Donations Head North

Fort Hope and Pickle Lake children will be having a Merry Christmas this year thanks to the Nishnawbe Aski Police.

Thousands of dollars of toys were delivered to both communities.

Twelve-hundred pounds of donations were sent to Fort Hope, and over 3-thousand dollars worth of toys made it up to Pickle Lake.

NORAD Watching Santa

The North American Air Defence Command is ready to keep Santa Claus safe as he travels around the world tonight.

NORAD is responsible for keeping the airspace safe in North America, and tracks Santa's movements every Christmas Eve.

Lt. Stacey Knott says NORAD's fighter jets will intercept him to wish him a safe journey.

"We are going up and meeting him with our fighter aircraft to make sure that he travels safely across our country," says Knott, "and then kind of tipping the wings to him, to say 'hello' from our jets."

Children can also track Santa's movements by going to NORAD's website as well.

CDAT Stats Released

Nearly half a million dollars in illegal drugs were taken off the streets in the Rainy River district as a result of investigations by the Fort Frances Community Drug Action Team in 2010.

Much of it was marijuana, but police also seized quantities of prescription drugs, ecstasy and cocaine.

O.P.P. Constable Anne McCoy says the team's work is making a difference.

"We had over 41 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act charges laid," says McCoy. "We had over 23 Criminal Code charges and there were 10 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrants."

The team was formed just over a year to focus on the area's illegal drug trade.

Home Care Services Expanded

Riverview Manor in Rainy River is among three facilities in the Kenora and Rainy River districts that will receive funding to expand home-care services.

Northwestern Independent Living Services will use $120-thousand to provide its services to residents living in the home.

Executive Director Kristen Miclash says it allows seniors to remain in their communities longer.

"We're really excited to be develop this project in partnership with the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board," says Miclash. "In this new project we have the opportunity to provide a bitter higher care needs for higher care need people because four of the units have been modified."

The funding is through the Northwest Local Health Integration Network's Aging at Home Initiative.

Apartments Get Go Ahead

The town of Fort Frances has given the green light for construction of a 10-unit residential complex in the town's north end.

Councillors this week approved a zoning by-law amendment for the project proposed by the Fort Frances Native Urban Wahkaiganun Corporation at the intersection of York Avenue and Eighth Street West.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring.

Residents Get Help with Recycling

Residents in the Fort Frances area will soon be getting some tips on how to keep more of their waste out of the landfill site.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the annual garbage pick-up schedule, a fridge magnet and some info on local recycling programs will soon be delivered to area homes.

"The availability of what recycling, hazardous waste days that are going to happen in the next two years," says Brown. "The free tipped days at Hallowe'en, which places where you can drop off tires. All of the little tidbits about recycling."

A grant from Waste Diversion Ontario helped cover the cost of the materials.

Keep Gas Metres Free of Snow

A Minnesota agency is urging residents to check their outdoor gas meters to make sure they're free of ice and snow buildup.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Pipeline Safety says accumulated ice and snow can block the regulator vent, leading to the potential of gas leaks inside the home or a lack of gas flow resulting in frozen pipes and no heat.

Hydro Costs Increasing

The new year will bring higher electricity bills to Hydro One Network customers.

The Ontario Energy Board has approved a $7 per cent increase on the delivery portion of electricity bills effective January 1st.

That equates to about annual increase of $4.51 on the average residential bill.

Delivery accounts for about 38 per cent of the total charges.

International Falls Budget

The city of International Falls will collect just over $2-million through taxation to help its books balance.

City councillors approved the budget earlier this week.

Chair of the city's Finance Committee, Councillor Cynthia Jacka, the levy and the budget remains the same as in 2009.

The city is expected to receive almost four million dollars in local state aid.

Gravelle Fights for regional E.F.O.

Michael Gravelle says he's fighting to keep a regional emergency field officer in Thunder Bay.

The Northern Development Minister says he's doing everything he can behind the scenes keep the position here from being eliminated.

"I am working and lobbying very hard Jim Bradley, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services," says Gravelle. "I believe that it is a very important position."

The current officer is due to retire at the end of January and the McGuinty government has no plans to replace him.

