Committee Presents DYS Recommendations

It could be June before a final decision on Donald Young School in Emo is made.

The Rainy River District School Board received a report from a review committee last night.

Committee Chair Anne Marie Vanderaa says a new school is being requested, but not built until more information on local mining activity, future enrolments and the completion of accommodation reviews of other nearby schools is done.

Board Amalgamation Feared

There are renewed fears the Rainy River District School Board could be involved in another amalgamation.

Board Chair Mike Lewis says the province is again looking at merging boards, an exercise completed only a dozen years ago.

Lewis says the only board it could merge with is Keewatin-Patricia, which is responsible for schools in Kenora, Dryden, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout.

A similar proposal was rejected in 1997.

Tourism Centre Fight Reaches Queen's Park

A petition is now circulating the area in the fight to keep three tourist information centres open.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell intends to present the petition to government at a later day.

At Queen's Park yesterday, she appealed for the closure decision to be reversed.

Tourism Minsiter Michael Chan says the centres aren't simply seeing the visitors they once did.

Local Group Forms Over Pension Concerns

Concerns about the pensions of former mill workers has led to a new group being formed in the Fort Frances area.

Allan Bedard says the group intends to lobby for stronger protection of workers pensions.

The group is holding a public meeting tonight at the Sister Kennedy Centre to further outline its case.

Wrongful Dismal Case Goes to Appeal's Court

Ontario's Appeal's Court will hold a hearing today into a dispute between the Rainy River Cattlemen's Association and its former sales barn manager.

Russell Richards is appealing a lower court ruling that found in December the Association not guilty of any wrongdoing in his 2007 dismal.

The hearing is taking place in Thunder Bay.

Koochiching Asked to Continue Funding Engineering Firm

Koochiching County is being asked to continue funding an engineering firm working on sewer improvement projects around Voyageurs National Park.

Commissioner Wade Pavleck says the county has benefited from the joint initiative with St. Louis County.

The firm is seeking $25-thousand from each county.

Koochiching Prepares for Election

Koochiching County is getting ready for this fall's elections.

The county will set up seven polling stations in locations used in the last election.

Mail-in balloting will be used in five other precincts.

Train Rolls over Thunder Bay Man

A Thunder Bay man had a brush with death after a train ran over him while he was lying on the tracks.

The man was lying parallel to the rails when a 70-metre-long train passed over him.

Other than being intoxicated, the man suffered no visible injuries.

Conservatives Accused of Forcing Election

Premier Dalton McGuinty is accusing Ontario's Progressive Conservatives of trying to force an election he says no one wants.

McGuinty says he's disappointed the Opposition immediately vowed to vote against last week's budget without really looking at what it contains and offering no suggestions for improvement.

Meantime, Ontario's New Democrats want a new income tax bracket for people earning over half-a-million dollars in exchange for supporting the minority Liberal government.

Far North Act Stays

The Far North Act isn't going anywhere.

MPP's have voted in support of keeping the controversial Legislation.

PC Critic Norm Miller says the bill has turned northern Ontario into a virtual museum by banning forestry and mining opportunities.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell voted to keep the Act, acknowledging the Act is flawed, but scrapping it would delay development in the North.

Applications for Minnesota Bear Hunt Accepted

Applications for this fall's bear hunt in Minnesota are now being accepted.

A total of 6-thousand licenses are being made available  in 11 permit areas.

This year's hunt runs from September 1st to October 14.

Mining Company on CNSX

A mining company doing work in the Mine Centre area has been given conditional approval to list on the Canadian National Stock Exchange.

Cadman Resources says the move is important towards its acquisition of the former Golden Star mine property.

CNSX is seen as an alternative stock market to small emerging companies.

More FEDNOR Money For AEDC

More FEDNOR money for the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation.

$75-thousand will be used by the Corporation to help fund a variety of community-based initiatives