Campbell on region's Oxy addiction

The Provincial Government is being asked to come up with a strategy to help people addicted to prescription drugs.  Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell rose in the Ontario Legislature this morning to ask the Health Minister to take action.  Campbell says while it has been announced that Oxycontin will no longer be produced, there are still many people who will have to deal with the devastating impacts of their addiction to the drug.

Oversight leaves 7 million out of budget

At first it looked like a major blunder but an apparent 7 million dollar oversight was just a timing issue.  Administration informed council Tuesday night that the capital investment for the Emergency Services Shared Facilities plan was left out of the document.  City Clerk John Hannam says the funds were approved after the document was put together and since the capital investments are paid for through reserve funds it won't affect the tax rate. Hannam says much of the funding will come from the EMS reserves which is meant for these types of expenditures.

City Council approves 2012 budget

The city's budget is another step closer to being in the books.  Council voted 11-2 in favour of accepting the document at Tuesday night's meeting.  Councillor Aldo Ruberto voted against the budget saying we keep going to the tax payer when maybe its time to look at city staffing.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says its a very lean budget that does go after the deplorable state of our roads, and because of that its a great document. The document comes with a tax increase of 2.67 percent and will be ratified March 5th.

Councillors take aim at staff hirings

The hiring of city staff is taking heat from our elected officials. At Tuesday night's budget meeting came to an end a couple of councillors made the case that with 80 percent of the budget coming from wages, maybe its time to stop the hiring of new staff. Councillor Aldo Ruberto says we keep hiring staff and putting it on the shoulders of the tax payers, maybe its time for a wage freeze. Councillor Ken Boshcoff also spoke up about staff numbers.

Council puts off budget increase

A potential 84 thousand dollar budget increase won't be decided until March 5th.  Council voted to defer the increase so they can find out more information about where the money will be going.  Councillor Larry Hebert asked for the increase to be given to a number of not for profit organizations.  Mayor Hobbs didn't want to make a decision until he learned which organizations were asking for the funds.

Off duty cop helps capture suspect

Police now have a suspect in custody in connection with Monday night's Mac's Convenience Store robbery on Beverly Street They say that at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon an off duty OPP officer helped nab a shoplifting suspect who ran out from a city electronics store. Police say it turns out he was the person they were looking for in connection with the Mac's robbery. He is now charged.

Do you recognize this man?

Thunder Bay Police are hoping you can help lead them to the arrest of the person responsible for Sunday nights Mac's Convenience Store robbery on Syndicate Avenue.  They have released this surveillance camera photo.

OPSEU sounds warning bells

You can add the Ontario Public Service Employees Union to the growing list of organizations panning Don Drummond's report.  OPSEU Spokesperson Brenda Clapp says they're worried the Government might take the report's suggestion to privatize parts of Service Ontario.  Clapp says if that happens confidentiality will go out the window as well as good jobs in communities across the Province.

DSSAB funding program

The District Social Services Board wants to provide money to local organizations working on improving child poverty.  CAO Melissa Harrison says the money is available from their Community Social Reinvestment Fund.  It will go towards food security programs, school readiness initiatives and homelessness prevention.  The deadline to apply is March 2nd.

Mac's Mart robbed with filet knife

Police are looking for a 20 year old man who they say robbed a Mac's Mart Monday night.  The lone man entered the Beverly Street Mac's armed with a knife and demanded cash from the clerk.  A police dog tracked the suspect to a nearby home but he had fled before they arrived.

Shocking robbery in front of Gardens

Thunder Bay Police call a robbery in front of the Fort William Gardens last night "shocking".  A mother dropping her kids off at the Hedley Concert was approached by two teens who asked for a cigarette.  Staff Sgt. Ryan Gibson says they then started to punch her and stole her purse. The suspects were last seen heading west towards Bethune Street.

Police release store name

Police say it was the Mac's Mart on Syndicate and Arthur Street that was robbed on Sunday.  In that situation, a man entered the store with a knife and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

Unknown store robbed

Police are not releasing the name of a store that was robbed last night. However, officials say that a man entered the store with a knife and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

Trial brings out city's unflattering side

Is Thunder Bay a racist community? A recent court case seems to suggest it may be.  During the Andre Wareham murder trial, Wareham is heard on a 911 call saying that you don't know what it's like to be a black person in Thunder Bay. During the course of the trial we learned that Wareham faced some challenges as a visible minority in the city. In one incident in particular, he testified that once while he was walking down a city street some people passing by in a vehicle yelled out the "N" word and threw bottles at him. Wareham says he came to accept the treatment and tried to be the better person for it, Wareham was eventually found not guilty in the stabbing death of William Atkins

Camper set ablaze

No one is hurt after a fire in a camper. Firefighters responded to a fire on Mission Road last night and found a man inside a camper that was set ablaze. Officials say that the man was living in the camper and an electrical heater is said to be the cause of the fire.

Woman charged after stabbing

Police have a 19 year old woman in custody after a stabbing early this morning on Victoria Avenue. Officials say the victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The 19 year old has been charged with aggravated assault.

City man charged after shotgun discharge

An 18 year old  is in police custody after a dangerous incident in Oliver Paipoonge. Police say the man was shooting a shotgun while he was intoxicated. He has been charged with numerous counts, including careless use of a firearm, and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Rickford supports Thunder Bay MP's

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says he respects Thunder Bay NDP MP's John Rafferty and Bruce Hyer. The Conservative is reacting after the two were punished by interim leader Nycole Turmel for voting to scrap the long gun registry. Rickford says Hyer and Rafferty were voting for their constituents.

No word on accident

There is no word on the condition of a man who was taken to hospital after being hit by a car on Fort William Road. Police say the accident happened after one o'clock Friday afternoon across from the Intercity Shopping Centre. 

Horwath not happy with Drummond Report

Are good jobs in Ontario a thing of the past? NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says if we based work in the province on yesterdays Drummond Report we'd be in trouble. Horwath adds that other jurisdictions and other countries have successfully maintained good jobs for their residents and thinks Ontario can do the same thing.