News Headlines

A claim that surfaced online at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, March 1, about students supposedly planning to shoot up East Elgin Secondary School the next day was investigated by Aylmer Police and found to be nothing but a fake. Still, the usually crowded parking on streets around the school was much lighter through Monday,…

Guests and members at the St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce’s annual Lunch With The Mayors bid a fond – albeit premature – farewell to Mayor Joe Preston, Wednesday, Feb. 11. at the Memorial Centre in St. Thomas. After eight years on the job, Mayor Preston announced Feb. 10 that he will not run for office in the October 2026 municipal election. About 220 Chamber of Commerce guests expressed their gratitude for Mayor…

Abe Knelsen of St. Thomas and sons Lucas, 10, and Sam, 12, recently took advantage of frigid temperatures to build a creatively colourful igloo in their front yard. Abe, a realtor, said he and his wife Elissa have lived in their home for 13 years, with both sons growing up there. “I don’t think you…

After consulting with St. Thomas Sally, the mural groundhog, Mayor Joe Preston announced Monday, Feb. 2, that there would be six more weeks of winter. The third annual Groundhog Day ceremony attracted a dozen spectators for the 7:30 a.m. prognostication. It was held at Westlake Evan Park beside the St. Thomas Library. (AE/contributed by Brian Wilsdon)

A demolition crew made quick work of tearing down a historic house at 50 Centre St. in Aylmer on Monday, Jan. 26. A more modern house north of it was also demolished. The property belongs to Cherry Street, which plans to relace the home with nonprofit housing. Some neighbours objected to the demolition, citing the…

Aylmer Police have charged three teen boys in connection with a shot fired into a home in town on Tuesday, Jan. 20, just after 3 p.m. Police were called to a house after a resident believed a projectile had struck a window. An investigation quickly determined that a bullet fired from outside had struck a…

While clearing snow from laneways in Aylmer, James flashes a begloved shaka (the Hawaiian “hang loose” greeting) from a riding snowblower last week, adding a warm gesture on a cold day. A significant snowfall kept snow removal crews, push blowers and especially shovellers busy across the community. (AE/Contributed by Shirley Goddeeris)

Years of neglect have caught up to North America’s oldest locomotive repair shop and the St. Thomas Railworks Coalition has opted to “temporarily suspend operations” at the historic building housing Elgin County Railway Museum’s inventory of vintage rolling stock and railway relics. With “no confirmed reopening date,” the decision comes on the heels of the…

Syed Hasan, the proprietor at Moe’s Variety on Talbot Street in St. Thomas, is determined to travel to all the countries in the world. He has visited 189 countries already and is actively planning trips to the final eight on his personal list, including North Korea, Venezuela, Sudan, Nauru, Mali and The Republic of the…