Minnesota Water Water Discharge Permits Violated

Minnesota is being accused of not being aggressive enough in cracking down on water polluters in the state.

A Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy report suggests two-thirds of Minnesota companies had at least one violation over the past five years.

But Author Michael Schmidt says few faced any penalty.

"The State has the authority and the obligation to make sure the facilities comply with their permits," says Schmidt. "and having 2/3rds out of compliance shows they are not doing that."

The report claims Boise's Mill in International Falls was among few companies with violations that actually had enforcement action taken against them.

Minnesota Hold Seats in Washington

Minnesota won't lose any representation in the U.S. House.

In the first data released from the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau says the state's population grew 7.8 per cent - to 5.3 million - since 2000, allowing it retain the eight seats in Washington.

Gov.-elect Mark Dayton says with the state facing a huge deficit and sluggish economy, it couldn't afford to lose a voice in Washington nor any of $400 billion in federal money allocated based on the census data.

NOMA Presidency Decided Next Month

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is expected to elect a new president next month.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown is now filling the position on an interim basis, but says he'll stay on it no one else wants the job.

"I don't know how it will turn out," says Brown. "If there's nobody wants that wants do it until the annual meeting in April, I'd be prepared to do that."

Brown took over the president's role after Anne Krassilowski was defeated in the mayoral race in Dryden.

Rafferty on Year at Ottawa

MP's are back home for their Christmas break.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says he was hoping the past session of Parliament would have been a little more productive than it was.

"A lot of legislation has not been passed that we would have liked passed," says Rafferty. "Sometimes that happens in minority governments but we're still working to pass legislation that we know is good for Canadians."

Rafferty says many pieces of legislation including his own private member's bill protecting workers pensions have been slowed by various means.

Kettle Campaign at Half-Way Mark

(Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis helped kick off the Salvation Army's Kettle Campaign earlier this month)

The Salvation Army in Fort Frances is just over the half-way mark towards meeting its financial goal in this year's Christmas Kettle Campaign.

Captain Angel Sandoval says just over $8-thousand has been raised since the campaign kicked off at the beginning of the month.

"Things are a little slow," says Sandoval. "We can ask the public that if they have any spare change to put it in the kettles. Everything is going to help pay the expense of the campaign."

The Kettle Campaign comes to an end this Friday afternoon.

Recycling Report Accepted in Principal

Fort Frances town councillors have accepted a report in principal aimed at increasing the amount of materials collected for recycling in the town.

The report makes nine recommendations.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says its now up to council to decided how it will proceed with the report.

"This is a ten year strategy," says Brown. "Every one of the strategies will cost the community more money so what (council) will have to decide is which one strategy we're going to do in 2011 for the coming year."

Requiring businesses to ban the use of plastic shopping bags is among proposed recommendations.

Police Costing Concern Resolution Passed

Fort Frances town councillors supported a resolution last night calling on the province for more money to help with local policing costs.

The cost of contracting police services to the OPP has risen 47 per cent over the past decade and the town's concerned with the impact a recent 5 per cent wage increase given to OPP officers across the province will have on its budget.

The town is expected to receive about $940-thousand from the province for policing in 2011.

Fan Club Seeks By-Law Exemption

Fort Frances Lakers Fan Club is calling on the town of Fort Frances for an exemption to the town's new sign-by-law.

The by-law, effective January first, puts a 180 day a year limit on the use of so-called portable signs at any one location.

The Lakers Fan Club currently uses signs at Canadian Tire and the White Pine Inn to promote the team's games and other activities year round.

I. Falls Man Faces Sex Assault Charges

An International Falls man who works as a Customs Border Protection Officer is facing charges of sexual assault.

The Koochiching County Sheriff's Office arrested 45-year-old Patrick Hamburg in mid-November, but only charged him last Thursday.

According to a criminal complaint, Hamburg is alleged to have sexually assaulted a young girl over a four year period beginning in 2005.

Natural Gas Prices to Drop

Union Gas customers in northwestern Ontario will see a slight decrease in their bills in the new year.

The Ontario Energy Board has approved a decrease of about 2.3 cents per cubic metre on the price paid for natural gas effective January 1st.

A drop in the price paid by Union Gas will mean its customers will save about 9 dollars over the year on the price they pay.