DFC Students Armed With Alarms

Students at Dennis Franklin Cromarty school are now being given something to help keep them from harm.  It's a safety tag which can sound an alarm if a person is attacked or needs assistance according to Principal Jonathan Kakegamic.  The tags were donated by the Ontario Native Women's Association. 

4 Vehicle Collision Closes Hwy 17 Near Kenora

OPP in Kenora are dealing with a four vehicle collision this afternoon.  Highway 17 is closed east of the highway 71 junction.  It's closed to east bound traffic at the 71 junction and closed to westbound traffic at Vermilion Bay.  Three tractor trailer units and a passenger vehicle have been involved in the collision and no injuries have been reported at this time.

A Plan To Ease Hospital Overcrowding

The regional health authority and the Health Sciences Centre now have a plan in place to help ease the overcrowding pressures at the hospital.  The plan includes 300 thousand dollars from the Local Health Integration Network to move patients out of the hospital and into the community.  It also requests the public consider alternative options to going to the emergency room.

Arrest Spurs Gang Probe

A 27 year old man from the Fort Hope First Nation is in police custody and being  investigated as being a gang member.   The police made the arrest in Thunder Bay yesterday based on several outstanding charges and warrants.  The man is currently being held in custody with a bail hearing scheduled for January 11th.   The name of the gang the man is allegedly involved with is not being released by police until they interview him.   

Highway Closures

A number of Highways around the region are closed because of poor driving conditions. O.P.P. have closed Highway 527 to Armstrong. Highway 524 between Highway 17 and Shirley Lake.Highway 11 from Hearst to Longlac is closed. Highway 101 near Wawa is closed to Highway 144 due to poor weather conditions. Highway 502 is closed approximately 10 kilometres north of Highway 11 due to a collision.

Morning Commute Relatively Safe

City Police say despite the slippery road conditions most people made the morning commute without any difficulty. Police say they did receive a small number of reports because of accidents and responded to less than half a dozen reports of cars that had gone off the road and slid into ditches.

Highway 71 Closed Due To Conditions

Provincial Police are saying Highway 71 is closed this morning near Kenora due to icy road conditions. Police say two transports got stuck on the highway. Freezing rain and deteriorating road conditions are the result of a Colorado low that is moving into the region that is expected to result in hazardous driving conditions over the next couple of days.

Stirling Man Arrested

A 20 year old man from Stirling Township will appear in a Thunder Bay court today facing a number of charges. Nipigon O.P.P. arrested the man on Wednesday night after a transport truck driver reported he had been passed by an erratic driver who was making threatening gestures. Police stopped the vehicle a short time later and a search revealed a small amount of marijuana along with other illegal drugs. The 20 year also faces charges of assault with a weapon and breach of an undertaking. 

Basketball Teams Back On Home Court

The men's and women's basketball teams are back on home court tonight at the Lakehead University Thunderdome to take on the Brock Badgers in the first of a two game series. The women's team sits in 4th place in their division but will be in tough against the undefeated Badgers who are 9-0 and ranked 7th in the country according to Head Coach Jon Kreiner. The women's game starts at 6:00 and the men's team tips-off at 8:00. Meanwhile the L.U. men's hockey team is on the road this weekend playing a pair against the York Lions.

Men's Curling Regionals Start Today

Three spots are available for the Northern Ontario Tankard playdowns as the Men's Curling Regionals get started today at the Port Arthur Curling Club. The top three teams will move on to play in Nipigon next month for the right to represent Northern Ontario at this year's Brier. The round robin gets underway this afternoon at 3 o'clock with the rinks of Dylan Johnston, Bryan Burgess, Jeff Currie, Mike Assad, Al Hackner and Trevor Bonot competing for the three available spots.

Public Elementary Schools Still Closed On Friday

The Public School Board is saying all elementary schools will remain closed today despite the overnight ruling against the teachers. All city High Schools will remain open, however they will not be receving students from rural areas via the bus because those bus routes have been cancelled. All rural bus routes for the catholic and french boards are cancelled for today as well, however their schools are open. Thunder Bay Christian School is also closed today. Daycare centres within elementary schools are also open today. Public elementary schools are to re-open on Monday as regularly scheduled.