Mayor, local media served with libel notice

Acadia Broadcasting Ltd. and other news outlets in the city along with Mayor Keith Hobbs have been served with a Libel notice brought by Police Chief Bob Herman.  It involves a recent news conference the Mayor held in which Hobbs spoke about the Chief.  In the notice, legal counsel for Chief Herman is demanding an apology for stories that were broadcast on Magic 99.9 and posted on its website.

Extortion charges laid

Two Thunder Bay men are behind bars after an alleged incident involving a 26 year old man.  The investigation was handled by the Provincial Biker Enforcement unit.  Police Spokesperson Chris Adams says the incidents allegedly happened between March 7th and April 13th. Adams says the men face intimidation, extortion and threat related charges.  Both men will be in court April 18th.

Pine Beetle on the way

The spread of the pine beetle is on the minds of the Ministry of Natural Resources.  The bug already hurt B.C's forest industry and is making it's way east through Saskatchewan.  Spokesperson Taylor Scarr says it will impact Northwestern Ontario as well.  Scarr says because of the high winds last year the bug flew through Alberta in just one season.

Report on council make-up proposed

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!  That's the message of Councillor Joe Virdiramo about a proposed study of different council models.  Councillor Larry Hebert is asking for the report studying the composition of council.  Hebert is recommending an at-large race for all of council rather than a combined ward and at large race.

15 year old girl missing

A 15 year old girl is missing.  Natasha Lynn Charlie Stillaway was last seen on April 2nd at the Victoriaville mall in Fort William.  The young First Nation girl has gone missing before, and her guardian is concerned about her health.  Police are asking for your help in assisting to find her.  Police describe Stillaway as 5'2, weighing around 110 pounds.

Waterfront workers are ready for spring

Work is picking up at the Waterfront project.  Manager Catherine Dugmore says for the most part it's on schedule, the only hold up is landscaping which requires warmer weather.  As far as the budget, Dugmore says the first three tenders this year came in less than expected.

Construction starts on EMS headquarters

Construction has begun on the new Superior North EMS headquarters on Junot Avenue.  City Councillor Brian McKinnon took a lot of flack in the past over the location and cost of the building.  McKinnon says the 11 million dollar project has gone slightly over budget by about sixty nine thousand dollars.  A ground breaking ceremony was held today and the building should be open by the end of December.

Clock ticking on old MJLB

The sun is slowly sinking on the old Mary J-L Black Library.   Acting Chief Librarian Barb Philp says it will close April 29th and  the new branch on S. Edward Street will open on May 9th.

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue deal with early morning fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue dealt with a house fire this morning.  Officials say crews responded to the call in the 600 block of McPherson Street at around 2 o'clock.  It took firefighters about 3 hours to get the blaze under control.  There are no reports of any injuries at this time.

Bachelors auction another success

It was another successful year for the Bachelors Fight Breast Cancer event.  Over 400 woman attended the event where 10 bachelors were auctioned off.  Organizers say over 50 thousand dollars was raised and will go to the Northern Cancer Fund.

MNR wraps up training

The Ministry of Natural Resources has wrapped up a comprehensive training program for some of its key members.  Response and Operations Manager Dave Cleavely says the forum was geared towards staff from across Northwestern Ontario.  Cleavely says a lot of the information was a refresher, however he notes new safety guidelines are in place to ensure the safety of workers before they do any task.

Male survivor help line

For the first time in Canada, male survivors of sexual abuse will have access to services and support to help them recover.  Agencies are being established in Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Schreiber and Nishnawbe-Aski First Nations.  Staff will provide specialized services including peer support, counselling and residential services.  The Agencies will also offer telephone and e-counselling.

New youth plan launched

The Thunder Bay Youth Strategy Committee is looking to improve the overall quality of life for youth. A new youth strategy is geared towards people aged 13-24. The youth committee will be holding a conference to get feedback from youth. The committee is looking to develop several areas such as employment and housing.

Di Matteo suggests fair book pricing

A local economics expert is suggesting Canadian bookstores wise up to the rising loonie. Livio Di Matteo says consumers know many books from the States are unfairly priced higher in this country. In some cases they are going online to buy those same books cheaper and having them delivered to their door. Di Matteo says it's up to retailers to price U-S goods to reflect value of the loonie compared to the American buck.

Student housing upsets some

One Thunder Bay resident isn't happy with the city's enforcement of student housing by-laws. Peter Keddie lives on Darwin Crescent and is making a presentation to council on Monday night. Keddie feels his street is over run with students and landlords that don't care about the families that live on the street. Keddie says every weekend there's a party with loud music, doors slamming and cars and Taxi's coming and going at all hours of the night.

AbitibiBowater modernizing sawmill

The AbitibiBowater sawmill in Thunder Bay is getting a facelift. The company is investing 8 million dollars to upgrade the facility. Spokesperson Pierre Choquette says it will mean 50 added jobs in the sawmill and 100 direct jobs in the woodlands. The upgrades will be completed by January 2013.

Residents urged to become organ donors

The push is on to get more people in Thunder Bay to become organ donors. The Trillium Gift of Life Network is asking people to register online. Gary Cooper is a local liver transplant recipient and says the Network was a lifesaver for him saying if it weren't for the network there wouldn't be the number of donors in the province that there are.   You can register as a donor by going here

Sewage by-pass in Fort Frances

The amount of groundwater in the sewage system continues to be a problem for the town of Fort Frances.  Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the town was forced to by-pass its sewage treatment plant Sunday of nearly 37-hundred cubic metres of partly-treated waste water as a result.  Brown says the town continues to study the reasons behind why the town is treating more water than being produced.

Youth Curfew up for debate

It doesn't appear there's much support for a proposed youth curfew.  Administration is against the idea of developing a curfew for a one year trial period.  Crime Prevention Coordinator Amy Siciliano says the report will help guide the city.  City staff are recommending that council include strategies to keep youth safe in their strategic plan.  In December council asked administration to conduct a feasibility study on youth curfews.

Pharmacare discussion set for tonight

The Thunder Bay Health Coalition will be hosting a round table discussion about Pharmacare.  Co-Chair Sara Williamson says a panel will discuss the need and the feasibility of a national publicly funded drug plan.  The meeting starts at 7 at the Labour Centre.