News Headlines
Natural gas leak fixed at Assumption school in Aylmer
Aylmer Police and town firefighters blocked off an area around Assumption Catholic School on South Street East Thursday morning, July 13, after construction workers inadvertently breached a natural gas main. Some homes downwind of the leak were reportedly evacuated temporarily. Police announced later that the leak was repaired by 10:40 a.m., and that everyone could…
Read MoreFour Aylmer residents charged in Outlaws drug, guns busts
Four Aylmer residents were among a dozen charged in the region for alleged drug and firearms crimes connected to the Outlaws motorcycle gang after an investigation that started with town police spread to other communities and the “Biker Enforcement Unit” of the Ontario Provincial Police. One of the four Aylmer residents was identified by police…
Read MoreMissing 16-year-old found safe
Elgin Ontario Provincial Police reported late Monday afternoon, July 3, that a 16-year-old girl who had been reported missing earlier that day had been found safe.
Read MoreOpiod deaths up 500 percent in 10 years
The number of deaths related to opioid abuse in St. Thomas, Elgin and Oxford rose from 4.2 per 100,000 of population in 2011 to 21.9 in 2021, and that doesn’t include the latest numbers from 2022 and 2023. That was one of the grim facts confronted by Southwestern Public Health Board members during a presentation…
Read MoreSmoky haze covers area
A smoky haze descended on Aylmer and area on Tuesday afternoon, June 27, as smoke from forest fires in Northeast Ontario drifted south. On Wednesday, June 28, Southwestern Public Health issued a special advisory, warning that the air quality index for the region was expected to reach 10 or higher. The health unit recommended everyone…
Read MoreCat-killing dogs sought
Elgin Ontario Provincial Police are seeking the owner of two dogs allegedly responsible for the deaths of two cats in separate incidents in Sparta recently. Constable Brett Phair of Elgin OPP said one dog was possibly an Akita breed with white and fluffy fur and the other possibly a Burmese Mountain dog with longer, brown…
Read MoreAir quality warning issued
Southwestern Public Health is warning local residents that air quality would continue to worsen through Thursday because of smoke from ongoing forest fires in Northeastern Ontario and Quebec drifting into the region. Environment Canada first issued an advisory for Oxford County on June 5 and Elgin County on June 6. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday,…
Read MoreVW neighbours seeking compensation
Central Elgin residents around the edges of the proposed new Volkswagen electric-vehicle battery plant are calling for compensation for suddenly finding themselves with a “gigafactory” as a neighbour. They lined up to convey that message at a public hearing about proposed rezoning for the north side of Highway 3, between the road and a railway…
Read MoreTensions rising at CE council
Tensions between Central Elgin councillors and staff flared at council’s May 23 meeting. Deputy Mayor Todd Noble suggested that interim chief administrative officer Wendell Graves was out of line asking council to approve a new psychological health and wellness policy, just two weeks after a show of emotions by the deputy mayor. The deputy mayor…
Read MoreMore calls for roundabout
Malahide councillors continue to demand that Elgin replace the current crash-prone intersection of county-owned Imperial Line and Ron McNeil Road with a traffic roundabout. At a meeting Thursday, May 18, Councillor Rick Cerna said yet another crash had occurred two days earlier at the intersection, the fourth or fifth since January. He suggested Malahide pressure…
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