TORONTO—DeMar DeRozan's desire to play grew with every passing game he was forced to sit on the sidelines.

The three-time all-star returned last night, scoring 31 points to lift the Toronto Raptors to a 118-109 victory over the L.A. Clippers—showing no rust from the seven of eight games he missed with a sprained ankle.

The Kenora OPP currently is on the scene of a fire in the Lakeside area of Kenora.

The OPP and Kenora Fire Department were called just after 11:30 a.m., yesterday to a residence on First Avenue South.

When police and fire arrived, the building was engulfed in flames.

Firefighters located a single body within the home.

It's a day to celebrate for some; a day to play an anxious waiting game for others.

The Muskie Nordic ski team will have at least two representatives at the OFSAA championships Feb. 28-March 1 in Timmins after junior girls' competitors Tori Toriseva and Angie Redford qualified at the NWOSSAA meet yesterday in Atikokan.

Muskie Kendyn Faragher had play-making on his mind as he dodged the check of Brandon Podpeskar of the International Falls Broncos during the first period of Fort High's 5-3 win in exhibition action last night before about 800 fans jammed into the Ice For Kids Arena.

OTTAWA—The Trudeau government's economic advisory council is recommending Ottawa raise the age of retirement eligibility and explore a national child-care program as ways to deliver a much-needed participation boost for the country's workforce.

The proposals were among a collection of new suggestions released yesterday by the government's hand-picked growth council.

OTTAWA—With just days to go before the very first release of data from the 2016 census, there is an unusual calm outside Marc Hamel's Statistics Canada office.

A calm before the storm, perhaps.

BANFF, Alta.—Bison once again are grazing along the remote eastern slopes of Banff National Park after a more than century-long absence.

Parks Canada announced yesterday it has moved 16 of the animals to the mountainous landscape that vast herds of the species once roamed for thousands of years.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — First lady Melania Trump has re-filed a libel lawsuit against the corporation that publishes the Daily Mail’s website, this time in New York, for reporting rumours that she worked as an escort.

In the new filing Monday, the first lady’s attorneys argue the report damaged her ability to profit off her high profile.

BOSTON—The Boston Bruins fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Claude Julien today as the team was in danger of missing the playoffs for a third-straight season.

He was the longest-tenured coach in the NHL.

General manager Don Sweeney announced the change this morning, naming assistant Bruce Cassidy as interim coach.

NEW YORK—After climbing back from a two-goal deficit, the N.Y. Islanders didn't get deflated when Toronto regained the lead late in regulation time.

They simply found a way to post another big home win.

Brock Nelson's second goal of the game at 2:42 of overtime lifted the Islanders to a 6-5 victory last night.

LONDON—Queen Elizabeth II marked her Sapphire Jubilee yesterday—becoming the first British monarch to reign for 65 years.

It's just one of many milestones the queen has marked in her nine decades.

Elizabeth assumed the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952.

KABUL — More than 900 children were killed in Afghanistan’s conflict last year, the United Nations said Monday, calling it the most violent year for children since it started keeping records.

Car payments have morphed from a temporary nuisance into a permanent part of many people’s budgets. Whether that’s a bad thing depends on what you do with the rest of your money.

NEW YORK — Attention, word nerds: This is your bonus round, courtesy of Merriam-Webster.

In addition to elevating “surreal” in 2016 to word of the year, the dictionary company on Tuesday added about 1,000 new words and new definitions to existing listings on its website, Merriam-webster.com.

NEW YORK—Attention, word nerds: this is your bonus round, courtesy of Merriam-Webster.

In addition to elevating “surreal” in 2016 to word of the year, the dictionary company today added about 1,000 new words and new definitions to existing listings on its website (Merriam-webster.com).

Julia Child was able to remember the single most decisive moment in her life with photographic clarity. It was her first bite of her first meal in France, a fish dish called Sole Meuniere. That first forkful, she wrote, was “a morsel of perfection,” and it set her on the path to become the Julia we’d come to know and love.

In Canada, rates of type 2 diabetes are three-five percent higher in indigenous peoples when compared to non-indigenous peoples.

Not only this but indigenous Canadians typically have poorer health outcomes during treatment of diabetes.

An information session on grain marketing is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Emo Inn.

John Prodaniuk, a grain merchant from Winnipeg, and Jim Doggett, an operations supervisor from Thunder Bay, will lead the presentation.

Both work for Richardson International, Canada's largest agri-business.

The “Friends of the Fort Frances Museum” has begun planning another fun day for local families to enjoy winter activities.

“SnOasis 5: Canada Alive!”—named in honour of Canada's 150th birthday—is set to take place Saturday, March 4 at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre.

In January, 2007, Dan DeGagne opened business and began what is now Sunset Protection Systems.

“I was working for my dad at the time at DeGagne construction,” he explained.

“People would call and ask if I could fix their camera, or a door lock, or still get parts for these things,” he noted.

It's budget time and town council once again has asked for a review of its services to possibly cut costs.

Mayor Roy Avis said during Monday's budget meeting that council wants to see if the town can operate with the same amount of tax dollars as last year.

Local MPP Sarah Campbell, the NDP's culture critic, issued the following statement in response to the announcement TVO will decommission eight over-the-air transmitters on July 31:

"New Democrats are deeply concerned that Liberal government cuts to TVOntario have resulted in this short-sighted decision to eliminate broadcast transmitters to eight Ontario communities.

The latest report to emerge from the Northern Projections Human Capital Series by Dr. Bahktiar Moazzami and James Cuddy offers several recommendations for Rainy River District, which already is experiencing major demographic and labour market shifts.

The Rainy River District School Board is pleased to announce it has enhanced its Public Library and eBook Initiative for all kindergarten-Grade 12 students.

With a successful implementation of the Co-operative Library Program in 2015-16, roughly 1,500 students were registered and a total of $50,000 put into ebook purchases.

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce won't be getting as much money for its tourism marketing efforts this year.

As part of the 2017 budget process, the Chamber had requested $8,500 from council.

During its budget meeting Monday, council agreed to give the Chamber its one-third share of that amount—$2,833—as it did last year.

Join Minnesota Department of Natural Resources researcher Glenn DelGuidice, Ph.D., for a presentation on the dramatic 10-year decline of Minnesota's moose population.

Dr. DelGuidice also will talk about some of the technology researchers utilize to study moose ecology.

Town council is undecided if the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service should get a sixth full-time firefighter.

During a budget meeting Monday, Fire Chief Tyler Moffitt said the addition of the full-time firefighter would allow both the Captain of Fire Prevention and Investigation and the Captain of Training to move back to straight days.

Fashion and fundraising will come together at the Beauty Show 2017 on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Copper River Inn.

Running from 6:30-9 p.m., this evening will be filled with a runway demonstration of the latest trends in bridal and graduation fashion with updated hairstyles, makeup, and formal attire, said organizer Alicia Anderson.

The Fort Frances Times is striving to bring community news to its readers but we can't be everywhere at once.

That's where you come in.

It's now easier than ever to submit your photos and stories to the Times thanks to a new feature on our website.

Tina Gorsey (St. Albert, Alta.) and Charlotte Berg (Fort Frances) won the $100 up for grabs Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, respectively, in the Rainy River District Mutual Aid Association's weekly cash calendar draw.

The Emo and District Lions' Club's grocery draw is back again this year.

First prize is $5,200, which is an amazing $100 a week for 52 weeks (a whole year of free groceries!)

Second prize is $500 worth of groceries and third prize is a $100 grocery coupon.

Dan DeGagne, owner/operator of Sunset Protection Systems, showed off the inside of the fire extinguisher service room. The room is equipped with vents to clean up in case an extinguisher handle sticks in the “on" position. "All you can do is get out, shut the door behind you, and wait,” said DeGagne.

Jeff Gustafson with one of his largemouth bass from Day 2 of the Lake Guntersville FLW Tour event.

“Queen” Dawn Jarvis of the Rainy River Red Hat Society, left, Geraldine Blight, and Sheila Medwechuk made a draw for a painted chair during the annual Linda Johnston Memorial Dinner on Saturday evening at the Rainy River Legion. Medwechuk painted the chair.

Isabella Hyatt was hard at work on her art project last Friday morning during local art therapist Lindsay Hamilton's visit to Robert Moore School. Hamilton worked with all the Grade 8 students in the school throughout the day.

Addison Chown and Taryn Oster (top left) sang “It's a Hard Knock Life" from "Annie” during the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts' talent show last Thursday evening at Knox United Church here.

Grade 8 student Kassy Michl helped Zander Bruyere add a sticker to his passport while touring Robert Moore School yesterday during kindergarten registration there. Registration open houses are being held at schools within the Rainy River District School Board until the end of next week, but parents can sign up their children at any time.

Mike Ranta spoke to students at the Sturgeon Creek Alternative Program last Tuesday (Jan. 31). The Atikokan man was the first person to paddle solo across the North American continent in one season and had many stories to share with the children.

Henry Hartlin had all his festive gear on as Grade 1 classes at St. Michael's School here celebrated the 100th day of school yesterday. Activities included beading, drawing, stories, and, of course, a lot of counting to 100.

Matthew Rousseau tried out skiing—provided by the Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club outside the Fort Frances Public Library—during last year's “SnOasis." The Friends of the Museum are hoping to have just as many fun activities—if not more—when "SnOasis 5” is held on March 4.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Bourbon’s economic potency is getting stronger with age, increasing its impact on Kentucky by $1 billion in the past two years as global demand for American whiskeys continues to grow.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. and India seem like a natural fit in the Trump era: rambunctious democracies, led by populists, focused on economic growth and fighting radical Islam. It’s a budding partnership that could be set back by a nuts-and-bolts dispute over employment visas.

JOHANNESBURG — More than 120,000 Nigerians likely will suffer “catastrophic” famine-like conditions caused by Boko Haram’s Islamic uprising, among 11 million confronting severe food shortages this year, according to a new U.N. report.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis repeated his appeal for people to build bridges of understanding, not walls as he marked a feast day of a Sudanese immigrant amid a global uproar over the Trump administration’s attempts to impose a travel ban on seven mostly Muslim countries.

