By David Lacasse

The election campaign continues tomorrow for the NDP party as they have a public forum scheduled at the Caruso Club.

Party leader Jack Layton along with Claude Gravelle and Glenn Thibeault will be speaking at 1:30.

Everyone is invited and there is no charge for admission.

By Nathan Emmell

Two people allegedly involved in the beating of a 79-year old woman in Chelmsford on March 1st, were caught Wednesday.

Two suspects broke into the Errington Street home, assaulted the elderly victim when she wouldn’t give them banking information and then made off with valuables.

23-year-old Shana Paquette of Sudbury and 37-year-old Jason Thom each face numerous charges in connection to the home invasion.

Further charges could be forthcoming related to other break-ins in the Chelmsford area.

By Angela Gemmill

**UPDATE**

The private member’s bill was defeated by a vote of 28 nays to 16 ayes.

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France Gelinas will know by the end of the day if her private member’s bill -banning the use of replacement workers during a labour dispute- will head for third reading.

The Nickel Belt NDP MPP says she’s done extensive research on the topic since October 2009 when a similar bill was defeated at Queen’s Park.

She’s been asking other MPPs if they’ll support it and there just may be enough votes in favour.

Gelinas says if Bill 45 makes it past second reading today, first there will be a mini-victory party and then she’ll look at a strategy to make sure the legislation receives third reading before the end of this parliamentary session.

She says labour disputes tend to drag on longer when the company hires replacement workers…and these strikes effect the health of communities.

Gelinas says support has broadened way beyond the labour industry to people who care about the health of their communities (nurses, students, social workers, etc)

There are two rallies in support of her bill: one at Queen’s Park and the other downtown Sudbury in front of MPP Rick Bartolucci’s office.

By: Angela Gemmill

If the melting ice is any indication…most ice huts have been removed from area waterways.

However, the Ministry of Natural Resources reminds anglers that today is the deadline for all ice huts to be taken off on waterways throughout Zone 11, which includes Sudbury.

All ice huts are registered with the MNR, so the owner of any structure left out after today will be fined under the Public Lands Act.

By: Nathan Emmell

The main corridor hall at the Sudbury Regional Hospital captures the evolution of the local hospital system…from the 15 bed log hospital in 1883 to the new one-site opening in 2010.

The permanent exhibit wall in the acute-care facility was unveiled recently.

It captures the three eminent health care projects in the region and recognizes former and current donors.

Photo:  From left to right: Dr. Denis Roy, HRSRH President and CEO; Russ Boyles, Vice Chair, HRSRH Board of Directors; Astrid Colton, Graphic Designer and Artist; and Alan Arkilander, Treasurer of the HRSRH Foundation Board of Directors.

By Gary Beech

The Wolves are one win away from the biggest 1st round upset of this year’s OHL playoffs.

Sudbury and Ottawa faceoff tonight at the Rona Centre with the local juniors up 3-games to none.

A win would move them on to the Eastern semifinals against the Mississauga St Michael’s Majors.

Should they lose tonight, Game 5 would be in Ottawa Saturday night.

Last night both Windsor and Plymouth took 3-1 series leads in their respective series.

By Angela Gemmill

Nickel Belt’s N-D-P MPP will try for a second time at Queen’s Park to get Bill 45 passed.

France Gelinas’ private member’s bill focuses on banning companies from hiring replacement workers during labour disputes.

She introduced a similar bill two years ago but it was defeated at second reading in October 2009.

Labour activists are planning two rallies today to show their support for the bill.

One rally is in Toronto at Queen’s Park and the other is set for noon in front of Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci’s office on Cedar Street.

A busload from Sudbury left at 6am this morning for Toronto.

By Angela Gemmill

The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is mostly content with what was contained in the 2011 provincial budget.

Investments in infrastructure, skills development and health care are a few of the ‘goodies’ found within the provincial budget.

Plus the group is happy there were no hikes in corporate income taxes, money for post secondary education, funding for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and continued investments into to four-laning Highway 69

However President & CEO, Debbi Nicholson, was disappointed deficit projections were three million dollars lower than expected and the budget won’t balance for the next six years.

The Chamber likes to see long term strategies focusing on key elements in economy: human capitol, infrastructure, transportation, innovation and private sector development.

For the most part the 2011 fiscal plan delivered.

By: Angela Gemmill

Sudbury City Councillors are still crunching numbers and expect to continue to find places to cut before the 2011 budget is set in stone.

The Finance Committee has decided to delay the vote on the final tax hike until a special meeting next Wednesday.

They spent the past six weeks working on the financial plan and feel there is room for improvement.

The original draft budget showed a tax hike of 3.9 percent, but council hopes to reduce that further.

By Nathan Emmell

A blitz to find distracted drivers netted 98 motorists for Greater Sudbury Police.

At a price-tag of 155-dollars per fine, the total amount came to 14-thousand-570 dollars.

Police want to remind the public that using hand-held devices while behind the wheel is against the law and enforcement initiatives will continue.

Meanwhile a woman driving with two dogs on her lap was charged and fined 110 dollars for driving crowded.