Highway 17 east of Kenora Open

Traffic is moving again on Highway 17 east of Kenora.  The Trans-Canada was closed for about four hours overnight due to a single vehicle accident.  The OPP say there was a rollover just east of the Highway 17 junction.  The accident took place around 1:00 this morning. So far there has been no indication whether anyone was injured in the accident.

Kenora Power Outage Lengthy

Two and a half days and counting.  That's how long some homes southwest of Kenora have been without power.  Hydro One says there are still about 100 customers waiting to have their electricity restored following Monday night's vicious thunder storms.  Crews are still working in the area and its expected power will be back on to most homes and cottages by 4:00 this afternoon.

Young Driver Joy Rides in Pikangikum

A 12 year old girl faces a number of charges after going for a joy ride in the remote community of Pikangikum.  The OPP say they were notified about a pick up truck driving in an erratic manner around 5:00 in the morning.  Officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver refused to stop.  Because the driver appeared to be quite young, the OPP gave up the chase.  A short time later, the vehicle ran into a hydro pole, knocking out power to the entire community.  Police say there were 14 passengers in the truck at the time, including three ten year olds, four 12 year olds, three 13 year olds and three 14 year old youths.

Company hit with more work orders

The Ministry of Labour is still investigating a tragic scissor lift accident at a highway construction site in Shuniah Township. The ministry's Matt Blajer says they've issued 5 more work orders on the company that was involved that's in addition to the 8 original orders.  The accident last month resulted in the death of a 24 year old worker

KI votes to protect it's watershed

The KI First Nation says it's making a stand with the results of a referendum in the community. KI spokesperson John Cutfeet says they have voted almost a 100 per cent to have their watershed protected from the results of industrial development.  Cutfeet believes the referendum holds legal clout when it comes to development on KI's traditional lands.

City man charged in bizarre accident

A 27 year old Thunder Bay man is charged following Tuesday's accident at Camelot and Court Streets.  That's where police say a stolen van landed on an SUV in a grocery store parking lot after rolling down an embankment. Just prior to that it hit a pedestrian and sent the 52 year old man to hospital.

Drowing confirmed in divers death

Police are confirming that it was drowning that caused the weekend death of a 21 year old man in the MacKenzie River in Shuniah Township.   They say Dau Huston was cliff jumping at High Falls just prior to his body being pulled from the water. 

Still no sign of missing 69 year old

Police in Elkhart, Indiana are helping in the search for Edward Spakowski from Thunder Bay who was last seen  there last week. Thunder Bay Police spokesperson Chris Adams says the Americans have been provided the information in the case of the missing 69 year old.  There is still no indication of where Spakowski might be.

NOSM Student Research

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is awarding 36 thousand dollars to six of its students.  The money will be used for student research projects.

Cultural Database launched

A cultural database is now in place for the Kenora District.  The regional cultural initiative was led by the Dryden Development Corporation.  Economic Development Manager Vicki Kurz says they worked with 6-communities to gather an inventory of all our assets.  Kurz says the communities will use the information gathered to better promote the area.

Boating accident in Kenora

A close call for three teens on Lake of the Woods west of Kenora.  OPP say the girls were in a boat heading to camp when the 16-year-old driver lost control.  A 15-year-old was thrown into the water and was struck by the prop of the motor.  The operators managed to get the boat under control and rescued the girl.  They got her back to mainland where they met police and ambulance.  The girl was transferred to Hospital with injuries to her neck and head.  OPP say that although life jackets were in the boat, none of the girls were wearing them at the time.

Waterworks changes in Atikokan

There is a Red Lake based operator of Atikokan's water and sewage treatment plants.  Northern Waterworks has taken over from Ontario Clean Water Agency.  Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown says it wasn't because the town was unhappy with OCWA.  Brown says the town will save 90-thousand dollars a year by the move.

NW LHIN expanding programs

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network says it wants to expand its Home First program for seniors in the Region.  CEO Laura Kokochinski says the program is targeted at people who are currently taking up beds in hospitals and trying to get them back home.  She says the plan has been in place for 3-years and is showing some signs of success.

Forest Fire Hazard High

It was one of the busiest days on record yesterday for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews.  The MNR recorded over 71-hundred lightning strikes in a 24-hour period.  27-new fires sparked and more are expected early today.  The forest fire hazard remains high to extreme.

Accident causes power outage

The lights are on in the Current River area.  25 hundred customers were impacted.  The outage was caused by a car accident on Grenville and Adelaide.  Hydro Spokesperson Eileen Dias is thanking the public for their patience.  The power was restored by early this morning.

Mobile home park fire not arson

Arson is now ruled out as the cause of a fire that destroyed three mobile homes in Gorham Township over the long weekend.  OPP say that at the time of the fire at the Country View Trailer Court on Canada Day, only one of the occupants was at home, and there were no injuries.

Bushie inquest set to resume

The inquest into the death of 15 year old Reggie Bushie is now set to get back on track .  The Regional Coroner's Office says it will resume with a pre-inquest hearing on July 21st.   The inquest is expected to result in jury recommendations aimed at preventing sudden deaths of First Nations high school students who attend school in Thunder Bay far away from their homes.

Stolen vehicle involved in north side mishap

Bizarre may be the only way to describe this accident. City police say that a stolen vehicle hitting a pedestrian was the start of a chain reaction accident at Camelot and Court streets early Tuesday afternoon. They say it appears that the stolen vehicle then ended up crushing a parked car in a grocery store lot after it rolled down an embankment and then landed upside down.

Family and friends concerned for missing man

A 69 year old Thunder Bay man is missing in the United States and his family and employer are concerned. Edward Spakowski works for Smith's RV as an occasional RV driver, but his boss Jason Johnstone says he hasn't been seen since he picked up a vehicle in Elkhart, Indiana on Thursday.  Johnstone says authorities in the States have been notified.

Macs store robbed...again

No one is hurt following an armed robbery at a Mac's convenience store on North May Street. City Police say it took place at around 3:30 this morning and involved a mask man and woman. They say the clerk was threatened with a knife and she gave them an undisclosed amount of cash