Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Sudbury Five ‘devastated’ by sudden death of young player Carl Lewis:
The Sudbury Five team and fans are mourning the loss of one of the organization’s rising stars. The passing of Carl Lewis III was announced on social media on Nov. 17. The date of his passing was not released. Lewis was 19. According to media reports, the Los Angeles Country Medical Examiner reported Lewis was the victim of gun violence in his home community of Compton, California. The NBC affiliate in Los Angeles also reported on his death. No arrests have been made. In a news release, the Five said it was “deeply saddened and devastated” by the young player’s death, calling him an “extremely” talented player and a valued member of the team. “As a coach, I think you prepare for a lot of things, but the death of a player is something you don’t ever expect or prepare for,” said Five GM and Head Coach Logan Stutz. “It’s definitely tough right now.” More on this story here.
Expert: Hand-washing, distancing and masking have seriously blunted the flu season:
While it might be too early to judge the impact that influenza is having in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, early indications are that the annual flu season in Canada has been significantly blunted. That was one of the key revelations made during a joint webinar hosted Wednesday by Laurentian University and Science North as part of their regular Let's Talk About COVID-19 series on social media. The latest teleconference featured physiology professor David MacLean, division of medical sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Meghan McCue, Ph.D. Candidate in the Biomolecular Sciences at Laurentian University, and Amy Henson, Staff Scientist at Science North. MacLean commented on the flu season in response to a question from Henson on whether public health precautions — handwashing, physical distancing and masking — are making any sort of a difference. The short answer, Maclean said, is absolutely. "We are having a very blunted flu season. And that's not surprising," Maclean told the webinar. He said the trend was first noticed in Australia and other southern hemisphere countries where the current influenza strain occurred in mid-2020. "In Canada for example, in the national flu report, one of the crazy things I read, has just shown that in the first week of November (this year), we did not have one hospitalized case of influenza in any province or territory. We had 60 at this time last year," MacLean said. Full story here.
Growing pains for local beef jerky maker as he takes a bite out of the competition:
The road to success is often filled with bumps, twists and turns, and that couldn’t be more true for a Sudbury small business owner who has done so well for himself, he now needs to find a new facility that meets more demanding legislation. Shawn Scott is the owner and operator of Local Jerky Plus, a home-based operation out of Copper Cliff. The business has only been around for about a year, but has managed to take a bite out of the competition, to the point Scott has encountered some unexpected challenges that resulted in his business being shut down. When he first set up shop in his home, Scott’s intention was to sell his beef jerky at local events, directly from his shop to the mouths of hungry customers. Of course, he always had an eye on expansion, but he said he did not realize that would require an entirely new facility. Get the full story here.
Sudbury woman, 20, charged with impaired after Manitoulin Island crash:
A 20-year-old Sudbury woman is facing impaired driving charges after crashing a vehicle on Manitoulin Island over the weekend. The OPP responded to the report of a single motor vehicle collision on Highway 540 in Ojibways of Sucker Creek First Nation at around 12:52 a.m. Nov. 15. The driver was not injured, but police say she had consumed alcohol. A roadside investigation resulted in the driver being arrested and brought to the Little Current OPP detachment for further testing. The woman was charged with: Operation While Impaired - Alcohol and Drugs, Operation While Impaired - Blood Alcohol concentration (80 Plus) and Drive Motor Vehicle - No Licence. She was released on an Appearance Notice and a Provincial Summons and is scheduled to appear in Gore Bay court Dec. 16. The accused was issued a 90-day Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.
Laurentian students getting extended winter break after Senate approves motion:
Laurentian University will be extending its winter break by one week, with students returning to class Jan. 11 instead of Jan. 4. A motion was approved by Laurentian’s Senate on Nov. 17 that extends the winter break and moves other winter semester dates forward by a week. This comes as the Ontario government has decided against an extended winter break for elementary and secondary students. Laurentian confirmed in an email to Sudbury.com Nov. 18 that the Senate's motion will be implemented. "This change has been made with students, faculty, and staff at the centre of considerations," said Laurentian president Robert Haché in a message that was to be shared with the community Wednesday. "While we have not yet determined the many procedural changes involved with this decision, we will be communicating the details as they are resolved. In particular, there will be follow up with academic programs that may have specific requirements that might otherwise be impacted by this shift in timing." Get the full story here.
Wanted Wednesday: Canada-wide warrant still outstanding on Tyler Thrones:
Greater Sudbury Police is still seeking the public’s help in tracking down a 29-year-old Kapuskasing man wanted on several charges, including three counts of conspiracy to commit murder. GSPS holds a an outstanding warrant for Tyler Thrones, 29. The warrant has since been upgraded to a Canada-wide warrant. The crimes for which Thrones is wanted are alleged to have been committed in Greater Sudbury in April. He is wanted on three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and one count each of extortion and criminal harassment. Thrones is described as 5-10 tall, approximately 170 lbs. with short brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information related to Thrones or his whereabouts is asked to contact police at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-TIPS, online at www.sudburycrimestoppers.com.
Miss Greater Sudbury participants raise more than $3K for cancer charity:
The Miss Greater Sudbury pageant has announced its 2021 youth ambassadors. The Greater Sudbury Youth Ambassador Organization and all participating delegates were able to raise an impressive $3,335 for its official charity, the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer. You can find the full list of ambassadors here.
Thursday Weather:
Some warmer weather will settle in for the next two days. Mix of sun and cloud for Thursday with the daytime high getting up to 7. Partly cloudy this evening with the low sitting at 3. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
