Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Flooding potential: Officials watching watersheds with up to 40 mm of rain expected:
A Flood Outlook has been issued for the Junction Creek watershed and for the Romford Creek watershed. Romford Creek flows through parts of Coniston before joining Coniston Creek. For all other watercourses within the City of Greater Sudbury, water safety messaging is being maintained, said Conservation Sudbury in a news release. Both statements are effective as of 3 p.m. today and remain in effect until 10 a.m. on April 24. According to Environment Canada, a Colorado low merging with a Texas low is forecast to move in tonight, bringing significant precipitation across the province. This system is expected to bring 20 to 40 mm of rain in the next 48 hours followed by warmer temperatures through the Easter weekend. Current water levels and flows on all watercourses in our area are elevated but within seasonal range. The upper reaches of watersheds still have significant snowpack, holding about 150 mm of water content.
Walmart says expanded self-checkouts at South End store make shopping experience 'more convenient':
If you've visited the South End Walmart store in Greater Sudbury lately, you may have noticed that the express checkouts run by cashiers have been replaced by an expanded area of self-checkout machines. The store still has traditional checkouts run by cashiers, although less than it used to. The New Sudbury Walmart still has its express checkout area, although it also has some self-checkout machines that have popped up in recent years, as they have at many larger stores. More on this story here.
Region’s top doc looks with fear at what Ford’s cuts mean for public heatlh:
There were few dry eyes among members of the management team at Public Health Sudbury & Districts when cuts to public health were announced in the spring budget of Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford’s government last week. The damage was worse than medical officer of health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe and many of the unit’s 250 employees had feared. Sutcliffe will forever categorize life as before and after April 11, the day the budget was presented, because it will have such a significant impact on public health programs and services. Sutcliffe was concerned about what even a five per cent decrease in provincial funding would mean for the unit that serves Greater Sudbury and the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin. The cuts will be more in the order of four or five times that amount, said Sutcliffe, calling them her worst nightmare. Find more on this story here.
Three bears, no Goldilocks: Three reports to MNRF means bear season is starting:
It's still a bit early for the majority of bears to be emerging from their dens, but that isn't to say there haven't been sightings, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski said the MNRF has received three calls about bears in the Greater Sudbury area, about the same number in the same time frame last year. However, with the substantial rainfall and warmer weather forecast for this area, it could stir some bears out of their dens if they get washed out. Remove attractants from your property like bird feeders, once the snow is gone, and keep food waste inaccessible, to keep bruins from visiting your property.
Wow! Sudbury 10-year-old's top-notch speaking skills earn her a trip to South Korea:
Thanks to her considerable public speaking skills, 10-year-old Sudbury girl Daniela Grottoli is heading to South Korea this summer. The Grade 5 student at R.L. Beattie Public School — who gets extra academic instruction through Eye Level Sudbury — won one of four gold prizes in the North America-wide Eye Level Oratacular Speech Contest. Because of her win, she's been invited to take part in the Eye Level Model UN Camp in South Korea this August. While there, students will take part in an academic simulation of the United Nations, where they will play the role of delegates from different countries and attempt to solve real world issues with the policies and perspectives of their assigned country. The Eye Level Oratacular is a public speaking competition that aids students in learning and practicing the basics of speech writing and delivery. Full story here.
City still waiting for details of ambulance merger plan:
Greater Sudbury is still waiting for information on the impact merging the province's ambulance services will have on the city. Joseph Nicholls, the city's interim GM of Community Safety, told members of the emergency services committee Wednesday that the health ministry plans to merge 59 ambulance services into 10. They have promised consultations before details are released, he said. While not offering any specifics, Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliot said Wednesday no paramedics would lose their jobs as a result of the changes.
The Pothole Reporter: See a hole, report a hole with Sudbury.com:
Pothole season is here and Sudbury.com has partnered with Fuel Media to create an easy and convenient way for you to report potholes to the City of Greater Sudbury, right from your cellphone. You can find the Pothole Reporter by visiting Pothole.Sudbury.com. There you can upload photos and descriptions of the pothole you found, and the app will produce a report that you can send along to Tom Davies Square. Let's help the city not miss any potholes this year. Check with Sudbury.com every week day to find out what our Pothole Crew is up to. Drive safely out there.
Friday Weather:
Cloudy Friday with a 60 per cent chance of flurries or rain showers early in the morning. It's going to be a bit cooler out there today with the high only getting up to 5. Cloudy into the evening with a low of -1, feeling like -7 with the wind chill. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
