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Good Morning, Sudbury! Here are seven stories to start your day

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This Christmas, many seniors who are alone for the holidays will receive some Christmas cheer thanks to an enthusiastic group from Northeastern Elementary School. (Arron Pickard/Sudbury.com)

Good morning, Greater Sudbury.

Here are some stories to start your day.

12 Days of Kindness: These young students class brings Christmas cheer to seniors, we surprise them all with our own AOK:

For most families, the holidays are about being together with loved ones but for many seniors, it can be a lonely time. This Christmas, many seniors who will be alone for the holidays will receive some Christmas cheer thanks to an enthusiastic group from Northeastern Elementary School. Miss Zakamarko, Mrs. Pennarun, along with their students in the Intensive Support Program at Northeastern Elementary School are visiting Extendicare Falconbridge today to deliver gifts for seniors who otherwise would have been forgotten this Christmas.  Watch as we surprise them all with an act of kindness of our own. New episode of 12 Days of Kindness will be posted on Sudbury.com at 7 a.m.

Police release surveillance video of man that could possibly be Branden Bodson-Gratton:

On Dec. 17 the Greater Sudbury Police Service was provided video surveillance footage of an unknown man walking in the area of Frood Road near the property of Stobie Mine. The footage was captured on surveillance equipment belonging to Vale. This came in as a possible sighting of missing person Branden Bodson-Gratton. GSPS are asking the public to review the video surveillance footage in hopes of confirming the identity of the man. Anyone who can positively identify this person or if the person seen in the video is you, we ask that you please contact police as we are currently utilizing resources to follow up on this potential lead. Officers, as well as members of North Shore Search and Rescue are in the area of Frood Road and Burton Avenue conducting the ground search.  "We continue to ask all community members to check their property including out buildings and sheds as Branden may have taken shelter," said a GSPS news release. If you see Bodson-Gratton, please call GSPS immediately at 705-675-9171. You can view the surveillance footage here.

Stricter drunk driving laws make it easier for roadside tests:

While the overall number of people being charged with impaired driving has dropped in recent years in Greater Sudbury, police say too may people still aren't getting the message. A recent RIDE check initiative in November and early December actually saw more charges and more people screened for impaired driving.  “Of particular concern is the increased number of ... impaired arrests and roadside driver’s license suspensions due to alcohol consumption,” police said in a news release. “Over the first six spot checks, there has been the need for almost double the number of roadside tests administered to drivers, a substantial increase in the number of roadside driver’s license suspensions and double the number of persons arrested and charged with impaired driving. Administering those roadside tests just got a lot easier, with new rules coming into effect Tuesday that increases penalties for drunk driving and expands police powers to demand breath samples. The legislation, which passed in June at the same time as new rules for drug-impaired driving, is intended to curb injuries and death by helping police catch drivers with more than the legal limit of alcohol in their bloodstreams. It gives police officers the right to ask for a breath sample from any driver they lawfully stop, lowering the bar from the previous legislation, which required that an officer have reasonable suspicion that a person had been drinking. Such a system is already in place in more than 40 countries. More on this story here.

Epitome of class: Hockey world honours the passing of longtime NHL ref Dave Newell of Copper Cliff:

The hockey world is mourning the passing of Dave Newell, 73, a native of Copper Cliff who was a former NHL referee who worked three Stanley Cup finals in his career. Newell, who passed away Sunday, worked in the NHL for 23 years, from 1967-1990, in the era when games included just one referee (there are now two for each game.) He worked the NHL finals in 1981, 1984 and 1987. "In addition to being among the elite in his profession, Dave's commitment to all aspects of officiating could be found in the fact that he served as president of the NHL Officials' Association for nine years," NHL senior executive vice-president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in a statement. "Following his retirement, as an NHL officiating coach, Dave worked tirelessly for 15 years to mentor and develop young officials. "A consummate professional who epitomized class, Dave's calm demeanour on the ice earned him the respect of players and coaches. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and many friends." Full story can be found here.

Boats damaged after collapse at Penage Bay Marina:

A wooden structure at the Penage Bay Marina in Whitefish collapsed late last week, destroying or damaging several dozen boats stored there. A post on the marina's Facebook page on Friday informed owners about the incident. “Hi everyone, the wood boat rack has collapsed,” the post reads. “I will contact anyone whom has a boat ... in the next few days, trying to sort this out at the moment. “Anybody that knows their boat is in there contact your insurance company to claim,” said a later post. A man who answered the phone at the marina on Monday confirmed the incident took place. But he wouldn't say how the incident happened or how many boats were affected before hanging up. “That's none of your business,” he said. But photos of the collapsed structure show several damaged watercraft, and one owner whose boat was affected said there were about 70 being stored there before the collapse. 

