NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

St. Thomas teen missing

January 27, 2014 | 0 Comments

St. Thomas Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Bailey Kellestine, 13. Ms. Kellestine left her residence on Jan. 25. She has lived in St. Thomas for her entire life and is familiar with the city. Police are asking for help in locating Ms. Kellestine in order to ensure she has shelter from…

Arrest in knifepoint robbery

January 27, 2014 | 0 Comments

Aylmer Police picked up a Malahide man, 21, just four hours after a masked knifepoint robbery at Downtown Convenience Monday, Jan. 27, at 9:30 a.m., and an hour later charged him with robbery. Police Chief Andre Reymer said this was the fourth robbery in as many years at the store. Three had resuled in charges laid by…

Rural schools closed due to snow

January 27, 2014 | 0 Comments

Several rural schools in the area were closed on Monday, Jan. 27 due to overnight snow that had created poor road conditions. Thames Valley District School Board closed New Sarum, Port Stanley, South Dorchester, Southwold, Sparta and Summers Corners public schools due to bus cancellations. East Elgin Secondary School and McGregor Public School in Aylmer…

New Sarum “Volleyball Extravaganza”

January 23, 2014 | 0 Comments

Grade 5 pupil Jocelyn Drenth returned a serve during a two-hour “Volleyball Extravaganza” at New Sarum Public School, Wednesday, Jan. 22. Grade 5 through 8 pupils participated in the event, which was raising money for a planned Grade 8 graduation trip to Camp Celtic in the Bruce Peninsula in the spring.

War Amps “awesome”

January 22, 2014 | 0 Comments

Brennan Piché-Leclaire, 13, of Aylmer is hoping to become a junior counsellor for The War Amps of Canada CHAMP (Child Amputee) program starting this summer. “They’re awesome,” he said with feeling about the organization and the help it has given both to him and his parents over his lifetime. For Brennan, who was born without…

County rejects farm tax break

January 15, 2014 | 0 Comments

Elgin County councillors on Tuesday, Jan. 14, unanimously rejected a request from Elgin Federation of Agriculture for a rejigging of property tax on agricultural land. Councillors unanimously rejected a request from EFA to have the tax rate for farm fields lowered from a quarter of what residential properties paid. Local farmers saw the value of…

Flooding reported in Port Bruce

January 14, 2014 | 0 Comments

The recent warmer weather along with rain over the weekend helped create an ice jam within Catfish Creek at Port Bruce, seen here on Sunday, Jan. 12. Malahide officials issued a flood warning for the watershed area and Port Bruce specifically Saturday night and minor flooding was reported in a few areas. An elderly couple…

Van fire spreads to two homes

January 14, 2014 | 0 Comments

A fire that started in a mini-van parked in the driveway of 211 Talbot Street East in Aylmer on the evening of Friday, Jan. 10 spread to that house as well as the neighbouring house to the east. Volunteer firefighters managed to contain the fire but not before it destroyed the van, caused extensive damage…

Neighbour protests Sunday morning gunfire

January 14, 2014 | 0 Comments

Central Elgin councillors on Monday night, Jan. 13, approved an exemption to the municipal bylaw to allow the St. Thomas Gun Club to hold trap-shooting competitions the mornings of Sunday, Jan. 19, and Sunday, May 18. The bylaw normally forbids shooting Sunday mornings. Matthew Campbell, who said he resided 800 metres from the gun club,…

Early flood warning issued

January 10, 2014 | 0 Comments

Officials with Catfish Creek Conservation Authority and Kettle Creek Conservation Authority both issued separate early warnings on Friday, Jan. 10 about the potential for high water and flooding in their watersheds. The warmer temperatures forecast that day and the next day along with expected rain and melting snow could raise the water levels in the…

Essay House owners running for council

January 10, 2014 | 0 Comments

The owners of the Malahide home that is the prize of an essay writing contest are running in this fall’s municipal election in Aylmer. Calvin Brydges and his wife Diana both filed nomination papers on Thursday, Sept. 9 with the Clerk’s office in Aylmer and are seeking council positions in the Oct. 27 election. Mr.…

Malahide favours Complex library

January 10, 2014 | 0 Comments

Malahide councillors will ask their Aylmer counterparts if the town would like to park a planned expanded library in the community hall at East Elgin Community Complex. Councillor Mark Widner broached the idea at a township meeting Thursday, Jan. 9, where he and his colleagues also learned that delivery of an operational review of the…