By Stew Kernan

With the arrival of the nice weather…a reminder from the city about wasting water.

The outdoor watering bylaw is now in effect.

If your home address ends with an odd number you can water your lawn, garden, trees and shrubs on the odd numbered days of the month.

Even numbered addresses can do so on the even days of the month.

The city says this will help maintain water pressure which is important for fire protection and medical applications.

By Angela Gemmill

Sudbury’s Police Chief says even if an impaired driver hasn’t killed anyone… the act is still a very serious matter.

Starting next week, the police service will release the names of those charged with Impaired Driving from the previous week.

Chief Frank Elsner says it’s about prevention, he wants people to stop drinking and driving and to think before they get behind the wheel drunk.

He hopes by releasing the names publicly that others will be reminded of the possible embarrassment before they make the same bad decision.

Elsner says charges aren’t official until documents go through the court system…which happens on Monday, that’s why names will come out the next day.

He says other communities in Ontario have taken this step as well.

The list will be sent to local media outlets for publication, while Greater Sudbury Police plan to post the names on its website and Facebook page.

By Angela Gemmill

Ontario Lottery and Gaming sites across the province are getting new technology to help problem gamblers.

Facial recognition databases are in the process of being installed at 22 locations, including Sudbury Downs.

It’s for those who are part of the voluntary self-exclusion program.

Director of Policy and Social Responsibility, Paul Pellizzari, says privacy will be fully protected for all slot and casino visitors.

Fifteen-thousand people are in self-exclusion program are part of the database.

Signage will also go up at all OLG sites informing people of the new technology.

The OLG has spent the past two years testing the equipment and working out kinks prior to the official launch later next month.

(Picture courtesy of Mercury News Service)

By Angela Gemmill

A helicopter carrying a suspended load will be flying west of he Frood Stobie Mine Complex for the next week.

Vale Exploration’s aerial survey program starts tomorrow and runs until next Monday, 9am to 6pm daily .

The chopper will not be charting over residential areas, however residents may notice it flying around.

By Stew Kernan

Greater Sudbury Police are taking a dramatic new step in the fight against drinking and driving.

Every Tuesday morning, beginning June 7th, the names of those people charged with impaired driving will be released to the public.

Inspector Sheilah Weber says the number of impaired charges continues to rise and something has to be done to reverse that trend

Along with this, Sudbury Police will continue with their regular patrols, RIDE spot checks and public education campaigns with numerous community groups.

By Angela Gemmill

Another person has been linked to Friday’s arson fire at an abandoned sawmill in Chelmsford.

Greater Sudbury Police have identified a 13-year-old male, but due to his age, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, he will not be charged.

He was warned about his involvement in the fire.

Two other teenagers, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, face charges of Arson and Break & Enter.

Damage is pegged at 100-thousand dollars.

By Stew Kernan

A Sudburian is flying out west to help in the Alberta Fire Relief effort.

Long time Red Cross volunteer Ted Giannini leaves today and will eventually be sent to Slave Lake, a town devastated by the wildfires.

The retired OPP officer has been volunteering for 12 years and says it’s his chance to give back.

He has helped with Kashechewan evacuations, hurricane Ivan and Katrina relief and he just returned recently from time helping with Manitoba flooding.

Giannini joins fellow Sudburian David Stone who left for Alberta on May 20th.

Sudbury Red Cross Volunteer Ted Giannini.

By Angela Gemmill

Eight students from Laurentian University are at the top of their field when it comes to designing and building a lunabot, a remote controlled excavator for the moon.

The school’s team came in first in NASA’s Lunabotics competition in Florida, beating 40 other universities over the weekend.

The mechanical engineering students have been working on the project since September.

The prize was five-thousand dollars and VIP passes to the launch of space shuttle Atlantis in July.

The second place finisher was the University of North Dakota while West Virginia University came in third.

The LU students are all in their fourth year and will graduate during convocation ceremonies on Thursday.

(Team from Laurentian University with their lunabot)

*****Update*****

22-year-old Jason Lappan of Chelmsford faces a charge of operating a vessel in a careless manner, without due care and attention for others.

*****************

By Angela Gemmill

The weekend could have ended tragically for a group on Ministic Lake, West of Onaping, early Sunday morning.

OPP say a 14-foot aluminum boat overturned because it was over capacity.

Two women, who were wearing life-jackets, swam to shore, while three men clung to the boat until a nearby cottager rescued them.

OPP sent its Marine Unit, uniformed officers and a police helicopter to search for the men.

The trio were treated for mild hypothermia and shock.

Investigators say the group had been drinking prior to the mishap and there were not enough life-jackets for everyone in the boat.

OPP say the mishap serves as a reminder that alcohol and boating don’t mix.

By David Lacasse

If you have empties still hanging around your house since the long weekend, today is a good time to bring them in.

Local beer stores are holding the ‘Returns for Leukemia’ event in hopes to raise 1 million dollars for research.

Today is the last day of the week-long, province-wide event.

All money raised will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada