Budget Vote Today

The Ontario legislature will hold a one-day session today to vote on the provincial budget.

New Democrats are promising to support it.

Deputy Premier Dwight Duncan isn't sure they can be trusted.

Premier Dalton McGuinty had threatened a snap summer election after the NDP and Tories took big portions out of the Liberals' budget during committee hearings.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is upset with the Liberals calling her a backstabber and accusing her of breaking her word.

Wet in Atikokan Today

It's very wet in the Atikokan area today.

Environment Canada says that some areas received as much as 75 millimetres of rain overnight with another 20 to 30 millimetres expected today.

A heavy rainfall warning, issued yesterday, is still in effect.

Some Incidents Of Crime Up In Rainy River District

Break-in and thefts continue to be a problem in the Rainy River district.

OPP says they investigated 16 break-ins in May compared with 5 in April.

This included a break-in at Fort Frances High School in which charges were laid and a break-in at a Fort Frances home where a woman was sexually assaulted.

Charges were also laid in that case.

Thefts also rose to 24 last month from 16 in April.

Two of the thefts involved gas being taken from a Fort Frances gas station on separate occasions without being paid for.

Ombudsman Notes Too Many "Ghost" Licenses

Ontario's ombudsman is warning "ghost'' driver's licenses could be posing a real problem on the province's roads.

When a driver is stopped by police and doesn't have a licence, the Ministry of Transportation creates a ghost licence to officially record the offence.

Andre Marin says the province isn't doing a good job of matching up its 36-thousand dummy licences with the real ones, allowing many people to continue to drive when they shouldn't be.

City Short Lists Candidates

The city of International Falls has narrowed its search for a new director of economic and community development to two candidates.

City Mayor Shawn Mason and Koochiching Economic Development Authority director Paul Nevanen were among 11 people applying.

City Council agreed to create the position last month after ending funding to KEDA and to ease the workload of administrative staff doing the job.

A final selection is expected next week.

Mining Property Changes Hands

A change in ownership to a mining property in the Rainy River district.

The Atikwa Lake gold property is one of three being acquired by Manitoba-based San Gold Corporation in a deal with Opawica Explorations.

The area was the site of open pit mining in 1970 before ceasing operations three years later.

Rainy River H.S. Students Graduate Today

The first of three high school graduations in the Rainy River district goes tonight.

Forty students at Rainy River High School will receive their diplomas at ceremonies taking place at the High School Gym beginning at 7 p.m..

Events will be followed by Chem Free grad activities that will run from 11 p.m to 3 a.m. the next morning.

Dragon Boat Festival In Jeopardy

The first ever Dragon Boat festival in Fort Frances is in jeopardy of not taking place.

Organizers of the Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival say they're struggling to attract the interest of enough teams to offset their costs.

They're hoping more teams sign up before making a final decision on the July 1st event.

Organizers says if the event is cancelled, the boat obtained earlier this year could be shipped to another community.

Water Trail Proposed

A water route through a part of the Rainy River district is being considered as part of the Trans Canada Trail.

The Path of the Paddle would take paddlers through five provincial parks including Quetico and Turtle River, linking the communities of Kenora, Dryden, Atikokan and Neebing..

Project manager Vicki Kurz says it will help capitalize on a growing eco-tourism industry.

An information session will be held July 17 in Atikokan to seek out partners.

Helmet Laws For Adult Bikers Suggested

The provincial government says it will consult with the cycling community and municipal governments following a report from the chief coroner of Ontario on bicycle safety.

Among other things, the report recommends making helmets mandatory for adult cyclists.

Transport Minister Bob Chiarelli says the government endorses the principles of the report, adding that consultations will take place over the summer as the government updates its cycling policies.

More Walking Encouraged

The city of International Falls wants more of its citizens to use their cars less.

A committee is looking at improvements through funding a Statewide Health Improvement Program that encourages more people to walk or use their bicycles.

Nancy Lee with Koochiching Health Public says it's aimed at improving people's health.

Koochiching County is sharing in a grant with six other northeastern Minnesota Counties.

Island Fire Out

MNR file photo

An island fire on Rainy Lake is now out.

The fire, which started by a lightning strike last week on an island in the north arm of the lake, was allowed to burn itself out.

It scorched only point-one of a hectare.

No other fires are burning in the the Rainy River district where recent rain has reduced the forest fire hazard to moderate.

Minnesota Boaters Failing To Comply With Invasive Species Rules

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says boaters are violating rules against aquatic invasive species at an unacceptable rate.

Stepped up patrols by the DNR has led to almost 19-hundred citations and warnings being issued in the first month of the State's boating season.

That compares with 850 last year and about 300 in 2010.

Relay For Life Sets Records

Courtesy Tammy Ouelett

A record setting day at Relay for Life in Fort Frances.

More than twenty-teams combined to raised over $81-thousand, topping last year's high of $70-thousand.

Nearly 870 luminaries also dotted the track at Fort Frances High School, another event high.

Chair Jenn Anderson credits the teams for their work, many holding fundraising events well advance of the Relay.

Three teams raised over five-thousand dollars with one reaching the eight-thousand dollar mark.

A portion of the money is being earmarked toward the Riverside Foundation for Health Care's campaign for new digital mammography unit.

Summer Election Threat Eases

It appears Ontarians will be spared a quick return to the polls.

The threat of a snap election eased after Premier Dalton McGuinty and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath agreed to pass the budget to avoid the defeat of the minority Liberal government.

McGuinty had earlier stepped back from his threats to go to the polls over changes the opposition parties made to the budget Thursday.

But he wrote to Horwath yesterday, saying those sections would be brought back in the fall as a separate bill.

Campbell Defends Party Budget Stance

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is defending her party's position on the provincial budget.

In her weekly report, Campbell says the amendments proposed at the committee level make changes to the government's privatization measures that eliminated public oversight of many key public services.

Campbell adds it's the Liberals playing politics by throwing blame back on the NDP.

Marijuana Grow Operation Dismantled In Atikokan

Two people have been arrested after OPP discovered a marijuana grow operation in Atikokan last week.

Thursday's search of the Poplar Avenue home led police to seizing over one hundred plants, a variety of equipment, over 500 grams of marijuana shake and other drug paraphernalia.

Another 200 grams of marijuana was found at second home.

Two men will appear on trafficking and production charges in Atikokan court next month.

Two Teen Face Drug Charges

Two teenagers will be in Fort Frances court next week on drug charges.

A complaint about two individuals selling marijuana to high school students earlier this month led OPP to charging an 18-year-old man and 16-year-old girl.

Military Offering Jobs

Canada's military is offering a lot of opportunities for people to consider.

Anastasia Burtnick, a recruiter with HMCS Chippewa in Winnipeg, says an effort to build up the forces on the home front is help to create those positions.

Burtnick says they're also anticipating a number of retirements in the near future opening up even more jobs.

Premier Threatens Election

Premier Dalton McGuinty says the New Democrats have turned their backs on the agreement to support the Liberals and he's now threatening to call an election.

He's accusing the NDP of teaming up with the Tories to - in his words - gut the budget bill at the committee level.

Leader Andrea Horwath says she told the Premier her party would try for more changes at committee before Wednesday's final budget vote.