News Headlines
Celebrating 75 years of “Optimism”
Aylmer Optimist Club held a banquet and danced to live music as members and guests celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the club on Saturday, May 13, at Saxonia Hall. “It turned out really well,” President Linda Stewart said the following day. “It was nice to have the bigwigs there,” including Aylmer Mayor…
Read More“Resounding no” to EESS changes
East Elgin Secondary School will send a “resounding no” to proposed changes to the boundaries of East Elgin Secondary School. A planning committee made up of local representatives held a second public hearing on the proposal at EESS on Monday, May 15, but the report it initially filed with Thames Valley District School Board will…
Read MoreBeach Patties re-opens after roof ripped off former site
Beach Patties, a Caribbean/breakfast restaurant in Port Burwell, has reopened at 29 Wellington St. after a severe winter storm blew the roof off its former home at 34 Robinson St. just before Christmas. Lisa Partap and Jon Staples are the owners of the restaurant, with Lisa’s mother Joan Partap providing the cooking expertise in the…
Read MoreDoctor calls for more provincial funding for staff
Family physicians need more support from other health-care and office professionals to cope with a growing shortage of doctors in Ontario, Dr. Kellie Scott of St. Thomas says, as well as modernized electronic systems for referring patients to specialists and other health care services. She’s been practising in St. Thomas for 17 years, explaining she…
Read MoreGround broken for new school
Mount Salem Christian School, after 35 years of renting space for classes from Mount Salem Community Church, broke ground for a new $9.1-million building of its own on Saturday, April 22. “It’s time for this 35-year-old to move out of its parents’ basement,” former Principal Lena Wiebe told about 200 spectators who attended the groundbreaking…
Read MoreTwo injured in home invasion
Elgin Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a “home invasion” that left two residents injured at a house on Nova Scotia Line in Malahide on Tuesday, April 18, at about 6:25 p.m. Four unknown persons forced their way into the home and stole cash and other items. Two residents were home at the time., and both…
Read MoreDogs get a spring cleaning
Nikola Vaessen, left, and Aniela Becerla Caceres of Port Stanley and District Leos gave a reluctant dog a wash during a fundraiser at the Pet Valu store in St. Thomas on Saturday, April 15. The Leos were raising money to train dog guides for the blind, and also plan a fundraising walk for the same…
Read MoreRezoning rejected to convert store to apartments
Aylmer councillors voted 4-3 on Wednesday, April 5, to reject an application to rezone 230 John St. N., formerly a Home Hardware store, into an eight-unit apartment building. The store is now owned by Mike Hutchinson Properties Inc. No neighbours objected to the proposed rezoning, but a narrow majority of councillors did. Their concerns included the…
Read MoreHouse fire started with gasoline
A fire that destroyed a new house that had just been built on Aspen Parkway in Aylmer on March 24 at about 2:30 a.m. was deliberately started with “a large amount of gasoline that exploded,” Aylmer Police have revealed. Smoldering clothing was found near the house as police arrived, leading to the belief that one…
Read MorePolice seek hit-and-run driver
Elgin Ontario Provincial Police are looking for the driver, believed to be in his mid-50s, of a dark-coloured Ford sports-utility vehicle with a missing rear window who fled the scene of a collision that injured a motorcyclist, 24. Const. Brett Phair said the crash took place at the intersection of John Wise Line and Quaker…
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