Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
GoFundMe page lands suspended cop in another disciplinary hearing:
“Extreme and disparaging remarks” on a GoFundMe account created by Greater Sudbury Police Const. Robert Rheaume are at the centre of his second of three disciplinary hearings. Rheaume appeared before a disciplinary hearing Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of discreditable conduct and one count of insubordination stemming from the GoFundMe account he created on Sept. 23, 2018, titled “Keeping them Honest.” No witnesses were called through the day-long hearing, which comes on the heels of Rheaume being found guilty of misconduct for critical comments he made in 2018 on social media posts about members of Greater Sudbury Police Service who were included in the province's annual Sunshine List. On his GoFundMe page, Rheaume says he is attempting to raise money to help pay his legal fees to fight the charges against him. However, he posted accusations of illegal and unethical conduct by members of the Greater Sudbury Police Service and, in particular, chief Paul Pedersen and deputy chief Sheila Weber. Full story can be found here.
Nobel Prize winner Art McDonald receives Paul Harris Award:
Physicist Dr. Art McDonald, the SNOLAB neutrino researcher who won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015, was presented with one of the Rotary Club's highest honours by the Rotary Club of Sudbury Sunrisers on June 13. The Paul Harris Award was established in 1957 in the Rotary founders’ name to acknowledge significant humanitary efforts that embody the Rotary motto “Service Above Self”. There are more than a million recipients worldwide. Paul Harris Bursaries provide funding to humanitarian efforts around the world. More on this story here.
Sudbury man arrested on child pornography charges:
Greater Sudbury Police arrested and laid child pornography charges against a 35-year-old man on June 12 after a month-long investigation. In May of 2019, the Greater Sudbury Police Service Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit initiated an investigation into an unknown individual accessing, possessing, and making Child Pornography publicly available to other users on the Internet. On June 12, the ICE and Computer Forensic Units with assistance from members of the Tactical Unit executed a Search Warrant at a Greater Sudbury residence where computers and cell phones were analyzed. No evidence of child pornography was located on the devices; however, through the investigation at the scene a suspect was identified. A second search warrant was executed at a separate residence in Greater Sudbury later the same day where multiple computer devices and computer storage devices were seized as evidence. Analysis at the scene revealed a significant amount of child pornography images and videos on multiple devices. As a result of the investigation, a 35-year-old man from Greater Sudbury was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child pornograpy, access child pornography and make child pornography available. The accused attended bail court on June 13 to answer to the charges.
Business owners beware: Scammers posing as GSU threatening to cut off electricity:
Greater Sudbury Utilities received several reports from local businesses of attempted fraud, posing as a disconnection warning on June 13. In at least two cases reported Thursday, the caller said the electricity to the business would be disconnected if money is not paid within a short timeframe, and the targets are told to meet a representative at a parking lot to pass over the money owed. They are also given a toll-free number to call to confirm the arrangements or ask questions. The business owners contacted GSU to find out if the calls were real, and they were not. If you have questions about your account, call Greater Sudbury Utilities directly at 705-675-7536. If you are the victim of a fraud or attempted fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre 1-888-495-8501.
Transport truck crashes claimed 63 lives in 2018, OPP says:
The OPP says its statistics show that among the thousands of crashes in 2018 involving transport trucks, almost half — 40 per cent — involved a truck that was either following to closely or had made an improper lane change. With the provincial police service gearing up for another season of Operation Corridor, a 24-hour enforcement and education campaign, the OPP released some stats on crashes involving transport trucks last year. The OPP said it responded to 7,674 transport truck collisions last year. These crashes claimed 63 lives and caused 1,142 injuries. Nearly 75 per cent of the people killed in the collisions were passengers in other vehicles. Close to 80 per cent of last year's transport truck-related collisions were multi-vehicle crashes, making this a significant road safety issue, OPP said. Operation Corridor targets commercial vehicle drivers with the goal of reducing deaths, injuries and collisions that involve commercial motor vehicles.
New York's '80s drag scene, a trans bodybuilder and Emily Dickinson: Queer North Film Festival is underway:
It's been nearly 50 years since a pivotal moment in LGBT history — the Stonewall riots. These were a series of were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBT) community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. They are widely considered to be the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States. Fierté Sudbury Pride and Queer North Film Festival have teamed up this weekend to hold a 50th anniversary event in commemoration of the Stonewall riots as part of the film festival, which kicked off June 13 and runs until June 16. A vigil is being held at Sudbury Indie Cinema starting at 11 a.m. June 16, followed by a screening of the 2010 film “Stonewall Uprising” at 12 p.m. Get the full festival schedule here.
Holy *&@#! Ed the Sock is back and he’s coming to the Nickel City:
Ed the Sock was gone, but not forgotten, but now he’s back and who knows what hot button issue he’ll aim his acerbic wit at next. Yes, that’s right, Ed the Sock, who once made celebrities tremble on MuchMusic, is back, he’s on the road and he’s heading to Northern Ontario for the first time. Coming off dates in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario, having hosted a, by all accounts (especially his) hit show at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Ed the Sock and his partner in comedy crime, Liana K bring their “War on Stupid” comedy experience to Sudbury — or Stompin' Tom country, Ed would say. Full story here.
Friday Weather:
Periods of rain ending in the morning then clearing this afternoon. Friday's high will get up to around 21. Showers returning this evenign with up to 10 mm of rainfall. Overnight low dipping to 12. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
