Kingston News, December 13, 2017

Road Conditions

Road crews were out overnight cleaning up roads and sidewalks after the first big snowfall of the season in the area.

City streets were bare to snow covered with snow packed and slippery sections this morning.

The MTO reported the 401 was bare and wet and secondary highways in the region were bare and wet with some partly snow covered sections.

Loughborough Lake Development

People opposed to a 15 lot residential development on Loughborough Lake are hoping the developer will be denied an environmental permit.

Residents of Loughborough Lake and other concerned citizens have hired former Ontario Environment Commissioner Gord Miller to help in their bid to have the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry deny the permit.

Miller says granting the permit for the development will destroy more habitat than can be recreated in nearby areas.  That’s the criteria required for the permit on Johnston Point.

A petition opposing the development is being circulated on social media and has about 12 hundred signatures.

Father and Son Charged

A father and son have been charged by the OPP after a fight in Odessa.

Investigators say the 16 year-old boy was involved in a fight with another youth around noon on Monday in a convenience store parking lot.  They say his 49 year-old father stopped anyone else from getting involved, or breaking up the fight.  The 16 year-old has been charged with assault.  The father has been charged with counselling an offense.

Both were released with separate January court dates in Napanee.

Employment Survey

The Manpower Groups quarterly employment survey says the first quarter of 2018 will see a positive hiring climate in Kingston.  The survey says 20 per cent of employers in Kingston plan on hiring in the first three months 2018 while only 3% expect cutbacks.

ABcann

Napanee’s medical marijuana producer has announced it has acquired medical marijuana clinic Harvest Medicine for approximately $3 million.

ABcann produces marijuana at its plant in Napanee.  Harvest Medicine is a relatively new clinic that has 8,500 patients since opening in February of this year.

ABcann will invest 1.5 million in Harvest Medicine to expand its operation with several new clinics.

Harvest Medicine’s founder and CEO is expected to join ABcann’s executive team as its Chief Strategy Officer.

Doug Jones – Win

Democrat Doug Jones has scored an upset win over Republican Roy Moore in Tuesday’s special election for the US senate.

Jones told supporters last night it is a win for national unity, dignity and respect.

Moore has refused to concede defeat…but…US President Donald Trump congratulated Jones on a “hard fought” win, tweeting “the write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win.”

Hanukkah – Kingston

The Kingston Jewish Council is inviting the community to celebrate Hanukkah in the Springer Market Square amphitheatre starting at 5:30 this afternoon.

Hanukkah started last evening and ends on December 20th.

The celebration will include music, hot chocolate, traditional potato latkes and the lighting of a nine foot tall electric menorah.

http://jewishkingston.org/events/light-up-the-night/

Man Flu

A Canadian researcher is suggesting those who believe “man flu” is more intense than the female version have some evidence to back their views.  Nunavut-based family physician, Dr. Kyle Sue, found studies on mice and humans going back to the 1990s suggesting flu symptoms in men are often more acute.  His article was published in the December edition of the British Medical Journal.

http://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5560