Good morning, Greater Sudbury
Here are some stories to start your day.
Tearful owner of dogs accused in vicious attack makes court appearance:
A tearful Angela Trauner appeared in provincial offences court Monday related to a vicious attack on a dog Jan. 4 that left the pup with mortal wounds. Trauner will be back March 13 along with her son, Nick Coppo, who is also charged with failing to keep care and control of their two dogs, who are accused in the attack on Tonka, a Norwegian elkhound. Tonka later had to be put down because of his injuries. On Monday, Trauner denied it was her dogs that attacked Tonka. She said there are two similar – but larger – dogs who live in their Lively neighbourhood who are likely responsible. Find the full story here.
Candlelight vigil for victims of attack at Quebec City mosque:
There will be a candlelight vigil held in Memorial Park on Jan. 31 as a showing of solidarity for those affected by the attack in Quebec City that claimed the lives of six men on Jan. 29. The vigil will begin at 5 p.m.and run until 6 p.m.
Rainbow Board to discuss vacant trustee position tonight:
Rainbow District School Board trustee Larry Killens and board chair Doreen Dewar have been butting heads regarding the trustee seat vacated by Tyler Campbell back in December. The board voted in favour of appointing a candidate to replace the outgoing trustee, which Killens is in disagreement with. Killens will be putting forward a motion this evening to rescind the motion to replace Cambpell through an appointment. Sudbury.com will bring you more from this evening's meeting later tonight.
Province to create 100,000 more child care spaces:
Representatives from the Minstry of Education were in Sudbury on Jan. 30 to discuss the creation of 100,000 new licensed child care spaces for children under the age of four. The spaces will be rolled out starting this year and over the next five years. This number will double the capacity for children ages 0-4, increasing access from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of children in that age group. Estimates indicate that between 45 to 50 per cent of children in the age range of 0-4 are in need of licensed care. Sudbury.com will bring you more on this story later today.
Sudbury hospital bucks trend towards 24/7 visiting hours:
Despite a trend towards Ontario hospitals introducing 24/7 patient visiting hours, Health Sciences North is not anticipating any changes to its current visiting hours policy at this time. In an email to Sudbury.com, hospital spokesperson Dan Lessard said that in 2014, HSN's visiting hours were expanded from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visitors are allowed to remain past these hours in exceptional circumstances, such as in palliative care. Read the full story here.
LOL Sudbury announcement coming today:
The countdown is almost over, as LOL Sudbury will make a major announcement regarding the 2017 installment of the popular comedy festival. The festival's website has had a live countdown running since last Friday, and today at 11 a.m. they will announce show dates, performers and more. Be sure to check back with Sudbury.com as we'll bring you all the details once they become available.
Spike in off-road and pedestrian deaths 'troubling': OPP:
The Ontario Provincial police said they are troubled by data showing an increase in the number of on-road, off-road, marine and pedestrian deaths across the province in 2016 compared to the year before. While all of the traffic data numbers are preliminary, the OPP is reporting 276 fatal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) on OPP-patrolled roads in 2016, where 309 people were killed. By comparison, there were 262 fatal MVCs in 2015, killing 301 people. Early data suggests that driver inattention, speed, alcohol and/or drugs, and lack of occupant restraint — known as the Big Four — were again causal factors in a high percentage of the overall road deaths last year. Find the full story here.
Tuesday weather:
The sun will disappear for a few days but it's going to be warming up a bit out there on Tuesday. Mainly cloudy today with a 40 per cent chance of flurries and a high of -6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
