Active Forest Fire Day

The Ministry of Natural Resources experienced one of its busiest days yesterday this forest fire season.

Twenty-seven new fires popped up as a result of Monday night's storm that brought a lot of lightning.

One of the new fires is located just west of Lac La Croix First Nation.

It's less than a hectare in size.

Sixty-five fires are now active in northwestern Ontario.

Hydro Still Out

About two hundred residents living to the east of Atikokan are still without power this morning.

The outage was caused by Monday's storm.

Hydro One says it hopes to have electricity restored to that area by this afternoon.

Building Demolition Continues

The clean-up of a burned out building in downtown International Falls could be complete by the end of this week.

The former Ace Hardware Store was razed last week.

The rubble is expected to be moved from the site starting today.

Demolition costs are being borne by the building's owners, but the city has agreed to use $15-thousand, initially set aside for safety barriers, toward the work.

RRDSSAB Tries to Fill Home

The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board is making homes, originally constructed for low-income aboriginal people in Atikokan, also available to non-natives.

Assistant Housing Manager Michelle Shute says it's a move designed to help occupy the homes.

"The Atikokan Native Non-Profit Homes has had a history of high vacancy rate," says Shute. "The Rainy River DSSAB, as a property manager for Atikokan Native, has attempted to increase tenancy by promotion and communication with other local agencies but their vacancy rate continues to be quite high."

Just four of seventeen homes are currently occupied.

New Plant Operator Selected

The town of Atikokan has handed its water and sewage treatment plants over to a new operator.

Red Lake-based Northern Waterworks took over from Ontario Clean Water Agency last Friday.

Mayor Dennis Brown says cost was the biggest factor.

"Northern Waterworks came through with a much cheaper proposition that we couldn't turn down," says Brown. "They basically were about $90-thousand a year cheaper than OCWA. That's substantial."

Brown says the change should have virtually no impact on residents use of the services.

Housing Fundraising Continues

Fundraising continues on a new home to be used by locums provided emergency room coverage at Rainy River Health Centre.

Rainy River Mayor Deb Ewald says they've raised about 30-thousand dollars so far.

"We're looking at sending out the pledge forms and that kind of thing," says Ewald. "We have one more public presentation on (Wednesday) in Morson. After that it's more fundraising."

The estimated cost of construction for the duplex unit is about $500-to-600 thousand.

Concert Hailed A Success

(Irvin N. Anderson Amphitheatre)

The final numbers are being counted, but the city of International Falls is hailing Saturday's opening of the Irvin N. Anderson Amphitheatre a huge success.

As many as three thousand people were expected for the concert featuring the Canadian rock group Loverboy.

Both city police and fire officials says no problems were reported.

The warm weather did result in a lot of thirsty patrons.

Mayor Shawn Mason says the Rotary Club sold a total of 37 and a half kegs of beer - the most they've sold at any event.