Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Crown secures direct indictment in Sweeney murder case, meaning it goes directly to trial:
The Crown Attorney's office has been successful in its effort to authorize a direct indictment for second degree murder for the man accused of killing Renee Sweeney. The Ministry of the Attorney General is allowing the direct indictment against Robert Steven Wright, meaning there will be no preliminary hearing — originally scheduled for November — and the case will go directly to trial. “When the defendant is subject to a direct indictment and deprived of a preliminary hearing, the defendant loses the right to argue that there is insufficient evidence for the matter to even go forward to trial,” said a release from Wright's lawyers, Berk Keaney and Michael Venturi. “Perhaps this is a good time to remember that, in our country, we have something called the presumption of innocence. When this case gets to trial, the jury will be instructed by the trial judge that Mr. Wright is presumed innocent, and that they jury should not consider a verdict until they have heard all of the evidence.” A conflict of interest hearing to remove Keaney and Venturi as counsel will have to be rescheduled as a result. The hearing had originally been set for Aug. 27. The Crown has not revealed its reason for filing the application. Get the full story here.
Are you ready, Nickel City? Up Here 5 is up and running:
The fifth installment of Up Here gets underway today, Aug. 16, and organizers are promising a jam-packed, weekend-long celebration of arts and culture. Event organizers Christian Pelletier and Jen McKerral hosted a press conference Friday afternoon to brief Sudbury on what to expect from this year's festival, as well thank all of the sponsors and community groups that help make the event run as smoothly as it does. "This really wouldn't happen without our volunteers, they're always ready to help out and they really care, they care as much as we do about this," said McKerral. Pelletier spoke with pride about the light that the festival has been able to shine on local and regional talent. "This year, eight of our 10 muralists are from Northern Ontario," said Pelletier. "We have some incredible talent here that we get to showcase." Find out more about this year's festival at uphere.com.
Police launch criminal investigation into 'memorial burn-out' in Hanmer:
A 'memorial burn-out' held following an Aug. 14 memorial service in Hanmer has resulted in a criminal investigation by Greater Sudbury Police Service. The memorial service was being held for a 21-year-old man who died Aug. 4 after crashing his ATV into a parked car on Michelle Drive in Hanmer. On Aug. 14, Darian Grenier, a friend of the man who died, posted a 14-minute video to Facebook showing numerous young people, mostly young men, in formal wear, cheering as vehicles perform burn-outs in the parking lot and intersection outside the Cooperative Funeral Home. In his Facebook post, Grenier said the event was in honour of their deceased friend. He also seemed to take issue with those who complained. Although he mentions his deceased friend by name, Sudbury.com is omitting the name out of respect for the man's family. Full story and video can be found here.
Sudbury man identified as victim of Marathon-area industrial accident:
A man from the Sudbury area has been identified as the victim of Wednesday's fatal workplace accident near Marathon. The 61-year-old was working for Belanger Construction of Chelmsford. The labour ministry was told he was pinned by a temporary steel bridge which shifted as it was being installed over Angler Creek on Highway17 just west of Marathon. A ministry inspector was sent to the scene to investigate. The ministry has issued one order against the company, however, they would not provide any details on what that order entails. A spokesperson at Belanger's head office declined Thursday to comment on the incident. The victim's name has not been released.
Signs of summer's departure: Lifeguards packing it in on Sunday:
Where did the summer go? The last day for lifeguard supervision at seven municipal beaches is Sunday, Aug. 18. Until then, lifeguards remain on duty seven days a week between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Children should always be accompanied by an adult and within reach. Reaching poles and ring buoys will remain attached to all lifeguard chairs.
The kinkiest convention ever to come to Nickel City is Aug. 17:
Sudbury will finally have its first ever "kinky convention" when the Midnight at Dawn Expo takes over the Sudbury Events Centre on Aug. 17. Described by event co-ordinator Mark Nadeau as a "Graphic-Con for adults," the Midnight at Dawn Expo will be a 19+ all-day event that will feature a breadth of workshops, vendors and presentations that all cater to those who like a little kink in their lives. The Midnight at Dawn Expo is being hosted by Midnight Manor, Sudbury's alternative lifestyle community, which has been hosting munches, workshops, play parties and more in Greater Sudbury for almost seven years. Learn more about the expo here.
Fabio Belli soccer dome under construction – for real this time:
This week, construction officially began at Lasalle Secondary on the Fabio Belli Soccer Dome, a $4.1-million, 56,000-square-foot dome sports facility. It's a huge relief to members of the Fabio Belli Foundation, who have endured disappointments, but never stopped working to make Belli's dream a reality. “There have been some setbacks,” said Michel Lariviere, a member of the foundation’s board. “But now construction is underway and we're hopeful that by December, we're going to be able to enter the building. It's ambitious, but that's what we're going to aim for now.” To get costs down, the foundation changed the size the dome from 100,000 square feet down to 56,000 square feet, meaning they not have the running track that was planned and a little bit less bleacher space. Plans for a new field house are on hold, and the will make do with the old one for now, although longer term the foundation aims to raise money to replace it. The Rainbow District School Board is providing $2 million, including funds for the artificial turf, and will own the facility. Schools will be able to use it during the day, with the foundation running it evenings and weekends. Full story here.
Maison McCulloch Hospice holding annual butterfly release Sunday:
Maison McCulloch Hospice is inviting the public to the 2019 Live Butterfly Release which will be held on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 3:30 pm at Science North in front of the Rusty Blakey Monument. All funds will benefit the programs and services of Maison McCulloch Hospice.