FARGO, N.D. — A defective axle broke and caused a 2013 train derailment that led to a series of explosions just a quarter-mile outside a small North Dakota town, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

I was talking with a friend about perfect meals for entertaining, and we went through the usual suspects: lasagnas, chili, tenderloins. And then he mentioned that his favourite go-to entertaining dish was a pork butt or shoulder left in a low oven for so long that it practically fell apart.

Look for patchy clouds tonight, with an overnight low of minus-22 C (eight below zero F) that will feel more like minus-30 (21 below) thanks to west winds gusting up to 25 m.p.h.

Tomorrow will be cloudy and milder, with a high of minus-10 (14) and low around minus-15 (five).

The Muskie girls' hockey team made it clear Tuesday night that it's not just a one-girl squad.

With leading scorer Annalise (CC) Hayes knocked out of the game in the second period with a shoulder injury, Fort High banded together and pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory against the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) at the '52 Canadians Arena.

In honour of Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb. 12-18), Community Living Fort Frances and Good Impressions are challenging all business/service providers to complete their own “random acts of kindness.”

Participants can send a brief description, along with photos, to Community Living Fort Frances at 340 Scott St.

The boys from Rainy River District are holding their own so far with the big man on campus.

The Kenora OPP has identified the victim of a house fire in the Lakeside area of Kenora.

The OPP and Kenora Fire Department were called just after 11:30 a.m. on Monday to a residence on First Avenue South.

When police and fire arrived, the building was engulfed in flames.

Firefighters later located a single body within the home.

The Rainy River District OPP is seeking the public's assistance in locating a 23-year-old man from the Fort Frances area.

Justin Kaomi last was seen on Tuesday in the Town of Fort Frances.

He is described as aboriginal, 5'5" and weighing 125 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing a grey jacket, winter boots, and glasses.

Butch and Sundance. Thelma and Louise. Batman and Robin.

And now, Katie and Maggie.

Katie Beninger and Maggie Jean continued their early-season dominance—each scoring twice to help Kicker Instinct remain undefeated in Borderland Women's Indoor Soccer League play with a 6-4 victory over Goal Diggers last night at Fort High.

It was a low-scoring night all around as only one of the three games reached a combined score of over 100 in Fort Frances Men's Basketball League action Tuesday.

In a game that saw both teams struggling to get their feet going, and a score that stayed close for much of the way, Revco finally pulled ahead at the end for a 54-42 victory over BDO (1-12).

Here's a rundown of recent games and goal scorers in the Fort Frances Girls'/Women's Hockey Association:

Jan. 7

• PeeWee Fusion 4, Atom Competitive Leafs 3—Fusion: Abbie Kenny (2), Ellayna Kabel (2); Leafs: Kassidy Gurniak, Julia Guertin, Piper Miller

Novice Bruins 4, Novice Heat 0—Bruins: Addison Chown (3), Marlee Bliss (Shayna Shute shutout)

Jan. 10

A large group of local snowmobilers, pictured here outside the Thunderbird Lodge, were out riding Saturday—prompting one participant to say it was amazing to seen so many sled riders. The group also made a stop at Sandy Point Lodge.

This painting is one of several comprising Ed Halvorsen's winter watercolours collection now on exhibit at the Fine Line Art Gallery (529 Mowat Ave.) Halvorsen is the latest to join the artist co-op, which always welcomes new members. The gallery also is looking for entries for its “Then and Now” art show coming up in April.

OTTAWA—The federal government will get back all of the money it has overpaid civil servants through its problem-plagued payroll system, the deputy minister in charge of overseeing the system vowed yesterday.

She added that overpayments to government employees are commonplace.

OTTAWA—Trusted-traveller Nexus cards revoked from about 200 Canadian permanent residents have been reinstated, at least for now, said Public Safety minister Ralph Goodale.

The Nexus cards, which help people cross the border more swiftly, were cancelled a few days ago because a recent U.S. executive order on immigration made the holders ineligible, Goodale confirmed yesterday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Columbus Blue Jackets commanded the NHL spotlight earlier this season with a surprise 16-game winning streak.

But lately, they've struggled to play crisp hockey in consecutive periods—let alone in consecutive games.

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was set to visit the territories today and Friday for the first time since the 2015 election campaign and since the abrupt resignation of his former Liberal cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo, now an independent MP for Nunavut.

WINNIPEG—People have been walking across the U.S. border to claim refugee status for years, but a Winnipeg immigration lawyer says he's not used to seeing them cross over in the bitter cold.

When they arrive, says Bashir Khan, they often are thirsty and hungry.

For some, the first Canadian they meet is a farmer who welcomes them inside and offers a meal.

New guidelines introduced by Canadian Blood Services, limiting the number of times female donors can donate in a year, has the national agency scrambling to find new donors to make up the difference.

The change, implemented in December, was part of tougher guidelines on the amount of hemoglobin or iron required in the blood.

VANCOUVER—Some sex workers are choosing the industry because it can be more lucrative and rewarding than low-paying service industry jobs, says a recent study by a researcher at the University of Victoria.

VANCOUVER—The sight of an ungainly and mostly hairless white moose trudging into a northern British Columbia town has become the most visible sign of the winter tick problem in the province.

The parasite literally sucks the life out of its host while the moose stops feeding to spend time scratching and rubbing away its hair in an attempt to rid itself of its itchy burden.

OTTAWA—It seems some federal workers don't want to be caught sitting down on the job.

A pilot project in one government department has found public servants really like their sit-stand desks—so much so, some reported anxiety about being moved to a new position or assignment that would make them give up the chance to spend some or all of the day on their feet.

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Sure, no game is a must-win this time of year.

Still, the Chicago Blackhawks couldn't afford to slip much further behind the Minnesota Wild.

Jonathan Toews scored a power-play goal 3:09 into overtime to lift the Blackhawks over the Western Conference-leading Wild 4-3 last night.

With the win, the Blackhawks closed within five points of Minnesota.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.—Jordan Spieth, still only 23, was amazed that this is the fifth time he has played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He's been watching it even longer.

Erik Guay phoned up the mountain to teammate Manuel Osborne-Paradis after laying down a winning time in the super-G at the world alpine ski championship yesteray.

His scouting report helped put two Canadian men on the world championship podium for the first time in the 44-year history of the biennial event.

At 35, Guay became the oldest skier to win a world alpine title.

MINNEAPOLIS—That Andrew Wiggins came through with a huge night against his hometown team didn't come as a surprise.

That he did it with Lance Stephenson by his side certainly qualified as one.

Wiggins scored 31 points, and Tyus Jones hit a three-pointer with 19.5 seconds left, as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Toronto Raptors 112-109 last night.

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump's extended criticism of the judiciary prompted a rebuke from his nominee for the Supreme Court, who told a senator the president's comments were “demoralizing and disheartening.”

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. government-funded news outlets are launching a global Russian-language TV network aimed at providing an alternative to slick, Kremlin-controlled media that critics say spread propaganda and misinformation.

HENRYETTA, Okla. — A small Oklahoma town is echoing the story line of ‘80s movie “Footloose” by cancelling a Valentine’s Day dance because of an arcane city ordinance enforcing a strict moral code.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s extended criticism of the judiciary prompted a rebuke from his nominee for the Supreme Court, who told a senator the president’s comments were “demoralizing and disheartening.”

ALBANY, N.Y.—Growing evidence of a link between football hits and brain injuries has led all 50 states to pass laws aimed at protecting young people from concussions.

But a New York lawmaker wants to go even further: banning tackle football.

Balancing healthy eating with a crazy weeknight schedule is tricky for everyone. We all have competing priorities that chip away at our days: kids, careers, school, home, family obligations all take time and energy. And next thing we know, it’s 6 p.m. and we haven’t given any thought to dinner. What we do next is key.

Change is in the works for the local adult soccer circuit.

The Borderland Soccer League will hold its annual general meeting this Sunday at 7 p.m. in the first-floor meeting room at La Place Rendez-Vous.

A top priority at the meeting, which is open to the public, will be electing an almost entirely new executive board.

The Muskie boys' hockey team clinched first place in NorWOSSA with a 3-1 win over the host Dryden Eagles last night.

The black-and-gold, who sport an 11-0 record in league play, also earned home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs as they seek their 10th-straight NorWOSSA crown.

The road to the OFSAA curling championships will run through Fort Frances—twice.

First, the NorWOSSA finals get underway Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Fort Frances Curling Club

The Muskie girls', boys', and mixed rinks all have a bye in the opening draw before taking on the Atikokan Voyageurs at 2 p.m. and then the Sioux Lookout Warriors at 6 p.m.

The girls will be watching while the boys will be working.

Yesterday's action in Dryden solved all the mysteries when it comes to the NorWOSSA playoffs next Friday (Feb. 17) at Fort High.

Both the Muskie senior and junior girls' volleyball teams earned automatic byes to the finals after clinching first place in their respective divisions with wins over the Eagles.

Riverside Health Care, in conjunction with the Northwestern Health Unit, has lifted the gastro-intestinal outbreak at Rainycrest Long-Term Care here.

All restrictions also have been lifted.

Still, the health unit is urging people to stay at home, and refrain from visiting Rainycrest, when feeling unwell to avoid spreading infections to those most vulnerable.

The Rainy River District OPP wishes to thank the public in locating a 23-year-old man from the Fort Frances area.

Justin Kaomi was located safe in Fort Frances.

He had last been seen Tuesday in town.

Chef Carl Scott of Carl's Eatery was all smiles as he received the Business of the Year Award from Johnathan Price of 93.1 The Border during the 21st-annual Rainy River District Business Awards last night at the Copper River Inn. Carl's Eatery also won the Customer Service Award (Business) while Carl's Eatery employee Caitlyn Morrison captured Employee of the Year.

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump will receive Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House on Monday—their first official meeting after weeks of back-and-forth about setting a tangible agenda beyond pleasantries and first-encounter photo ops.

SANFORD, Man.—Two men have died in a small plane crash in Manitoba.

RCMP said the single-engine Cessna took off yesterday from St. Andrews, north of Winnipeg, and was reported overdue at its destination in Winkler.

Police, along with a Canadian Armed Forces search-and-rescue team, eventually found the wreckage near Brunkild, about 45 km southwest of Winnipeg.

OTTAWA—At least two federal NDP MPs don't find all the conjecture about Sarah Palin becoming U.S. ambassador to Canada very funny.

