Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Sudbury mother of two wins $1 million:
Sudbury has a brand new millionaire as Lisa D’Agostino said yes to ENCORE (Feb. 10, LOTTO MAX) and won $1 million. Lisa matched all seven winning numbers on her ENCORE selection. The mother of two played her ticket online using PlayOLG.ca. Hours following the draw, Lisa received an email notification, indicating that she had won the $1 million prize. She said she plans to use the winnings to take her husband and two children on a family vacation to Europe. Find the full story here.
Sudbury police station bomber dies:
One of the men convicted in the bombing of the Greater Sudbury Police station in the 1990s has died. Ion William Croitoru, 53, who wrestled as Johnny K-9 and Bruiser Bedlam in the WWF and Smoky Mountain Wrestling, was found dead in a Toronto halfway house, according to media reports. Croitoru was also a member of the Satan's Choice bike gang. n 1996, he and some friends were kicked out of Solid Gold, a former strip club in Sudbury, for wearing gang colours. They plotted revenge by planning to blow the place up, but changed their minds and ended up planting the device by police headquarters, blowing a hole in the side of the building and causing more than $100,000 damage. He was convicted in 1998, and sentenced to 33 months in jail. Find the full story here.
Community effort helps rescue injured snowmobiler:
A 51-year-old man was injured after crashing his snowmachine into a rock cut at the shore of Whitefish Lake shortly before noon on Feb. 23. Greater Sudbury Fire and Emergency Services responded to the crash, along with paramedics from Walden and members of the OPP, and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Police. GSFS Platoon Chief Andre Groulx says that it was a community effort that helped get paramedics and emergency responders to the injured man. Emergency personnel were able to hook up their RDC (rapid deployment craft) to a local's snowmachine in order to get the injured man up on to a backboard and ready for transport. The man was then airlifted to Health Sciences North by helicopter.
Radical changes proposed for city fire services:
Big changes are being proposed for Greater Sudbury's fire services, which have operated with a mix of career and volunteer firefighter stations since amalgamation 16 years ago. Public meetings are scheduled next week to give the public an overview of the plan. It would reduce the number of fire stations in the city to 15 from 24, relocate some stations to more central locations, reduce the reliance on volunteers and add several career firefighters. Read more here.
Wolves take on Colts and Steelheads this weekend:
The Sudbury Wolves host divisional rivals, the Barrie Colts and Mississauga Steelheads at home this weekend as they continue to fight to secure a playoff spot. The Wolves will kick off their week on Friday night when they host the Barrie Colts at 7 p.m. and will hit home ice once again on Saturday for the annual Vale Sudbury Saturday Night against the Mississauga Steelheads at 7 p.m. The Wolves will then travel to Mississauga on Sunday to complete a home and home series with the Steelheads at 2 p.m. Be sure to check back with Sudbury.com for recaps of all of the Wolves action from this weekend.
Dancing with Easter Seals Stars 2017 goes tonight:
Dancing with Easter Seals Stars takes place on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Caruso Club. This year’s diverse lineup of stars includes entrepreneurs, business professionals, a student, a science guy and a TV show contestant, to name a few. The event raises money for children with physical disabilities, helping to provide mobility equipment and communication devices, such as walkers, wheelchairs, porch lifts and ramps to families who require additional help and support in raising a child with a physical disability. Be sure to check back with Sudbury.com for photos of the competition and a list of winners.
In a time of walls, Canada and Finland understand bridges, Huntington U. prez says:
Huntington University hosted a luncheon at Bryston's on the Park in Copper Cliff and welcomed a distinguished guest: Vesa Lehtonen, Finland's new ambassador to Canada, in his first visit to Greater Sudbury. Lehtonen was named a fellow of the CFI (Canadian Finnish Institute), continuing a tradition that began in 2015 with Finland's previous ambassador to Canada, Charles Murto. Dr. Kevin McCormick, president and vice-chancellor of Huntington University, said the CFI's mission is to facilitate enhanced relationships between the people of Canada and Finland. Find the full story here.
City may switch to out-of-town provider, while slamming HSN for doing the same thing:
While some members of city council have been critical of Health Sciences North's decision to award its linen contract to an out of town firm, it seems the city budget will actually save money as a result. Last October, HSN announced it had a contract with Hamilton-based Mohawk Hospital Linen Services to clean its laundry. The move is expected to save $500,000 a year, but as a result, 38 people employed with Sudbury Hospital Services — some who have been with the company more than 25 years — will lose their jobs when the decision takes effect next month. Read the full story here.
Friday weather:
Winter weather expected to return as we head into the weekend. Snow mixed with ice pellets in the Friday forecast with high of just -3. Freezing rain and more ice pellets in the evening with the low sitting around -4. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
