Solar Panel Project Considered

Five municipal buildings in the town of Fort Frances are being targeted as potential sites for solar panels.

The panels would go on the roofs of the public works garage, Memorial Sports Centre, Fort Frances Children's Complex, water treatment plant and Fort Frances Civic Centre.

The project would cost about $450-thousand, but net the town more than $760-thousand by selling the power back to the grid.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the town is assured a return of 80 cent per kilowatt hour for twenty years if the project proceeds.

"We're already have the agreement where we can sign on it, " says Brown. "We have one year after they improve it. They approved us so we get the 80 cents. Then we go out and put it in within a year. If we don't get it done within a year we lose the agreement."

Some councillors, though, want more information before proceeding.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says he's leery about the plan because he doesn't know how it can be sustainable.

Capital Budget Get Review

Fort Frances town councillors have slashed about $1.1 million off the 2011 capital budget.

The cuts came during a first review of the budget last night.

Among items dropped include a 200-thousand dollar replacement the roof of the O-P-P Detachment and Fire Department building.

Other items, such as the reconstruction of a section of Scott Street, are pending the availability of government funding.

Partnership Renewed

Fort Frances High School has some new shop equipment resulting from a partnership between the Rainy River District School Board and Confederation College.

It was obtained by the College with a $130-thousand provincial grant.

President Pat Lang says it helps the high school and provides the College with a chance to offer new programming through its Rainy River campus.

"It supports the School-College work initiative," says Lang. "It supported a construction program, a multi-skills program and it supports trades and technology."

College and School Board officials also joined yesterday at the high school to reconfirm a long-standing partnership between the two.

Agent Orange Panel Coming

An independent panel into Ontario's use of Agent Orange is expected to be up and running by the end of the week.

Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey says she'll soon name the head of the panel

Close to 650 calls have flooded provincial hotlines in the wake of recent revelations Agent Orange was used in Ontario for more than three decades.

Call Smart Metres a Failures

The opposition is calling the one billion dollar smart meter program in Ontario a complete failure.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says smart meters are not saving energy or money, and calls them "cruel and unusual punishment" for hydro users.

Energy Minister Brad Duguid says on average, consumers are saving "modestly" with smart meters, but admits the majority are paying more.

Mafia Crackdown

The Italian mafia is the target of a major crackdown by police today, with 41 suspects being sought in Italy, as well as in Canada.

Italian police are hunting for members of the crime syndicate 'ndrangheta that has become one of the world's biggest cocaine traffickers.

The syndicate is reported to have ties to Thunder Bay.

Let the Bragging Begin

Two Rainy River district communities are among those to be nominated to the World Fishing Network's Ultimate Fishing Town Contest.

Nestor Falls, who finished second in voting last year and Fort Frances will be among communities the public can vote.

Other communities can still get on board.

They have until April 8 to make submissions.