Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
HSN expects PET scanner to be up and running by fall:
The long-awaited PET/CT scanner at Health Sciences North is now assembled and the hospital is aiming for the machine to be fully operational by the fall. "Our staff and physicians are excited to be ramping up services and seeing a very limited number of patients over the next few months," said HSN in a Facebook post Tuesday morning. "This will ensure that we implement a world class program and our staff and patients get the best possible long term results." These first patients are being medically prioritized in partnership with Cancer Care Ontario through Health Sciences North's Nuclear Medicine department. The hospital is planning a grand opening this fall when the PET/CT scanner up and running.
Sports program for kids with autism started by Sudbury mom:
A couple of years ago, Sara Kitlar-Pothier enrolled her now six-year-old son, Bohdan, in soccer. But Bohdan has autism, and found the whole experience too overwhelming. Kitlar-Pothier said there actually used to be a soccer league in Greater Sudbury geared to kids with special needs, but it has since folded. So the woman has taken it upon herself to start autism-friendly sports nights to get local families active. The sports nights will take place on four Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. during the month of August (Aug. 1, 8, 15 and 22) in the field beside the Coniston Arena at 70 Government Rd. There's no age restrictions, and the siblings of autistic children are welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Each night will focus on a different sport. For example, Aug. 1 will have a soccer theme, with kids learning soccer skills. Full story here.
Sudbury police warn about parody Facebook account that mimics the real thing:
Imitation is not always the sincerest form of flattery. Greater Sudbury Police Service is warning the public about a parody Facebook page that mimics its corporate page. The Facebook page named "Grater" Sudbury Police Service, along with two other satire pages City of "Grater" Sudbury and "Grater" Sudbury Public Library, popped up over the weekend. "We were made aware that the parody page had been commenting on numerous news and social media posts," Greater Sudbury Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn told Sudbury.com on Monday. "Although we appreciate the humour behind it, our concern is that at first glance, it looks like the comments are coming from our corporate account, specifically comments on the posts regarding the reintegration of a dangerous offender into our community, something that should not be made light of. "The safety of our community and children in our community is a top priority and to suggest anything less is concerning," Dunn said. Full story here.
Crime of the week: Couple allegedly stole senior's wallet and used credit card:
Sudbury Rainbow Crime Stoppers and the Greater Sudbury Police Service are seeking the public's assistance in identifying a pair of suspects related to a theft and fraud. On June 18, an older adult was shopping in the area of New Sudbury and had some difficulty with the PIN number at a cash register. Upon leaving the store, the older adult felt that they were being followed. A couple neared the victim’s vehicle and were uncomfortably close, between the cars. Later in the day, it was discovered that the victim’s wallet had been stolen. Upon contacting the bank, it was revealed that the victim’s credit card had been fraudulently used and an undisclosed amount of money was stolen. The suspect couple are described as between 30 to 40 years of age. The male has dark hair and a goatee. The female has light-coloured, shoulder length or longer hair. "These culprits will likely target more older adults by trying to capture their PIN number by looking over the shoulder of the victim," said Crime Stoppers in news release. If you know who committed this crime or any other crime, call Crime Stoppers at 705-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or submit a tip online at www.sudburycrimestoppers.com.
Up Here reveals the muralists who will leave their mark on downtown during August festival:
The fifth-anniversary edition of Up Here will see the creation of four new large-scale murals by four incredible artists: two international visitors and two Northern Ontarians. The urban art and music festival runs Friday, Aug. 16 to Sunday, Aug. 18, in Downtown Sudbury. Up Here worked with guest curator and contemporary graffiti-sculptor KWEST to attract the world-renowned street artists—RISK and TRAV MSK—who are coming to town specifically for the festival. The two other murals will be created by local artists, Laura Peturson and Matti Lehtalä. The Power Up Project is also back for a third straight year, providing electrical utility boxes as canvasses for six more local artists. Learn more about this year's mural artists here.
Police: Too many people still driving while distracted:
While the fines and other penalties have been increased, Greater Sudbury Police say too many people aren't getting the message about the dangers of distracted driving. “Within one hour today, Const. Weber issued two Part 3 summonses for distracted driving offences,” police tweeted Friday. “One person was texting and driving and the other was talking on a hand-held device. If convicted, they will face a max $1,000 fine – not to mention higher insurance rates!” In Ontario, police said, one person is injured every 30 minutes because of distracted driving collision every half hour. Under laws that came into effect in January, the first fine is $1,000, plus a three-day license suspension and three demerit points. A second conviction will get you a $2,000 fine, a week long license suspension and six demerits. Subsequent convictions will cost you $3,000 and you'll lose your license for a month.
Report: Happy Greater Sudbury a great place to retire:
Per capita, Greater Sudbury not only has the fastest growing population of seniors anywhere in Canada, they're among the happiest in the country. According to a story in Yahoo Finance, data from Statistics Canada places the Nickel City as the fourth best place in Canada to retire, trailing only the Saguenay and Trois-Rivières in Quebec and St. John's in Newfoundland and Labrador. “Sudbury has 330 lakes within the city limits, the most of any city in Canada,” says the story by journalist Emily Brandon. “A popular science museum, Science North, includes two snowflake-shaped buildings connected by a tunnel that contains evidence of an ancient meteorite impact and passes through a geological fault. The science centre sits atop glacially carved bedrock and overlooks Ramsey Lake. “Greater Sudbury residents have an average life satisfaction score of 8.2 out of 10, and 72.7 per cent of residents list a score of at least 8. Only 11.3 per cent of residents rate their life satisfaction as 6 or lower.”
Wednesday Weather:
Mainly sunny today with a few clouds in the afternoon. Wednesday's high will get up to 26, feeling like 30. A few clouds rolling in this evening with increasing cloudiness into the morning. Overnight low will be around 15. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
