Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Court confirms May 25 start for murder trial for accused Renée Sweeney killer Robert Steven Wright:
A five-week jury trial beginning May 25 has been confirmed for the man police allege brutally murdered Renée Sweeeny in 1998. The second-degree murder trial for Robert Steven Wright will begin May 25, and will continue the weeks of May 31, June 7, June 14 and June 21. It still remains unknown at this time whether the trial will be held in Sudbury, despite Wright’s motion for a change of venue being denied earlier this year. The dates were confirmed Nov. 17 in assignment court. Furthermore, the Crown and Wright’s defence team have scheduled dates of Feb. 1-5 for a disclosure application, as well as April 6 and April 19 for pretrial motions. On Feb. 25, both parties will discuss a Crown motion to have expert witnesses not residing in this jurisdiction to testify via video link during the trial. Dec. 11 will mark two years since Wright was arrested while working as a medical laboratory technician at a hospital in North Bay. He was charged with first-degree murder, but that has since been downgraded to second-degree murder.
Pothole claims against the city down significantly from last year:
Pothole claims against the city have taken a sharp downturn in 2020, after the number of claims in 2019 more than doubled the five-year average. "Given the weather conditions experienced within the City of Greater Sudbury, pothole claims are inevitable," said an information report that was brought before the city's finance and administration committee on Nov. 17. "The harsh winter conditions along with numerous freeze/thaw events; potholes do develop in the roadways." In 2019, the city had 553 pothole claims and paid 72 of those claims at a total cost of $187,909, with $33,517 going to claimants and $154,392 in adjuster fees. Those numbers were a sharp increase over the 2018 figures that saw the city take 234 pothole claims and pay out on just 26 claims at a cost of $91,467, with $13,032 going to claimants and $78,435 going to insurance adjusters. So far in 2020, there have been 84 pothole claims, with the city paying $4,150 to six claimants, with a total cost of $28,219 including adjuster fees. Get the full story here.
Build a mini-float for the Greater Sudbury Virtual Santa Claus Parade:
The Greater Sudbury Santa Claus Parade Committee, Greater Sudbury Public Library and EastLink TV are bringing the holiday spirit to children across the city in a COVID-safe way. You can watch the Greater Sudbury Virtual Santa Claus Parade on EastLink TV or YouTube on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. Families are encouraged to enter a miniature float built from a shoebox, book or other flat surface. Top with favourite action figures, holiday ornaments, mini-lights or whatever comes to mind. Attach a ribbon or string to pull the float and film the action. Be sure to use a plain background or decorate a background with wrapping paper. Check out how to enter your virtual float in this year's parade here.
‘People … are struggling like never before’: Salvation Army launches Christmas Kettle campaign:
The Salvation Army has seen a 19-per-cent increase in the number of people who have visited this year because of delayed wages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, people listing homelessness as their reason for visits has doubled since 2019, and things won’t be easing any time soon. The Salvation Army has seen the number of people needing support skyrocket almost five times over last year in some locations across the country. It is a worrying and unprecedented jump not seen since the Second World War by the organization, said a news release from The Salvation Army. As the coronavirus continues to impact lives, it is expected that the need for support will continue to grow in the coming months. As the urgency increases, The Salvation Army is set to launch its 2020 Christmas Kettle Campaign – the organization’s largest public fundraising drive of the year. “This year, we see evidence that the people we serve are struggling like never before,” says Lt-Colonel John P. Murray, spokesperson for The Salvation Army. “We refuse to let the pandemic steal their Christmas joy. That’s why The Salvation Army is providing those in need with food, shelter and other essentials. We need the help and support of Canadians who can donate more now than ever.” In Sudbury, the campaign has a fundraising goal of $255,000. Every donation to a Christmas kettle in Sudbury remains in Sudbury, to support local needs. More on this story here.
Public Health Sudbury reports another new COVID-19 case:
Public Health Sudbury and Districts reported another COVID-19 case in its service area on Nov. 17. The latest case, No. 210 in the region, is from Greater Sudbury. The exposure category is close contact of a confirmed case. No further information about this case was provided. There are now 27 active cases in the region, down 16 from Monday.
Ontario confirms 1,249 new COVID cases Tuesday:
Public Health Ontario has reported 1,249 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, as well as 12 deaths and 1,135 recoveries. The province reported the deaths of one person between the age of 60 and 79 years old and 11 people over the age of 80. Three of the people who died were residents of long-term care facilities. Since Monday, 50 people have been hospitalized with the coronavirus and six people have been admitted to intensive care units. Cases continue to be most prevalent in people aged 20 to 59, with 830 of today's cases falling in that category. There were 133 new school-related cases reported on Tuesday, including 73 student cases, 23 staff cases and 37 unidentified cases. The province's public health agency noted 569 of Tuesday's new cases are from Toronto, 256 are from Peel and 94 are from York Region. Get the full breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Ontario here.
Just desserts: Smile Cookies raise record $50,860 for HSN Foundation:
Health Sciences North (HSN) Foundation received a record-breaking $50,860 from the local Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign to support priority needs at HSN. The campaign, which ran the week of Sept. 14, brought Tim Horton’s restaurant owners, volunteers and the community together to support charities during an unprecedented year. One-hundred-per-cent of the proceeds from Smile Cookies sold at the two Tim Hortons located at the main hospital site, and a portion from others in the City of Greater Sudbury, goes towards supporting quality patient care at HSN. HSN Foundation offered the popular Smile-A-Grams once again this year as part of the campaign, with over 180 packages of Smile Cookies with personalized messages sold to staff, volunteers and patients throughout the hospital. Get the full story here.
Wednesday Weather:
Sunshine overhead for Wednesday with temperatures near the freezing mark. Mainly sunny today with the daytime high sitting at -1. It's going to feel like -6 with the wind chill. Cloudy this evening with the temperture hovering around zero. Overnight low will feel like -8 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.
