That's how to get the party started.

Team Ontario's 18U women's volleyball team, with Fort Frances resident Amy Wilson-Hands serving as an apprentice coach, began its march at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg yesterday with a pair of convincing sweeps.

In its opener, Ontario rolled over the Northwest Territories 3-0 (25-3, 25-9, 25-10).

Isabella Fortes of Fort Frances guided Only For U around the course in fast-paced style during the barrel racing competition as part of the annual Borderland Quarter Horse Association horse show at the Emo fairgrounds this past weekend. Riders from Ontario, Manitoba and the U.S. took part in the three-day event.

Ingrid Ellis, left, Claudia Ellis and Amy Norris were lapping up the lake life in a high-powered way as they sailed across Rainy Lake yesterday during tubing sessions offered by Sunset Water Sports. A gorgeous summer day provided an ideal backdrop for community members both young and old to try their hand at riding the water.

—Photo submitted by Amanda Currie

OTTAWA—The share of the population that can speak both of Canada's official languages hit an all-time high in 2016, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday in its latest batch of census numbers—a modest shift upward in a rate that barely has budged over the last 15 years.

MONTREAL—Quebec's English-speaking community has grown more in the past five years than during any census period over the last four decades, says the executive vice-president of the Association for Canadian Studies.

MONTREAL—An unidentified man who kissed a Radio-Canada reporter on the cheek without her consent during a live broadcast last Friday has apologized for his actions.

SAULT STE MARIE, Ont.—Police say a 54-year-old woman has died in an all-terrain vehicle crash that also injured two children.

The Ontario Provincial Police say the incident happened Friday afternoon on Batchewana First Nation, near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

They say the ATV hit a stump and rolled over.

MINNEAPOLIS—Eddie Rosario danced, Oliver Drake flinched, and the Minnesota Twins were on their way to another comeback victory.

Rosario doubled home the tying run in the seventh inning, and his aggressive base running caused Drake to balk home the winning run as the Twins defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 last night.

NEW YORK — With Kelsey Plum struggling at the start of her career, San Antonio Stars assistant coach Latrell Trammell took a hands-on approach to try to break the rookie out a slump.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—Researchers recently documented a rare case of a cougar from the Santa Monica Mountains successfully crossing U.S. Highway 101 and moving into a range less hemmed in by Southern California sprawl, the National Park Service said yesterday.

WASHINGTON — The strongest sanctions yet against North Korea could still prove no match for the communist country’s relentless nuclear weapons ambitions.

COPENHAGEN — Smoke from a wildfire in southwestern Greenland is hampering the wild reindeer hunt on the Arctic island, best known for its ice rather than burning grass and bushes.

Local police say billowing smoke from a blaze on the uninhabited island of Nassuttooq, covering an area of up to 6 square miles “could result in people losing their bearings.”

MAFRAQ, Jordan — Married at 15 and divorced at 16, a Syrian teen says she regrets having said yes to a handsome suitor ‚Äî a stranger who turned into an abusive husband.

KERDASA, Egypt — In Egypt, where many suffer under economic hardship, 35-year-old entrepreneur Ahmed Saeed el-Feki has been working hard to make something of himself. He has launched his own business building a minicar in a country that relies heavily on imports of small automobiles.

SAN FRANCISCO — These days, the price of a San Francisco home can easily top a million dollars. But one savvy investor has bought up a whole street in the city’s most exclusive neighbourhood for a mere $90,000.

Trouble is, some of the extremely wealthy residents of Presidio Terrace were not aware their street was up for sale and are not pleased it has been sold.

FRESNO, Calif. — A nerve-rattling encounter with a mountain lion started with a fleeting glimpse of the big cat’s tail on a High Sierra trail in California’s wilderness.

Brian McKinney didn’t believe it was a puma that his hiking partner Sam Vonderheide had seen, so he got out his phone and hit record as they followed the lithe creature.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A federal report released Monday proposes a $275 million array of technological and structural upgrades at a crucial site in Illinois to prevent invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes and its vulnerable fish populations.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Researchers recently documented a rare case of a cougar from the Santa Monica Mountains successfully crossing U.S. Highway 101 and moving into a range less hemmed in by Southern California sprawl, the National Park Service said Monday.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — President Donald Trump’s administration has opened the door to industry-friendly changes to a sweeping plan imposed by his predecessor to protect a ground-dwelling bird across vast areas of the West.

Wildlife advocates warn that the proposed changes would undercut a hard-won struggle to protect the greater sage grouse.

BREWER, Maine — Changes in the worldwide fisheries industry have turned live baby American eels into a commodity that can fetch more than $2,000 a pound at the dock, but the big demand and big prices have spawned a black market that wildlife officials say is jeopardizing the species.

When I first heard about folks grilling romaine lettuce, I was pretty skeptical. Lettuce is supposed to be crisp. Grilling would make it soggy. What’s the point?

A local project is hoping to highlight some of the successful careers in the Arts that began in the Fort Frances High School Arts programs.

The project is being run by Fort High teacher Susan DeGagne, with the goal of collecting stories from alumni who have gone on to pursue a career in the Arts (visual art, drama, music).

The final report of the Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission released yesterday recommends that two new northern ridings be created—an announcement met with approval from local lawyer Douglas Judson, who now will be seeking the PC party nomination for Kenora-Rainy River.

Just over a week ago Mira Donaldson returned from her month-long stay in Ottawa for the SHAD program-an experience she described as “incredible.”

SHAD is an annual summer program run at universities across Canada that allows high school students to live in residence for a month and participate in a university learning environment.

Ever want access to your immunization record?

It's now easier than ever.

Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) is a secure online tool where you can view or print your immunization record.

You also can submit new immunizations to keep your record up to date.

With ICON, you can access your immunization record any time you'd like, from anywhere.

The Rainy Lake Community Orchestra will be holding its 40th-annual Summer String Workshop beginning Sunday, Aug. 13 at the Ranier Community Centre.

The Rainy Lake Sinfonia, for less-experienced players, will rehearse for one hour starting at 4 p.m.

Then at 5:30 p.m., rehearsals begin for Advanced String Orchestra.

A “Stuff-A-Bus" drive to collect school supplies for the "Backpacks for Kids” campaign will be held this Saturday (Aug. 12) from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Walmart.

The event, being co-ordinated by Camie Gray of Iron Range Bus Lines and Heather Calder and Kathy Lampi of M. Wu Dentistry, is expected to give a boost to the campaign.

Now into its third year, Emo's annual “Open Streets” event continues to bring out participants to walk, shop and play down Front Street.

This year the event was held last Thursday (Aug. 3) from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was presented by the Emo Recreation Program and the Best Start Hub.

Carla and Brian Harris, Shawn Holditch, and John Young of Fort Frances were among the $30 winners in the Rainy River District Mutual Aid Association cash calendar winners for the week of Aug. 6-12.

Joining them were Leo Goranson and Gerald Thurier (Atikokan), Suzanne Ostlund (Thunder Bay), and Gail Dann (Luc Du Bonnett, Man.).

