Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Police identify two people believed to be involved in the murder of Robert Keskinen:
Greater Sudbury Police have identified 40-year-old Felicity Altiman as the person believed to be responsible for the murder of 75-year-old Robert Keskinen. Just before 2:15 p.m. on Jan.7, detectives from the GSPS Major Crimes Section with the assistance of members of the Integrated Crime Team located Altiman on Kathleen Street. The woman was taken into custody without incident. Felicity Altiman has been charged with Second Degree Murder and Indignity to a Dead Body in relation to this incident. She was held in custody overnight and was scheduled to attend bail court on Friday, Jan. 8 to answer to the charges. During the investigation, detectives also arrested and charged 36-year-old, Matthieu Doucet with Accessory After the Fact. He attended Bail Court on Dec. 31, 2020 and made a video remand appearance on Jan. 7 in relation to the charge. A publication ban has been issued in relation to this matter and no further details can be provided.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts reports eight new cases of COVID-19:
With Friday revealing the highest COVID-19 case count in Ontario history, the Sudbury health unit is reporting eight new cases locally. It is a drop from the 14 new cases reported on Thursday. Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) said the additional cases indicate that there are now 46 active cases being monitored by public health. This is the same number as Thursday because there were eight previous cases resolved in the past 24 hours. This means that since daily case tracking began by the health unit back in March of 2020, there have been 326 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of that number 280 cases are listed as resolved. The daily update page provided by PHSD revealed that six of the new cases were attributed to the Greater Sudbury area, one new case was attributed to the wider rural area of the Sudbury District and one new case is attributed to the Manitoulin area. Get the full story here.
Questioned Friday, Ford still had no firm details on Northern Ont. vaccine rollout:
“When we get the vaccine, you'll get the vaccine.” That essentially was the answer that Ontario Premier Doug Ford provided when Sudbury.com asked him Jan. 8 when this part of the province is going to be included in the vaccine rollout plans. So far, Queen's Park has focused vaccine distribution on so-called hotspots in Southern Ontario; areas such as Toronto, Peel region, York region, Ottawa and Windsor-Essex. To date, most Northern Ontario communities have not been part of the plan, with the exception of health-care workers in Thunder Bay and residents in a handful of remote First Nations communities. As the premier began his news briefing Friday morning, he mentioned that many people across Ontario are raising questions about the effectiveness of the Ontario vaccine plan. Ford said availability is the problem right now. He said vaccines are being administered to health-care workers for long term care homes, for hospitals and other venues as quickly as possible. Ford told reporters that current supplies of vaccines in Southern Ontario are quickly being depleted. More on this story here.
Cambrian says more than 380 students start new programs next week:
New year, new semester, new students, new hopes. With 2020 now in hindsight, more than 380 students will be starting their programs next week as the winter semester at Cambrian College gets underway. More first-semester students are expected as registrations continue until Jan. 15. Cambrian is offering program starts in over 30 different programs, including full- time and part-time options, its highest number ever as it continues its evolution as a year-round college. The list of programs with a January intake include skilled trades, health sciences, business and IT, engineering technology, community services and general studies. Also available in January are a number of graduate certificate programs for students who have already earned a college or university credential. “We’re very excited that so many new students have decided to start their post- secondary education; it’s such a great way to start the year,” said Paula Gouveia, Cambrian’s Vice-President, Academic, in a press release. “I think we all want a fresh start in 2021, and it’s inspiring to see that people are not letting the current COVID-19 pandemic put their hopes and dreams on hold.” For the January semester, theory will continue to be delivered online, with hands-on labs held on campus, following all current government and public health directives and COVID-prevention best practices. Full story can be found here.
Sudbury man posed as landscaper to take deposit money and run, says police:
A Sudbury man has been charged with fraud after he pretended to work for a local landscaping company, accepted deposits from customers, but did not complete any of the jobs, said Greater Sudbury Police. On Dec. 15, Greater Sudbury Police arrested and charged a 37-year-old man with six counts of fraud under $5,000 for multiple incidents that happened over the summer. Between May and September, the man accepted deposits from various community members for landscaping services on behalf of a local company. The deposits were accepted with the promise of the landscaping services being completed over the summer months. None of the jobs were completed, and, in the fall, the community members contacted police to file reports of fraud against him. Through the investigation, it was determined the man did not work for the local landscaping company and had no intention of completing the promised services, therefore committing Fraud. He was released on an undertaking with a court date of Feb. 12 to answer to the charges. More on this story here.
Provincial police charge 590 drivers with impaired during Festive RIDE campaign:
Provincial police nabbed 590 drunk drivers across Ontario through their Festive RIDE campaign. Furthermore, more than 190 drivers were issued immediate warn range suspensions on the roadside for having a blood alcohol concentration between 0.05 and 0.08. During the campaign, OPP officers conducted close to 6,700 RIDE checks throughout the province. “The OPP would like to thank citizens for making close to 2,500 calls to police to report suspected impaired drivers during the six-week initiative,” said a news release. “The OPP also thanks all citizens who stepped up as designated drivers and took other measures to ensure family and friends did not get behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol or drugs.” Drivers are reminded that officers continue to conduct mandatory alcohol screening. This Criminal Code authority makes it mandatory for drivers to comply with a demand for roadside breath testing even when officers have no suspicion that drivers have consumed any alcohol. The OPP also reminds drivers that officers conduct RIDE checks throughout the year on roads, trails and waterways. Citizens are encouraged to continue reporting suspected impaired drivers to police. The OPP Festive RIDE Campaign ran from Nov. 26, 2020, to Jan. 3, 2021.