Nathan Cullen says if Palin was named the top U.S. representative to Canada, it would be tantamount to having to deal with two Donald Trumps.

TORONTO—Frederik Andersen is headed for one of the busiest seasons in NHL history.

The 27-year-old is on pace to face 2,173 shots in his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in what would be the 15th-highest total ever.

Only 31 times in NHL history has a goalie faced even 2,100 shots in a single season—Pekka Rinne and Cam Ward the last to do so five years ago.

TORONTO—Vladimir Tarasenko strode through the neutral zone, dipped around a Maple Leafs' forward, deked out another, and then fired a shot past Frederik Andersen to clinch another victory for the suddenly red-hot St. Louis Blues.

The Blues improved to 4-1-0 under new head coach Mike Yeo after edging the Leafs 2-1 in overtime at the Air Canada Centre last night.

NEW YORK — A prolific foreign hacker behind cyberattacks that netted an estimated $55 million is facing sentencing by a U.S. judge in a conviction considered an unusual win for law enforcement officials who have identified hundreds of others like him but failed to put them in handcuffs.

SAN FRANCISCO — The legal fight over President Donald Trump’s ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim nations is on hold after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block a lower-court ruling that suspended the ban, allowing previously barred travellers to continue coming to the United States.

WASHINGTON — With Jeff Sessions sworn in as the nation’s attorney general, the Trump administration signalled some of its priorities for a revamped Justice Department in a series of executive orders aimed at reducing crime and drug trafficking and protecting police officers.

NEW DELHI — A textbook has sparked outrage in India for instructing fourth-graders to put a kitten in an unventilated box and wait for it to die to show that living beings need air.

The experiment described in the environmental science textbook for 9-year-olds tells the students to place two kittens in separate boxes, one of them without air holes, to see the result.

NEW YORK — After many years of divisiveness, the Boy Scouts of America have opened their ranks to gay and transgender boys. Yet a different membership dispute persists: a long-shot campaign to let girls join the BSA so they have a chance to earn the prestigious status of Eagle Scout.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The Trump administration on Thursday delayed what would be the first endangered designation for a bee species in the continental U.S., one day before it was to take effect.

LONDON — Scientists may have figured out part of the reason why mosquitoes are drawn to people infected with malaria: odour.

Swedish researchers say they’ve identified a substance pumped out by malaria parasites that triggers that distinctive smell, noticeable only to mosquitoes. The study from Stockholm University was published Thursday by the journal Science.

MANCHESTER, Pa. — Pandemonium broke out at a southern Pennsylvania supermarket when a rogue deer smashed through its glass entrance and briefly ran amok.

The doe burst into a Giant grocery store in the borough of Manchester on Monday, The York Daily Record reported (http://bit.ly/2lsjYCT ).

Water and sewer rates likely will be going up here in Fort Frances.

Town council will vote tonight on whether to apply a 2.71 increase to all rates, which will generate an additional $152,279.33 in revenue compared to last year.

So close, yet so far away.

Two Rainy River District curlers nearly found their way onto the national curling stage yesterday.

Ashton Cousineau of the Crossroads School Tornadoes had his sights squarely set on his target during the inaugural Rainy River District Athletic Association Grade 7-8 archery tournament at Sturgeon Creek School on Saturday.

Hailie Beasant of the Fort Frances Thunder carved her own path between Dryden Drillers defenders Aimee Warren (7) and Darbie Mattson (5) on this drive to the net during the second period of yesterday's bronze-medal game in the Bantam division tournament put on by the Fort Frances Girls and Women's Hockey Association at the Ice for Kids Arena yesterday.

The Fort Frances Youth Ensemble performed the Grammy-nominated song “Can't Stop the Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake during the Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary Br. 29's first-ever "Pre-Grammy Awards Gala” here Saturday evening. Christian Wiedenhoeft sang lead vocals, backed up by Adrianna McCoy, left, Joelle Bruyere, Callahan Wiedenhoeft, Piper Lidkea, Katelyn Bruyere, and Anna Schwartz.

Katrina Slomke from the Muskie girls' curling team showed some serious style leaving the hack during the Fort's game against the Sioux Lookout Warriors at the NorWOSSA finals last night at the Fort Frances Curling Club. The Muskie girls are 3-0 after a 10-1 victory against the St.

Emo Express White goalie Karson Loughrey flashed the leather to stymie Ethan Allaire of the West End Bruins on this shootout chance in the gold-medal game of the Emo-Devlin-Barwick Minor Hockey Association Atom 'A' tournament at the Emo-La Vallee Arena yesterday. Callum McCormick had the only goal of the shootout as Emo edged West End 3-2 to capture the title.

Clarine Cook, left, and Pat Boustead manned the bake table at the St. John's Anglican Church Valentine Luncheon on Friday. Guests were treated to soups, sandwiches and dainties while also having the option to pick up a few baked goods for a Valentine treat.

OTTAWA—A foot of weekend snow held back Justin Trudeau's plane to Washington for an hour this morning, but the prime minister eventually departed for his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

MONTREAL—Two weeks after a gunman killed six Muslim men as they prayed in Quebec City, mosques around Montreal held open door events aimed at fostering understanding in the wake of the tragedy.

OTTAWA—A trans rights activist at the heart of a recently-settled human rights complaint says it's now only a matter of time before the federal government drops any mention of gender from government-issued identification.

WINDSOR, Ont.—A school board in southwestern Ontario says it has cancelled a handful of school trips to the United States due to “safety and equity” concerns.

Greater Essex County District School Board trustee Clara Howitt said yesterday that the decision has affected trips to the U.S. that were scheduled for February, as well as a trip to Washington, D.C. in April.

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y.—Teachers from elementary school through college are telling students how to distinguish between factual and fictional news—and why they should care that there's a difference.

BOSTON—Tuukka Rask posted his first career regular-season home win over Montreal by making 25 saves for his sixth shutout, 39-year-old Zdeno Chara had an impressive move on his short-handed goal and the Boston Bruins improved to 3-0 under interim coach Bruce Cassidy with a 4-0 victory over the Canadiens last night.

TORONTO—Kyle Lowry is worried.

The Toronto Raptors had just coughed up a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in a 102-101 to the Detroit Pistons—their 10th loss in 14 games—and a livid Lowry unleashed his frustration in a funereal post-game dressing room yesterday.

“I'm starting to get worried, yeah,” Lowry said.

BOCA RATON, Fla.—Scott McCarron eagled the par-5 18th hole yesterday to win the Allianz Championship for his third PGA Champions Tour victory in his last 17 starts.

The 51-year-old McCarron hit a 7-iron shot from 179 yards to 6 feet to set up the eagle, his second of the day after an 80-foot putt on the par-5 seventh.

LONDON — Britain plans to give afterschool cybersecurity training to thousands of teenagers in a bid to protect the country from online attacks.

The government says it has earmarked 20 million pounds ($25 million) for a Cyber Schools Program, due to start in September.

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Teachers from elementary school through college are telling students how to distinguish between factual and fictional news ‚Äî and why they should care that there’s a difference.

In an extraordinary moment between the music industry's top female artists, Adele beat Beyonce for three of the top Grammy Awards—then said her competitor deserved at least one of them.

PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic Of — The United States, Japan and South Korea have requested urgent diplomatic talks at the United Nations on Monday over North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch, with Seoul condemning what it called “serious military and security threats” and predicting more such tests.

WASHINGTON — A poster of President Donald Trump that included a misspelling in a quote has been removed from the online store of the Library of Congress.

The poster includes Trump’s quote, “No dream is too big, no challenge is to great. Nothing we want for the future is beyond our reach.” The phrase should be “too great.”

OROVILLE, Calif. — Nearly 200,000 people remained under evacuation orders Monday as California authorities try to fix erosion of the emergency spillway at the nation’s tallest dam that could unleash uncontrolled flood waters if it fails.

A kind of carbo-licious porridge made from dried and coarsely ground corn, grits are to Southern cuisine what potatoes are to Northern cuisine — a deeply satisfying staple. Like squash, tomatoes and deep-pit barbecuing, grits came to define Southern cooking via the cuisines of such southeast American Indian tribes as the Caddo, Choctaw and Seminole.

In celebration of this month’s New York Fashion Week, The Culinary Institute of America created a recipe that is as timeless as a little black dress, but as decadent as the finest pair of platform pumps. Inspired by the most delicate of fabrics, this Sweet Coffee Chiffon Roulade is as visually stunning as it is delicious ‚Äî and it even includes a few accessories.

Over the weekend, about 30 Unifor members at ParaMed Home Health Care in Dryden, Ear Falls, and Red Lake voted 100 percent in favour of taking strike action to achieve a new collective agreement.

ParaMed Home Health Care is a private, for-profit company that provides health and home support services across the region.

On Friday at 10:40 p.m., officers of the Rainy River District OPP received a traffic complainant involving a motor vehicle in Fort Frances.

Officers located the vehicle on the 200 block of Scott Street.

The driver, an 80-year-old Devlin man, was arrested and taken to OPP detachment for breath tests.

The Rainy River District OPP has located Mildred Kerr safe and sound as of late yesterday afternoon.

Police had been asking for assistance from the public in locating the 88-year-old Atikokan woman yesterday morning.

Kerr left Atikokan with a suspected destination of Brantford, Ont. on Sunday morning.

With first place in the bag, the Muskie boys' hockey team has its eyes on another impressive feat: an undefeated regular season.

The black-and-gold took another step towards that goal with a 9-1 romp over of the host Kenora Broncos in NorWOSSA action last night.

The dress rehearsal is over—time for the big show.

Each Muskie squad put momentum on their side heading into the NorWOSSA finals here this Friday by taking care of their last bit of regular-season business yesterday against the host Kenora Broncos.

J.W. Walker students engaged in a playful tug-of-war during today's winter carnival at the school. Students participated in activities that included obstacle courses, relay races, snow soccer, snowshoeing, and target practice with two large sling-shots.

TORONTO—The Ontario government is conducting expanded mercury testing around the site of an old paper mill in the province's northwest in the hopes of cleaning up an area that has left a First Nation plagued with mercury poisoning for more than 50 years.

WINNIPEG—Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said his government has been talking with the Prime Minister's Office about ways to deal with the rising number of refugees illicitly-crossing the border from the United States.

