspects involved in a drug transaction.

Jason Paypompee was arrested and charged with possession for the purpose

of trafficking.

He is due to appear in Kenora Court on November 15th on the charge.

Holiday Train Schedule released

The 'Holiday Train' is making a return trip to Northwestern Ontario.

The festive locomotive will stop Thunder Bay on December 3rd and in Ignace, Dryden, Vermilion Bay and Kenora on December 4th.

CPR Spokesperson Mike LoVecchio announces the headliner for this year's event.

Last year, CPR raised 743 thousand dollars and 237 thousand pounds of food for Canadian Food Banks.

Ignatieff makes a return trip to the Kenora Riding

Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is paying a visit to the Kenora Riding next week.

Ignatieff will meet with residents in Sioux Lookout and Dryden next Friday.

Roger Valley is the Kenora Riding Liberal candidate and says the state of the economy will be just one issue that he will address.

Ignatieff was supposed to stop in the Riding over the Summer, but the death of one of his aids derailed those plans.

OPP nab young impaired driver

Impaired drivers seem to be getting younger and younger.

Over the weekend, the OPP say they arrested a 15 year old youth who was behind the wheel of a car.

Police say they came across a vehicle which was blocking a section

of Carlton Road around 1:30 Saturday morning.

After speaking with the driver, they determined the youth had been
drinking.

He was taken to the Kenora Detachment for a breath test and charged.

The youth will appear in Kenora Court on November 23rd.

Contact North sees big increase in usage

Contact North is reporting a 50-per cent increase in the number of people using its services to access college and university courses.

Vice-president of regional service Debby Sefton says the over 23-thousand registrants is a record for the the distance education network.

Sefton says Contact North sites across the region have seen increases in usage this year.

Mitigoog looks towards expansion

The president of the Mitigoog Limited Partnership says he'd like to see the forest management company expand to include other areas of northwestern Ontario.

Eric Fisher says Mitigoog has been charged with the management of the Kenora Forest, but says in order to be successful, they are going to have to expand their operations.

Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Michael Gravelle the provincial government would allow and even encourage the expansion of Mitigoog to take on other sustainable forest licences in the region in the future.

Weyerhaeuser sees bright future for ILevel Plant in Kenora

The president of Weyerhaeuser is bullish on the future of the I-Level Timberstrand mill on the Jones Road, despite discouraging news from the U.S. housing market.

Anne Giardini was in Kenora last week and had a chance to visit the timberstrand mill.

She says they aren't panicking because American markets haven't turned around yet.

The timberstrand mill has experienced some downtime and lay-offs in recent months due to poor markets in the U.S.

New Strategic Plan released for the City of Kenora

The next edition of city council will have a brand new strategic plan to help guide them.

The current city council has approved Kenora Vision 2015, which is a stragic plan to guide the city over the next five years.

Chief Administrative Officer, Karen Brown helped draft the strat plan and says a lot has changed in the city over the last five years and the new plan addresses the changing economic landscape

in Kenora.

The corporate strategic plan identifies priorities for the city and sets targets and goals for

adminstration and council alike.

Parson Breaks silence in Mayoralty Race

One of the candidates for the mayor's chair in the City of Kenora has made his

first public comments since the campaign began.

Jim Parson spoke to CJRL news about his decision to stay in the

mayoralty race, despite the death of his wife Patti a month ago.

Parson says its been a difficult time for him personally.

The municipal election will be held one week from today.

Votes will be tallied just after 8:00 on October 25th.

Missing Woman Found near Mantario Trail

An experienced hiker and camper who was overdue from a weekend trip on a challenging wilderness trail in eastern Manitoba's Whiteshell region has been found.

RCMP Sgt. Rod Karpish says the 47-year-old Winnipeg woman was located safe and sound by a rescue team after a plane spotted a beacon late last night near the Mantario trail.

Karpish says the woman, whose name has not been released, was taken to hospital in Pinawa in ``good shape.''

The hiker was due back Saturday evening from the 66-kilometre trail, but she still had not shown up by Sunday morning.

She had left a schedule with her family and was equipped with a sleeping bag and

food to last for several days.

Compton continues to lobby PM for federal jobs

Kenora mayor Len Compton says he hasn't given up his goal of getting

federal jobs moved to the city.

Compton says he has written the prime ministers office a couple of times now

asking that the Harper government re-locate a federal payroll center to

Kenora.

Compton says the city has been hit hard by the downturn in the forest

industry and says well-paying federal jobs would be welcome.

Compton admitted that he's received only a short note from the Prime Minister's Office thanking him for his letter, but he's still keen to speak with Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford about the issue.