Halloween Time Limit Proposed

Fort Frances town council is going to give the idea of a time limit on Halloween some review.

Resident Jackie Lampi Hughes proposes having a two-hour window starting at 6 p.m.

Lampi-Hughes, who generally likes Halloween, says trick-or-treating in her neighbourhood is becoming too lengthy.

Lampi-Hughes says similar time limits are already in place in communities such as Dryden.

Question of the Day - November 15

Do you support limiting the time children can have trick-or-treating on Halloween?

Cast your ballot on B93.ca.

Yesterday's poll question found 84 per cent of respondents believing MP John Rafferty made the right decision to support an end to the long-gun registry.

Sidewalk Defended

A Fort Frances resident wants the town to rethink its reasons for ripping up a section of sidewalk on her street.

Armit Avenue resident Barb Kircher feels the walk is well utilized and should be maintained.

Council had stated that to fix up the walk it would have to destroy a number of trees.

Citizen of the Year Announcement

We could learn today who the citizen of the year is for the town of Fort Frances.

The selection was expected to be announced at last night's council meeting, but the yet-to-be identified individual had not been notified.

The nominee is to be honoured at a town appreciation dinner this Friday.

Official Plan Approved

Fort Frances has a new document that will govern land-use planning in the town.

Councillors put their final blessing on the new Official Plan last night.

It must still receive approval from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

Mine Project Proceeds

Construction of an open-pit gold mine near Atikokan is not that far off.

President of Osiski Mining Sean Rosen says the company's ready to enter the permitting phase of its Hammond Reef gold site.

If all goes well, construction could begin by 2014.

The company has projected the area to have more than 10.5 million ounces of available resource.

Groups Receive Funding

The Rainy Lake Sportfishing Club and the Koochiching Soil and Water Conservation District are among the latest recipients of funding from Minnesota's Conservation Legacy Partners Program.

The two groups are getting $215-thousand to deal with log jams, soil erosion and sedimentation along the Rat Root River.

The efforts are aimed at improving walleye spawning areas.

Registry Warning

The Harper government has been warned that scrapping the requirement to register rifles and shotguns could fuel illegal firearms trafficking across the Canada-US border.

A bill to scrap the registry could become law by the end of the year.

But an internal memo from a senior Public Safety department official says removing the registry would weaken import controls -- resulting in more restricted weapons finding their way into the country.

NDP Seek End to HST on Home Heating

Ontario's New Democrats will bring in a private member's bill in an effort to get the provincial portion of the HST removed from home heating bills.

New Democrat Michael Mantha will introduce the bill when the legislature resumes sitting next week.

He says the bill will save families $100 a year.

Four Charged

Four residents of Couchiching First Nations face drug charges in connection with an incident in the Kenora area.

OPP discovered one-thousand grams of marijuana after stopping a mini-van on the Trans Canada Highway Friday night.

Two men, aged 29 and 45 and two women, 41 and 32 years of age, were arrested on charges of trafficking and possession.