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Good Morning, Sudbury! Have you voted? Here are 8 stories to start your day

Here's a roundup of what happened over the weekend, and some things you might want to take not of for this week
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Today is election day in the City of Greater Sudbury. Make sure to exercise your democratic right and vote. (File)

Good morning, Greater Sudbury.

Here are some stories to start your day.

Join us at Sudbury.com for live coverage of the municipal election

It's voting day in Greater Sudbury. By the end of the day, Sudburians will have elected a new mayor and council. Will Brian Bigger keep his seat? Or will a newcomer grab the reins? Every election is important, but this one has been more important than others. This particular election has become a referendum on the big legacy projects - including the Kingsway Entertainment District - instigated by the city council elected in 2014. Sudbury.com's election coverage, which began all the way back in the summer, will culminate on Election Day. Join managing editor Mark Gentili and Nick Liard, the news director for Kiss 105.3 and 92.7 Rock, as they host our live Election Night show on Sudbury.com. Starting at 7 p.m., we will bring you stories and analysis, all leading up to the polls closing and the announcement of the winners. After you cast your ballot, check back here on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. to find out what happens.

Election roundup for October 18:

Election day is here, but candidates continued to make their push over the weekend, offering up press releases into the last minutes. Here's what was said over the weekend: Ward 5 candidate Robert Kirwan is asking Sudburians to vote for the incumbent mayor and ward councillors who have been equally resolute in their commitment to the Kingsway Entertainment District. Kirwan said he is proud of the tenacity shown my his fellow councillors in choosing the Kingsway location. “We did not put things off like so many other councils in the past,” he said in a release. “And we have not settled for a compromise just to keep the peace. We have remained steadfast in our resolve that the decision we made was the best decision for the future of the City of Greater Sudbury and we are not going to settle for anything less. I call that leadership.” Mayoral candidate Bill Crumplin is questioning the ethics of his competition who are campaigning with iPads or tablets to help people vote. He said he believes by doing so, Sudburians may feel obligated to vote for the candidate provididing the electronic device. “I question the psychology behind and the ethics of supplying an iPad to a voter,” he said. Crumplin also said the toughest question to answer during his campaign was what he would do to mend the rift between residents and councillors over issues like the Kingsway Entertainment District. He said he's spent a great deal of time pondering that question, and said while there's a lot of work to do, he would ensure that potential stakeholders are identified and invited to participate in major project discussions. “Council, appropriate staff and management will explain why a project is up for consideration. Clearly explaining the ‘why’ of a project is a crucial step in achieving consensus in a respectful and open manner.” As well, in one of his final press releases on Sunday, Crumplin said the City of Greater Sudbury shouldn't be run like a business. Government and business are different. “Governments must be fiscally responsible,” Crumplin says, “but they are different than businesses and do, therefore, require more nuanced fiscal and operational approaches.” Mayoral candidate Dan Melanson says the biggest issue this campaign is roads, and he believes construction standards and materials used by the city need to change.  “We cannot afford to continue building roads that start deteriorating soon after they are completed,” Melanson says. “As mayor, I will gather together the city’s road building experts, local road construction companies, geotechnical companies and asphalt product manufacturers together to develop a process based on the new technology and information available to review and change our current road building standards.” Mayoral candidate Jeff Huska says while he hasn't joined in the name calling and personal attacks, he will not hesitate to stand up for and defend his passion for the City of Greatre Sudbury. He says he's tried his best to treat others with respect and dignity, and that will continue if elected, promising a different type of leadership with honesty, integrity and consistency. Ward 7 candidate Mike Jakubo is encouraging voters to choose a city council that brings experience, results and co-operatoin to the table. He says each councillor is only one vote among a council of 12, meaning in order to be an effective voice for your ward, councillors must be able to see eye to eye in order to advance the city. “Those elected are only 1 of 13 votes on any decision. Only by collectively seeing the forest, not the trees, will Ward 7 and our City be able to fully realize it’s true potential.” You can stay up to date on all your election news with Sudbury.com's election page and be sure to tune in for our live election night show on Oct. 22. 

Police reviewing sex assaults:

Greater Sudbury Police, in co-operation with several community groups, have created a committee to review all sexual assault cases in the city. The move is in part a reaction to a Globe & Mail story last year that found 33 per cent of complaints filed with Sudbury police are dismissed as “unfounded.” That compares with the national unfounded rate of 19.39 per cent – nearly twice as high as it is for physical assault (10.84 per cent), and dramatically higher than that of other types of crime. In the five years of data examined in the article, the highest unfounded rate was in 2012, when 38 per cent of complaints in Sudbury were dismissed, or 77 of 202 allegations. The lowest was in 2013, when 28 per cent were dismissed, or 52 of 189 complaints. That compares to 12.2 per cent of assault cases being dismissed over the same time period, 2010-2014. For the full story, click here.

Azilda man fined for using his truck to kill a moose:

An Azilda man has been fined $4,000 for using a vehicle to hunt. Clint Geley pleaded guilty and was fined $4,000 for using his truck to kill a bull moose. He received a two-year probation order and is required to complete the Hunter Education Course within the next three months. The moose was forfeited to the Crown. Court heard that on Oct. 19, 2017, conservation officers with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry received information that Geley reported a motor vehicle collision with a moose on Jay Lake Road in Chelsea Township, south of Hornepayne. However, upon inspection, it was determined that Geley’s vehicle did not sustain any damage. For the story, click here.

The joys of coaching

The telltale signs were there early for Dale Beausoleil. “I knew when I was at Confederation (Secondary School) that I wanted to coach and I wanted to teach,” he said. Just to be clear, that was when the now highly decorated volleyball coach at Cambrian College, Lasalle Secondary and Northeastern Public School was still in high school himself, attending Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron. In fact, while still a relatively young teen, Beausoleil convinced his then coach with the Chargers, Sam Demarchi, to allow him to tackle a team on his own. The results set the stage for years and years of incredible success to follow, as the talented multi-sport athlete guided a senior girls team at Confederation to their first city championship in school history, back in 1985. “I knew that I could handle my own team,” said Beausoleil, blessed with a ton of confidence, yet not a single ounce of arrogance. “I was still an athlete, but at the same time, I wanted to give back, I wanted to make people better, even in the classroom.” For the full story, click here.

Two wins for the Wolves

The Sudbury Wolves continued their winning ways over the weekend, bringing their record to 8 wins with victory against both the Hamilton Bulldogs (7-2)and the Hamilton Frontenacs(2-0). For highlights of Friday's game, click here. https://www.sudbury.com/sports/wolves-win-wild-one-on-elgin-street-1091828For highlights from Saturday's game, click here.

Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive happens Wednesday:

A longstanding tradition of caring will continue again this year when Lockerby students and teachers canvass the city and surrounding communities on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 6 - 9 p.m.  Lockerby will celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive next week as they continue their work in support of the Northeast Cancer Centre. Students will be wearing identifiable ribbons and issuing receipts for every donation. The funds are to be dedicated to the Pediatric Oncology Program of the Northeast Cancer Centre at Health Sciences North. This year marks the 23rd anniversary of Lockerby’s tribute to former student Laura Cotesta who left the school with a legacy. Laura started this campaign while she was attending Lockerby, but also while she was fighting her own battle with cancer. For the story, click here.

Monday Weather:

It's election day in Greater Sudbury, and the weather forecast calls for mainly cloudy with a 40-per-cent chance of flurries or rain showers changing to 40-per-cent chance of rain showers in the morning. High plus 5. UV index 2 or low. Tonight, it will be cloudy with 30-per-cent chance of rain showers or flurries. Low plus 2.For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.


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