Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Ontario taking four-week pause on any further re-openings:
Ontario health minister Christine Elliott announced Tuesday that the province will be taking a four-week pause on any loosening of restrictions or re-openings. The province confirmed 185 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as well as 158 cases on Sunday. "We will be taking pause of four weeks, or two two-week cycles of the virus before considering any further loosening of public health measures or further re-openings of businesses or facilities and organizations," said Elliott during Tuesday's press conference. "We did not make this decision lightly. Ontario's business leaders have shown incredible ingenuity and innovation in keeping our public safe, however we do need to ensure that the progress we've made is not lost. Taking a pause in further re-opening at this time will help us avoid returning to broad scale closures and shut downs." Speaking on what was the first day of school for many Ontario children, Elliott said that everything possible needed to be done to limit the spread of COVID-19. More on this story here.
Valley East man among trio found with drugs, explosives and numerous weapons:
A 38-year-old man from Valley East was one of three people facing numerous drug and weapons charges after the Ontario Provincial Police responded to a call of a suspected impaired driver. OPP officers responded to a call on Sept. 6 around 1 p.m. They found a vehicle in a parking lot on Magnetawan First Nation. After speaking with the driver, officers concluded the driver was under the influence of a drug. The driver was arrested and taken to police headquarters for further testing. Officers seized drugs including suspected cocaine, methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Officers also seized black brass knuckles, a butterfly knife, two blue swords with sheaths, a machete, an aluminum baseball bat, pepper spray, two folding knives, dynamite, an electric blasting cap and a non-electric blasting cap, and more than $10,000 in Canadian currency. The driver, a 42-year-old from Cleland Township, is charged with operation while impaired - alcohol and drugs. Get the full story here.
Man dies in hospital after morning collision on MR35:
An 86-year-old man died in hospital yesterday as a result of the collision on MR35 Tuesday morning. He was the driver and lone occupant of the single vehicle. He was pronounced dead at hospital, said the OPP. His name won't be released out of respect for his family's wishes. The road was closed for several hours as police investigated the collision. The investigation is ongoing.
Even with 99% of classes online, some LU students move into rez anyway:
First-year Laurentian University student Shaelynne Wallace showed up at the university’s West Residence on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 4 with a U-Haul trailer full of belongings and a handful of family members to help cart them to her room. She had just one hour to move her things into the residence as part of the university’s COVID-19 precautions (rez move-in was also spaced out Aug. 31 to Sept. 8 to promote social distancing, as opposed to the hectic usual two or three-day move-in period). While speaking to Sudbury.com, the education major couldn’t contain her excitement about the year to come. “I’ve loved children my entire life,” said the Hamilton resident. “That’s why I’ve wanted to go into this program. I’m so excited.” The thing is, 99 per cent of Laurentian’s classes will be delivered online this semester due to the pandemic, including all of Wallace’s. “I wanted to get the experience of being out on my own and just seeing the world on my own, and not living under mom and dad’s roof,” Wallace said. She was one of about 500 students who moved into Laurentian rez last week — normally there are about 1,200 students living in the university’s residences. Find more on this story here.
Scholar Strike: Staff, students hit pause on learning to push for racial justice:
Just as things are getting started this fall at for post-secondary institutions and students, some are starting their first week back by hitting the pause button on Learning. Professors and students at a number of institutions — including Laurentian University and Huntington University, both in Sudbury — are staging a two-day strike Wednesday and Thursday to protest racism. Classes for the fall officially started this week with a virtual Zoom academic day Tuesday at Laurentian. A small number of students are living in residence on campus with most classes being offered remotely. Plans are still being finalized regarding activities at Laurentian for the Scholar Strike, said Amélie Hien, a professor of French studies at Laurentian. She noted faculty are particularly busy at the start of the school year. The Scholar Strike, organized on university campuses throughout the country by professors, support staff and students, is a protest against racism and police violence toward members of the Black community and communities of colour. It was initiated by University of Pennsylvania African studies professor Anthea Butler. Inspired by the strike NBA players, she put out a tweet calling for a similar labour action from academics. More on this story can be found here.
Greater Sudbury municipal pools, fitness centres begin reopening this week:
City of Greater Sudbury municipal pools and fitness centres are starting to reopen this week following a shutdown in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “As fall approaches, seeing our indoor recreational facilities start to reopen is an encouraging next step in our fight against COVID-19,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger, in a press release. “But, like with every progressive step we’ve taken so far, we must remain diligent. While the numbers continue to move in the right direction, the virus has not disappeared. So whether you’re swimming laps or pumping iron, remember to keep your distance, wash your hands often, wear your mask where required and stay home if you’re feeling unwell.” Leisure facilities were closed by provincial emergency orders in March 2020. Before the province announced these facilities were permitted to reopen, the city began to review new restrictions and guidelines and develop reopening plans that consider staff resources, public health requirements and financial implications, said a press release. Due to the extensive safety protocols required, as well as uncertain demand and traditional lower usage during the summer months, further evaluation was required. In line with provincial orders and public health directives, a number of safety measures will be in place when these facilities reopen. Masks or face coverings will also be required upon entering a facility and in all common areas when the actual activity is not underway. More on this story here.
Discover: The A-B-G-Ds of coronaviruses in people and in pets:
COVID-19. The novel coronavirus. Named for the year it was found, COVID-19 disease and the virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2, has dominated the headlines to the point that most are overwhelmed with information and the constant need to be vigilant. We do need to talk about it, to keep it in our attention. So let’s talk coronavirus, but with a twist: What if we remove the ‘novel’? Well, then you have a virus that was first noticed in the 1930s, and began classification as a family not too long after. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are viruses that belong to the to the order Nidovirales in the subfamily Coronavirinae (family Coronaviridae) and are classified into four genera, Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Gammacoronavirus, and Deltacoronavirus. As easy as A, B, G, D. Wait… The coronavirus is named for its appearance. ‘Corona’ means crown, a reference to the red spike proteins that protrude from the spherical shape. (As an aside, Red Spike Proteins could be an excellent band name.) It affects mammals and birds, with the alpha and beta coronavirus affecting mammals, and the delta and gamma coronavirus affecting birds. Find more in the latest in Sudbury.com's Discover series here.
Wednesday Weather:
Another cool and damp day in the forecast for Wednesday. Cloudy today with a 60 per cent chance of showers. Today's high is only expected to get up to 12. Mainly cloudy this evening with periods of rain overnight. Low will drop down to 7. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
