By Stew Kernan

Provincial police have re-captured a federal offender that has links to Sudbury.

43-year old Jeffrey Youmans was wanted for jumping bail in Toronto and police indicated he may have been heading north.

However, after tips from the public, it was determined he was still in the GTA.

Youmans turned himself into police on Sunday and was arrested without incident.

He is serving a 5 year sentence for manslaughter in the 2008 death of a Sudbury panhandler.

Jeffery Youmans turned himself into Toronto Police on Sunday.

By Stew Kernan

A fundraising campaign for a seniors housing project has topped the half way mark.

It was announced this morning that the “Assisted Living for Sudbury’s Seniors” capital campaign has raised just over $1.5 million.

An 82-unit affordable assisted living residence and wellness centre is to be built at Finlandia Village.

The $3-million goal was set when the campaign was launched last September.

By Stew Kernan

Cambrian College is selling off it’s student residence.

The $24-million sale for the buildings will not include the land, which will be leased to Campus Living Centres of Toronto.

Millions in maintenance costs and budget restraints at the college are the main reasons for the sale.

The college will work with Campus Living to determine residence fees and other services offered.

Seven acres of land at the north end of the college will also be leased to the company for future development.

By Angela Gemmill

Four agencies are looking into Sunday’s mining fatality at Coleman Mine in Levack that claimed the life of 47-year-old Stephen Perry.

Ontario Ministry of Labour Spokesman Matt Blajer says they’ve asked Vale for two requirements: that the area and equipment where the accident happened not by disturbed and to provide any documentation which would be helpful in the probe.

This included training records, equipment maintenance records, crew line-ups, blueprints for the development area, and a a list of those employees involved in recovering the victim.

Blajer says investigators will be looking at safety procedures, training, equipment maintenance and whether the Health and Safety Occupation Act and mining regulations were followed.

Inspector Todd Zimmerman says Greater Sudbury Police are involved only until criminal liability has been ruled out.

Officers are acting under the auspices of the Coroner’s Act and if there is criminality determined then the police take the lead in the investigation.

If not, then the Ministry of Labour takes the lead.

Zimmerman says Bill C-45 legislation states that if the workplace if unsafe supervisors can be held criminally liable for any inappropriate actions they took or didn’t take.

Blajer could not say how long the Ministry’s investigation would take but they have one year from when the accident happened to file the report.

He says if the Ministry finds anything during the investigation which may impact other mines and is an obvious hazard they will issue a hazard alert to the industry.

Vale and Steelworkers will also conduct investigations once the other two agencies have released the scene back to the company.

The victim was alone in a new development area at the 4215-foot level when displaced material came apart from a rock face.

By Stew Kernan & Angela Gemmill

Greater Sudbury Police have released the name of the miner killed Sunday in a workplace accident at Vale’s Coleman Mine in Levack.

Forty-seven-year-old Stephen Perry was killed while he was working alone underground in a mining area tagged for new development.

The company says displaced or loose rock material was involved in the accident however the investigations will determine how Perry was killed.

Meantime, President of United Steelworkers Local 6500 was saddened and angered by the death.

Rick Bertrand wants answers.

This is the fourth fatality at a Vale’s Canadian operations in seven months, the third in Sudbury.

Bertrand calls this ‘unacceptable’.

Two miners died last June at Stobie Mine in Sudbury and another worker died at the company’s site in Thompson, Manitoba last October.

Bertrand wants both Vale and the Steelworkers to meet to discuss health and safety for all workers -both in the mines and at surface plants.

The USW union also sends out heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family.

Vale has temporarily suspended operations at all five of its Sudbury mines for underground workers.

They will be paid for the time off.

It’s not know how long the shutdown will last.

By Stew Kernan

Here’s something you don’t see too often…a contract agreement five months before the old one expires.

That’s the case between Laurentian University and it’s staff union…a tentative deal on a 3-year contract effective July 1st, 2012.