Ontario is giving women more choice over their reproductive health by making Mifegymiso, a safe and effective medical alternative to surgical abortion, available at no cost.

As of Aug. 10, women with a valid health card and prescription from their doctor or nurse practitioner will be able to get the drug for free at participating pharmacies across the province.

Jamie Davis was back, but his competition can be forgiven if they got all choked up about it for different reasons than normally attached to a homecoming.

Good thing Al Christiansen doesn't smoke so that he won't miss all the cigars he didn't receive for coming close twice.

The Fort Frances resident pulled down a pair of second-place finishes at a tennis tournament this past weekend held as part of Sioux Lookout's Blueberry Festival.

With main training camp looming in just over three weeks, the Fort Frances Lakers have fortified their ranks with a three-pack of front-line contributors, two from right here at home.

The SIJHL franchise announced the signings of forwards Ian Tookenay, Noah Loveday and Ian Jarvis this past week.

By the high standards of the Sight & Sound Wolves, it wasn't a stellar regular season.

But they're used to bringing their best when the real shooting starts.

Pharmasave held the shoreline for as long as it could.

But the Centra Pipelines waves eventually washed over them.

The first half was about as good as La Place Rendez-Vous/Taggs could have hoped for.

It was the second they could have done without, for it almost wiped away all their previous good work.

A tradition 30 years in the making is set to kick off on Thursday morning as bass anglers hit Lake of the Woods for day one of the 2017 Kenora Bass International.

Started back in 1988, the KBI has always taken place over the second weekend in August and over the years hundreds of anglers have competed thanks to the hard work of hundreds more volunteers.

Being away from home for an extended period for the first time and the mountain of commitments attached to being a university freshman was enough to detour Claire Hyatt's soccer-playing desires.

Her improved confidence level in regards to handling post-secondary life and her unquenchable flame to push herself to the next level in her favourite sport was enough to bring them back.

It was an equine extravaganza in Emo over the weekend.

The Borderland Quarter Horse Association held its annual show at the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society fairgrounds, with numerous riders hailing from as far away as Manitoba and places in Minnesota and North Dakota taking part.

A Red Lake man has been fined $4,500 for hunting at night.

Kenneth Burgess was found guilty at trial and fined $4,500 for unlawfully hunting at night.

He also received a two-year hunting suspension.

Glenn Witherspoon isn't trying to put on any brave face—he's just trying to be realistic about the speech he has to make this weekend.

“Hopefully I can hold it together,” said the former mayor of Fort Frances from 1991-2003, who will join his late father, Jim Witherspoon, in being inducted together into the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame in the builder category on Saturday night.

Youth Rangers Sydney Beck, left, Gareth Dunn, Liam Quast, and Andrew Loney helped maintain the Fort Frances Community Garden.

Jeff and Jim Gustafson with their fish at the 1994 Kenora Bass International. They are teaming up again this year.

The Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Club celebrated its successful defence of its Civic Cup championship this past Saturday at the Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival.

Andrea Smith helped little Hayden Smith fill a water gun at the water station during Emo Open Streets. Youth were able to fill their guns in the pool and spray the street or each other to get active and moving during the event.

Audrey Drennan stood tall in the saddle despite her small stature while being guided by her grandmother Sandy Drennan of Emo during the AQHA lead line event on Sunday.

Claire Hyatt wants to make her own nest within the Carleton Ravens women's soccer team roster this coming season.

Hanna LeDrew of Fort Frances proved she's not a one-trick pony, as the Muskie girls hockey team veteran exhibited some equestrian excellence during the annual Borderland Quarter Horse Association show at the Emo fairgrounds this past Sunday.

Stewardship Youth Rangers Liam Quast, left, Ashtyn Dokuchie, Caleb Henderson, and Andrew Loney paddled the Log River near Caliper Lake, practising their canoe strokes from their ORCKA Basic Level II training.

Sight & Sound Wolves ace John Desaulniers unleashed his entire arsenal of pitches to keep the Couchiching Raiders off-balance in a 7-2 win for the Wolves this past Thursday in Rainy River District Fastball League playoff action in Couchiching.

Blair Anderson of Betty's and Kathy Lampi picked out some art supplies last week at the Scott Street business. Betty's is among the local businesses that have supported this year's “Backpacks for Kids” campaign.

Reece, left, Ava, Leah, Jillian, and Sydney took the rare opportunity to safely play in the middle of the street and all enjoyed the “moon sand” station set up during the Emo Open Streets event.

Summer Stevenson of Science North spoke with inquisitive children on Thursday during a series of indoor planetarium presentations at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre. In conjunction with “Ontario 150," Science North developed its first original planetarium program, "Under the Same Stars: Minwaadiziwin,” featuring Anishinaabe stories about the constellations.

Ben Olsen needed a little help from Emo Fire Chief Joshua Colling to handle the powerful hose during the Emo Open Streets. The fire department was on hand to show off their fire equipment, hand out freebies to the kids and teach everyone about fire safety during the event last Thursday.

Naomi Kellar leaned back to clear the bar during the limbo contest-one of the many activities aimed at getting kids moving during the Emo Open Streets event last Thursday. Front Street was closed off to traffic from Florence Street to Queen Street and open for pedestrians to walk downtown for sidewalk sales, games, and music, and for local organizations to give out information.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline questioned its proposed pathway through Nebraska on Tuesday in hopes that state regulators will reject or reroute it, a decision that would create more delays for the 9-year-old project.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — One of the world’s fastest supercomputers is helping scientists better understand the sun’s behaviour and predict weather months in advance but also got touted Tuesday as an important tool for diversifying Wyoming’s economy, which has seen better days.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared the U.S. nuclear arsenal “far stronger and more powerful than ever before,” even as his top diplomat was working to calm the North Korea crisis and insisting there wasn’t “any imminent threat.”

DALLAS — At some point during many flights, the captain will calmly announce that there could be some bumps ahead and so passengers must be seated with their seat belts on.

And then that moment of summer arrives when the green beans are piled so high at the markets, and being sold at such a low price, that you feel like you’d be a fool not to pick up a pound or two or five. I mean they are practically giving them away for free. (And if you have a garden, then you may be trying to give away a pound or two or five.)

Mill Street & Co. (“Mill Street”), is proud to announce, its subsidiary, The Fastway Group (Fastway) has entered into a purchase agreement for the acquisition of the business operations of North American Lumber Limited (NAL).

They were missing their 'Tom'-boys, but it didn't matter.

The top-ranked Fort Frances Braves pulled out a 3-1 win over the defending champion and No. 3-rated Sight & Sound Wolves in Winner's Bracket action in the East Divison of the Rainy River District Fastball League playoffs this past Tuesday at VanJura Ball Park.

It could be double title night at the Struchan Gilson Memorial Soccer Pitch this evening.

The Borderland Soccer League men's division champion will be crowned when Centra Pipelines takes on CJ Contracting at 6:30 p.m.

Fargo wasn't too far to go for a pair of Rainy River District fastball teams looking to rule the world.

The North American Fastpitch Association 'A' Major World Series begins today in Fargo, N.D., wrapping up on Sunday.

