Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Property and violent crime down 11% in Greater Sudbury
Violent and property crime totals dropped across much of Greater Sudbury last year, with the most significant decrease recorded in the city’s downtown area. Violent crime was down 4.91 per cent across the city in 2022, while property crime dropped by 14.25 per cent, yielding a combined total incident decrease of 11.05 per cent. In Sudbury’s downtown, violent crime was halved and property crime dropped by 32.23 per cent, yielding a total combined decrease of 39.72 per cent. The plunging crime rate shifted downtown’s rank as second in combined violent and property crime totals in a Greater Sudbury neighbourhood in 2021, to fifth. Overall violent and property crime numbers also dropped in the nearby Donovan (down 10.37 per cent) and Flour Mill (down 30.79 per cent) neighbourhoods. The drop in crime comes as no big surprise to Downtown Sudbury Business Improvement Area managing director Kyle Marcus, who said it’s the accumulative effect of various efforts.
Sudbury granny at the Grammys steals Harry Styles’ heart
Those who watched the Trevor Noah-hosted Grammy Awards on Feb. 4 may have been surprised to see a Sudburian crying and clapping for her favourite, and favourite of the night, Harry Styles. Formerly of One Direction, the 29-year-old British singer won Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Solo Performance and the coveted Album of the Year, beating an impressive field of 10 that included ABBA’s Voyage, Adele’s 30, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti and Beyoncé’s Renaissance. But the album of the year Grammy was the moment Sudbury grandmother Reina (her last name didn't appear on the show, but she is Reina Halvorsen of Sudbury) had been waiting for. As part of the Grammys ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night, fans of each of the nominees for Album of the Year sat around a table to talk about their favourite artists. If that came as a surprise to too see the Sudburian on the year’s biggest night of music, it was even more surprising when host Trevor Noah gave the “Great Grandmother” to announce Styles’ name as the winner.
Bishop braving icy Ramsey waters to fund church repairs
The highest-ranking leader of Catholics from North Bay to Sault Ste. Marie is planning to plunge into the frigid waters of Lake Ramsey this month for a good cause. Most Rev. Thomas Dowd, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, is going polar at the Sudbury lake, along with Christ the King pastor, Father Raymond Akor, on Feb. 25. The icy feat is the latest fundraiser in a campaign to fund the replacement of the front stairs at the iconic, downtown Sudbury church. It will also take place at the end of a week of activities during which Dowd will be in the community meeting with local civic and downtown leaders. “You have heard of the Flying Fathers?” said Father Akor. “Well, this is like that – a creative way to engage the community and to seek to raise funds for an important cause as well. Maybe call it the Polar Plunging Priests. I have never done anything like this and could not imagine such a thing when I was growing up in Nigeria. But, God willing, it will be a lot of fun and offer a boost to our parish.” The dive itself will take place just off a residential property owned by a Christ the King parishioner. However, the parish is promising to record and broadcast the plunge on its Facebook page for all to see, if donations in support of the feat reach or exceed $50,000.
Bear spray and a cellphone, GSPS turn the tables on robbery
A reportedly stolen cellphone and the use of bear spray brought Greater Sudbury Police officers to Lively on Feb. 3. GSPS reported that a community member had listed a cellular telephone for sale in an online classifieds forum. Two parties attended the seller’s residence under the guise of purchasing the phone. The seller was attacked with bear spray and the suspects fled to a waiting vehicle with her phone. The seller was treated by paramedics at her residence. Officers began an investigation and soon discovered the phone appearing online for sale. Contact was made with the seller. On the afternoon of Feb. 4, plain clothes officers from the Break, Enter & Robbery Unit and Patrol Operations Division arranged to meet the sellers at a predetermined location under the guise of purchasing the phone. The victim’s phone was recovered. A 31-year-old female and a 34-year-old male were taken into custody without incident.
Let’s eat! From Ukraine to Sudbury with tasty bouquets
It’s hard to believe that one year ago Alina and Artem were living their best life in Mariupol, Ukraine. They both had jobs in their field of study and were building a burgeoning food business on the side. That all changed when war broke out in their homeland on Feb. 24, 2022. The couple relocated to Sudbury last summer after their city was invaded and levelled over nearly 12 weeks by Russian troops. Now after months of adapting to a new life they are treating Sudburians to their very own Wow Bouquet. Artem and Alina offer edible bouquets filled with treats like chocolate, fruit, dried fruits, nuts and marshmallows. The food is wrapped elegantly with balloons or bows and other festive fixings, and then presented like a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Artem and Alina, both 27, met while studying at Mariupol State University where they studied metallurgy together. Both worked at neighbouring factories, but Alina wanted to pursue something in her off time.
Retired NHL player Wendel Clark keynote at Easter Seals event
Slated to share his experiences with teamwork and leadership, retired NHL defenceman Wendel Clark is speaking at an Easter Seals Ontario event at the Caruso Club on March 9. Although he played for a few teams during his 15-year NHL career, Clark is best known for his time on the Toronto Maple Leafs, which he was with for much of his career. He was drafted first overall in 1985 and served as the Leafs’ captain. Clark’s keynote speech is titled, “Team dynamics and what I learned from some of the best leaders in the game.” The event begins with a VIP book signing from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., which will be followed by a general registration luncheon until 2 p.m. Tickets are $125 each or $1,000 for a table of eight.
Above-zero high, freezing drizzle and snow today
Weird weather day. The day is going to dawn with snow that should end around noon, but there’s also a 40-per-cent chance of rain showers or drizzle today, and a risk of freezing drizzle this morning. Upwards of 5 cm of snow is expected. The wind will be southerly at 30 km/h, gusting to 50, then becoming westerly at 20 and gusting to 40 for the afternoon. A wind chill of -13 is expected this morning. For tonight, expect cloudy periods with a 30-per-cent chance of flurries and an overnight low of -9.