OTTAWA—Standing next to President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute yesterday to Canada's ability to negotiate environmental treaties with the U.S., such as the . . . 1991 Air Quality Agreement.

TORONTO—Ontario's minister of northern development and mines is stepping aside temporarily as he deals with depression.

Michael Gravelle said his doctor diagnosed him last year.

“Over the past months, I have been struggling with a feeling of uneasiness that I have not been able to shake,” Gravelle said in a statement yesterday.

COCHRANE, Alta.—Calgary's Mount Royal University confirms two of its flight instructors were killed in a crash of one of the school's aviation diploma program aircraft.

RCMP said the crash happened yesterday afternoon east of Highway 40, northwest of Cochrane.

They also said the accident was witnessed by another aircraft and reported to authorities around 5 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO—Naked women are back in Playboy magazine—ending a year-old ban on the nudity that made the magazine famous.

Playboy celebrated the reversal on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #NakedIsNormal.

The about-face came yesterday with the release of Playboy's March-April issue.

SAN FRANCISCO — Naked women are back in Playboy magazine, ending a year-old ban on the nudity that made the magazine famous.

Playboy celebrated the reversal on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #NakedIsNormal.

CALGARY—It's clear that Christian Dvorak has shaken off the rookie jitters.

Arizona's centre had two goals and an assist, and Mike Smith made 36 saves for his 32nd career shutout, as the surging Arizona Coyotes won 5-0 over the Calgary Flames last night.

Dvorak's third multi-point effort in the last five games gives the rookie five goals and seven points over that span.

NEW ORLEANS — The city hosting this year’s NBA All-Star game has long enjoyed a reputation as a welcoming place for the gay and lesbian community. New Orleans is home to one of the country’s oldest gay bars, the gay celebration Southern Decadence draws nearly 200,000 people yearly, and gay and lesbian authors flock here for the Saints and Sinners literary festival.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned following reports he misled Vice-President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. His departure upends Trump’s senior team after less than a month in office.

BRUSSELS — The NATO chief urged allies on Tuesday to step up their defence spending, a day ahead of the first meeting between new U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and his 27 NATO counterparts in Brussels.

ALLANGANALLUR, India — In the darkness just before dawn, the southern Indian town buzzed with excitement and energy as revelers began arriving for the spectacle of Jallikattu, the region’s version of running with the bulls.

NEW YORK — She’s no longer a Rumor at America’s top dog show.

A German shepherd called Rumor who just missed winning at the Westminster Kennel Club last year came back to score a big victory Monday night, beating out favoured Preston the puli in the herding group.

Weechi-it-te-win Family Services' youth in transition program is proud to announce that Waawaate Fobister will be performing his award-winning, one-man show, “Agokwe.”

It is a play that promotes respect and understanding for youth that identity as two-spirited or LGBTQ.

Yesterday around 12:50 p.m., officers from the Thunder Bay OPP were notified of a motor-vehicle collision on Highway 102 between Dog Lake Road and Shirley Road.

The OPP, Thunder Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Fire Service, and Superior North Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responded.

Maybe being in the national spotlight will reverse the fortunes of the Fort Frances Lakers.

The three-time defending SIJHL champs are bound for Kenora on Saturday to play the English River Miners in a game that will be part of Sportsnet's “Hockey Day in Canada” broadcast.

It was the “Valentine's Day Massacre” one day late.

The Muskie boys' and girls' hockey teams both ran roughshod over the visiting Kenora Broncos with a pair of shutout routs in NorWOSSA play last night.

Harlow Perrault, Dominic Kaemingk, Jaycie Hamilton, and Gage Beninger had their handmade bags ready to fill with Valentines during activities Tuesday in the various classrooms at St. Michael's School.

It looked like a sure goal but Jenna Clendenning (17) had her redirection go just wide of the net during the first period of last night's 8-0 victory over the Kenora Broncos in NorWOSSA play at the Ice For Kids Arena.

J.W. Walker kindergarten students Nash Dolyny, left, and Bryden Strachan proudly showed off their “100th Day” T-shirts on Friday. Some schools across the district marked the 100th day of the school year with a number of activities involving the number 100.

TORONTO—Ontario is putting $1.8 million toward 15 pilot projects aimed at improving police responses to sexual violence, including two case review models that are similar to a celebrated approach pioneered in Philadelphia.

Advocates say the case reviews in Brantford and the OPP's Northwest Region are a good first step.

TORONTO—Stuart McLean, the best-selling author and soft-spoken humorist whose gentle celebration of life's biggest and smallest moments endeared him to legions of faithful listeners of CBC Radio's “The Vinyl Cafe,” has died.

CBC said the celebrated storyteller, who had been diagnosed with skin cancer, died yesterday in Toronto at age 68.

WINNIPEG—A man who allegedly fell asleep on a bus and, when roused, refused to leave has been charged in the fatal stabbing of a transit driver.

Brian Kyle Thomas, 22, of Winnipeg is facing charges including second-degree murder, possession of a weapon, and failing to comply with a probation order.

WASHINGTON — It’s the top complaint to a U.S. Senate hotline for seniors: fraudsters posing as IRS agents, threatening arrests and demanding money.

A Treasury Department official told lawmakers Wednesday that more than 10,000 people have reported falling prey to the so-called “IRS impersonation scam,” many of them elderly Americans.

PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic Of — Unaware of reports his eldest son and current leader Kim Jong Un’s half brother was killed just days ago in what appears to have been a carefully planned assassination, North Koreans marked the birthday of late leader Kim Jong Il on Thursday as they do every year, with dancing, special treats for children and reverential bows and bouquets of f

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian diplomats have met with a woman arrested in Malaysia for suspected involvement in the killing of the North Korean leader’s half brother and confirmed she is an Indonesian citizen, officials said Thursday.

BONN, Germany — Foreign ministers from 20 of the world’s leading nations met Thursday in the former German capital to discuss current conflicts and ways to prevent future crises against a backdrop of uncertainty among allies and adversaries over the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — The president of the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Ohio says it considered selling a century-old wooden propeller signed by one of the Wright brothers but decided against it, at least for now.

DENVER — Colorado’s beetle-infested forests are peppered with an estimated 834 million standing dead trees that threaten to worsen wildfires and degrade vital water supplies that flow from mountains, officials said Wednesday.

PHILADELPHIA — Organizers in cities across the U.S. are telling immigrants to miss class, miss work and not patronize businesses Thursday.

“A Day Without Immigrants” is meant to show how critical they are to the U.S. economy and the country’s way of life. Actions are planned in cities including Philadelphia, Washington, and Austin, Texas.

Starchy sides are a mainstay of the classic American dinner. It’s easy to get complacent and rely on a trusty, if unimaginative, rotation of mealtime regulars: rice, potatoes, noodles.

It will be cloudy but mild tonight, with an overnight low of minus-one C (30 F).

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny and milder, with a high soaring to 12 (55) and a low of minus-four (24).

More sunshine is forecast for Saturday, along with a high of nine (47) and low dipping to minus-six (22).

Family Day events will be taking place in municipalities across the district this Monday (Feb. 20).

Here in town, activities will take place at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre.

They include family magnet-making from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Drop in anytime with a picture of your family to create a unique magnet.

District residents have until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 18) to share their stories about excellent customer service they've received at area businesses.

For almost the past month, the Rainy River Future Development Corp. has been urging people to visit www.rrfdc.on.ca and fill out a form there.

A last-minute change in plans made for a quiet night in the Fort Frances Women's Volleyball League.

Eight of the 12 teams were left without a place to play when the league got late word that the Fort High gym would not be available last night due to early preparations for today's NorWOSSA playoffs.

Angelina Morris, left, and Hannah Westerman were all smiles after getting makeovers during the When Eagles Fly Youth Empowerment and Safety “Glam Jam Event" held here Saturday. The session, which was attended by 17 young women from the Fort Frances and Lac La Croix areas, consisted of a hands-on makeup lesson from Kelsey Veert of Mary Kay assisted by Sarah York.

Muskie Brandon Kocuiba screened out Dryden Eagles' forward Randy Russell (left) to allow goalie Matt Booth to pounce on the loose puck ahead of Keith Wrolstad during last night's 4-3 win by Dryden in the NorWOSSA regular-season finale for both teams at the Ice For Kids Arena.

Eva Vizi poured maple syrup onto packed snow for Piper Miller and Katherine Payne to scoop up with popsicle sticks this morning as part of the Métis food sampler during “Voyageur Day” activities at St. Francis School. Other activities running all day for the students include Métis dot art, jigging/square dancing, flag-making, voyageur games, and information about furs and trapping.

CALGARY—A prosecutor says first-degree murder verdicts against a man who killed a couple and their young grandson before disposing of their bodies will do little to ease the family's grief.

Douglas Garland, 57, was charged after Alvin and Kathy Liknes and five-year-old Nathan O'Brien disappeared in June, 2014.

THUNDER BAY, Ont.—Aboriginal leaders say indigenous artist Moses Beaver has died under what they are calling unexplained circumstances.

Beaver, a renowned Woodlands artist, is believed to have died in a jail in Thunder Bay, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Nibinamik First Nation Chief Johnny Yellowhead said in a statement yesterday.

LANGLEY, B.C.—A wallaby wandering through Langley, B.C. has the jump on everyone trying to find it.

The roughly metre-high creature—similar to a kangaroo—has been on the hop since earlier this week when RCMP say it escaped from an enclosure inside a home.

PHILADELPHIA — The heart of Philadelphia’s Italian Market was uncommonly quiet. Fine restaurants in New York, San Francisco and the nation’s capital closed for the day. Grocery stores, food trucks, coffee shops, diners and taco joints in places like Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston shut down.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Natural gas for at least 10 days has leaked from an underwater natural gas pipeline in Alaska’s Cook Inlet and floating ice has prevented divers from reaching the site.

Is replacing a severely disfigured person’s face with one from a dead donor ready to be called regular care, something insurers should cover? Mayo Clinic has raised that question by doing the first U.S. face transplant that’s not part of research.

LOS ANGELES—This is the starring role Sam Saunders prefers.

Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer who so famously kept his composure during a heartfelt eulogy of “The King,” rolled in birdie putts and kept a clean card at Riviera yesterday for a seven-under 64 and an early two-shot lead in the Genesis Open.

PITTSBURGH—It was, in many ways, Sidney Crosby's remarkable career distilled to its essence.

