Protest Today

Motorists travelling along Highway 71 may encounter a brief delay this morning.

Members of Onigaming First Nation near Nestor Falls intend to protest measures contained in the federal government's omnibus bill they say effect the environment and First Nation Treaties.

Chief Norman Copenance says the protest will be peaceful.

Protesters will begin with a ceremony at the community's school before marching along the Highway around 10 a.m.

Opposition Differs on Teachers Dispute

Opposition parties continue to differ in their response to the ongoing strikes by public elementary teachers in Ontario.

NDP are stand in support of teachers in calls to repeal legislation imposing a contact on them.

PC education critic Lisa MacLeod says government should use Bill 115 to end the rotating strikes.

The Liberal have the power to end the strikes, but are allowing them to continue if 72-hour notice is provided.

RIDE Numbers Released

Maybe a sign area motorists are getting the message about drinking and driving.

OPP say just one driver so far has been charged with impaired driving in the Rainy River district during this year's Festive RIDE program that began at the end of November.

Two other motorists, checked by police, had their licenses briefly suspended after being found with a blood alcohol limit of between 0.05 and 0.08.

More High School Games Cancelled

More high school hockey games at Fort Frances High School have been cancelled because of the labour dispute with teachers.

School officials says all games up to January 14 have been cancelled for both the boys and girls teams.

All other sports at Fort High are currently cancelled into the new year as high school teachers continue their withdrawal from extra-curricular activities in protest over Bill 115.

New Food Program In Place

A new program to provide healthy meals to residents of International Falls and area in need is exceeding expectations.

A new Community Cafe has started out of Backus Auditorium in conjunction with the Falls Hunger Coalition.

Ward Merrill of Backus says they're serving meals once a week.

Nearly 140 people have visited since the Cafe opened two weeks ago.

The program is volunteer driven with donations helping to fund it.

New Commissioners Sworn-In

They don't officially take office until January 1st, but Koochiching County has sworn-in the two people elected to office in November's elections.

Brian McBride, who was unopposed in a re-election to District 3 and Wayne Skoe, elected to represent District 5, took the oath of office yesterday.

Skoe  replaces long-time Commissioner Mike Hanson who decided not to seek re-election.

Minnesota May Look At Its Gun Laws

Minnesota's Democrats say now is the time to take a closer look at the state's gun laws.

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut has been a catalyst for those discussions in the U.S.

Michael Paymar, who will lead the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, says every state has every has a responsibility to evaluate their gun laws.

Meantime, Republican Rep. Tony Cornish plans to introduce a bill that would allow teachers to arm themselves in the classroom.

Former MP Joining CNIB Board

A former MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River will be lending his expertise to a group that helps Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.

Ken Boshcoff has been appointed to the CNIB's Ontario-Nunavut Board of Directors.

Boschoff, currently a Thunder Bay city council, has commemorated the appointment by using Braille on his business cards.

Managers Put Wage Hike On Hold

Senior management with the town of Fort Frances is forgoing a wage increase next year.

They were to get a 2 per hike in a previously approval deal.

CAO Mark McCaig says given financial challenges facing the town in Resolute Forest Products recent announcement to idle part of its mill in Fort Frances and the company's pending appeal of its assessment, managers suggested they not take the increase.

The move is expected to save the town $43-thousand.

Teachers Stage Protest

Public elementary teachers in the Rainy River District feel they got their message across.

They took part in a one-day strike in opposition of Bill 115 yesterday.

Local Union president Trevor Bowles says the bill's hampering both teachers and the school board in trying to reach a local deal.

Teachers rallied outside the board office in Fort Frances and at MPP Bill's Mauro's constituency office in Atikokan.

Liberal MPP Seeks End To Teachers Dispute

A Liberal MPP is asking Ontario's education minister to stand down provisions of the government's controversial Bill 115 and get back to negotiations with the union representing public elementary teachers.

Peterborough's Jeff Leal says all parties should work through the holiday period to reach a deal.

First Nation Planning Peaceful Protest

A northwestern Ontario First Nation is preparing to stage a protest of its own tomorrow.

Members of Onigaming First Nation near Nestor Falls plan to stage a peaceful protest against the federal government's omnibus budget bill.

Chief Norman Copenance says changes within the Bill C-45 impact all Canadians.

The protest includes a walk along Highway 71 that will delay traffic briefly.

Ontario Schools Safe

In the wake of the Connecticut school shooting, Education Minister Laurel Broten says Ontario schools are some of the safest in the world.

But Broten says the recent horrific event in Newtown is a reminder of how important it is to do everything that can be done to keep schools safe.

Governor Open To Changes In Gun Laws

Governor Mark Dayton says he's willing to listen to legislative proposals to alter Minnesota's gun laws.

The Democratic governor says he has no immediate changes that he plans to present to the 2013 Legislature.

Debate over U.S. gun laws has ramped up after a school shooting in Connecticut last week killed 26 people, mostly children.

Charges Now Laid In Kenora Death

Two men have been charged following a suspicious death in Kenora.

The body of 21-year-old Langford Ogemah was found Saturday in a home that sustained minimal damage in a fire.

20-year-old Peter Fisher and 22-year-old Ringo Carpenter have been charged with second-degree murder and arson.

Ski Club Trails Open

The recent fall of snow a welcome sight for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Rainy River Nordic Ski Club had been waiting for more snow to open its trails.

President Jim Krag invites people to check them out.

The club has eleven kilometres of Nordic ski trails and four kilometers of snowshoe trails.

Krag says they also have equipment available for the public to use at its facility located eleven kilometres east for Fort Frances down the George Armstrong Road.

Krag says they're also planning for a Family Day during the Christmas Holiday period.

Citizen Of The Year Recognized

Fort Frances council is recognizing its citizen of the year.

Ken Christianson was presented the honour during a ceremony at council last night.

Christianson has been a volunteer hockey coach for the past 49 years.

OPP Called To Red Lake School

OPP in Red Lake had to deal with a school incident of their own on the same day of the shooting incident in Newtown, Connecticut.

Police were called to the Red Lake-Madsen elementary school after staff spotted an unauthorized person inside the building Friday morning.

The man told police he only stopped to use the washroom.

Question of the Week

How safe do you consider our schools?

Do you think governments and schools administrators are doing enough to make schools as safe as possible?

Let us know on our website 931theborder.ca.

Meantime, 57 per cent of respondents to last week's question support beer and wine being sold in corner stores as proposed by the Progressive Conservatives.

College Receives Funding

Rainy River Community College is receiving funding to bolster its native language programs.

The $46-thousand dollars comes from the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization Grant program.

The College says the money will be used by its Ojibwe Immersion Program on a variety of initiatives that meet the needs of youth, students and parents, and preserve the Objibe language.