L-U president Dominic Giroux says many ambitious initiatives are being launched in 2012 and he’s pleased this early agreement, if ratified, will allow the University and it’s staff to focus their energies on them.

LUSU represents 235 staff in the clerical , technical, administrative, service, security and maintenance areas.

Ratifications votes will be held in the coming weeks, at which time contract details will be released.

By Stew Kernan

Provincial police say a snowmobile crash near Hagar has claimed a life.

A group of three snowmobilers were out on one of the OFSC trails about 25 kilometres north of Hagar Saturday afternoon, when the lead sled left the trail and hit a tree.

47-year old Allan Bell, who just recently moved to Sturgeon Falls from the Windsor area, was killed.

It was snowing at the time and the OPP say speed was a factor, however alcohol was not involved.

The OPP’s Technical Traffic Collision Investigator is assisting in the investigation.

By Angela Gemmill

Further details have been released on the workplace incident that claimed the life of a 47-year old miner at Vale’s Coleman Mine in Levack.

The victim was working alone in a new development area yesterday afternoon on the 4215-foot level on mechanized equipment used for blasting.

The company says the fatality involved loose or displaced material from a development heading, but the exact circumstances of the accident are still under investigation.

The miner was brought to the surface and was pronounced dead by medical authorities.

Vice President of Sudbury Operations, Kelly Strong, says there are different ways rock can be displaced from the front of a ‘drift’ : either through seismic events or falls of ground.

Vale’s Critical Stress Management Team is on site at Coleman for any co-workers and friends of the employee, who may need support.

The mining company has temporarily suspended underground operations at its five local mines, affecting over 1500 workers at Coleman, Stobie, Creighton, Garson and Copper Cliff Mines.

Strong was unsure how long the shutdown would last.

This is the first time all five Vale mines in Sudbury have been shut down following one incident.

Strong says the ‘work pause’ is a chance for the company to look at what immediate actions they will take with regards to the accident and what actions will be taken for safety and operating systems at all sites.

An action plan is expected to be rolled out over the next few days.

Employees will be paid for the unexpected time off.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour is on site and once their investigators release the scene, Vale and the United Steelworkers Union will investigate.

The victim’s family has been notified, but his name will be withheld until the family has time to tell others.

Strong says the individual had 16-years experience with Vale and was highly respected by his fellow co-workers.

(Picture Above: Vale VP of Sudbury Operations, Kelly Strong explains the area in which the accident happened at Coleman Mine in Levack)

By Gary Beech

The Sudbury Wolves fell to 5th in the East on the weekend after losing two of three games.

Their only win was in Mississauga yesterday where they beat St Mikes 4-1.

Josh McFadden scored once and added an assist.

Also scoring for the Wolves were Michael Sgarbossa, Nathan Pancel and Andrey Kuchin

On Friday night Sudbury lost 6-5 in Overtime to Plymouth, gaining one point from the game.

Then on Saturday the Wolves had  an embarrassing 7-4 setback to the Erie Otters, the club with the worst record in the OHL.

The local juniors next play at home to the Soo Greyhounds Friday night.

Puck drops at 7:35pm at the Sudbury Arena.

By Angela Gemmill

A 47-year old miner is dead after a workplace accident at Vale’s Coleman Mine in Levack.

The company say the employee was working at the 4215-foot level yesterday afternoon when material from a development heading displaced.

He was brought to surface and pronounced dead by medical personnel.

The name of the victim has not been released however he had 16-years experience with the mining company.

Vale has temporarily suspended operations at all Sudbury mines and will hold a media briefing later this morning in Copper Cliff.

In a release to the media, the company says it’s “saddened and devastated by the loss of this employee” and “deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the employee’s family and everyone who knew and worked with him.”

Greater Sudbury Police, the Ministry of Labour, Vale and United Steelworkers Local 6500 are all investigating the accident.

This is the third worker to die at Vale’s Sudbury operations in less than a year, after two miners were killed last June at Stobie Mine.