Representing the local area will be the Northern O Selects, featuring a selection of players from the Rainy River District Fastball League.

Four and looking for more.

Team Ontario's 19U women's volleyball remained flawless yesterday, improving to 4-0 with a 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) over Quebec at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.

With Fort Frances resident Amy Wilson-Hands on board as an apprentice coach, Ontario has yet to drop a set in the competition.

Nancy Armstrong, left, Adam George and Candice Kadikoff were just a few of the Dairy Queen staff who were extremely busy this morning preparing orders of Blizzards at the local DQ for the 15th-annual “Miracle Treat Day." Proceeds from every "Blizzard Treat" sold today at the Dairy Queen here will be donated to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, one of 14 Children's Miracle Network

The Métis Nation of Ontario's 2017 canoe expedition made its arrival in Fort Frances yesterday as a part of the journey along historic fur trade routes by nine Métis youth. During yesterday's welcoming event, which was moved inside La Place Rendez-Vous due to weather, the voyageurs presented a commemorative paddle to local Sunset Country Métis Community members pictured here.

The public can keep an eye out for these “Owandem" collection boxes in local businesses and give a donation to help refurbish the small tugboat (or "bug") which one day will join the "Hallett” on the riverfront. The boxes, handmade by Friend of the Museum Eric Fagerdahl, currently are located at A Little Off the Top and Betty's.

Joey Landreth captivated his audience Tuesday night with his bluesy, sentimental tunes during the last Cornell Farms Barn Concert of the season. Landreth was making his solo return to the barn in La Vallee after playing there in 2013 as one half of The Brother Landreth. Also performing was opening act Jamie Ryan, a singer-songwriter from Sioux Lookout.

Reo Walton of the Couchiching Raiders put some muscle behind this hit as he clubbed a pitch against the Northwest Bay Chieftains in a 13-4 win for the Raiders at home on Tuesday.

PRESCOTT, Ont.—An eastern Ontario man has been charged with animal cruelty under the Ontario SPCA Act following an incident in which a horse fell out of a moving livestock trailer on Highway 401.

The trailer was being towed on the highway just east of Prescott, Ont., on July 14 when the horse fell out through an open door.

OTTAWA—A first-of-its-kind study in Canada has painted a national picture of homeless youth and drawn a link to the foster care system that researchers say could be playing a more active role in keeping young people off the streets.

THUNDER BAY, Ont.—Officials in Thunder Bay, Ont., say a local resident lit his house on fire in an ill-advised effort to get rid of a wasp's nest.

Fire chief John Hay says the resident opted to tackle the nest, which was on the ground near their home, by pouring gasoline on it on Monday.

He says the fire quickly spread from the nest and wound up damaging the resident's home.

MONTREAL—A new Canadian survey on the LGBT community suggests while a majority believe society has shown a willingness to integrate people, a similar number believe there's still much to be done to combat homophobic behaviour.

TORONTO—Ontario's energy minister says the province is still negotiating a possible electricity agreement with Quebec, disputing a published report that it is preparing to sign a deal to buy enough electricity to power a city of about 800,000 people.

LONDON—Britain's National Crime Agency said human trafficking and modern slavery are much more prevalent than previously thought, and there are 300 active police investigations across the U.K.

Agency official Will Kerr said investigators have found widespread evidence of people as young as 12 being sold for sexual exploitation or forced labour.

TORONTO—The beat goes on for Toronto's beleaguered pitching staff.

Yesterday, Blue Jays starter Nick Tepesch became the sixth pitcher in franchise history to allow three homers in his debut as the Yankees led early and then piled on in an 11-5 victory.

HAGATNA, Guam — The tiny U.S. territory of Guam feels a strong sense of patriotism and confidence in the American military, which has an enormous presence on the Pacific island. But residents are increasingly worried over Washington’s escalating war of words with North Korea.

LONDON — Britain’s National Crime Agency says human trafficking and modern slavery are much more prevalent than previously thought, and there are 300 active police investigations across the U.K.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas highway officials shut down westbound lanes of a cross-country interstate for four hours so crews could pick up pizza.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and his cabinet often avoid talking about the science of climate change, but when pressed what they have said clashes with established mainstream science, data and peer-reviewed studies and reports.

If a post currently being shared on Facebook regarding a $75 Safeway coupon sounds too good to be true, that's because it is.

The hoax of a post claims Safeway is giving free $75 coupons to everyone as a means of celebrating its 50th anniversary, and invites users to click it to get their coupon.

The fire scene remains hot with 19 new fires confirmed by early yesterday evening in the Northwest Region.

These were in addition to 17 confirmed fires by day's end on Wednesday.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, uniform and street crime members of the Treaty Three Police Service conducted a traffic stop in the City of Kenora that resulted in the seizure of a large amount of illegal drugs.

By the end of the frame, the Elanco Blackahawks weren't pleading the fifth—they were pleading for the fifth to end.

The ballpark just wasn't big enough for the two of them, so one of them had to go.

Hockey Night in Canada's legendary play-by-play announcer Danny Gallivan would have admired this cannonading shot by Jess Caul that gave La Place Rendez-Vous/Taggs a 1-0 lead in the first half of Game 2 of the best-of-three Borderland Soccer League women's division final against Al's Racquet Stringing last night at the Struchan Gilson Memorial Soccer Pitch.

Sydney Martel demonstrated that her Blizzards passed the thickness test yesterday during the 15th-annual “Miracle Treat Day” at the local Dairy Queen. Martel and other DQ staff were kept hopping all day long, making a whopping 1,051 Blizzard Treats for local residents—about 50 more than last year.

Lyla Moen carefully unwrapped her piece of dyed fabric yesterday afternoon at the Point Park during the weekly “Open Air Art Studio” organized by Community Living Fort Frances and District. The day's activity was Japanese Shibori dyeing—a traditional method using indigo dye, and pleating and binding techniques.

Garnet Cornell found the back of the net with the final salvo for Centra Pipelines past goalkeeper Cole Kowalski of CJ Contracting in last night's thrilling Borderland Soccer League men's division final at the Struchan Gilson Memorial Soccer Pitch. The teams played to a 1-1 tie through regulation and overtime before Centra claimed the victory by a 4-1 margin in the penalty kick shootout.

TORONTO—Ontarians can now use a new online tool to see wait times for certain surgeries and compare them at hospitals across the province.

Health Minister Eric Hoskins announced yesterday that it was developed with Health Quality Ontario and can be found on that website (www.hqontario.ca).

MONTREAL—Only people who can speak French should be allowed to immigrate to the province, Parti Quebecois Leader Jean-Francois Lisee said yesterday in reaction to 2016 census data.

Lisee said if his party wins the 2018 election, it will introduce a new, stricter language law to stem what called a worrying trend in the use of French in Quebec.

OTTAWA—Quarterback Mike Reilly and receiver Chris Getzlaf showed why the Edmonton Eskimos are the only undefeated team in the CFL this season with a pair of plays in the fourth quarter.

Reilly found Getzlaf in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown pass and then ran in the two-point conversion himself for the final score in a 27-20 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks yesterday.