Game on the line. A wide-open net. A race to the puck.

These are the moments the Pittsburgh Penguins' star embraces as well as anyone in his sport.

DUNEDIN, Fla.—Aaron Sanchez came into spring training this year with a different mentality than in the past.

For the first time in his major-league career, the 24-year-old right-hander doesn't have to prove he's worthy of a spot in the Blue Jays' starting rotation after his dominant season last year.

And he's using that lack of pressure to sharpen his arsenal.

NEW YORK—Eugenie Bouchard is not one to welch on a bet.

The tennis star from Westmount, Que. went on a date with New England Patriots' fan John Goehrke last night after the two agreed to a bet over Twitter during Super Bowl 51.

Bouchard had tweeted that she “knew Atlanta would win” with the Falcons holding a big lead over the Patriots during the NFL's championship game.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont.—New Brunswick and Northwest Territories won their opening games of the Canadian women's curling championship qualifying tournament yesterday.

N.W.T.'s Kerry Galusha downed Yukon's Sarah Koltun 9-6 while New Brunswick's Melissa Adams defeated Geneva Chislett of Nunavut 11-6.

MIAMI — The Kushner family, which has close ties to the White House, put the brakes on its negotiations to buy the Miami Marlins because of a report team owner Jeffrey Loria may be nominated by President Donald Trump to become ambassador to France.

WASHINGTON — A smart trap for mosquitoes? A new high-tech version is promising to catch the bloodsuckers while letting friendlier insects escape and even record the exact weather conditions when different species emerge to bite.

HONOLULU—The world's oldest known seabird has a new chick.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said yesterday that Wisdom's offspring hatched at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week.

The Laysan albatross is at least 66 years old and is the world's oldest breeding bird in the wild.

WASHINGTON—It's the top complaint to a U.S. Senate hotline for seniors: fraudsters posing as IRS agents, threatening arrests and demanding money.

A Treasury Department official told lawmakers Wednesday that more than 10,000 people have reported falling prey to the so-called “IRS impersonation scam,” many of them elderly Americans.

WASHINGTON—Thomas Jefferson railed against newspapers as “polluted vehicles” of falsehood and error.

Richard Nixon tangled with reporters in the toxic atmosphere of Watergate, considering them the “enemy.”

Bill Clinton publicly condemned “purveyors of hatred and division” on the public air waves.

HONOLULU — The world’s oldest known seabird has a new chick.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday Wisdom’s offspring hatched at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week. The Laysan albatross is at least 66 years old and is the world’s oldest breeding bird in the wild.

This evening could see a bit of sleet and freezing rain, then skies will clear overnight.

Expect a low of minus-six C (21 F) and south winds at five m.p.h., gusting up to 23 m.p.h.

Tomorrow will be sunny, with a high of six (43) and low around minus-seven (19).

Senior Muskie Avery Wilson-Hands was in prime position to bring the power against Dryden during Fort High's 3-1 victory in the best-of-five NorWOSSA final Friday at Fort High which snapped the Eagles' 15-year grasp on the crown.

Vancouver aquarium officials say they still don't know what killed two beluga whales last year, but the facility is pushing ahead with plans to expand its beluga conservation program.

NANAIMO, B.C.—Hundreds of boxes of a limited-edition pasta have filled the home of a family in Nanaimo, B.C. following a plea to help their autistic son.

Reed Botwright put out a call on social media last week when he and his wife could not track down any more boxes of “Star Wars Kraft Dinner,” one of the only foods their six-year-old son, Everett, will eat.

TORONTO—The union representing Ontario's high school teachers is planning “informal talks” with the province this week to discuss a return to contract extension negotiations.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation is the only education union to have not yet agreed to extend their current deals to 2019—past next year's provincial election.

TORONTO—The Transportation Safety Board warned air travellers of the importance of wearing seatbelts as it released a report yesterday that found a failure to buckle up left 21 people injured when a Toronto-bound flight hit severe turbulence in December, 2015.

CHICAGO — Teen suicide attempts in the U.S. declined after same-sex marriage became legal and the biggest impact was among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids, a study found.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont.—Krista McCarville vows her Northern Ontario team is done with larceny, although it has been profitable for them.

Her Thunder Bay foursome led last year's Canadian women's curling championship in stolen points with 31, but it was the playoff round where they took thieving to spectacular heights.

ST. LOUIS—The Florida Panthers began their five-game road trip near the back of a crowded field in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

After sweeping the trip, they're near the top of the Atlantic Division.

Vincent Trocheck scored with just under five seconds to go to lift the Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues last night.

DENVER — Instrument-laden aircraft are surveying the Colorado high country this month as scientists search for better ways to measure how much water is locked up in the world’s mountain snows water that sustains a substantial share of the global population.

BEIJING — A prefecture in China’s far western Xinjiang region is requiring all vehicles to install satellite tracking systems as part of stepped-up measures against violent attacks.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is taking up an appeal from the parents of a Mexican teenager who was killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. The case could help define when foreigners outside the U.S. have access to American courts.

PARIS — Child soldiers, underage sex slaves, orphaned adolescent refugees ‚Äî France’s president and UNICEF are urging the international community to do more to protect the more than 200 million children of today’s conflict zones.

MADRID — Authorities in Gibraltar say they have seized one of the largest and most advanced superyachts in the world over an unsettled bill dispute between its owner and its German builder.

The Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper reports that shipbuilder Nobiskrug claims 15.3 million euro ($16.2 million) in overdue payments for the 143-meter (468-foot) -long Sailing Yacht A.

LISBON, Portugal — A Portuguese court has ordered police to extradite a former CIA agent to Italy, where she is due to serve a four-year prison sentence after being convicted of involvement in a U.S. program that kidnapped suspects for interrogation, her lawyer said Tuesday.

After the Mona Lisa, Italy’s most beloved and enduring gift to world culture might be the meatball. But talk to any two Italian cooks about which ingredients actually comprise a meatball and you’re going to get an argument. Fine. I took this contentiousness as a license to concoct a meatball recipe of my own using the best tips from Italian friends and colleagues.

Tying into the spirit of Canada's 150th birthday, “Then and Now” will be the theme of the 2017 spring art exhibit at the Fine Line Art Gallery here.

Interested artists can do anything they want as long as it highlights something old and something new, said Fine Line co-op member Jean Richards.

Former Boise Cascade chairman and chief executive officer John B. Fery has died following complications from acute leukemia.

Surrounded by family, Fery passed away at his California home on Feb. 11, just days before his 87th birthday.

According to a news release, Fery was perhaps best known for his deft turnaround of the Fortune 500 company during its diversification years.

The Town of Fort Frances will be receiving $55,000 from the Moffat Family Fund this year to redistribute to local worthwhile causes, and is urging groups to submit applications to get a share of the pot.

Applications for 2017 are available at the Civic Centre and online at fort-frances.com/town/administration-finance/moffat-family-fund

Before the World Wide Web, there was the World Day of Prayer—an international event that has been connecting people in a meaningful way for almost a century.

A recent Valentine cookie charity campaign by Tess' Kitchen here has raised $800 for two good causes.

Tess Coish, who had been taking orders for heart-shaped Valentine cookies for $1 each, told the Times she collected $748 in sales.

She also received some extra money people gave as tips.

The executive director of the Rainy River District Women's Shelter of Hope is troubled by a Feb. 3 Globe & Mail article indicating Canadian police dismiss an average of one out of every five sexual assault reports as unfounded.

Organizers once again are hoping for pleasant weather for the 35th-annual Nestor Falls Winter Carnival set for March 3-5.

Committee member Howard Dodd said he still remembers a few years ago when frigid weather cancelled some of the outdoor events.

Dodd is expecting a good turnout this year—provided Mother Nature complies.

The first meeting of the West Enders 4-H club took place at the Gerula residence in Rainy River.

It was called to order by leader Kim Desserre at 10:05 a.m. and then we all recited the 4-H pledge.

Next came roll call, which was “What is your reason for wanting to learn more about pizza?”

After everyone answered, we talked about the different roles in the 4-H club.

Dave Black spotted a seed and figured he and his Grade 7-8 class at St. Francis School could make it bloom much bigger than intended.

“It was an experiment in a science textbook,” said Black.

“But they think on a lot smaller scale than I do.”

Jean Richards revealed “My Diva," one-half of her project for the "Then and Now” exhibit coming up in April at the Fine Line Art Gallery. Those wondering what the other half will be will have to attend the open house April 28. The gallery is searching for artists and crafters to enter pieces in the exhibit, which ties in with Canada's 150th birthday.

An open house for the exhibit, “Freemasonry: A History Hidden in Plain Sight,” will be held tomorrow (Feb. 23) from 3-6 p.m. at the Fort Frances Museum. The exhibit, which explains some of the symbolism and history that surrounds the Masons, is on loan from the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre. Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome to attend.

WASHINGTON — Michael Schwarz is a self-employed business owner who buys his own health insurance. Subsidized coverage through “Obamacare” offers protection from life’s unpredictable changes and freedom to pursue his vocation, he says.

LONDON — While most people born in rich countries will live longer by 2030 ‚Äî with women in South Korea projected to reach nearly 91 Americans will continue to have one of the lowest life expectancies of any developed country, a new study predicts.

DURHAM, N.H. — New Hampshire’s maple syrup producers say they are feeling the impact of climate change, as winters become warmer and frigid nights so critical to their business become fewer.

MEXICO CITY — Mexicans fear deportee and refugee camps could be popping up along their northern border under the Trump administration’s plan to start deporting to Mexico all Latin Americans and others who entered the U.S. illegally through this country.

ROME — From specialty shops in Rome to supermarkets around the world, lovers of Italian olive oil are in for some sticker shock this year, with prices due to jump by as much as 20 per cent.

Registered dietitian Emily Mardell has found more clients having difficulty coping with digestive woes or picky eaters.

“In my practice I have definitely noticed people are fighting with food and they need some help to find the joy again and to get rid of some of that everyday frustration and confusion that can come with figuring out how to eat well,” she says from Edmonton.

I have a recipe for a potato gratin in my last cookbook, “Dinner Solved!”, that I firmly stand by. Here is another that I firmly stand by. And I plan to come up with more such recipes to firmly stand by because I am committed to reminding all of us why gratins are one of the best things that could ever happen to a potato, ever.

