Wesway Expands

A program for Seniors that's been available to Thunder Bay is now being offered to the Kenora and Rainy River districts.

Carol Neff of Wesway says they've been able to expand and provide services outside the city.

"The service that we provide is family directed respite funding," says Neff. "This is targeted specifically for seniors because this comes under the aging at home strategy. What we are able to do is provide family care givers with a break from the ongoing responsibility of caring for their senior family member at home."

Neff says to be eligible for the funding, the senior must have a chronic health condition and is dependant on at-home care from a family member.

Police Chief Pleas to MP's

Thunder Bay's Police Chief is pleading with northwestern Ontario's New Democrat M-P's to not vote in favour of scrapping the long gun registry.

Bob Herman is asking John Rafferty and Bruce Hyer to consider the safety of his officers and the citizens of the city when voting on the issue.

Herman calls the registry an effective tool to battle crime.

Search for Kayakers

A search is underway for eight university students and a teacher who are overdue from a kayaking trip in Lake Superior.

The nine, and 16 another kayakers from Lakehead University, left on August 26 for a trip around the northern end of the lake.

An official at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton says one group returned yesterday.

Another group is accounted for, but the university hasn't heard from the third group since Sunday.

Blood Donor Clinics Resume

Canadian Blood Services resumes its blood donor clinics today in Fort Frances.

They happen at the Fort Frances High School from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight.

Blood collected is used by hospitals across Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.

Road Closure

Another closure of the Portage Avenue underpass in Fort Frances is anticipating this morning.

Town officials says the underpass is expected to close from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as crews resume paving operations.

Two Face First Degree Murder Charges

Two people are due in a Thunder Bay court today to face murder charges.

Joanne Vivier and Michelle Morris are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Verna Patricia Sturgeon.

Officials say the 30-year-old victim was in Thunder Bay last week to testify as a witness in a criminal trial.

Sturgeon of Big Trout Lake First Nation was found dead at a hotel Friday morning.

New Tourism Regions Coming

The provincial government is expected to roll out funding for the new regional tourism zones in the near future.

Tourism Minister Michael Chan says it will be any day now when the zones are made official.

"This fall, September to December, that's are planned timing to finalize all thirteen R.T.O.'s (regional tourism organizations)," says Chan. "The great north belongs to number 13 and subdivided into A, B, C. Base funding is a half a million on top of some for sort of assessment funding."

Chan says he spoke with tourism officials across northwestern Ontario and they seem to be on board with the new larger zones.

New Lottery Panned

Ontario's opposition parties are slamming the province's latest lottery game.

The Tories and New Democrats say the new Lotto Poker is a way to squeeze money out of people who can't afford it.

Instead of numbers, Lotto Poker deals symbols of five cards and offers instant prizes and a nightly draw with a grand prize of 100-thousand dollars.