Tories accuse 'Jamie West and the NDP' of putting Christmas at risk

The Progressive Conservative government is taking an aggressive approach to preventing a strike at Ontario Power Generation, accusing the NDP – and individual MPPs – of jeopardizing Christmas by opposing the back-to-work legislation. In an email entitled "Jamie West and the NDP to put Christmas season at risk," the Tories say opposing their bill will impact “Sudbury families, seniors, job-creators, hospitals, long-term care homes all depend on electricity in cold winter months. “The Ontario PC Government for the People is showing strong, decisive leadership by immediately calling back the Legislature to put an end to strike action from the Power Workers’ Union that jeopardizes Northern Ontario power supply over the Christmas season,” the release said. “However, over the weekend, Jamie West’s NDP promised to use 'whatever tools we have at our disposal' to delay emergency back-to-work legislation that prevents rolling blackouts and brownouts that will come with strike action at our nuclear power plants and hydroelectric facilities.” In response, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the Tories are tabling a back-to-work bill before there's a strike, undercutting collective bargaining. Deputy NDP Leader Sara Singh told the Toronto Star that Premier Doug Ford ended any chance at a negotiated settlement when his government announced its intentions. Full story here.

Make the green choice: Use a real Christmas tree:

Freelance writer Jenny Lamothe compares real and fake Chritmas trees in her latest article this week. "It wasn’t too long ago that a fake Christmas tree wasn’t an option for most homes. Either it was cost prohibitive, or really ugly, and not many revelled in gathering around a steel pole with various plastic branches reach out and singing, Oh Christmas Tree," writes Lamothe. "It probably looked a great deal like the tree-shaped cell tower that graces the side of Highway 69, which honestly looks more like an alien life form trying desperately to convince you otherwise." You can read the full article here.

Wednesday Weather: 

Cloudy skies today with some mixed precipitation in the forecast. There's a 30 per cent chance of flurries in the morning then 30 per cent chance of drizzle in the afternoon. Risk of freezing drizzle in the morning. Wednesday's high will get up to 2. Cloudy this evening with 30 per cent chance of drizzle. Low will be sitting just above the freezing mark at 1. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.

Current Weather

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly Cloudy

-7.3°C

Pressure
101.1 rising
Visibility
24.1 km
Dewpoint
-11.7 °C
Humidity
71%
Wind
NNE 15 km/h

Radar Satellite


Hourly Forecast

Today
11 PM
-8°C
Mainly cloudy
Tomorrow
12 AM
-8°C
Mainly cloudy
Tomorrow
1 AM
-9°C
Mainly cloudy
Tomorrow
2 AM
-9°C
Chance of flurries
Tomorrow
3 AM
-9°C
Chance of flurries
Tomorrow
4 AM
-9°C
Chance of flurries
Tomorrow
5 AM
-9°C
Chance of flurries
Tomorrow
6 AM
-9°C
Periods of snow
Tomorrow
7 AM
-8°C
Periods of snow
Tomorrow
8 AM
-8°C
Periods of snow
Tomorrow
9 AM
-7°C
Periods of snow
Tomorrow
10 AM
-6°C
Periods of snow

7 Day Forecast

Chance of flurries

Tonight

-9 °C

Mainly cloudy. 40 percent chance of flurries overnight. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 9. Wind chill near minus 12.


Periods of snow

Tuesday

1 °C

Periods of snow. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind up to 15 km/h. High plus 1. Wind chill minus 13 in the morning. UV index 1 or low.


Flurries

Tuesday night

-8 °C

Flurries. Amount 2 cm. Wind becoming west 20 km/h gusting to 40 near midnight. Low minus 8. Wind chill minus 14 overnight.


Snow

Wednesday

-5 °C

Snow. High minus 5.


Cloudy periods

Wednesday night

-17 °C

Cloudy periods. Low minus 17.


Sunny

Thursday

-5 °C

Sunny. High minus 5.


Clear

Thursday night

-13 °C

Clear. Low minus 13.


Chance of snow

Friday

0 °C

A mix of sun and cloud with 60 percent chance of snow. High zero.


Chance of snow

Friday night

-14 °C

Cloudy periods with 60 percent chance of snow. Low minus 14.


A mix of sun and cloud

Saturday

-2 °C

A mix of sun and cloud. High minus 2.


Cloudy periods

Saturday night

-14 °C

Cloudy periods. Low minus 14.


A mix of sun and cloud

Sunday

-2 °C

A mix of sun and cloud. High minus 2.


Yesterday

Low
-2.5 °C
High
2.1 °C
Precipitation
0.5 mm

Normals

Low
-9.8 °C
High
0.5 °C
Average
-4.7 °C

Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
7:30 AM
Sunset
7:35 PM

Record Values

Type Year Value
Max 2012 20.3 C
Min 1986 -23.7 C
Rainfall 1986 13.6 mm
Snowfall 1983 18.7 cm
Precipitation 1983 30.4 mm
Snow On Ground 1959 140.0 cm

Based on Environment Canada data