TORONTO—The non-waiver trade deadline came and went and Marco Estrada was still a member of the Blue Jays. The relief he's felt at staying in Toronto has shown in his performances.

DETROIT — Chevrolet has introduced a new car for next year’s NASCAR Cup Series a Camaro ZL1.

The Chevy Camaro has only two Cup Series victories to its credit, both by Tiny Lund in 1971. More recently, the Camaro SS has been Chevrolet’s entry in the Xfinity Series since 2013.

DETROIT — Around the world, support is growing for electric cars. Automakers are delivering more electric models with longer range and lower prices, such as the Chevrolet Bolt and the Tesla Model 3. China has set aggressive targets for electric vehicle sales to curb pollution; some European countries aim to be all-electric by 2040 or sooner.

LOGANVILLE, Ga.—The father of a seven-year-old had to scramble to find his daughter after a foster care worker took her—and not another girl with a similar name—from their school in suburban Atlanta.

Sean Harris says he panicked when he went to pick up his daughter from after-school care and discovered she wasn't there.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Consider this weekend's Perseid meteor shower an opening act for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

Astronomers are projecting a slightly higher than normal rate of 150 meteors per hour across North America.

But the bright moon will wash out the finer Perseids. So the viewing rate will be more like 30 to 40 meteors an hour.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—With the total solar eclipse right around the cosmic corner, eye doctors are going into nagging overdrive.

They say mom was right: You can damage your eyes staring at the sun, even the slimmest sliver of it.

So it's time to rustle up special eclipse eyewear to use Aug. 21, when the U.S. has its first full solar eclipse spanning coast to coast in 99 years.

OKLAHOMA CITY—A tiger cub who was rejected by her mother at the Philadelphia Zoo can be seen bonding with her adoptive mother and brothers in Oklahoma via live-streaming video.

The Oklahoma City Zoo launched the “Tiger Cub Cam ” yesterday, showing Zoya with her new mother, Lola, and brothers, Eko, Ramah and Gusti playing, feeding and sleeping indoors.

Smugglers have thrown some 280 migrants into the sea off the coast of Yemen in the last two days, causing more than 50 to drown and leaving over 30 missing, the U.N. migration agency said yesterday.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the migrants who were forced from boats in two separate “deeply troubling” incidents were hoping to reach countries in the Gulf via war-torn Yemen.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Federal researchers studying critically endangered North Pacific right whales sometimes go years without finding their subjects. Over the weekend they got lucky.

A research vessel in the Bering Sea photographed two of the animals Sunday and obtained a biopsy sample from one, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel has been known as the land of milk and honey since Biblical times ‚Äî but the land of single malt whiskey? One appropriately named distillery is trying to turn Israel into a whiskey powerhouse.

CANBERRA, Australia — U.S. seabed exploration company Ocean Infinity says it has offered to take the financial risk of a renewed search for the missing Malaysian airliner, as victims’ families urge the Malaysian government to agree to a private-sector hunt for Flight 370’s wreckage.

OKLAHOMA CITY — A tiger cub who was rejected by her mother at the Philadelphia Zoo can be seen bonding with her adoptive mother and brothers in Oklahoma via live-streaming video.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Consider this weekend’s Perseid meteor shower an opening act for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With the total solar eclipse right around the cosmic corner, eye doctors are going into nagging overdrive.

They say mom was right: You can damage your eyes staring at the sun, even the slimmest sliver of it.

WASHINGTON — Last year’s global weather was far more extreme or record-breaking than anything approaching normal, according to a new report.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday released its annual checkup of the Earth, highlighting numerous records including hottest year, highest sea level, and lowest sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica.

TEHRAN, Iran—Iranian media say authorities have arrested six young people for promoting Zumba, the Latin-inspired dance exercises, and other types of exercise.

The arrests are part of Iran's decades-long crackdown against influences of Western culture.

In June, Iran banned Zumba and other exercises considered un-Islamic.

The healthy noodle market is booming, thanks to low-carb fans, and so it’s no surprise that kelp noodles, which used to be a specialty-store item only, are now readily available at the neighbourhood supermarket.

“Kings of None” will play tonight (Aug. 11) at the local Legion from 9 p.m.-2 p.m. Cover charge is $9 for non-members.

Stock car racing action continues Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Emo Speedway. Hot laps are at 7 p.m., with the first race at 7:30 (weather permitting).

On Friday, members of the Treaty #3 Police Service responded to a report of a four-year-old child having been struck by a vehicle while walking on the Shoal Lake #40 First Nation.

Paramedics and police officers attended the scene, and the child was taken to Lake of the Woods Hospital in Kenora with non-life threatening injuries.

The forest fire situation has escalated throughout the Northwest Region, with upwards of 30 new fires in a day and many northern communities affected by smoke and fires in the surrounding areas.

Ontario has brought in aviation resources from the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact and Quebec, as well as FireRangers from the Northeast Region in Ontario.

They swung for the fences but ran into some walls.

The Northern O Selects and the Northern Extremes, both representing Rainy River District, came away from the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) World Series in Fargo, N.D. over the weekend with lots of good memories but no titles in three separate divisions.

The effort was there but the victories were not.

Team Ontario's female indoor volleyball team, with Fort Frances resident Amy Wilson-Hands along as an apprentice coach, finished in fourth place at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg over weekend.

It was a night for reminiscing for the second class of inductees into the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night at La Place Rendez-Vous. Among those honoured were the quartet of Leonard McQuarrie, left, Bob Grattan, and Peter McLeod, who captured the 1958 Manitoba Schoolboys Curling Championships along with teammate Art Berglund (not in attendance).

Alison Ouelett dropped donated crayons, markers, and glue sticks into a cart during the “Stuff-A-Bus" drive, done in conjunction with Iron Range Bus Lines to collect school supplies for the annual "Backpacks for Kids” campaign, on Saturday morning at Walmart. The public can continue to donate supplies, backpacks, or cash donations at Causeway General Insurance (229 Scott St.) or M.

A professor of dentistry and his colleagues have published a theory that seeks to explain why Inuit who encountered members of the doomed Franklin Expedition in the 19th century noticed the men had hard, dry, and black mouths.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont.—Despite a grim account of his imprisonment, the mood was joyful as a Canadian pastor freed from a North Korean prison addressed the congregation at a Toronto-area church yesterday.

A widely-used pesticide is placing bumblebee populations at an increased risk of extinction, a new study from an Ontario researcher suggests.

SASKATOON—Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says a long-awaited apology to victims of the '60s Scoop could come before he ends his decade-long career in office.

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont.—Marineland Canada says it's mourning the passing of a “beloved” beluga whale at its facility in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Marineland issued a statement this morning saying the whale named “Gia” died suddenly.

Preliminary results of a necropsy indicate the cause of death was a twisted small intestine that resulted in a fatal blockage.

REGINA—Ed Gainey won't forget his most recent CFL performance.

And neither will Jonathon Jennings.

Gainey was all smiles after he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders blasted the B.C. Lions 41-8 last night at Mosaic Stadium.

