Treaty 3 Police Not Folding

 The newly appointed board for Treaty 3 Police Service says the service isn't going anywhere next month.

A statement issued says the 45 day notice given to officers last month has been misinterpreted as a notice the aboriginal police service is shutting down.

The Board states the notice is only a requirement in the event of possible layoffs.

The board adds that if the Service was to shut down, governments require a year's notice which has not given.

The board met for the first time yesterday with a representative of the officer union on hand.

County Opts To Pay For Full Amount For Jail Repairs

Koochiching County is opting to pay the full amount when it comes time to cover the costs of upgrades to a regional corrections center.

The County is on the hook for about 41-thousand dollars in a planned six-million dollar improvement to the Northeast Regional Corrections Center, north of Duluth.

St. Louis County will cover the bulk of the costs through bonding and has offered to include other Counties if they desire

Site For Kraft Celebration Tour Selected

A site has been selected for the upcoming Kraft Celebration Tour in Fort Frances.

Fort Frances Curling Club president Ron Silver says TSN opted for the Sorting Gap Marina.

The site will include a huge jumbotron and twenty-one different tent sites featuring games and activities and food booths.

Silver says they're now looking for about 82 volunteers to help with set up and tear down and man some of the booths.

Call the curling club if you are interested in helping out.

Hydro Outage

Some residents west of Fort Frances are without power this morning.

Hydro One is reporting about 20 residents living in the Crozier area without electricity related to a storm that passed through the area.

Thunderstorms, packing heavy rain, hail and high winds hit much of the borderland.

Mostly pea sized hail fell in the Fort Frances area.

Quest Goes Tonight

Twenty local performers take to the stage tonight in the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce sponsored Quest for the Best.

Atikokan Blues artist Sunday Wilde attends as one of three judges.

She'll be joined by 93.1 The Border's own Andy C and last year's Quest winner Brittany Hayes.

Doors of the event at the Sorting Gap Marina open at 6:30 p.m.

New Gold Extends Offer For Rainy River Resources

New Gold says it now has 86 per cent of all shares in Rainy River Resources in a planned take-over of the mining exploration company.

New Gold is giving shareholders, yet to take the cash-and-stock offer, until August 8th to accept.

The company says if it has at least 90 per cent of Rainy River share, it will acquire the rest through a compulsory acquisition.

Some Newly Acquired Safeway Stores Sold Off

Empire Company, which owns Sobeys stores in Canada, has struck a deal to sell some of its newly acquired Safeway properties in a sale-leaseback deal with property management company Crombie of Nova Scotia.

None of the stores impacted are in northwestern Ontario are impacted.

Bone Marrow Donors Sought

A drive is under way to persuade college-age people in Minnesota to be bone marrow donors.

The shortage of marrow donors is so acute that last year only about half of the 12,000 blood cancer patients requesting a donor received one.

One reason is doctors have found it hard to recruit younger people, whose cells are better able to fight cancer.

Union Welcoming New Police Service Board

A new police services board for the Treaty 3 Police Service is being welcomed by the union representing its officers.

Public Service Alliance of Canada's Judith Monteith-Farrell is expecting a better working relationship in trying to keep the Service from halting August 19.

Monteith-Farrell says the board has indicated a commitment to keeping the police service going.

Course Focusing On Terrorism Planned

A heightened sense of security is leading to a new program to be delivered at Rainy River Community College.

The college is partnering with Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids to deliver a two-year Strategic Security Studies program.

Coordinator Steve Kovacic says it will, in part, train students how to detect and deal with terrorist activities.

The program will be taught by instructors with military, Navy Seals or SWAT team backgrounds.

Kovacic estimates 51-thousand jobs available related to the course.

Don't Call OPP About Road Closures

OPP are asking the public not to call them if you need information about road closures.

Constable Anne McCoy says you should be calling 511.

McCoy says calls to the OPP Communication Centre only tie up lines and operators for those needing police assistance on other matters.

MPP Supports Expanding Power To Ombudsman

Ontario's Ombudsman has some local support in attempts to have more oversight into municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says it makes sense that he would look after those areas.

Campbell says people are concerned about oversight in those sectors, and feel they've no where to turn when a problem arises.

Campbell believe Andre Marin does as good job and considers him one of the most respected civil servants in the province.

Forest Fire Now Contained

A large forest fire burning near Red Lake is now listed as being held.

The fire, 50 kilometers northwest of the northwestern Ontario town has burned more than 18-thousand hectares.

It started July 3rd by a lightning strike.

Rally Over Experiments Planned

Rallies are planned in several cities across the country today, including in Thunder Bay, to highlight native disgust over nutritional experiments performed decades ago on aboriginals.

Along with an apology, organizers are demanding the federal government release all documents that could reveal other such abuses.

New Police Services Board Appointment

A new executive has been appointed for the Treaty Three Police Services Board.

Eli Mandamin, chief of Shoal Lake #39 First Nation, becomes its chair.

Earl Klyne, chief of Seine River First Nation and Couchiching Chief Chuck McPherson are among those also appointed.

Unemployment Drops In Koochiching

A drop in the unemployment rate for Koochiching County.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says June rate came in at 8.2 per cent, down from 9 per cent in May.

More than two hundred jobs were created during during the month.

Species At Risk Illustrated

Science North photo

An opportunity to learn more about Species at Risk in Ontario.

Science North is visiting libraries in Fort Frances and Atikokan this week with an exhibit allowing people to learn about the species threatened and how we can help them survive.

Spokesperson Emily Kirton says there's some hand-on activities for the entire family and live animals..

The exhibit will be at the Atikokan Library today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Police Service Board Discusses Treaty 3 Police Future

There appears to be a stalemate between the Treaty 3 Police Service and the union representing its officers.

Both sides say they want to work on a new agreement, but remain with demands neither side have yet to agree upon.

Speaking during a meeting of the Police Services Board in Kenora, Police chief Conrad Delaronde says they should be standing side by side, but the service can't engage in talks until the union drops it's unfair labor practices.


Meantime, a newly appointed Police Services Board has agreed to give the officers union access to the financial books to help it determine whether the Service can afford wage parity.

It's not yet prepared to say the force won't shutdown August 19 until it has the chance to further review layoff notices given to officers last month.

The board also received a 25-hundred name petition signed by residents in First Nations policed by the force, calling on the Service to continue.

Marketing Initiative Promoted

A marketing initiative involving the National Geographic Society is being touted to communities along the Ontario-Minnesota border.

The Heart of the Continent partnership is trying to raise $256-thousand, allowing the Society to create maps and a website for the area between Fort Frances/International Falls, Thunder Bay and Duluth.

Committee Chair Frank Jewell says the Society wants to help promote the area.

Atikokan, International Falls, Koochiching County and Thunder Bay have already agreed to commit funds to the project.

Bear Researcher Takes Matter To Court

A Minnesota bear researcher is taking his battle with the Department of Natural Resources to court.

Lynn Rogers wants the court to allow him to continue his work putting radio collars on wild bears in the Ely-area.

The DNR contends Rogers' practice of hand-feeding bears has made them too accustomed to humans, creating a public safety threat.