Final Report: One Cornwall High School And Special Needs School On Chopping Block

March 10, 2010 — Four public elementary schools and two high schools. That's the final recommendation from a committee studying the future of public schooling in Cornwall. On the chopping block are General Vanier Intermediate School this fall and Kinsmen-Vincent Massey School for special needs children in September, 2011. Most of the two dozen people at tonight's meeting were staff and parents of the Kinsmen school. The final report to trustees recommends moving two grade streams, JK to Grade 6 and Grades 7-12, from Kinsmen to a couple of different schools. Kinsmen parent Shawn Savard tells AM 1220 News he's disappointed. (Hear audio clip below) Parent Council Chairman Anna Don says the fight is not over and there's further action they can and will take. Another public meeting will be held late next month before the board makes its final decision in May. Click here to read a copy of the ARC School Valuation Report.

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Cornwall Man Charged In Provincial Child Pornography Bust

March 10, 2010 — A Cornwall man is among those arrested in a massive province-wide child pornography bust. Thirty-seven-year-old David Allan Glaude is charged with two counts of possessing child pornography and one count of making it available. He is one of 35 people arrested as part of the investigation and 122 charges were laid across Ontario. Commissioner Julian Fantino says 44 search warrants were executed. (Hear audio clip below) In addition, investigators were able to identify two child victims, one in Canada and one outside the country. The investigation was conducted by the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet. More arrests are expected.

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Pricey Mailers From MPs Win Award From Taxpayer Watchdog

March 10, 2010 — One of local MP Guy Lauzon's favourite forms of communication has won a Teddy award from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The taxpayer watchdog has handed out its tongue-in-cheek recognitions for wasteful government spending. The federal award went to MPs on their pricey mail outs. Federation director Colin Craig says the cost of this political junk mail has almost doubled. (Hear audio clip below) Lauzon defended the use of coloured brochures and leaflets last fall after a government report showed he spend $68,000 in 2008. That's $30,000 more than a typical MP. The awards were named after a Liberal politician who was fired over his excessive expense claims. (With files from The Canadian Press)

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City Park Crews Begin Spring Clean Up

March 10, 2010 — With the snow melting city park crews are already getting a jump on cleaning up damage from winter and from animals. Christine Lefebvre with the city's parks department says crews have been working this week cleaning up beaver damage at Eco Park, mostly branches that have been gnawed off. It's one of the parks where the city decided to lay out beaver traps last November. AM 1220 News first uncovered the kill traps after a man claimed he stepped in one at Guindon Park while walking his dog. The city later conceded it had 10 traps scattered throughout the city in safe areas. Lefebvre says the rest of the city parks will be cleaned up starting next month. Right now the ground is too wet to use machinery.

Cornwall Police Seize More Than $15K In Cash And Drugs

March 10, 2010 — More than $15,000 in cash and suspected marijuana has been seized after police raid a Cornwall residence. Police searched a Montreal Road home on Saturday and found a large stash of drugs they believe is pot along with a substantial amount of cash. Combined, the haul is estimated to be more than $15,000. A 22-year-old Cornwall man and a 20-year-old Long Sault woman have been arrested and are both facing drug-related charges.

Committee To Announce Recommendations On Local School Closings

March 10, 2010 — Cornwall parents will learn tonight what a committee studying the future of city schools will recommend to the board. An accommodation committee has been gauging public feedback since last fall on whether to close General Vanier Secondary School or both GV and St. Lawrence Schools in a bid to cut costs and increase overall enrollment percentages. But the hot button issue is a recommendation to close Kinsmen-Vincent Massey, a school for special needs children, and filter them into other schools. The meeting at St. Lawrence Intermediate School starts at 7:30pm. No decision will be made tonight as parents will still have another opportunity to sound off at another public meeting late next month before a final decision comes in May.

Potholes Can Make Driving Difficult In Cornwall

March 10, 2010 — It's that time of year again when drivers in Cornwall are cursing the streets. The frost is coming out of the ground and potholes are springing up everywhere. Municipal Works Manager Norm Levac says crews are out patching as they find them or when Cornwallites make a call. He tells AM 1220 News the phone lines have been quiet so far. (Hear audio clip below) The city usually budgets about $140,000 to fix up the potholes. At the same time crews are also juggling the problem of repairing broken water mains. You can report a pothole by calling the Municipal Works office at 932-6252.

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Le Village Streets Turn Into Rivers

March 09, 2010 — Some Cornwall streets looked more like a sea of water in Le Village today. A water main at a McConnell Avenue property, just south of Montreal Road, filled Cotton Mill and Prince Albert Streets with sheets of water. Municipal Works Manager Tom Gemmell says a construction worker at the Cotton Mill Lofts property opened up a private water line thinking it was shut off. It wasn't. Workers with the city's public works department were able to shut off the gusher. Water service was not affected in the area.

Spring Time Can Be Scam Time In Cornwall: O.P.P.

March 09, 2010 — For many Cornwallites the warm weather means tackling those spring projects around the house but it's also a time for scam artists. The O.P.P. is warning residents to watch out for fake contractors using high-pressure sales tactics. Constable Pete Robertson spoke to John Bolton on Cornwall Today and says paying up front for a job can be risky. (Hear audio clip below) Roberston says there are many excellent contractors in the area and a few quick phone calls could save you from being ripped off. He says another common trick is for a scam artist to ask to look at your utility bills so they can get their foot in the door. Robertson says when in doubt ask for some ID and, if it's a charity, call the organization.

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We Can Cash In On Clean Water: Brownell

March 09, 2010 — Local MPP Jim Brownell believes we could cash in on the clean-water technology market. The $400 billion a year global demand for good drinking water was highlighted in yesterday's throne speech. It's one component in a plan to create one million jobs over the next decade. Brownell tells John Bolton on Cornwall Today it could happen. (Hear audio clip below) Brownell says there are many spin-off jobs in the water industry based on the technology created in the province.

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Cornwall's Elementary Schools Receive Mixed Report Card

March 09, 2010 — There's good news and bad news when it comes to the Fraser Institute's Annual Report Card of Elementary Schools in Cornwall. The latest numbers show East Front Public School is improving when it comes to academic performance and is now in the top quarter of schools across the province. It was in the bottom half in recent years. But, St. Peters School is one of the worst schools in Ontario according to the institute. It has a rating of .4 out of 10 and more than 2,700 schools are performing better. That's a drop of more than two points in recent years. Viscount Alexander, Gladstone Public, Eamer's Corners and Central Public are in the middle of the pack. The Upper Canada District School Board was quick to react saying the report "misuses" the province's Education Quality and Accountability Office results to create a superficial picture. It says test results are just one piece of the whole picture about a school and it is misleading to take this information and turn it into a "top ten" chart of schools. To view the study click here.

Hiring Climate Set To Improve In Cornwall

March 09, 2010 — Cornwallites looking for a job may have some luck this spring. The latest Manpower survey released today shows shows a hopeful job market with 13 per cent of employers planning to hire between April and June. Three per cent are planning cutbacks and the majority, 80 per cent, plan to keep things the way they are. Manpower's Kendra Held tells AM 1220 News these numbers are a good sign because the hiring climate was flat last quarter. (Hear audio clip below) Education, mining and construction are the top industries that are looking for employees. Held says we can expect further improvement this summer when the new federal call centre and Shoppers Drug Mart distribution centre open.

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