School Buses

It was another day off school for most students.

Tri-board Student Transportation cancelled school buses for the majority of the area it serves.

The only school transportation operating in their region today is for students going to the North Addington Education Centre, Granite Ridge Education Centre, Land O’ Lakes Public School, Clarendon Public and St. James Major.  All other buses were cancelled.

 

401 Closed – Crash

The westbound 401 in the area of Odessa re-opened to traffic early this morning after being closed overnight due to a collision involving an OPP cruiser and two transport trucks.  The cruiser had stopped to check on a transport that had hit a guard rail and the cruiser was hit by another big rig.  The officer was able to jump clear of the crash and was not injured.

 

REZ Girls – Successful Campaign

A Kingston Police officer and his wife have announced they have reached their goal of raising $90 thousand for a concrete ice pad in the northern Ontario community of Fort Hope.

Steven and Katie Koopman says it was fitting they reached their goal yesterday…Gord Downie’s birthday and say they see the fund raising as an act of reconciliation.

The Koopmans started the fund raising after learning the Rez Girls hockey team didn’t have proper ice to play on.  They had raised money for the team last year to attend a hockey tournament in Ottawa.

The challenge now will be to get the concrete pad built in the arena because of the remote location of the community.

Unknowingly Drugged – Second Victim

A second person has come forward with allegations that they were unknowingly drugged by a man in Prince Edward County.

64 year old Thomas McDowell of Ameliasburgh was arrested in October and charged with several offences including drugging a woman and drug trafficking.

Prince Edward County OPP say a second woman has come forward.  Police say as a result of their investigation McDowell was charged on Monday of this week with six additional counts including sexual assault, criminal harassment and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

 

Collins Bay – Package Seized

There’s been another seizure of contraband at Collins Bay Institution.

The Correctional Service says the vigilance of staff members resulted in a package being seized in the medium security unit at Collins Bay around 1pm on Tuesday.

Items in the package included cell phones, SIM cards, charges and over two thousand grams of tobacco.  Officials say the items would have been worth $49,000 inside the institution.

A news release says police have been notified and the institution is investigating.

 

Bingo Dustup

Rideau Lakes OPP says no charges will be laid after a physical brawl over Bingo involving a 79 year old woman and an 86 year old woman at their long term care home.

Police were called to the home in Rideau Lakes Township around 1:15 on Tuesday afternoon.

Police say a dispute over seating at the Bingo game lead to an argument and prompted some of the residents in the room to become involved in the brawl. They say nobody suffered serious injuries and no charges will be laid.

 

Charges – Wire Theft

Two Kingston men in their 50’s have been charged after wires for CN railway signals were cut and removed eat of Findlay Station Road.

A CN service employee discovered the theft on Tuesday.  A search by a Kingston Police dog found the men hiding in the bush around 12:30 in the afternoon.

A 56 year old man and a 57 year old man have been charged with mischief and theft.

 

Runciman – Parks Commission

The St Lawrence Parks Commission has a new chair.

Former senator and MPP Bob Runciman of Brockville has been appointed as chair of the commission that operates Upper Canada Village, Fort Henry and other recreational spaces in the region.

Runciman starts his 4 year term immediately.