Go Local Gets Support

A district-wide campaign aimed at encouraging local spending has got the attention of the province.

The Rainy River Future Development Corporation has received Northern Ontario Heritage Fund dollars to further pursue the Go Local initiative.

Consultant Tannis Drysdale says they're now hoping additional support from FEDNOR.

B93, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce and the town of Fort Frances are also pledging support.

Good Things at Museum: Town Councillor

A Fort Frances councillor likes what he sees at the Fort Frances Museum.

Andrew Hallikas says, the hiring of a new curator this year, a renewed board and a new volunteer-support group are helping reinvigorate interest in the facility.

Donations to the museum are also up this year with a recent $500.00 gift presented by an anonymous donor.

Salvation Army Kettles Get Boost

The Salvation Army in Fort Frances is getting a boost to its Christmas Kettle Campaign today.

Walmart Canada says it will match any donation given by residents to the Kettles made today.

The agency had set a goal of $18-thousand, but only had a third raised going into the campaign's final week.

November Border Stats

More than 48-thousand travellers passed through the border at Fort Frances last month.

Statistics from the Canada Border Services Agency show twelve people being denied entry into the country because of a variety of admissibility issues.

Custom officers also made ten seizures of items because people tried to under value their worth or not declare them at all.

Health Officials Warn of Increased Teen Drinking at Christmas

A warning to parents about the pitfalls of teen drinking.

Thunder Bay's Drug Strategy Co-ordinator Patty Hajdu says the Christmas season often leads to high school parties.

Hajdu says for many teens it's about getting drunk as quickly as possible.

Hajdu is asking parents to pay close attention to their kids and know what's going on in their social circle.

Resolute Put on Notice

Unionized workers at Resolute Forest Products mills in Canada and the United States are putting the company on notice.

About one hundred union delegates, representing the companies operations, including those in Fort Frances, meet on the weekend in Montreal.

Communication Energy and Paperworkers President Dave Coles says they've came away with a solidary pledge to ensure the company isn't pitting mills, unions and communities against one another in future downsizing or rationalization discussions.

Coles says they're also demanding the unions be included in any future downsizing or rationalization.

Drivers Charged with Impaired

OPP say some people aren't getting the message.

Thirty-one people have been charged with impaired driving in northwestern Ontario since Police ramped up its Festive RIDE campaign at the end of November.

Traffic Staff Sergaent Ken Mantey says it's still too many.

Police say alcohol was also a factor in seven motor vehicle accidents investigated over the last month.

High Drunk Driving Rates in NW Ontario - Report

A published report suggests northwestern Ontario has the worst drunk driving rates in Ontario.

Global News bases its findings on the number of convictions of impaired driving between June 2010 and June 2011.

The west part of the Rainy River district came in 3.5 convictions for every one thousand drivers.

While the area to the east came in with a rating of 3.3.

The Fort Frances area had a rating of 2.6.

The provincial average was 1.7

Question of the Day - December 21

Are we doing enough to prevent drunk driving in Ontario?

That's our question on B-93.ca.

70 per cent of respondents to a question yesterday did not feel a report comparing the spending of Atikokan to that of Attawapiskat was fair?

Chair Responds to Theft Case

The chair of the Rainy River District School Board says it's time to move on.

Michael Lewis is happy there's been a conclusion to the case involving the theft of funds from Fort Frances High School three years ago.

He feels confident with new measures in place school funds are safe.

Lewis says all of the money, raised for students through fundraising, has since been recovered through insurance.

First Responders Recognized

A group of Fort Frances High School students has been recognized for efforts to keep their school safe.

Members of the First Responders Program have received an Ambassador for Safety Award from Safe Communities Canada and Safe Communities Rainy River.

Grade 12 student Ja Rong Wu says its great recognition

The members are trained in such areas as CPR and First Aid.

Hampers Distributed

205 needy families have received support from the Salvation Army in Fort Frances.

The agency handed out its hampers yesterday.

It's Christmas Kettle campaign will continue until Christmas Eve.

Natural Gas Rates Come Down

An early Christmas gift for Union Gas customers in Northwestern Ontario.

The Ontario Energy Board has approved a reduction to the price of natural gas used by the gas company's customers.

Residential customers will pay on average about $28.00 less beginning January 1st.

Lower natural gas prices in North America are credited for the price drop.

Park Rezoning Likely Headed to OMB

Some Fort Frances residents says they'll consider an appeal through the Ontario Municipal Board to overturn a town decision to create housing lots on a neighbourhood park.

Fort France town council approved the rezoning of Nelson Street Park at their meeting Monday night.

Eric Rude says he's prepared for a further fight.

The residents also allege a conflict of interest within a town committee that played a role in identifying the park for housing development.

School Board Responds to Court Ruling

The Rainy River District School Board is publicly acknowledging the theft of funds from Fort Frances High School to be a systemic failure from the top down.

The board issued the statement yesterday after former school secretary Fawn Lindberg plead guilty last week to a charge of theft and given an 18-month conditional sentence.

Over $300-thousand was taken through the use of several pre-authorized blank cheques over a three year period.

The board says all of the money has since been recovered through insurance.

It states an auditor is now developing new guidelines regarding school funds.

FFCBC Considers Television Coverage

The chair of Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship says he will entertain discussions with Shaw Cable about having next year's tournament broadcast on television.

Shaw aired tournaments in Kenora and Dryden last year, but provided no live coverage to the Fort Frances event.

Gord Watson says part of the reason was because Shaw said it was unable financially to be an event sponsor and that its mobile unit may not be available.

Watson says the committee is interested in having the tournament covered but not at their expense.

Nearly $3,000 was paid to Shaw to have it on site for the 2010 tournament.

Mayor Questions Comparisons

The mayor of Atikokan says he's not sure why his community is being used as a comparison with the financial spending of troubled Attawapiskat First Nation.

A published report notes Atikokan's operating budget to be a third of the remote northern community.

Dennis Brown says location may play a factor.

Brown says it's also difficult to compare budgets since Atikokan doesn't have all of the same financial responsibilities as Attawapiskat.

Victim in Incident at CN Rail yard Identified

Ontario Provincial Police says a Fort Frances man was killed after being struck by a train yesterday.

Ontario Provincial Police says 28-year-old Justin Degagne was walking along the tracks in the CN's rail yard, west of the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau, when he was hit by a westbound freight train leaving the yard.

The incident happened around 2 a.m. yesterday morning.

Police Release Accident Photo

Thunder Bay Police are releasing a disturbing photo of a vehicle that was involved in a drunk driving accident over the weekend.

Police Spokesperson Chris Adams hopes it will send a message to party goers.

The 21 year old woman lost control of her car causing it to flip several times and trap her inside.

Fatal Investigated

OPP and CN Rail police continue to investigate an apparent fatal incident on the CN line in Fort Frances.

Few details have been released, but investigators were on the scene yesterday near the area of Fourth Street West and York Avenue.

CFOB News has since learned the victim was a man.

More information is expected later this morning.