Missing Youth Found

An area youth, reported missing five days ago, has been found.

Provincial Police say 14-year-old Mariah Wilson of Morson contacted a family member yesterday.

She had been reported missing last Friday after failing to return home from a friend's place.

Deal with Ontario Public Sector Workers

Another deal for the New Year.

The Ontario Public Sector Employees Union, which represents 38-thousand public servants in the province, has reached a tentative two-year collective agreement with the government.

The government says the deal, which still must be ratified, includes a two-year wage freeze

Fire Destroys Falls Area Business

Investigators with Minnesota's Fire Marshall's office and International Falls Fire Department expected on scene today of a business, just south of the City, that has been destroyed by fire.

The fire at Up North Builders broke out late Monday night.

Firefighters were still on the scene late yesterday preventing any flare-ups.

Cause is unknown, but damage was extensive.

Support Given To Casino Idea

There appears to be some support for a casino in Fort Frances.

An informal question on our Facebook page resulted in many people giving support to the idea brought forward last week by Councillor Ken Perry.

One resident says if we get a casino, it should include a restaurant, bar, entertainment room,waterslide park and hotel.

Another agrees the town needs to be aggressive, but feels there's a another business out there that can generate revenue in a more positive way.

E.I. Changes Panned

A northwestern Ontario MP believes changes to Employment Insurance will result in fewer people having access the program.

The changes took effect this week.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River's John Rafferty says it forces recipients to take minimum wage jobs outside their hometowns.

The changes also include people having to competency tests to qualify for E.I.

Teachers Plotting Next Move In Labour Dispute

The union representing public high-school teachers is expected to talk today about its next moves in the labour dispute with the governing Liberals.

The government sparked outrage when it imposed new two-year contracts on about public school teachers and other education workers last week.

Some high school teachers have vowed not to resume extracurricular activities until the contracts are ripped up and the negotiations start fresh.

Hudak Presenting Plan To Improve Ontario's Finances

Tim Hudak will be making the case for why he should be the next premier.

The leader of the Progressive Conservatives is launching a tour of the province to talk about Ontario's financial troubles and how he can get it out of the red ink.

Tory insiders say Hudak will be targeting mostly Liberal ridings in southern Ontario.

Changes To Law Library At Koochiching Court House

Koochiching County and Falls Public Library are coming together to bring greater access to legal materials at the County courthouse.

Law Librarian Andrew Barnhart says part of the plan is to house much of the collection at the Public Library.

The move of the collection also frees up space at the courthouse for lawyers wanting to meet privately with their clients.

Proclamation Sought

 Fort Frances and International Falls are again seeking recognition of their unique Tug-of-War event from Prime Minister Harper and President Obama.

A letter to the Countries leaders asks them proclaim July 2nd as International Peaceful Borders Day.

A similar letter last year did get the attention of Harper.

Advice For New Year's Dieters

It's a New Year's Resolution we all make, and break.

Lose weight.

Gloria Tsang, a dietician with HealthCastle.com says people should stop counting calories because nobody can really tell how many calories we eat.

Tsang says putting less food on the plate and eliminating highly processed foods can go along way to losing weight.

She also recommends avoiding fat-free products, she says may contain artificial fillers that lead people to eating more of those products than they should.

Metis and Non-Status Indians Declared "Indians"

An important victory for more than 600-thousand off-reserve Metis and non-status Indians.

The Federal Court has ruled they are indeed ``Indians'' under the Constitution Act and they fall under federal jurisdiction.

But the Native Affairs Affairs Parliamentary Assistant Greg Rickford says it's too early to determine the impact.

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and several Metis and non-status Indians argued they are entitled to some or all of the same rights and benefits as on-reserve First Nations members.

Health Unit Yearend

The Northwestern Health Unit is continuing to test water quality in the region.

In a year-end report, the Health Unit says enforcement teams assessed over 900 small drinking water systems in the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.

The Health Unit says it also began a new pilot project last year that brought its mobile dental office to four first nation communities.

Warning Issued To Snowmobilers

File photo

OPP are again cautioning snowmobilers about the dangers of riding their sleds on ice.

Provincial police and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs say no ice can be considered to be 100 per cent safe to ride on.

They say this is especially true in early winter when ice is newly forming, and late in the season after ice begins deteriorating from milder temperatures.