He was the ring leader of a dominant defensive showing from the 'Riders, who just six days earlier were manhandled 30-15 by the Lions at BC Place.

BROOKLYN, Mich.—Kyle Larson slipped between cars on an overtime restart—capping his wild weekend with a victory in yesterday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Larson was in the spotlight after team owner Chip Ganassi allowed him to go to Iowa to compete in the Knoxville Nationals on Saturday.

TORONTO—Ryan Goins isn't a fan of the Blue Jays wearing red jerseys.

Toronto made a collective team decision to opt for their more traditional white jerseys yesterday and it led to a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in interleague play.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Justin Thomas emerged from the shadow of a longtime friend and won the PGA Championship to take his place among the young elite in golf.

With two big breaks to start the back nine, a chip-in for birdie to seize control, and a timely seven-iron that soared over the water to a peninsula green, Thomas closed with a three-under 68 yesterday for a two-shot victory.

WASHINGTON—One of the coldest places on Earth is so hot, it's melting.

Glaciers, sea ice, and a massive ice sheet in the Arctic are thawing from toasty air above and warm water below.

The northern polar region is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the planet—and that's setting off alarm bells.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — The top U.S. military officer said Monday that the United States wants to peacefully resolve a deepening standoff with North Korea but is also ready to use the “full range” of its military capabilities in case of provocation.

PHOENIX — More than three decades after thieves made off with a valuable painting from the University of Arizona Museum of Art, officials say they have recovered the long sought piece from an antique dealer in New Mexico.

WASHINGTON — One of the coldest places on Earth is so hot it’s melting.

Glaciers, sea ice and a massive ice sheet in the Arctic are thawing from toasty air above and warm water below. The northern polar region is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the planet and that’s setting off alarm bells.

VICTORIA STRAIT, Nunavut — The email arrived in mid-June, seeking to explode any notion that global warming might turn our Arctic expedition into a summer cruise.

“The most important piece of clothing to pack is good, sturdy and warm boots. There is going to be snow and ice on the deck of the icebreaker,” it read. “Quality boots are key.”

WASHINGTON — The sun is about to spill some of its secrets, maybe even reveal a few hidden truths of the cosmos. And you can get in on the act next week if you are in the right place for the best solar eclipse in the U.S. in nearly a century.

DUNSTABLE, Mass. — A skydiver who was blown off course in Massachusetts has been rescued after spending hours stuck about 70 feet (21 metres) up in a tree.

Dunstable police said late Sunday that the man had been removed from the tree more than two hours after rescue teams were first dispatched.

CINCINNATI — The parents of an 8-year-old Ohio boy who hanged himself from his bunk bed with a necktie want school officials held responsible, testing the issue of school liability in suicides blamed on bullying.

It’s a simple message: Beware of racism in the United States.

Fresh shellfish is one of the hallmarks of a good summer vacation, and it is best eaten barefoot with a sea breeze and chilled rose. But life is not always a beach and we are, regrettably, not always on vacation. Luckily, with a few staycation-ready recipes stored away, you can easily transport yourself and all of your friends to the shores of Cape Cod.

Laura Horton and Doug Sinclair stopped across from La Verendrye Hospital to offer tobacco for the Rainy River yesterday morning during the Youth and Elder Water Walk, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of local waterways and the responsibility to keep them clean and healthy.

Following some safety information and a short video, Max Moen was ready to ride the bus during the Rainy River District School Board's annual “First Rider” program held this morning at the Education Centre. Children then were driven around to each of the Fort Frances schools to gain confidence on the school bus before the first day of school on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Fort Frances Her-icanes' base runner Sarah Noonan was pointed in the right direction by third base coach Aaron Caul to head for home after Dana Ward's two-run double put the 'Canes up 2-0 in the third inning of their Winners' Side final against the Dawson Tigers in Rainy River District Women's Fastball League playoff action yesterday evening at VanJura.

VANCOUVER—A female stunt driver working on the movie “Deadpool 2” has died after witnesses say she appeared to lose control of a motorcycle before crashing into a window of a building in downtown Vancouver.

A crumpled motorcycle was seen laying on its side surrounded by broken glass a few metres from the smashed window of the Shaw Tower near the city's waterfront.

POND INLET, Nunavut—Inuit groups say their lobbying and traditional knowledge is behind a huge expansion in the boundaries for what is to become Canada's largest national marine conservation area.

“Our organizations worked extremely hard to ensure the extended boundary was accepted,” said P.J. Akeeagok, head of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

TORONTO—The Ontario government's plan for major labour reforms would have significant side effects that would put 185,000 jobs at risk, a coalition of business groups said yesterday in releasing part of its analysis on the proposed legislation.

OTTAWA—A Bullock's oriole that landed in eastern Ontario in 2015 finally will be flying home to British Columbia—by plane.

The little western bird drew national attention when she arrived in Packenham, Ont. in December, 2015, likely after being blown off her migration course.

OTTAWA—Chrystia Freeland has given Canadians a look at their government's strategy as it prepares to go nose-to-nose with the country's biggest trading partner in crucial NAFTA talks.

The foreign affairs minister laid out Ottawa's core objectives yesterday, two days before negotiations on a new North American Free Trade Agreement are to begin.

TRENTON, N.J. — First it was the leader of a major U.S. pharmaceutical, then the CEO of an athletic gear company, and before the day had ended, the chief executive of a $170 billion tech giant. Three of the nation’s top executives resigned from a federal panel created years ago to advise the U.S. president.

WASHINGTON — Here are some lightning safety tips from the National Weather Service.

WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS

The safest place to be in a thunderstorm is indoors. Stay inside until 30 minutes passes after the last roar of thunder.

TORONTO—Josh Donaldson wasn't sure if his first-inning home run had enough pop to clear the right-field fence.

It did. And it ended up being the deciding factor in the game.

CHICAGO—The Chicago Cubs waited all season for a hot streak from NL MVP Kris Bryant.

Now that he's on one, they want it to last a while.

“My history with him is when he gets it, it stays there,” manager Joe Maddon said.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — If, after all the fanfare, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un doesn’t actually launch missiles toward Guam, many may write the whole episode off as another of the North’s seemingly endless bluffs. But from Pyongyang’s perspective and in the eyes of some U.S. military experts, Kim and his generals have already won this round.

ISLAMABAD — The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday released an “open letter” to President Donald Trump, reiterating their calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after 16 years of war.

BEIJING — The top U.S. military officer told his Chinese counterpart Tuesday that the U.S. and China have “many difficult issues” to work through, during a visit that comes amid tensions over North Korea’s missile program, Taiwan and China’s claims in the South China Sea.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Former President Barack Obama’s tweet in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend is already one of the platform’s most-liked posts.

Those who love short ribs LOVE them. Those who haven’t cooked them at home before might be a little intimidated by them. Let’s bridge that gap.

In general, short ribs have to be cooked either low and slow, or very quickly over high heat so that they don’t become tough. This recipe calls for almost flash grilling, just 3 or 4 minutes on each side.