Mayor Roy Avis reports he is doing well after undergoing back surgery on Feb. 14.

“I'm back at home and recovering,” he told the Times this morning.

“It's just takes time. But everything's going okay,” he added.

Mayor Avis said he had been on a waiting list to have the surgery for quite some time, and when he got the call that there was an opening, he had to take it.

Members of the Red Lake OPP Detachment received a complaint yesterday regarding suspicious drug activity in Balmertown.

Officers patrolled the area and conducted a traffic stop on a black Oldsmobile Alero. Upon stopping the vehicle officers observed a quantity of illegal drugs inside.

They weren't about to be welcome mats for their mat opponents.

Zayne Basaraba and Landon Dressaire-Hammond of Fort Frances both finished in second place in their respective divisions while representing Mighty Mustangs Wrestling based in International Falls at a meet in Grand Rapids, Mn., this past Saturday.

For people who Lorne Jackson didn't mind losing to, Tim Warkentin is pretty high on the list.

Jackson skipped his Fort Frances rink of third Derek Jackson, second Mark Pederson, and lead Todd Moxham to a second-place finish at the Travelers Curling Club Region 1 playdowns in Keewatin over the weekend.

Katie barred the door and took the lead all at the same time.

With her hat trick, Katie Beninger spearheaded a 5-0 win for first-place Kicker Instinct over third-place Tough Enough in last night's only game in the Borderland Women's Indoor Soccer League at Fort Frances High School.

Robert Moore kindergarten student Laila Barnard wrote down an anti-bullying message yesterday during Pink Shirt Day. Students at Rainy River District School Board schools stood up against bullying yesterday, wearing pink and participating in anti-bullying activities.

Zayne Basaraba of Fort Frances, second from left, showed plenty of grit in earning second place for Mighty Mustang Wrestling from International Falls during a meet in Grand Rapids, Mn., this past weekend.

Lilah Brockie, left, and Carter Daniw played “Candyland” as Karla Daniw looked on during Family Day activities at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre. Families also were welcome to make fridge magnets using photos of their families and watch a movie.

Liz Allan took part in Charleen Mallory's china-painting class where the students learned a European style. The class took place Saturday at the museum and was the second part of a two-part workshop. The first lesson took place the previous Saturday.

HAMILTON—A man and a woman accused of using a high-quality printer stolen from a Hamilton college to make counterfeit cash and produce fake documents appeared to be “trying to perfect their craft” when they were arrested, police said yesterday.

Officers seized boxes containing “hundreds of pieces of documents” when the pair was arrested last month, Det. Const. Phil Poirier said.

EMERSON, Man.—A municipal politician in southern Manitoba is expressing concern about the potential for spring flooding and how that may effect the flow of asylum seekers into the province from the United States.

TORONTO—Ontario's Progressive Conservative Leader will support an anti-Islamophobia motion from a Liberal member and is encouraging his caucus to do the same.

Patrick Brown's support means the Ontario motion is unlikely to garner the kind of political debate seen over a similar motion in the House of Commons.

COBOURG, Ont.—A southern Ontario town begins playing host today to athletes taking part in a winter sports tournament for people aged 55 and older.

The provincial government says about 1,000 athletes are expected to pour into Cobourg for the Ontario 55+ Winter Games.

TORONTO—Ontario electricity distributors will no longer be allowed to disconnect customers' power in the winter if they don't pay their bills, which are steadily rising along with ratepayer anger.

WASHINGTON — Bacteria live on everyone’s skin, and new research shows some friendly germs produce natural antibiotics that ward off their disease-causing cousins. Now scientists are mixing the good bugs into lotions in hopes of spreading protection.

EULESS, Texas—A 17-year-old transgender wrestler who qualified for the girls state tournament while transitioning from female to male has become a high-profile test of a year-old Texas policy now being criticized by the attorney who tried to keep the athlete from competing.

SUNRISE, Fla.—The last time Edmonton lost a road game at Florida, Connor McDavid was five years old.

He's 20 now. And he wasn't about to let the streak end just yet.

McDavid helped set up Kris Russell's winner with 7:58 left, and the Oilers beat Florida 4-3 yesterday to snap the Panthers' five-game winning streak.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Martin Truex Jr. saw his Daytona 500 victory vanish in just a blink of an eye.

Eyes open. Eyes shut.

One-hundredth of a second, the time it takes lightning to strike the ground.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX made good on a 250-mile-high delivery at the International Space Station on Thursday, after fixing a navigation problem that held up the shipment a day.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—For the first time, astronomers have discovered seven Earth-size planets orbiting a single nearby star—and these new worlds could hold life.

This cluster of planets is less than 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, according to NASA and the Belgian-led research team who announced the discovery yesterday.

DENVER—A Colorado judge has blocked a college town's law against women going topless, saying the law is likely unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson said Tuesday that Fort Collins' ordinance is based on gender discrimination and issued an injunction against its enforcement.

WASHINGTON—Conservatives are praising the Trump administration's rollback of public school bathroom requirements for transgender students, saying the move corrects a legal overreach by the Obama administration that is best left for states to decide.

Transgender rights advocates, meanwhile, are vowing to overcome a major setback.

The United Nations needs $4.4 billion by the end of March to prevent catastrophic hunger and famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen, yet just $90 million has been collected so far, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday.

HONOLULU — A proposal in the Hawaii Legislature has the potential to shake up the fishing industry and the permit process for foreign fishermen.

JOHANNESBURG — Outside an old house in a battered Johannesburg neighbourhood, a hatch door slams shut and an alarm signals the arrival of an abandoned baby. A new infant is joining the ranks of toddlers being raised in the centre.

WASHINGTON — Conservatives are praising the Trump administration’s rollback of public school bathroom requirements for transgender students, saying the move corrects a legal overreach by the Obama administration that is best left for states to decide. Transgender rights advocates, meanwhile, are vowing to overcome a major setback.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — For the first time, astronomers have discovered seven Earth-size planets orbiting a single nearby star ‚Äî and these new worlds could hold life.

This cluster of planets is less than 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, according to NASA and the Belgian-led research team who announced the discovery Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ top diplomat said Thursday any move by China to transform a Manila-claimed shoal into an island would be a “game-changer” in blossoming relations, although he added that Beijing has pledged not to undertake any construction in the strategically located area of the South China Sea.

Blessed with rain after a drought of several years, California fig farmers are optimistic this will be an even better year than last for their crop, says Karla Stockli of the California Fig Advisory Board.

Figs complement many cuisines, whether Indian, Persian, Italian, Greek or Middle Eastern.

NEW YORK—Pop-Tarts might not just be for breakfast anymore.

Kellogg's is giving the public a taste of some unique flavour combinations featuring the morning time treat by transforming its New York eatery into a Pop-Tarts Cafe this week.

Some of the menu items include a personal Pop-Tart pizza, chili Pop-Tart fries and tarty tacos.

WASHINGTON—Bacteria live on everyone's skin, and new research shows some friendly germs produce natural antibiotics that ward off their disease-causing cousins. Now scientists are mixing the good bugs into lotions in hopes of spreading protection.

CHICAGO—Teen suicide attempts in the U.S. declined after same-sex marriage became legal and the biggest impact was among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids, a study found.

The research found declines in states that passed laws allowing gays to marry before the Supreme Court made it legal nationwide.

DENVER — A Colorado judge has blocked a college town’s law against women going topless, saying the law is likely unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson said Tuesday that Fort Collins’ ordinance is based on gender discrimination and issued an injunction against its enforcement.

Like many families, we try to minimize the amount of processed sugar we eat. But, it is lurking everywhere, and we are eating far more processed sugar than our grandparents did. How to combat this trend that seems to have sneaked up on us?

Shortly after 12:15 p.m. yesterday, members of the Kenora Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Kenora Fire Department and Kenora Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to a collision on Lakeview Drive.

Upon arrival at the restaurant, members observed that a lone vehicle had struck the building and entered inside the establishment.

“Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change?”

Don't mind if we do, John McClane.

Some of the “Die Hards” of the Fort Frances Women's Volleyball League had more up for grabs than usual last night in their games at Fort Frances High School and St. Michael's School.

Jillian Calder, centre, was obviously thrilled for linemate Jess Steele, left, after Steele scored her second goal of the game less than seven minutes into the third period to give the Muskies a 2-0 lead on the way to a 5-1 win over the Sioux Lookout Warriors in Game 1 of the NorWOSSA best-of-three girls hockey semifinal last night at the Ice for Kids Arena.

Brad Loveday checked out a display of Masonic artifacts during an open house for the exhibit, “Freemasonry: A History Hidden in Plain Sight,” yesterday at the Fort Frances Museum. Loveday was among several members of the local Freemason lodge—Granite Lodge 446—in attendance. The exhibit will here until the end of March.

TORONTO—Transit service was delayed for hours in downtown Toronto yesterday after a man allegedly followed GPS instructions that got him stuck in a streetcar tunnel.

Toronto Transit Commission spokesman Brad Ross says a streetcar came across the vehicle blocking the tunnel at one of the city's main transit hubs shortly before 5 a.m.

TORONTO—Ontario's ban on disconnecting people's electricity for non-payment during the winter will extend to April 30.

The legislature sped through a bill Wednesday to change the rules and the Ontario Energy Board announced yesterday that it had officially amended the electricity distributors' licences.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Jeff Gordon is working in the broadcast booth. Carl Edwards is spending time with family. Tony Stewart is hanging out at dirt tracks.

Some of NASCAR's biggest stars have stepped away over the last 15 months, a thought-provoking trend that doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—For the first time in 29 years, a Canadian will race in the Daytona 500.

D.J. Kennington of St. Thomas, Ont., claimed one of two open slots for this weekend's race at Daytona International Speedway with a 15th place finish in last night's 150-mile qualifying race. Corey LaJoie secured the other open slot.

TORONTO—The Maple Leafs got the Frederik Andersen they were hoping for last night.

Toronto's struggling No. 1 stood toe-to-toe with Henrik Lundqvist, stopping 37-of-38 shots before falling to the New York Rangers in a shootout—the Leafs seventh such defeat in eight tries this season.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Willie Cauley-Stein had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help the Sacramento Kings, playing for the first time since trading DeMarcus Cousins, beat the Denver Nuggets 116-100 on Thursday night.

