Local High School Teachers Hold Strike Vote Today

Local members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation will be taking a strike vote later today.

Local union president John Dykes says it will likely take a few days to tabulate the results.

Teachers are upset with legislation passed earlier this month by the provincial government which bans strikes and freezes salaries for the next two years.

Earlier this month, local members of the Elementary Teachers Federation also held a strike vote, with 100 percent voting in favour.

Council Says Not to Tax Break on Mill Property

Kenora City Council is turning down a request from Resolute Forest Products, formerly AbitibiBowater to waive the taxes on its property on 9th Street North.

The company argues that some of the buildings left on the old mill site are damaged and are not usable.

Councillor Ron Lunny says they're not buying that argument.

Resolute wanted the taxes waived on the buildings for the 2011 tax year, the last year that it still owned the property.

Council Continues To Debate Future of JM Arena

Plans to turn the Jaffray Melick Arena into an indoor soccer complex is still generating debate at city council.

Yesterday, Councillor Louis Roussin says while he supports the concept,

he's concerned about the price tag attached to the proposal to twin the Rec. Center ice surface.

He says he's seen figures as high as 13 million dollars to build a second rink.

Roussin says if there is no government funding for the project, there's no way the city can afford a second arena.

He suggests it would be cheaper to put an ice plant into the JM Arena.

Northwest OPP Hand out Awards

The Ontario Provincial Police are celebrating their own and regular citizens today in their Northwest Region Awards.

During the fall of last year Daniel Morrison was working with the Ministry of Natural Resources conducting an animal count survey near Armstrong.

Morrison heard his coworkers cried for help and found her being mauled by a bear.

Morrison says he used his hunting knife to fight the bear off.

Morrison as well as Constable Randy Gosse and CO Ross Johnston received the Commissioner's Citation for Bravery and Lifesaving.

Classes Cancelled This Morning at Thomas Aquinas

Students at Thomas Aquinas will get a chance to sleep in today.

Hydro One has a power outage scheduled for the Jaffray Melick area from 9:30 to 12:30 today.

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says due to the outage, classes will be cancelled for the morning.

It adds that the school will be open for anyone arriving by bus today.

Grade 9-12 students are asked to report back to school for 11:25 for period 3 classes this morning, while Grade 7 and 8 students don't have to show up until 12:40.

Thomas Aquinas is the only school affected by today's power outage.

Body of Missing Man Found on Gunn Lake

The OPP's Underwater Search and Rescue Unit says it has recovered the body of a missing Winnipeg man on Gunn Lake, north of Kenora.

24 year old Blaine Letham has been boating with a friend Saturday night when their 14 foot Lund was hit by some large waves.

Both men were thrown into the water, but eyewitnesses managed to rescue one of the men, a 23 year old Winnipeg resident.

The OPP's Marine Unit began its search Sunday, while the OPP divers were brought in yesterday.

A post-mortem exam is being conducted today at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

By-Pass Safety Still a Concern

The safety of the intersections on the Kenora By-Pass are once again under a microscope following a fatal accident over the weekend.

A 42 year old woman was killed while being transported in an OPP cruiser early Sunday morning.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says to his knowlege this is the first fatality at the intersection of the Redditt Road and Highway 17-A, but adds there have been a number of near misses.

In the past, the city has requested that flashing amber light be installed before the stop lights on the By-Pass to alert motorists the lights are about to change to red.

SIU Says Accident Investigation Could Take a Month or More

Its going to take a while before any more details about Sunday's fatal accident is released.

The SIU has begun its investigation of the deadly collision that killed a 42 year old Kenora woman, but a final report could take a month or more.

Monica Hudon is a spokesperson for the SIU and says their reports are very comprehensive and it can take a while to gather all the information they need.

Hudon says on average, they try to complete their investigations within 30 business days.

Northwestern Students Win Bartleman Awards

Four northwestern Ontario aboriginal students have picked up a prestigious literary award.

The Bartleman Award winners were announced today.

Kiara Lynn Bird from Whitefish Bay, Rachel Bluecoat of Fort Severn, Chelsea McKay of Wunnumin Lake and Calista Mawakeesic of Sioux Lookout were four of the six winners.

This year's successful entries include poems that address the damaging effects of bullying, isolation and the legacy of residential schools.

The winners each pick up a cheque for 25 hundred dollars.

Fall Seatbelt Campaign Underway

The Ontario Provincial Police in Northwestern Ontario have launched a Fall seatbelt campaign.

The campaign is underway and concludes October 6th.

Constable Anne McCoy says too many people are still not buckling up.

