Hike in HST Proposed

Atikokan town council is advocating a one per cent hike in the HST.

The town says the revenue could be earmarked for municipalities for infrastructure improvements.

Mayor Dennis Brown says it may be the only really viable option to cover the high cost of that work.

Brown says under their proposal, his community would receive more than 850-thousand dollars annually.

Question of the Day - January 12

Would you support a hike in the HST if it was specifically earmarked for infrastructure improvements?

Let us know on our Facebooko page or website 931The Border.ca.

In response to yesterday's question, 57 per cent of respondents would like to see Fort France stage a winter carnival similar to International Falls Ice Box Days.

Trustee Questions Complaint

A Fort Frances trustee says he was named in a complaint to the courts by the Rainy River District School Board before his election over a year ago.

David Kircher made public details of the complaint at this week's school board meeting.

He says the 2009 complaint alleged he acted as public surrogate for a Justice of the Peace while seeking answers to issues surrounding the theft of funds from Fort Frances High School.

Kircher, who denies the allegations, claims the board abused its authority by submitting the complaint without trustee approval.

Betty's Window Display Gets Recognition

A recent window display has earned Betty's of Fort Frances some international recognition.

The display showed off German-based Schleich toy figurines and entered in a company sponsored contest.

Blair Anderson says their store was selected third best among hundreds of retailers worldwide.

Anderson says they get a voucher for free product they'll distributed to customers while photos of the display will be used by the company in future promotions.

Soft Ice Warnings

Ontario Provincial Police are again warning the public to be cautious about ice conditions on the area's waterways.

It comes after a recent incident near Haymarsh Bay on Rainy Lake, northwest of the Noden Causeway.

Occupants of a truck were left stranded on the ice when their vehicle stalled in three to four feet of water at the edge of an ice heave.

Highway Winter Maintenance Questioned

The provincial government is taking some heat over road conditions on northern Ontario highways.

Opposition parties say the governing Liberals are jeopardizing motorists' safety by lowering maintenance standards in their winter contracts.

P-C member Vic Fedeli is seeking a coroner's inquest into the recent deaths on northern highways.

New Democrat Gilles Bisson says the Liberals are trying to save money by reducing the number of plows on the road.

Changes at ORNGE

Ontario's troubled air ambulance system is getting a shakeup at the top.

The province says ORNGE president and CEO Chris Mazza is being replaced by a deputy minister for the time being.

The entire board of directors is also being replaced.

Health Care Program Ends

Hundreds of people in Minnesota who aren't U.S. citizens will no longer receive most health care services from a program of last resort.

The Emergency Medical Assistance program served about 23-hundred people who didn't qualify for Medicare or MinnesotaCare because of their immigration status.

They will still receive emergency care at a hospital, but as of January 1st are no longer be eligible for chemotherapy, dialysis or other services.