The Kings made a blockbuster deal Sunday, trading the all-Star Cousins to New Orleans.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont.—Northern Ontario's Krista McCarville claimed the final playoff spot at the Canadian women's curling championship with a 10-6 win today over Northwest Territories.

McCarville was a finalist in last year's Scotties Tournament of Hearts, losing to Chelsea Carey.

WASHINGTON — Officials in Washington state, where recreational marijuana is legal, vow to fight any federal crackdown on the nascent industry after White House spokesman Sean Spicer said they should expect to see stepped-up enforcement of anti-pot laws.

WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked a top FBI official to dispute media reports that President Donald Trump’s campaign advisers were frequently in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election, a White House official says.

SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq — U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Browning juggled phone calls on an overstuffed sofa in a small village south of Mosul. His counterparts in the Iraqi army’s 9th Division were pushing toward western Mosul, just a few miles away and were coming under mortar fire from the Islamic State group as they moved on a power station.

JACKSON, Wyo. — Wildlife refuge officials say a man with a drone caused 1,500 elk to stampede half a mile.

The stampede happened Monday at the National Elk Refuge in western Wyoming. Elk and bison often congregate at the refuge to eat feed put out to help them survive the winter.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The poison used to kill the estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader at a crowded air terminal in Malaysia last week was the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent, police said Friday. Eleven days after the deadly toxin was used, they said they would eliminate any possible remaining trace of it from the airport and other locations.

Hanna LeDrew, left, and the rest of the Muskie girls' hockey team finished off the Sioux Lookout Warriors in the NorWOSSA semi-final last night with a 4-1 victory in Game 2 there.

Susan Flemming, left, and Dwayne Hunking were among the 125 people who celebrated Mardi Gras on Saturday night at the Copper River Inn. The dinner was a fundraiser for the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau, bringing in just over $2,000 to help repair the roof of the old CN station. Mardi Gras, also known as “Fat Tuesday” or Shrove Tuesday, falls tomorrow and is the last day before Lent begins.

OTTAWA—Canada's immigration minister says he's not yet convinced a recent increase in the number of asylum-seekers crossing the border illegally from the United States constitutes a growing trend.

That's despite concerns raised by Manitoba that the situation may be getting out of hand.

Schools across Canada are grappling with the uncertainty of U.S. travel restrictions and how that affects upcoming student trips across the border.

VANCOUVER—New research suggests that providing universal coverage for more than 100 prescription medications could save Canadians as much as $3 billion per year.

A paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal today says providing all Canadians access to 117 essential medications would cover gaps that currently exist in health-care programs across the country.

WASHINGTON — Counterfeit goods, software piracy and the theft of trade secrets cost the American economy as much as $600 billion a year, a private watchdog says.

CHICAGO — An influential doctors group is beefing up warnings about marijuana’s potential harms for teens amid increasingly lax laws and attitudes on pot use.

Many parents use the drug and think it’s OK for their kids, but “we would rather not mess around with the developing brain,” said Dr. Seth Ammerman.

TORONTO—Two games since they re-jigged their roster, the Toronto Raptors are marching back up the Eastern Conference standings—despite the absence of all-star guard Kyle Lowry.

DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, and newcomer Serge Ibaka had 18 points and 10 rebounds, as the Raptors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 112-106 for their third-straight victory.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont.—Already at the top of their game, Rachel Homan says her curling team was pushed to a new level to win this year's Canadian women's curling championship.

Ontario's 8-6 win in an extra end over Manitoba's Michelle Englot in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts final last night was a classic.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Kurt Busch had a monster start to the season with a last-lap pass to win the crash-filled Daytona 500.

Busch is sponsored by Monster Energy, which kicked off its first season as the title sponsor for NASCAR's top series yesterday with the season-opener.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—Rickie Fowler didn't care about pretty. He cared about winning.

Staked to a four-shot lead, Fowler hit one putt into a sprinkler hole and a tee shot into the water.

But when his lead was cut to one shot, Fowler answered with two big birdie putts to regain control and finished off a four-shot victory in the Honda Classic.

CHICAGO—The Blackhawks' big-name scorers keep coming through when needed—and Chicago keeps on rolling.

Artem Anisimov scored with 5:20 left in the third period to lift the Blackhawks to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues last night.

It was their fourth-straight win and ninth in their last 10 games.

RIGA, Latvia — Russia’s Dmitry Eliseev is the new World Ice Fishing Champion after beating a field of 78 others on the frozen Baltic Sea off the coast of the Latvian capital.

NEW YORK — Samsung’s fiasco with its fire-prone Note 7 phone has pushed its rival LG to take additional precautions with its next smartphone.

Samsung recalled millions of Note 7 phones after dozens overheated and caught on fire . Samsung blamed numerous problems with its batteries and announced tighter quality controls and more rigorous testing.

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Her eyes glued to the feeble movements of her malnourished baby with protruding ribs and sunken eyes, Fadumo Abdi Ibrahim struggled to hold back her tears in the stifling and crowded feeding centre in Somalia’s capital. She waved a scrap of fabric over him to create a current of air.

LOS ANGELES—It was one of the most awkward moments in the history of the Oscars, of television, in entertainment—heck, maybe in American history.

And somehow Warren Beatty, Hollywood's ultimate smooth leading man, was at the centre of it.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The billionaire industrialist Charles Koch and hair braider Jocelyn DoCouto have at least one thing in common. They are both part of a national movement to deregulate the business of African-style braiding.

ORONO, Maine — Researchers are testing a technique they say could determine the age of lobsters.

Lobsters can live to be more than 100 years old. Their ages are typically estimated based on size, as they shed their shells and grow larger as they get older.

LOS ANGELES — It was one of the most awkward moments in the history of the Oscars, of television, in entertainment, heck maybe in American history.

And somehow Warren Beatty, Hollywood’s ultimate smooth leading man, was at the centre of it.

It may be cold where you are, but down in Miami, things are getting hot, hot, hot in preparation for the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. Showcasing local and celebrity chefs from around the world, the festival highlights the flavours and ingredients of the southern United States, with extra flair from Miami’s vibrant Latin influence.

St. Patrick’s Day, aka the Feast of St. Patrick, is devoted not only to “the wearing o’ the green,” but the eating of the green. Both customs nod to the colour of the shamrock, one of the great totems of Ireland, of which Patrick is the patron saint.

Last Wednesday, members of the Red Lake OPP detachment responded to a complaint at the Balmer Motor Inn.

During the investigation, officers located a quantity of illegal drugs and paraphernalia inside one of the rooms.

A 26-year-old woman and 28-year-old man, both of Fort Frances, were charged with possession of a Schedule I substance (methamphetamine).

St. Michael's School students were treated to a pancake breakfast this morning to mark Shrove Tuesday—the last day before Lent begins. Students also learned that pancakes traditionally are eaten today to use up ingredients that can't be consumed during Lent.

TORONTO—Electricity bills in Ontario could be cut by ending mandatory time-of-use pricing, reducing the delivery charge for rural customers, and renegotiating power contracts, the NDP proposed yesterday.

TORONTO—Ontario is looking for public feedback as it crafts legislation to shut “scalper bots” out of the process of buying and selling tickets online—something the attorney general admits won't be easy.

The Liberal government said last year it would look at tackling the bots after an outcry from fans who were shut out of buying tickets to the Tragically Hip's farewell tour.

OTTAWA—Celebrity businessman Kevin O'Leary has ripped another page out of U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign play book, backing out of a planned Conservative party leadership debate over frustrations with the format.

OTTAWA—An investigation has found a pilot who died during a training mission near the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary didn't eject or call for help before the crash.

A release from the Department of National Defence says Capt. Thomas McQueen, who was 29 and from Hamilton, died on impact in the November crash.

TORONTO—The Ontario government said yesteray it was improving access to specialized care for people living with rare diseases.

Health minister Eric Hoskins announced the opening of a new clinic for people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the expansion of clinics for those with inherited metabolic disorders and red blood cell disorders in Toronto.

BEIJING — China’s consumption of coal fell in 2016 for a third year in a row, official data showed Tuesday, as the world’s top carbon polluter has emerged as a global leader in addressing global warming.

LONDON — The World Health Organization has issued a list of the top dozen bacteria most dangerous to humans, warning that doctors are fast running out of treatment options.

In a press briefing on Monday, the U.N. health agency said its list is meant to promote the development of medicines for the most worrying drug-resistant bacteria, including salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.

An experimental gene therapy that turns a patient’s own blood cells into cancer killers worked in a major study, with more than one-third of very sick lymphoma patients showing no sign of disease six months after a single treatment, its maker said Tuesday.

In all, 82 per cent of patients had their cancer shrink at least by half at some point in the study.

NEW YORK—DeMar DeRozan made a turnaround jumper with 1.9 seconds to go to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 92-91 victory over the New York Knicks last night.

The Raptors won their fourth in a row—doing it with DeRozan and defence after learning earlier in the day that all-star Kyle Lowry will have right wrist surgery that could sideline him for the rest of the regular season.

DUNEDIN, Fla.—Blue Jays' right-hander Marcus Stroman threw two perfect innings in his spring training debut but Toronto still lost 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirate for its fourth-straight exhibition defeat.

Stroman struck out three of the six batters he faced.

NEWARK, N.J.—The Montreal Canadiens found a way to win last night despite basically showing up for only the third period and overtime against the New Jersey Devils.

Alex Galchenyuk scored on a power play at 2:54 of overtime as the Canadiens rallied from a two-goal, third-period deficit for a 4-3 victory to win consecutive games for the first time since early January.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX said Monday it will fly two people to the moon next year, a feat not attempted since NASA’s Apollo heyday close to half a century ago.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk ‚Äî the company’s founder and chief executive officer announced the surprising news barely a week after launching his first rocket from NASA’s legendary moon pad.

HONOLULU — The Polynesian voyaging canoe sailing around the world without modern navigation equipment has found its way to Easter Island.

The crew of the Hokulea arrived on Monday. A team of four apprentice navigators spotted the tiny remote island also known as Rapa Nui at sunset Sunday.

CAIRO — A rights group says Yemen’s Houthi rebels are recruiting fighters as young as 15, including by using religious schools to lure teenagers into their ranks without their parents’ knowledge.

