Thursday, August 26, 2010

College Numbers Up


Officials with Rainy River Community College in International Falls are reporting an increase in enrolment.

Classes resumed this week.

New Provost Ken Simberg says early numbers show a ten per increase in student numbers.

"We had set an enrollment goal of 300 full-time equivalents," says Simberg. "Today were at about 307. We think it will go up a little more as we still have students coming in and adding classes at this time even."

Simberg says they were also somewhat successful in the push for more Ontario students.

The college offered tuition fees to them at the same rate paid by Minnesota residents.

Emo Fair a Success


This year's Rainy River Valley Agricultural Fall Fair is being hailed a success.

Exact attendance figures are still being counted, but the Society's president Emily Watson says good weather helped bring people out.

"When we were speaking with the owners of the midway, Jim and Michelle Mills, they told us that in their memory this has been the best fair in the Rainy River district in many, many years," says Watson. "So in my eyes it has been very successful."

Watson says they nearly faced a catastrophe when a sewer back-up threaten to shutdown the washrooms the night before the fair opened.

Watson says a quick response from Harold McQuaker Enterprises allowed the fair to go uninterrupted.

More Help to B.C.


The Ministry of Natural Resources is continue to send more help to fire ravaged British Columbia.

Another 184-firefighters are scheduled to leave for the west coast today to replace two-hundred who will end their two-week deployment Friday.

There are over 300 MNR personnel working in B.C.

Teachers Ready for New Year

(CJUK photo)

Teachers across northwestern Ontario have gathered in Thunder Bay to prepare for the start of another school year.

They're attending the annual Northern Ontario Education Leaders conference.

Organizer Carol Volbracht says offers teachers new ways of teaching.

"Our main focus is literacy," says Volbracht. "We have about ninety teachers. We have a variety of speakers both from outside of the area and local speakers who are representing some of things they've done in their classroom.

The theme this year is Navigating the Winds of Change.


Native Housing Funded


Three northwestern Ontario First Nations communities are receiving federal funding to improve housing conditions in their communities.

Rainy River First Nations will use just over $20-thousand to retrofit two existing homes.

Onigaming near Nestor Falls will make upgrades to five homes using about 462-thousand.

The remote community of Sandy Lake is getting $2.9 million to build ten new homes.

No TB Found in Deer




The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says its found no evidence of bovine tuberculosis in deer testing this past winter.

Samples were taken from 450 deer shot by hunters in northwestern Minnesota.

Officials says the results are encouraging, noting the last t.b. positive deer was found last fall.

The DNR plans to test a thousand deer this fall.

Fort Frances Civic Election Taking Shape



The civic election in Fort Frances is beginning to take shape.

Mayor Roy Avis led a host of incumbents to file for re-election.

Avis says there's been a lot of progress made under his leadership and want to continue that work.

"We have quite a few things on going at the present time," says Avis. "One of them is the Point Park litigation. Other ones being Sunny Cove Camp. I'd like to see improvements and long-term strategy for that (be complete). All those put together I'd like to see another four years as mayor of the town.

His filing was immediately followed by councillor John Albanese who's seeking another term.

"I've got the time," says Albanese. "I'm very involved in politics and I feel the town of Fort Frances needs a person like me as a watch dog.

Rick Wiedenhoeft is also seeking another term as councillor.

"I think we have a really good council right now that's headed in the right direction," says Wiedenhoeft, "and I want to be a part of that for the next four years."

Wiedenhoeft says if elected this will could be his last term in office.

He was first elected in 2003.