Teachers Negotiations

Teacher trouble – The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is demanding a return to bargaining saying it plans to ramp up its work-to-rule campaign if it doesn’t get a deal by the end of the week.

The union representing French language elementary and high school teachers has broken off negotiations saying a work-to-rule campaign is set to begin on Friday.  It hopes to reach a contract agreement by the end of the week but says it the offer it has already received is unacceptable.

KEDCO – Garrah on Resignation

The man who resigned as head of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation during a criticism of the organization says he was planning on leaving the job all along.

Jeff Garrah says he wasn’t forced out of the job.

Garrah says he took a leave of absence because of an illness in the family and had planned on stepping down at the end of the year.

He says he’s now spending time coaching hockey and taking courses to get his real estate license.

Transport Crash

The driver of a transport truck that crashed on the 401 eastbound near Deseronto was airlifted to Kingston General Hospital in critical conditions.

The eastbound lanes of the 401 were closed at Deseronto Road yesterday afternoon following the crash.

The OPP says the driver of the tractor-trailer was hauling a load of steel and lost control of the vehicle for an unknown reason.  The vehicle veered into the south ditch and came to rest in a field.

Traffic Note

A traffic note from the city of Kingston…starting at 9 this morning…westbound traffic on King Street will be detoured around work at the intersection of King and Portsmouth.

Crews will be completing underground work to the sanitary sewer.

The city says there will be traffic delays in the area of the construction zone today.

United Way

The United Way says Fare for Friends on Sunday raised $85,000.

The 23rd annual fund raising event was held following Friday’s kickoff of the annual United Way campaign in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

The goal this year is $3.4 million dollars.

The total in the bank so far is $481,484 – 14% of the goal.