Amnesty International described the “appalling” practices in a report released Tuesday, citing family members of four boys, aged 15 and 17, who were recruited by the rebels.

SEATTLE — A taco truck that became stranded in a massive Seattle traffic jam came to the rescue of hungry drivers by opening up and serving lunch on the interstate.

A tanker truck carrying propane rolled over on Seattle’s Interstate 5 on Monday morning, shutting area roads for about eight hours amid concerns about a hazardous materials spill.

Is it not enjoyable to take advantage of another culture’s holiday to explore new recipes and treat yourself to something delicious? It is.

And is St. Patrick’s Day not right around the corner? As the Irish might say, ‘tis.

Moist, biscuit-y Irish scones, lashed with rich butter and a few slices of smoked salmon top my list of Irish culinary yearnings this March 17.

Ontario is reviewing the rules for buying and selling tickets online to give fans a fair shot at getting tickets to see their favourite team, musical act, or theatrical performance.

Event tickets mostly are bought and sold online.

While this has given fans more options, it also means tickets to popular shows and games often sell-out within hours—sometimes minutes.

The first rehearsal for this year's Easter cantata is scheduled for March 20 at 7 p.m. at the New Beginnings Fellowship.

Diane Maxey, who once again will be directing the choir, is asking those interested in participating to contact her beforehand at 274-7309.

The local Masonic Lodge (Granite Lodge 446) has given a thumb's up to “Freemasonry: A History Hidden in Plain Sight”—an exhibit at the Fort Frances Museum that runs through the end of March.

Some 354 Confederation College students received 454 scholarships, bursaries, and awards totalling $190,255 at the annual Awards Recognition Reception last Wednesday.

The students were recognized for their academic achievement and community involvement.

While the temperature is supposed to be rather mild on Saturday, there is “SnO” way the Friends of Fort Frances Museum won't hold their annual family fun day.

“SnOasis 5: Canada Alive!” is set to go March 4 from noon-2 p.m. at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre.

The Backus Community Center in International Falls is pleased to welcome back Randy Noojin performing an encore performance of “Hard Travelin' with Woody.”

This one-man multimedia play showcasing the music and artworks of Woody Guthrie, written and performed by actor/playwright Noojin, will make its way back to the Backus stage this Saturday (March 4) at 7 p.m.

The “Owandem,” a small tug donated to the Fort Frances Museum by the late Arden Erickson Barnes of Ranier, Mn., sits at the Public Works yard here awaiting future refurbishing.

But before Barnes owned the boat, which she had renamed “The Motherlode," it was owned by former Fort Frances resident Harold "Bo” Armstrong, who now lives in Gravenhurst, Ont.

Two staff members and a student received the “Recognition of Excellence” at the Northwest District Catholic School Board's regular monthly meeting last Tuesday (Feb. 21).

From St. Francis School, educational assistant Shelley Douglas and Grade 7 student Mackenzie Thomson were thanked for their work with the “grab-and-go” breakfast program there.

The annual “Lenten Lunch” five-week worship service series will be hosted by Knox United Church in Emo.

Come and enjoy a short worship service, followed by a soup-and-sandwich lunch, at noon every Wednesday from March 8-April 5.

The cost of $4 goes to support the Emo food bank and thrift shop, as well as the church's outreach projects.

All are welcome to attend!

A new perennial forage legume—galega—will be established this year for trial testing at the Emo Agricultural Research Station.

“We are always looking for new forages,” station manager Kim-Jo Bliss told the Times.

She noted that even as grain numbers go up here in Rainy River District, cattle producers aren't going anywhere.

Susan Martin and Janis Flewelling of Fort Frances were among the Alzheimer Society of Kenora/Rainy River Districts' cash calendars winners for February.

Other $75 winners include Bill Baranowski (Emo), along with Chris Donnelly, Ralph Bennett, Carla Baird, Laike Polak, David Kitt, and David Bouchard (Kenora).

The Fort Frances High School senior band is trying something different for its pre-Cuba trip concert next month.

The concert, set for this Monday (March 6) at the Townshend Theatre, won't have tickets for sale.

Instead, FFHS music teacher and band leader Lisa Loney is asking that audience members bring along items to donate.

The local Walmart had manager Mohammad “locked up” in support of the Children's Miracle Network last Friday. It cost a dollar per minute to keep him in there and at the time this photo was taken, $403 already had been raised for the charity.

Donald Taylor, current Junior Warden of Granite Lodge 446, admired some of the artifacts on display during the Freemasonry exhibit open house last Thursday at the Fort Frances Museum.

Deputy fire chief Abe Eberly showed off the new fire truck during the Chapple Fire Department's open house Saturday in Barwick. Visitors got a good look at all of the equipment and also were given some fire safety information. There also was a visit from “Sparky” for the kids.

Mark Caron put a bid down on a silent auction item during Saturday evening's Mardi Gras fundraiser at the Copper River Inn. Local businesses and individuals were generous in their donation of items for the event.

Donna Lowey made and donated these festive Mardi Gras centrepieces, tying in perfectly to the event decorating done by Diane Gibson of Gibson Design.

Sporting masks, beads, and festive colours, Lerline McDonald, left, and Bonnie Hughes were among the many event-goers who got into the Bourbon Street spirit on Saturday night during the Mardi Gras dinner at the Copper River Inn. The fundrasier event for the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau raised just over $2,000. See story A2.

Students at Rainy River District School Board schools stood up against bullying during “Pink Shirt Day” last Wednesday. Many students wore pink and also participated in anti-bullying activities in their classrooms.

Donna Kowalski, left, and Jessica Ogden, who sell Thirty-One bags, dropped by the Riverside Chemotherapy Unit last Thursday to deliver 88 “chemo comfort bags" to staff Cathy Ash, Diane McManaman, and Donna Ewald to give out to patients.

One wall at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre is getting covered with notes from patrons expressing what they feel is so special about their library.

Emily Bouvier and Gracee Heiod enjoyed their pancake breakfast as St. Michael's School here yesterday morning to mark Shrove Tuesday—the last day before Lent begins. Students also learned that pancakes traditionally are eaten on that day to use up ingredients that can't be consumed during Lent.

The “Lady Marlene," owned by Bo And Marlene Armstrong, cruised around Rainy Lake for 25-plus years. But Bo Armstrong always had dreams of owning a tug—a dream he realized when he purchased the "Owandem.”

One of the fun activities at the Mardi Gras dinner included a bead toss game. Contestants could throw beads at a New Orleans street sign. If they could get their beads to hang on the sign, they could put their names in for a draw for a prize.

WASHINGTON — Former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear took a populist tenor in the Democrats’ formal response to President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress, accusing him of planning to “rip affordable health insurance” from Americans and being “Wall Street’s champion.”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump gave Republican congressional leaders a rallying cry and even a roadmap as they try to push through a sweeping and divisive agenda on health care, taxes and more.

BOISE, Idaho — Three types of potatoes genetically engineered to resist the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine are safe for the environment and safe to eat, federal officials announced.

It will be partly cloudy and cold tonight, with an overnight low of minus-18 C (zero F).

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny and continued cool, with a high of minus-11 (12) and low around minus-18 (zero).

Mostly cloudy skies are forecast for Friday, along with a high of minus-two (28) and low dipping to minus-eight (18).

It probably was much closer than it should have been.

The Fort Frances Lakers were taken to the limit by the woeful Minnesota Iron Rangers but still managed to leave Hoyt Lakes with a 5-4 victory last night.

Minnesota (6-43-2) put up a furious fight but still suffered its 22nd-straight loss.

The opening game of the Fort Frances Men's Basketball League on Tuesday night featured a hard-fought battle that saw all 10 guys give their best effort playing a full 40 minutes.

In the end, John Sivonen's 22 points led Revco (9-8) to a 54-48 victory over Arctic Cat.

It's a good thing Katie Beninger continues to score at a torrid pace because her responsibilities on Kicker Instinct just multiplied exponentially.

Beninger notched her second-straight hat trick to help carry the first-place squad to a 5-2 win over Goal Diggers in Borderland Women's Indoor Soccer League action last night.

With 13 goals, Beninger tops the league's scoring race.

Forrest Gump once said sometimes there just aren't enough rocks.

Such was the story for the Muskie boys' curling rink, which ran out of rocks—and time—against the Hammarskjold Vikings (Thunder Bay) on Tuesday in Longlac in a bid to win its second-straight NWOSSAA crown.

Amy Wilson-Hands always has wanted to expedite her team's development process by playing the best competition available.

She and her troops literally are going to get that chance.

The reigning NorWOSSA and NWOSSAA champion Muskie senior girls' volleyball team has been seeded 16th in the 20-team field at the OFSAA 'AA' championship that kicks off Monday in Belleville.

“Sweet tarts for sweethearts” were given out at St. Michael's School yesterday during their Rare Disease Day assembly to those students who go out of their way to be friendly to Laura Ahrens, a fellow student afflicted with CDKL5.

Fort Frances Atom 'AA' Canadians' goalie Brayton Levesque had to keep his head in the game to figure out where this shot was going during his team's 3-1 loss to International Falls on Sunday at the Ice For Kids Arena in their final home game scheduled for this season.

Emergency personnel worked to clean up after a two-vehicle collision on King's Highway near West End Motors around 9 a.m. yesterday. There was no word from the OPP as of press time whether anyone was injured or if charges were laid.

Shannon Jackson pulled a name for the Fort Frances Kiwanis Club's “Trip-of-the-Month” draw yesterday morning at International Travel Services as Kiwanian Robin Wright looked on. Roy Taylor was the lucky winner of a trip to New York City.

CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L.—A seven-year-old boy and his bowling team will be given gold medals after they were stripped of their bowling championship over the weekend for wearing the wrong pants.

Todd Powell of Conception Bay South, N.L. went public with his anger over the disqualification of his son Grayson's team in a provincial tournament in St. John's.

MONTREAL—Now one expected P.K. Subban to slide quietly into town for his first game against the Montreal Canadiens, but what a splash the flashy defenceman made yesterday.

It stated with receiving a medal from the governor general of Canada for his charity work and continued with a packed news conference at the Bell Centre.

LONDON — How much is an old, dried out piece of mould worth? Apparently more than $14,600 if it was created by the doctor who discovered penicillin.