A giant teddy bear is helping to raise awareness about the threat of health-care privatization in the region with the slogan: “We Can't Bear to Lose Medicare.”

With the 2017-18 “Tour de Fort” season set to start in less than a month, there's still time to get a passport.

“Passports are selling very well," said John Payne, "Tour de Fort" programming and hospitality director, who shares in the programming duties with his wife and "Tour de Fort” secretary, Sheri.

Are you interested in joining the North West LHIN's Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC)?

The North West LHIN is looking for patients, family members, and caregivers to participate on it.

The Citizens for Backus/AB in International Falls are pleased to accept a $1,000 grant from the Diocese of Duluth and its Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Small Grant Fund.

The grant will be used towards food purchases for the Backus Community Center's “Community Café,” which is a joint project of Falls Hunger Coalition and Backus.

Monday was the first day of the Youth and Elder Water Walk—a two-day journey along the Rainy River by local First Nations' members to recognize the importance of the water and the responsibility to take care of it.

The day began with an opening ceremony at the Seven Oaks area of Point Park as participants listened to a talk by elder Willy Yerxa about the importance of the river.

A year of exploring ways to make classrooms better learning environments has produced some interesting changes at St. Pat's School in Atikokan.

Teachers Jessica Veenbaas and Diane Bowes, thanks to a Teacher Learning and Leadership Program grant, have spent the past year studying “environmental strategies for student self-regulation.”

The Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society's annual fall fair takes place Aug. 17-19 at the Emo fairgrounds.

There is something for everyone at this event, including 4-H exhibits, the loggers' competition, a huge midway, stock car racing, the steer auction, and, of course, lots of delicious food.

Rainy River First Nation wants to slam dunk alcoholism among youths—and is bringing in a renowned roundballer to help do so.

The Youth for Sobriety 3-on-3 basketball tournament and skills clinic runs today through Saturday at the outdoor courts located near the RRFN gymnasium.

It looked for two innings as though the Fort Frances Her-icanes were going to need to swing a redwood tree to get any piece of Shelby Nosan's flurry of fastballs.

But a series of miscues in the third frame left the Dawson Tigers stumped as to how to defeat the defending champs.

Nobody was going to outrace Raice on this night.

Fort Frances resident Raice Westover claimed his second feature win of the season during Borderland Racing Association action Saturday at the Emo Speedway.

Westover zipped across the finish line ahead of Jesse Thompson (Emo) and Dean Kellar (Devlin).

Claire Sobkowicz missed the Game 1 goalfest, so she decided she had some catching up to do.

Sobkowicz tallied twice, including the decisive goal in the second half, to give La Place Rendez-Vous/Taggs a 4-3 victory over Al's Racquet Stringing in Game 2 of the best-of-three Borderland Soccer League women's division final Thursday night.

Wayne Strachan's coaching batteries have received a much-needed recharge this summer.

The head coach and general manager of the Fort Frances Lakers concluded the second of two trips to Calgary over the past couple of months after being chosen to take part in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence (POE) National under-17 Team Experience.

It was an evening to both celebrate the past and inspire future generations to reach for greatness themselves.

The second class inducted into the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame was granted official entrance Saturday night during ceremonies at La Place Rendez-Vous.

Whether is was TSN or APTN, national TV audiences got plenty of chances to get to know Amy Wilson-Hands up close and personal.

The Northern O Selects ran into more than a peck of trouble Saturday.

More specifically, it was three Pecks.

The Fleetwood Marlins (B.C.) cruised past the Rainy River District-based Selects 7-0 in the loser's bracket of the 'A-Major' division at the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) World Series in Fargo, N.D.

Steve Arpin went gambling in Atlantic City and drew a pair of threes.

The Fort Frances native placed third both Saturday and Sunday at the Red Bull Global Rallycross doubleheader there.

Racing for Loenbro Motorsports, Arpin finished Saturday's 10-lap feature in 8:24.710 to finish just under nine seconds behind Scott Speed with Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross (8:15.759).

Grace Petsnick went from southern Ontario to Quebec to exhaustion.

But it's a trip she believes will help her go even further down the road to success in her martial arts endeavours.

The 14-year-old member of the local Borderland Judo Club recently spent two gruelling weeks developing her skills against some of the best judokas in Ontario and across Canada.

A total of 100 minutes could not differentiate which was the better squad.

So it came down to the showdown that tests the composure of the players while making short work of the spectators' fingernails.

The third time most definitely was the charm for Bill Godin.

After winning the Kenora Bass International in 2006 with Dave Lindsay, and then in 2013 with Leroy Wilson, Godin paired with Wilson again this past weekend to win his third title overall at the 30th-anniversary edition of the event.

Dairy Queen owner Christin Thompson, left, served up a thick and frosty “Blizzard Treat" to Melissa St Amant last Thursday during DQ's 15th-annual "Miracle Treat Day." Proceeds from every "Blizzard Treat" sold that day at the Dairy Queen here will be donated to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, one of 14 Children's Miracle Network member hospitals across Canada.

Brianna Gray, centre, helped Kathy Lampi and Heather Calder of M. Wu Dentistry load up the Iron Range Bus Lines bus Saturday afternoon during the “Stuff-A-Bus" to collect school supplies for the annual "Backpacks for Kids” campaign at Walmart. The public can continue to donate supplies, backpacks, or cash at Causeway General Insurance (229 Scott St.) or M. Wu Dentistry (1201 Colonization Rd.

Rylee Copenace happily posed for the camera after being crowned the Big Grassy FN Mini Princess for 2017-18 during the band's 34th-annual pow-wow held Aug. 11-13 on their brand new pow-wow grounds.

—Photo courtesy

of Brittany Bowman

The faigrounds are groomed, the big tent is up, and the midway trucks were trickling in Monday evening as preparations continue for the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society's annual fall fair in Emo, which this year runs from tomorrow through Saturday. See page B1 for a complete schedule of events.

Crews were busy yesterday afternoon cutting down trees from the boulevard along the north side of the 200 block of Second Street East. The removal is being done ahead of a complete overhaul of the block, in which the sewer, water, and storm sewer infrastructure will be replaced before rebuilding the road, curbs and gutters, and sidewalks.

Jack Pavier was excited to ride the school bus for the first time as he sat beside his father, James, during the Rainy River District Transportation Services Consortium “First Rider” program yesterday morning. The youngsters watched a short informational video about bus safety before getting to try it out themselves in preparation for the first day of school on Aug. 29.

Dr. Cody Caul, right, returned to the area after finishing school in Toronto and has been working with Dr. Jeremy McGuire (left) at the Fort Frances Chiropractic Centre since the beginning of August.

Participants in the Youth and Elder Water Walk offered tobacco into the water at Seven Oaks on Monday morning before beginning their route of the Rainy River to raise awareness about the importance of local waterways. The opening ceremony also featured singing, praying, and a reminder of the responsibility people have to take care of the water and keep it clean.

Joey Landreth captivated his audience last Tuesday night with his bluesy, sentimental tunes during the final Cornell Farms' barn concert of the season. Landreth was making his solo return to the barn in La Vallee after playing there in 2013 as one half of The Brothers Landreth. Also performing was opening act Jamie Ryan, a singer-songwriter from Sioux Lookout.

Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, and Jules Tupker, co-chair of the Thunder Bay Health Coalition, stood by the giant teddy bear that they took around Northwestern Ontario last Friday through this past Monday.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne looked over some traditional Métis items during the arrival of the 2017 Métis Nation of Ontario Canoe Expedition held upstairs at La Place Rendez-Vous here last Wednesday. The premier and her spouse, Jane Rounthwaite, met up with the expedition in Fort Frances to begin their four-day participation in the journey.

Muskie girls' hockey head coach Todd Hamilton had the honour of speaking about his predecessor, former high school teammate and best friend Scott Clendenning.

1980 Muskie senior girls' hoopsters Laurie Moxham, left, Tracy Roach, Kathy Kolynchuk, and Jean Bujold were part of the group that became the first women and first basketball players inducted into the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame.

Ian Jodoin of CJ Contracting, right, couldn't bear to watch the outcome even while putting his body on the line to try and block this pass from Garnet Cornell of Centra Pipelines during the men's division final Thursday evening, with Centra claiming a 4-1 victory on penalty kicks after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw through regulation and overtime.

Shelby Nosan of the Dawson Tigers legged out this triple but was unable to get home from third in the first inning of Dawson's 13-3 loss to the Fort Frances Her-icanes on Monday evening at VanJura here.

Hailey Beaudry of La Place Rendez-Vous/Taggs used her power to full advantage as both a goal scorer and a playmaker Thursday evening as her team completed a sweep of the best-of-three women's division final.

Eldest son Dennis Witherspoon proudly accepted the posthumous induction on behalf of his father, Fort Frances Royals' creator Jim Witherspoon.

Former CFL all-star Jeff Treftlin voiced his appreciation for those who helped him in his formative football days with the Muskies.

Former mayor Glenn Witherspoon had the crowd in stitches with his comedic re-telling of memories of his hockey career.

MONTREAL — The St. Lawrence Seaway is recovering from the worst cargo season in years with an unexpected resurgence in exports of iron ore and grain in the first half of the shipping year.

Cargo shipments increased 18 per cent between March 20 and July 31 from a year ago to 16 million tonnes, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.

NORWOOD, Ohio — Herbie Mays is 3M proud, and it shows ‚Äî in the 3M shirt he wears; in the 3M ring he earned after three decades at the company’s plant in suburban Cincinnati; in the way he shows off a card from a 3M supervisor, praising Mays as “a GREAT employee.”

But it’s all nostalgia.

The article in yesterday's Times on the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner incorrectly stated Glenn Witherspoon was a player for the Fort Frances Royals when he was attacked by Bill “Goldie” Goldthorpe.

In fact, Witherspoon was the coach of the Royals at the time of the incident.

The Times regrets any inconvenience this error may have caused.

Four new fires were confirmed in the Northwest Region by yesterday afternoon while 20 had been confirmed by day's end Tuesday.

A total of 152 active fires in the region are in various states of suppression as of yesterday.

Scattered rainfall has assisted with suppression operations, but fires continue to burn deep and require extensive effort by crews to extinguish them.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the International Falls port-of-entry arrested a 58-year-old Canadian citizen from Benyks Point, Manitoba for failing to stop for inspection at the border crossing.

The person was arrested for driving under the influence and a civil penalty levied against them.

The dramatic elements of the Rainy River District Women's Fastball League playoffs were pushed to the background by Mother Nature.

Last night's scheduled Losers' Side semi-final at Red Gut Bay between the second-ranked Babes and fifth-seeded Northwest Bay Beavers was rained out.

The kings are dead—and the Couchiching Raiders hope to be the next to wear the crown.

A four-homer assault by the second-ranked Raiders fuelled an 8-1 win over the third-seeded Sight & Sound Wolves in the East Division semi-final of the Rainy River District Fastball League on Tuesday evening at the Rodrick and Telford Bruyere Ball Field (Couchiching).

Midway rides are sure to be a popular attraction again as the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society's annual fall fair in Emo got underway today, with the feature event being the crowning of this year's Emo Fair queen tonight upstairs at the Emo-La Vallee Arena. The fair, which runs through Saturday, offers a variety of activities for all ages and interests.

Couchiching Raiders lead-off hitter Ryan MacDonald was too quick down the line for this throw from Sight & Sound Wolves third baseman Matt Dunne to earn an infield hit in the fifth inning.

OTTAWA—The federal government is vowing to make changes to a largely-untapped fund designed to help parents of murdered or missing children after a blistering critique exposed deep flaws in the program.

TORONTO—Ontario's Liberal government will not consider raising the provincial sales tax to pay for infrastructure projects in various municipalities, the premier said Tuesday.

CAMBRIDGE BAY, Nunavut—Nearly 90 years after she sank into Nunavut's Arctic seabed, the ship that took famed explorer Roald Amundsen on his second polar expedition finally is ready to sail back home to Norway.

Now only sea ice in the Northwest Passage stands in the way of the Maud beginning her way home to a hero's welcome near the Norwegian city where she was built.

CAMROSE, Alta.—A woman who lost her engagement ring 13 years ago while weeding her garden on the family farm is wearing it proudly again after her daughter-in-law pulled it from the ground on a misshapen carrot.

Mary Grams, 84, said she can't believe the lucky carrot actually grew through and around the diamond ring she long had given up hope of ever finding again.

TORONTO—A 15-year-old student who drowned on a school-run camping trip this summer had not passed a required swim test, the Toronto District School Board said yesterday as it apologized to the teen's family.

The board's director of education, John Malloy, said that of the 32 students who went on the multi-day canoe trip to Algonquin Park in July, 15 had failed the swim test.

Smoke from an increasing number of forest fires in Northwestern Ontario has prompted the evacuation of a First Nation in the region, officials said Tuesday.

MONTREAL—A Quebec woman is taking legal action against her doctors after she delivered her 13-pound baby naturally in what court documents describe as a “traumatic and chaotic” childbirth.

EDMONTON—The Alberta government won't appeal a ruling that struck down part of its impaired driving legislation allowing police to suspend the licences of suspected drunk drivers.

Justice minister Kathleen Ganley said the government instead will bring new legislation forward after talking to interested parties.

MONTREAL—A commemorative plaque honouring a former president of the Confederate States of America has been removed from a Hudson's Bay Co. building in downtown Montreal.

Spokeswoman Tiffany Bourre told The Canadian Press in an e-mail the plaque of Jefferson Davis, who was president of the Confederate states during the Civil War, was taken down Tuesday evening.

WASHINGTON — Diagnosing if a tick bite caused Lyme or another disease can be difficult but scientists are developing a new way to do it early ‚Äî using a “signature” of molecules in patients’ blood.

NEW YORK — If you learned your DNA made you more susceptible to getting a disease, wouldn’t you work to stay healthy?

You’d quit smoking, eat better, ramp up your exercise, or do whatever else it took to improve your odds of avoiding maladies like obesity, diabetes, heart disease or cancer, right?

