Weller Avenue Fire

Kingston Police are back at the scene of a fire on Weller Avenue after Kingston Fire and Rescue determined the cause of the fire may be suspicious.

The fire department hasn’t released any information about the fire early this morning in the semi-detached home at 236 Weller Avenue.

Police were originally called to the scene at 1:20 this morning and were called back at 4:40 a.m. to secure the house for fire investigators.

 LaSalle Causeway

People who commute to and from Kingston East have one more day to deal with traffic delays because of the LaSalle Causeway closure.  People faced major delays on Highway 15 yesterday afternoon.

Kingston Transit had to add extra buses in the afternoon to try and maintain 15 minute Express Service.

Structural repair work on the causeway is scheduled to be completed today and the causeway is supposed to re-open at midnight.

 Bedford – Court Appearance

A hearing will take place next month to determine if Internet sexual predator Mark Bedford will be placed on a two-year peace bond.

Bedford was released from prison last week after serving his full sentence for breaching the conditions of a similar peace bond in 2011.

He appeared in court briefly yesterday with his father and was told the dates of the hearing in September.

Teachers Deals

There’s hope the school year will start without any disruptions after another tentative contract agreement with teacher.  The deal was reached with the English Catholic Teachers Association.

The union representing Francophone teachers is scheduled to return to contract negotiations today.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation is scheduled to return to bargaining on September 1st.

The province reached a tentative agreement with the Ontario High School Teachers Federation last week.

Government Funding

The Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre at Kingston General Hospital is receiving extra funding from the Ontario government.

Kingston and then Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala announced the $28,500 in funding at KGH yesterday.

It will help pay for specialized counselling services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Home Prices – BOC

The deputy director of the Bank of Canada has told a Kingston audience…household debt levels have increased because of rising home prices…But…Lawrence Schembri says steps taken by regulators to tighten mortgage lending rules have helped manage the risks.

Schembri told the Canadian Association for Business Economics demographic forces as well as lower interest rates in the wake of the financial crisis have helped drive house prices higher.

Today in History

From Tony’s today in history file…John A. Macdonald began practising law in Kingston on this day…August 26th 1834.  Of course he went on to become the Member of Parliament for Kingston and Canada’s first prime minister.