Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Camper Found Dead at Campsite

A Duluth man who was several days overdue from a camping trip has been found dead in northeastern Minnesota.

Authorities found the body of 51-year-old Daniel Eric Saari at a campsite along the Burntside Lake near Ely.

The St. Louis County sheriff's office says Saari died apparently of natural causes, but an autopsy will be conducted.

Accident Victim in Good Condition

A Fort Frances man remains in Thunder Bay Regional Hospital in good condition after crashing his motorcycle Saturday afternoon.

The incident happened on Highway 602 just west of the LaVallee River Bridge.

Provincial police say the unidentified man was attempting to manoeuvre his motorcycle around a deer running onto the highway when he hit a guide rail and was thrown down an embankment into the water.

Witnesses and other passing motorists called for help and remained with the injured man until emergency crews arrived on scene.

He was transported by land ambulance to LaVerendrye Hospital before airlifted to Thunder Bay.

Cold Summer Confirmed

Environment Canada says August 2009 will go down as the coldest in the Fort Frances area in the past twenty years.

Climatologist Chris Hampel says the average temperature for the month was about 16 Celsius or 61 Fahrenheit.

"This year was the coldest since 1986," says Hampel. "(The area) hit the same temperature, 16.1 Celsius. The all-time low was in 1977 when the average temperature for the month was 14 Celsius."

Hampel says the coldest day of the month happened August 30th when the overnight low reached 0 Celsius.

Meantime, the National Weather Service says 2009 was officially the second-coldest summer on record at International Falls.

From June 1 to August 31, the Falls average daily temperature was 59 Fahrenheit or 15 Celsius.

That's 4.8 degrees lower than the 30-year normal.

International Falls also set ten new record daily lows this summer.

Hockey Kids Hits by HST

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath says a harmonized sales tax will penalize hockey kids across the province.

Horwath says the HST will add eight per cent more to the cost of renting ice time for teams.

The NDP says currently more than 250,000 young people participate in organized hockey leagues in Ontario, but many more can't afford to play.

Hydro Increases Blasted

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton is speaking out against Hydro One's plan to raise rates.

The NDP member says the move will have a crippling effect on Northwestern Ontario.

"It's just going to make that much more difficult for people who are living on fixed incomes or for people struggling on low incomes," says Hampton, "and it's going to make it even more difficult for small businesses to survive. When you add in the McGuinty government's plan to create this new blended sales tax, and you add that on, another 8 per cent onto the hydro bill, it's going to make it that more difficult (to cope)."

Hydro One is asking the Ontario Energy Board to approve a rate increase totalling almost 24 per cent over the next two years.

Heavy Agenda for I. Falls Council

It's a heavy agenda for International Falls City council at its meeting tonight.

Councillors are expected to discuss a report on the city's appeal over a proposed by-pass to the city's foreign trade zone.

Councillors will discuss how an annexation proposal by the city of Ranier will impact on that zone.

Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Creditors' Deadline Set

U.S. and Canadian authorities have set a November 13 deadline for creditor claims against AbitibiBowater.

The Quebec Superior Court in Canada and the U,S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware also established procedural rules for filing the creditor claims.

Company CEO David Paterson says the claims process will low the company to assess the scope and nature of creditor claims and assist AbitibiBowater in formulating a restructuring plan.

Schools Returns in Minnesota

Drivers in Koochiching County should take extra care starting today as kids return to school across the county.

Many kids are too excited about seeing their friends so they may not be paying attention.

Minnesota Police say keep an eye out for school buses -- or it will cost you.

If you're caught passing a school bus when its lights are flashing, it's a 300 dollar fine.

In Ontario, the fine is 490 dollars.

Confederation College Students Return

Confederation College students are the latest to return following their summer break.

It's going to be another record increase in enrollment for the campus in Fort Frances.

Manager Anne Renaud says they've been preparing for a while for the more than 130 students expected through the doors today.

"we have additional support staff in place already to make sure all of the students have the services they need," says Renaud. "We are closely working with students services in Thunder Bay for counselling service, learning centre, library, health services, everything else."

Today, student will register for classes and participate in orientation activities.

The first day of classes is tomorrow.