A fine for non-compliance is $200 and two demerit points.

NDP Holds Health Care Town Halls this Friday

If you have issues with the local health care system, this is your chance to vent.

The NDP will be touring the Kenora-Rainy Riding this Friday gathering feedback from local residents at a series of town hall meetings.

The New Democrat's Health Critic Frances Gelinas will accompany Sarah Campbell at four stops.

They will be getting feedback in Fort Frances, Rainy River, Kenora and Dryden.

The Kenora town hall will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 at the Travelodge this Friday.

MNR Fire Crews Heading West

The Ministry of Natural Resources is sending forest firefighters to Alberta.

Twenty fireRangers, twelve incident commanders and an agency representatives left Ontario yesterday to aid with forest fire suppression efforts in that province.

Four MNR firefighters are also working in Minnesota.

Broncos Win Big in Winnipeg

Beaver Brae's offense has been on fire over the past two games.

Yesterday, the Broncos cruised to a 53-6 win over the St. John's Tigers at the Nomads field in Winnipeg.

Beaver Brae has now scored 97 points in their last two games.

They'll need to continue that trend Friday as the top team in the

Winnipeg High School Football league, the Elmwood Giants come to town.

Elmwood has a perfect 4-0 record, while the Broncos now sit at 2-2.

SIU Investigates By-Pass Fatal

Three investigators from the Ontario Special Investigations Unit are in Kenora looking into the death of a 42 year old woman.

The woman died while being transported in a police cruiser early Sunday morning.

The OPP say that around 2:00 the cruiser collided with a semi-tractor trailor unit at the intersection of the Redditt Road and the Kenora By-Pass.

The two officers in the cruiser were taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital and later released, while the driver of the transport did not sustain any injuries.

The By-Pass was closed for over 17 hours, while the SIU conducted  it investigation of the crash scene.

Highway 17-A was finally re-opened around 7:15 last night.

OPP Continue Search for Missing Boater

The search will continue this morning for a missing boat on a lake north of Kenora.

The OPP's Underwater Search and Recovery Unit is expected to arrive on the scene today to help locate a 24 year old Winnipeg man.

Police say two men were thrown into Gunn Lake, just south of Minaki Saturday evening around 8:00 after encountering high waves.

Neither man was wearing a life-jacket.

Eyewitnesses were able to rescue a 23 year old man from the lake, but his companion is still missing.

The missing man has been identified as Blaine Letham.

Mental Health Funding Announced

A big boost for mental health services in the Treaty Three area.

Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong has received a 50 thousand dollar grant from the Bell "Lets Talk" Community Fund.

April Medwechuck says they will use the funding to spear a new program to help front-line workers recognize people with mental health issues.

The funding was announced at the 2nd annual baseball tournament put on the Kenora Drug Abuse and Mental Health Task Force on Saturday.

Court Overturns Extradition for Rainy River First Nations Resident

Ontario's top court has ruled a man from Rainy River First Nations facing drug charges in the United States should not be extradited because of his aboriginal status.

Zachary Leonard was arrested with four others in 2006 after trying to cross the border at International Falls in a van containing 46-hundred ecstasy tablets.

After escaping from a Falls halfway house to Canada, an Ontario Superior Court judge committed him for extradition.

But the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled the justice minister didn't properly take into account a legal principle that says different considerations must be made when sentencing aboriginal offenders.

The Appeal Court says Leonard could be prosecuted in Canada.

Aboriginal Life Stories Released

A teacher from the Kenora Catholic District School Board has helped launch a new literacy initiative.

Native Language teacher from St. John's Catholic School in Red Lake, Tom Doherty was in Toronto yesterday for the launch of "Books of Life".

The book is an Aboriginal education awarness and initive which tells the life stories of students from diverse school populations.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Kenora also participated in the program.

First Ever Sasquatch Bush Crawl this weekend

A unique fundraiser is going to be taking place one week from today.

The 1st ever Sasquatch Bush Crawl will take place on the Mount Evergreen Cross Country Ski Trails.

David White is one of the organizers and says you can walk, run or even crawl along the five kilometer route.

Money raised from the Sasquatch Bush Crawl will go into the endowment fund for the Kenora Association For Community Living.

Kenora Man Prepares for Trip to Ghana

A young Kenora resident is getting ready for a trip of a life time.

Dusty Snyider is planning to embark on a one month humanitarian mission to Ghana in west Africa.

Snyder says he will be working with the AIDS patients in that country.

Snyder will be leaving in November but has to raise six thousand dollars to help pay his way.