Jacob Found Not Guilty

A Summer Beaver man can rest easy now that a jury in Thunder Bay has found him not guilty of manslaughter.   The aquittal of 35 year old Kesley Jacob comes after a nearly 2 week trial in connection to  the death of  53 year old Barney Beaver at the Victoria Inn in December of 2011.   His lawyer George Joseph says his client is too emotional for words.

Dryden Man Dies In Crash

OPP in Dryden are investigating a collision that killed 24-year old Taylor Gardiner of Dryden this morning on Highway 17. The accident involved a commercial vehicle and a passenger vehicle and took place just outside of Aaron Provincial Park around 7am.. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

Mauro Appeals Exhausted

It's the end of the line for Jim Mauro and his legal battle with the city Police Service.   The former sergeant was given a temporary demotion to constable after being found guilty of discreditable conduct.   However police spokesperson Chris Adams says all of the officer's appeals have been unsuccessful. Mauro himself declined to comment to our newsroom on the issue which originated in 2009.

Man Fined Over Smoke Alarm

A 24 year old man is charged with arson and mischief in connection with a recent fire on West Frederica Street and is also being convicted of additional charges in Provincial Offences Court.  The fire department charged the man with two counts of disabling a smoke alarm and he was convicted recently on both counts.  He's been fined 2-thousand dollars.

Tbaytel Gives Cash

Tbaytel is giving money to a variety of sports groups in Northwestern Ontario.  The Fort Frances Border Skating Club is getting 5-thousand dollars to purchase a new sound system for the Fort Frances Memorial Sports Centre.  The Thunder Bay Synchro Club, local Diving Club, Chapleau Splash Pad, Rainy River Baseball Diamond, and Dryden's Soccer Park will also get 2-thousand dollars.

Chris Hadfield To Visit The City

One of Canada's most famous sons is coming to Thunder Bay.   Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield is going to speak at the Community Auditorium on June the 4th.    He will talk to school students during the day and will hold his main speech that evening.   Tickets for the evening event are 55 dollars each while school students will be asked to pay 8 dollars.

Missing Teenager Found

City police are calling off a search for a missing 13 year old boy.  They found Logan Stang sometime yesterday. Police are thanking the public for their help in finding him.

Some Concern For Pipeline

There is a sense of concern for the environment following public consultations in Thunder Bay for the proposed energy east pipeline. Several presentations were made Wednesday evening including one from Paul Berger who is with Citizens United for a Sustainable Planet. Berger says the group has a few objections. He adds that the current pipeline is not designed to see a conversion into carrying oil instead of gas which is included in the proposal.

Snowfall Warning In Place

Environment Canada's snowfall warning continues for the Thunder Bay area.  Overnight we received about 2-4 centimeters of snow and Meteorologist David Rogers says another 10 to 15 centimeters is on the way. Rogers adds we will have warmer weather on the weekend with a chance of rain or more snow on Sunday.

Icebreakers Expected Today

Spring icebreaking is expected to begin in Thunder Bay today. American icebreakers the Katmai Bay and Morro Bay will help with the harbour breakout into Friday. The Alder is expected to arrive on Saturday.

Winter Road Maintenance Raised Again

The provincial government is still refusing to say how much contractors have been fined for failing to meet winter road maintenance standards.  In the Ontario Legislature, NDP critic John Vantof asked the Transportation Minister who is at fault for the state of roads in the north this winter the ministry or the contractors.  Transportation Minister Glen Murray did says the government spent 10 million dollars more this year to put 50 additional snow plows on the road. There are renewed calls for the province to release the amount private contractors have been fined for failing to meet winter road maintenance standards.

Officer Faces Traffic Charge

A city police officer is charged with a red light violation after the marked cruiser he was driving collided with another vehicle Friday night.   The incident happened on Waterloo and Victoria.   Police say the cruiser was operating with its emergency lights flashing at the time and the driver is required to stop completely stop before proceeding.

New ROF Agreement Signed

Another step is being taken in making sure First Nations concerns are heard in the Ring of Fire negotiations.   Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says the province and Matawa First Nations have signed an agreement to move forward with a negotiating process on a regional approach in the development of the giant mining project.

Mauro Bill Dies With Appointment

The appointment of Bill Mauro to the provincial cabinet effectively kills his private members bill on new Canadian content rules for mass transit vehicles.   In answering his first question in the legislature as municipal affairs minister, Mauro said someone else will have bring it forward because ministers aren't allowed to introduce Private Members Bills.  The NDP believe Mauro's answer amounts to the Wynne government refusing to make a commitment to Canadian content.

Canfield Happy With Mauro Appointment

The appointment of Bill Mauro as the new Ontario minister of municipal affairs is getting a thumbs up from the president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.   Dave Canfield believes with Michael Gravelle also in cabinet it gives our region a leg up at Queen's Park. Canfield says he's had a long political relationship with Mauro and believes they will work well together.

Still Frozen Pipes In The City

There are still close to 70 homes in Thunder Bay waiting to have frozen pipes thawed out by city workers.  Spokesperson Tony Santos says that they are getting to the houses at quick as they can, but the wait could still be a couple of weeks.   Santos says that so far this year there have been about 670 frozen pipe complaints to the city.   He says it's becoming more manageable with the rising temperatures.

Hobbs Livid Over Salary Comments

Mayor Keith Hobbs is taking exception to statements made to our newsroom by Councillor Ken Boshcoff.   Boshcoff commented on what he sees as the gap between the mayor's 90 thousand dollar salary  last year and what councillors make,  saying they both have essentially have the same hours.  Hobb calls it political grandstanding claiming he makes less than other mayors in similar size cities.   The mayor says he's also cut his travel budget for the fourth straight year.

Nurses Get Deal

Thunder Bay's Public Health Nurses are announcing they've reached a deal with their employer the health unit.  The 58 nurses reached the tentative agreement yesterday with the assistance of a conciliator.  Details of the agreement are confidential until ratified by both parties.  The nurses union is currently making arrangements for its members to meet to hear details of the agreement and to hold a ratification vote.

New Group Supports City

A new group is being formed to support the city's stand on the proposed events centre.  It's being organized by city resident Jason Susin who says that over 1 thousand residents have recently joined the rapidly growing online group Citizens For A Waterfront Event Centre. Susin is hoping to hold a recruitment rally in the near future.

Energy East Meeting Tonight

Thunder Bay is one of several stops on a cross province tour by the Ontario Energy Board which is holding community consultations on the proposed Energy East Pipeline project.  They'll be at the Airlane Hotel for a community discussion forum starting at 6:30 tonight. The Energy East Project would use the existing natural gas pipeline to ship crude oil from Alberta to eastern Canada.