The Fort Frances OPP and Ministry of Correctional Services officials remain tight-lipped about what exactly happened inside the Fort Frances Jail during last week’s 16-hour standoff . “There’s no word yet on whether criminal charges are going to be laid as all aspects of the inmates’ conduct are under investigation […]
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The forest fire situation has cooled down, at least temporarily, following Monday night’s downpour here. “It’s pretty hard to tell how widespread [the rainfall] was but except for the Quetico park area, the hazard is down to ‘moderate,’” Arlan Hahkala, sector response officer with the Ministry of Natural Resources here, […]
Atikokan residents can now safely drink their water again after the Northwestern Helath Unit lifted the boil-water advisory there this morning. The water had been declared “unsafe” Friday after a sample taken last Wednesday showed unacceptable levels of the E. coli bacteria, Bill Limerick, environmental health team leader with the […]
The Fort Frances Jail has been closed, with prisoners sent to facilities in Kenora and Thunder Bay, following last week’s standoff after two inmates took several correctional officers hostage. “They have been transferred to other correctional facilities in the province,” said Ministry of Correctional Services spokesperson Julie Rosenberg. Two of […]
Forget Game Seven of the Stanley Cup final or a game-winning touchdown drive at the Super Bowl. This is the real deal. The 14th-annual slo-pitch game between Fort Frances council and their International Falls counterparts is set for Monday at 5 p.m. at the St. Francis Sportsfield here. Mayor Glenn […]
The Northwestern Health Unit declared Hannam Park beach in Rainy River safe for swimmers today, after it was declared unsafe due to high levels of bacteria two weeks ago. “We just got the results back now and they’re all good,” public health inspector Brian Norris said this morning. It was […]
Due to the high water levels, the July 1 fireworks display will be launched from the grounds between the Hallett and Lookout Tower at Pither’s Point this year. “Normally we do it at the point docks. But we were down there just the other day and the water is just […]
UPDATE: The standoff at the courthouse ended at 4:00 on Friday afternoon. Check back Tuesday for full details on the story. About 15 inmates were still holed up in the Fort Frances Jail with an unconfirmed number of correctional officers by press time Friday. No injuries have been reported. Police […]
The forest tents caterpillars have returned–but in a form more unsightly than destructive. Small tan moths are appearing in increasing numbers these days as more and more emerge from their cocoons, and right on schedule. The moths were first noticeable in large numbers here during the first week of July […]
The international bridge committee sat down for its first meeting here Tuesday night to consider various options. The committee–made up of three Fort Frances council reps, three International Falls council reps, and three citizens from each community–spent more than an hour at the Civic Centre priorizing and discussing several scenarios […]
Construction on roads, sidewalks, and sewers in Fort Frances is in full swing as Public Works crews and contractors work through the summer schedule. Among the projects is the rebuilding of McIrvine Road from Fifth Street to Eighth Street, with an estimated price tag of $595,000. Work there already is […]
With mosquito season underway, Ontario’s medical officers of health have called on all of the province’s 37 health units–including the Northwestern Health Unit–to develop a co-ordinated approach to address the West Nile virus. There has been no evidence of West Nile virus activity in the region during last year’s mosquito […]
