Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Fourth death linked to COVID-19 outbreak at Amberwood Suites confirmed:
Public Health Sudbury & Districts reported one additional death related to the outbreak declared at Amberwood Suites retirement home in Greater Sudbury. This is the fourth resident death associated with the outbreak. "Out of respect during this difficult time, no further details will be provided," said PHSD in a news release. "Public Health Sudbury & Districts offers sincere condolences to the family, friends, and caregivers affected by this loss and throughout this difficult time." There have now been six COVID-19 deaths in Greater Sudbury and area since March, with four in the past week. "The protection of our most vulnerable populations is of the utmost importance. Everyone is urged to continue following public health measures to protect others and stop the spread of COVID-19," said PHSD. Public Health declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Amberwood Suites retirement home following the report of a case of COVID-19 in a resident on Jan. 5. To date, there have been 38 cases of COVID-19 associated with this outbreak among 33 residents and five staff members.
Council gets their first look at 2021 draft budget:
Greater Sudbury city council and those who tuned in to Tuesday's finance and administration committee meeting, got their first look at the 2021 Greater Sudbury draft budget. The draft budget will receive review in the coming weeks, ahead of its final approval in March. City CAO Ed Archer presented the draft budget on Tuesday evening, going through the highlights of the plan for the city's finances for 2021 with a budget that will see a 3.9 per cent property tax increase after assessment growth. In very basic terms, should council approve the budget at a 3.9 per cent tax increase, a home worth $230,000 will see a property tax increase of $120 for the year, a home worth $450,000 will see a property tax increase of $235 for 2021. Council will also have the option for a 2021 property tax increase with a special capital levy of 5.4 per cent, which would mean a $166 increase to property taxes for the same home worth $230,000. Outlined in the presentation were a $630 million operating budget for 2021 and a $134 million capital budget. Full story here.
War veteran and volunteer, the region’s first COVID-19 vaccine recipient has lived to serve:
Donald Fisher, known to some as ‘Scotty,’ is known to others as: Don, Pappa, Grandpa, very recently great-grandpa, ‘Buddy’ to his sister-in-law Evelyn, ‘My hero’ to his other sister-in-law, Jeannette, and Donnie-Onnie (thanks to his love of rhyming everyone else’s name.) You can also replace Fisher with its original, Odjig. More on that later. There is also ‘Odiepop,’ the name given to him by his grandson, Drake, and often called out to his grandfather while Fisher would take his daily walks past the school. A name also given to him by the entirety of Drake’s schoolmates, who would call out to him just as his grandson did. Other titles? Veteran of the Second World War, chief engineer on The Philip R. Clark, beloved Wiikwemkoong community leader, nonagenarian, recipient of the 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Union of Ontario Indians, golf-enthusiast, a joker and … The first COVID-19 Vaccine recipient in Northeastern Ontario. He said it only hurts a little, just in case you were wondering. Get the full story here.
Former track coach David Case sentenced to serve 45-month jail term:
Former Sudbury track coach David Case has been sentenced to 45 months in jail for the sexaul assault, assault and assault causing bodily harm on a former athlete he later married. Superior Court Justice Alex Kurke delivered his sentencing Tuesday after dismissing Case’s application for a mistrial. Case was found guilty in March. Case’s defence lawyer Nicholas Xynnis informed the court before Kurke was about to hand down sentencing Jan. 4 that he was filing an application for mistrial. During the trial, Kurke told the court he found the complainant’s spontaneous admittance on the witness stand that she had once held a knife to Case's throat added to her credibility. Kurke dismissed the application for mistrial ahead of sentencing. Case was sentenced to 36 months for sexual assault, nine months to be served concurrently for assault, and another nine months to be served consecutively for assault causing bodily harm, for a total of 45 months. Find the full story here.
Man who left woman with ‘life-altering’ facial injuries after violent sexual assault may have attacked others:
A 53-year-old man has been charged with aggravated sexual assault following a violent overnight attack Jan. 16. Greater Sudbury Police say just before 3 a.m., they received a report from a community member who was flagged down on Frood Road by a woman who appeared to have been beaten. As a result of the investigation, it was determined that the woman had been sexually assaulted by a man, and when she declined his sexual advances, he proceeded to physically assault her, causing serious, life-altering injuries to her face and minor injuries to her body. The woman was able to identify the man responsible for the attack. Just before 9 p.m. Jan. 18, officers located the suspect on Frood Road and placed him under arrest for aggravated sexual assault. He was held in custody overnight and was due to attend bail court today (Jan. 19). Based on the investigation, there are concerns there may be other survivors. If you have any information related to this incident or this individual, you are asked to phone Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171.
MISSING: Police seeking information on whereabouts of missing teen:
Greater Sudbury Police are seeking information on the whereabouts of 16-year-old Jason Mathieu. The teen was last seen on Jan. 13 at around 7:30 a.m. on Grenoble Street in Garson. Mathieu is described as 5-6, 125 lbs. with black hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing black and red shoes; there are no other clothing descriptors at this time. Police have indicated that there is concern for the teen's wellbeing. Anyone with information on where Jason Mathieu may be is asked to contact GSPS at 705-675-9171.
COVID-19 vaccine rollout: Adverse events being watched but no one has needed hospitalization:
The Ontario Ministry of Health told reporters Tuesday there have been some adverse events with COVID-19 vaccines, but nothing that has resulted in any hospitalizations of the vaccine recipients. The information was provided at a mid-morning technical briefing at Queen's Park to provide background information on the proviso that none of the high-level Ministry of Health officials taking part would be identified. There was a question of whether any adverse events were being measured, especially for vulnerable and elderly residents who are receiving vaccines such as the Pfizer BioNtech and Moderna vaccines. A ministry official responded that the monitoring of adverse events following immunizations is a key part of the program. "Certainly with these, given they're relatively new vaccines, there is a mechanism and a requirement that any adverse event be reported to the local health department and then investigated through Public Health Ontario and up to the federal level." At that level, said the ministry official, there is a committee that would look at the adverse event to determine whether the reaction was indeed the result of a vaccine or whether it was a coincidence to another condition. Get the full story here.
Wednesday Weather:
Sunny to start the day with increasing cloudiness late in the morning then periods of snow. Expect up to 2 cm of snow today with the high only getting up to -9. It's going to be frigid out there this morning, feeling like -27 with the wind in the morning and -19 in the afternoon. Up to 5 cm of snow could hit Sudbury this evening. Temperature will be steady at -8 overnight, rising to -1 by Thursday morning. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
