Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Judge ‘not persuaded’ media coverage has prejudiced jury pool against accused killer:
Robert Steven Wright’s murder trial will be held in Sudbury, a Superior Court judge has ruled. Justice Greg Ellies has refused the defence application for a change of venue for the second-degree murder case against Wright, as the presumption of juror impartiality was not diplaced, his ruling, released today, stated. Wright was arrested in December, 2018, for the Jan. 27. 1998 murder of Renée Sweeney, who died after being stabbed more than 30 times while at work at a Paris Street video store. As a result, the matter will be heard in Sudbury as long as pandemic restrictions don’t prevent it. Ellies said the trial may have to be held in a venue within the northeast region outside of Sudbury because of constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the timely disposition of all of the outstanding cases in the region. Full story can be found here.
Public Health Sudbury reports one new case of COVID-19 Thursday:
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is repored a new COVID-19 case in a resident in the service area of Greater Sudbury, Sudbury District, and Manitoulin District on Oct. 8. This is the 110th positive case of COVID-19 in the area. The latest case has been linked to travel. The individual was tested on Oct. 7 and is currently self-isolating. Through contact tracing, Public Health will notify all close contacts directly. If you are not contacted by Public Health, you are not considered a close contact.
Keep Thanksgiving gatherings small, avoid non-essential travel: Public Health Sudbury:
Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) is asking area residents to be COVID-safe for the coming holiday weekend. Recognizing that families and friends usually get together during Thanksgiving, the health unit is asking you to take precautions to keep the virus from spreading. “This Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks to everyone for the efforts and sacrifices you are making to plan for a COVID-safe celebration and keep the virus at bay,” said PHSD Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe. The health unit said it realizes that people travel and families like to get together over the holiday long weekend. It said the safest approach is to plan smaller celebrations and to limit gatherings to smaller groups. “This is not easy for any of us,” Sutcliffe said. “Changing traditions is hard as we figure out how to lower risks by going virtual or doing things outdoors; by wearing masks and keeping distance; and by sticking to smaller numbers and just our own households. These are sacrifices for which we all will be thankful in the weeks and months ahead.” PHSD also advised that travel should be limited since the COVID-19 virus is circulating at different levels around the province. It says the safest option is to avoid non-essential travel.
Ontario is failing long-term care residents on COVID and care, protesters say:
Despite some pay raises and promises that things are getting better in long-term care (LTC) homes, there is still a concern the Ontario Government is not doing anywhere near enough to solve the issues of staffing shortages and providing enough hands-on care for patients and it become especially critical because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was evident Thursday morning when protest rallies were held in Sudbury, in Toronto and in more than a dozen other cities across Ontario in an effort to keep the LTC issues on the front burner and keep the pressure on Premier Doug Ford's Conservative government. The provincewide protest was organized by the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), a lobby group with strong union ties that supports full public funding for all and every type of health care in Ontario. Although the protest was originally planned as an automobile event because of COVID-19 restrictions, it ended up with a couple of dozen sign-carrying protesters on the front lawn of Sudbury's Pioneer Manor, a municipally subsidized long-term care home. More on this story here.
Daytime drop-in warming centre for homeless now open on Frood Road:
People experiencing homelessness can now access services at the new Homelessness Network Day Centre, located at 19 Frood Rd. The Day Centre, a partnership between the City of Greater Sudbury, the Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury (CSCGS) and the Homelessness Network, offers drop-in services that were previously offered at the Sudbury Community Arena. “Our vulnerable population relies on the services of a daytime drop-in centre, for support, access to resources and shelter from the elements,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “Since March, the Sudbury Community Arena has been open to allow people access to washrooms and a safe place to eat their meals, but with services beginning to open, it was necessary to find another place where those experiencing homelessness can find warmth during the winter months.” Client navigators are on hand at the Day Centre to help identify client needs and refer them to appropriate services in the community. Other agencies can also access the Day Centre to connect with clients. Washrooms, computers and free wifi are also available. Full story can be found here.
Gateway Casino in Sudbury reopens Oct. 10:
Gateway Casino in Sudbury is set to open its doors Oct. 10. All Gateway Casino properties will be restricted to the government-mandated maximum of 50 guests, and will only include slot machines (at casinos where table-gaming is also offered). Gateway has implemented a new reservation and virtual queue system that will allow guests to book their play time online, check-in upon arrival and safely wait in their vehicles until it is their turn to enter. Due to the 50-customer capacity restrictions, properties will be open to invited My Club Rewards members only. Invited members will be notified by email with details on how to make reservations. Gateway said in a news release it has imposed strict cleaning protocols in all its properties and is being “hyper-vigilant” to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Find the full story here.
Friday Weather:
Mix of sun and cloud to start the day, becoming cloudy this afternoon. There's a 40 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon. Friday's high will be 16. Mainly cloudy this evening with chances of showers. There's a risk of a thunderstorm late in the evening and overnight. Low will be sitting at around 16. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