The scientific evidence says: Don’t bet on it.

GREENSBORO, N.C.—It's last-chance time on the PGA Tour.

The field at the Wyndham Championship once again is littered with players trying to earn their way into golf's post-season or earn full exemption on the tour for 2018.

WINNIPEG—Andrew Harris wants to make his offensive linemen happy.

The Blue Bombers' running back is coming off his first 100-yard rushing game this season as the team prepares to host the injury-riddled 7-0 Edmonton Eskimos tonight.

TORONTO—Dominic Leone rejoined the Blue Jays yesterday after spending three days on the bereavement list.

When he got into the game, it was like he hadn't missed a beat.

Leone recorded two crucial outs in the seventh inning to help Toronto beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday, delivering a bonanza of science experiments.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule pulled up following a two-day flight from Cape Canaveral. NASA astronaut Jack Fischer used the space station’s hefty robot arm to grab the Dragon 250 miles (400 kilometres) above the Pacific, near New Zealand.

WASHINGTON—The sun is about to spill some of its secrets—and maybe even reveal a few hidden truths of the cosmos.

And you can get in on the act next week if you are in the right place for the best solar eclipse in the U.S. in nearly a century.

Astronomers are going full blast to pry even more science from the mysterious ball of gas that's vital to Earth.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Hundreds of Pacific walruses came ashore to a barrier island on Alaska's northwest coast—the earliest appearance of the animals in a phenomenon tied to climate warming and diminished Arctic Ocean sea ice.

CANBERRA, Australia — A third Australian government minister revealed Thursday she might have been unlawfully elected to Parliament because of a constitutional ban on dual citizens that has snared six lawmakers since July in an unprecedented political crisis.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s trade minister said Thursday he believes there’s an odds-on chance that a group of 11 Pacific nations including Japan and Australia will sign a free-trade deal, despite the U.S. pulling out.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Hundreds of Pacific walruses came ashore to a barrier island on Alaska’s northwest coast, the earliest appearance of the animals in a phenomenon tied to climate warming and diminished Arctic Ocean sea ice.

WASHINGTON—Diagnosing if a tick bite caused Lyme or another disease can be difficult, but scientists are developing a new way to do it early—using a “signature” of molecules in patients' blood.

Beans are an inexpensive and lean source of protein, fiber and micronutrients. But it’s easy to fall into a bean rut. White beans, black beans, garbanzo beans and fresh green beans easily make their way to the table relatively frequently.

Rainy River Community College in International Falls is hosting new student orientation on Monday starting at 8:30 a.m. in the RRCC Theater.

RRCC Provost Dr. Roxanne Kelly and International Falls Chamber president Tricia Heibel will welcome students.

Guest speaker Kat Perkins, from NBC's “The Voice,” will be speaking to students and hosting a motivational breakout session.

Seven new fires were confirmed in the Northwest Region by yesterday afternoon, with eight confirmed by day's end Wednesday.

There's a total of 151 active fires in various states of suppression as of yesterday.

Scattered rainfall has assisted with suppression operations, however, fires continue to burn deep and require extensive effort by fire crews to extinguish.

That is not the way they like it.

It wasn't KC and the Sunshine Band but the KC Indios of Kansas who played a troublesome tune for the Sight & Sound Wolves yesterday in an 11-1 romp in the Wolves' opening game of the North American Fastpitch Association 'A' Division World Series in Fargo, N.D.

Game stats were unavailable at press time.

Star Martin, centre, was all smiles as she learned she took first place in another judging category for the 2017 Emo Fair queen contest during the entertainment night and crowning yesterday evening upstairs at the Emo-La Vallee Arena. Martin went on to be crowned queen, with Janelle Allan, left, being named First Princess and Reece McQuaker as Second Princess.

OTTAWA—Former Conservative MP Terence Young is calling for federal Health minister Jane Philpott to intervene in her department's handling of a law that bears his daughter's name.

TORONTO—Ali Van Orman still is looking for specialized glasses to protect her family's eyes during Monday's solar eclipse because she never counted on demand totally eclipsing supply.

She tried to buy a coveted pair of solar eclipse glasses for herself and two children from Amazon back in July, but the hot commodities would not have arrived in time.

TORONTO—An Ontario court has thrown out a lawsuit against the provincial government over the controversial partial sale of Hydro One.

The lawsuit filed last December by the Canadian Union of Public Employees alleged the sale of shares in the utility was “motivated by improper and ulterior purposes,” namely to reward benefactors of the Ontario Liberal Party.

MONTREAL—An anti-fascist group is organizing a counter-protest against a demonstration in Quebec City on Sunday that's being planned by a far-right group.

Montreal Antifasciste said in a statement it's calling on anti-fascist and anti-racist groups to head to the provincial capital to oppose La Meute's demonstration.

WINNIPEG—A woman in Winnipeg tightly embraced her 12-year-old son for the first time in three years early yesterday morning when the child was reunited with his family after his liberation from Iraqi militants.

Cheers went up from a large crowd on hand when Emad Mishko Tamo arrived at James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, just weeks after he was freed from captivity.

The federal government yesterday announced up to $60 million in funding to connect a remote Northwestern Ontario First Nation to the province's power grid.

Pikangikum First Nation, a community near the Ontario-Manitoba border, currently relies on diesel generators for electricity.

HANNA, Alta.—RCMP say three children who died when a semi-trailer truck collided with an SUV northeast of Calgary on Wednesday all were from the United States.

“The family is from Washington State,” said RCMP Cpl. Laurel Scott.

“The parents are both in hospital in Calgary and they're in stable condition,” she added.

OTTAWA—The Justice Department wants to know what Canadians think of changing some of the former Conservative government's controversial tough-on-crime sentencing legacy—including mandatory minimum penalties—before the Liberals bring in their promised reforms.

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Matt Every matched the Wyndham Championship's first-round record with a nine-under 61 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead.

Every tied the opening-round mark set in 2010 by Arjun Atwal, who went on to win the PGA Tour's final tournament before the post-season.

Henrik Stenson opened with a 62.

WINNIPEG—Andrew Harris accomplished something he had never done before in his professional career last night.

The Blue Bombers' running back chalked up more than 100 yards both rushing and receiving as Winnipeg won its fourth-straight game while handing the Edmonton Eskimos their first loss of the season with a 33-26 victory.

TORONTO—“Get Right Witcha” by Migos was blasting in the Blue Jays' clubhouse, with team attendants and players quickly packing up after a 10-game homestand so they could catch a flight to Chicago for a matinee game today against the World Series champion Cubs.

A 7-3 record on that homestand—punctuated by a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays last night—has energized the team.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Forty years after blasting off, Earth’s most distant ambassadors the twin Voyager spacecraft are carrying sounds and music of our planet ever deeper into the cosmos.

Think of them as messages in bottles meant for anyone or anything out there.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Forty years after blasting off, Earth's most distant ambassadors—the twin Voyager spacecraft—are carrying sounds and music of our planet ever deeper into the cosmos.

Think of them as messages in bottles meant for anyone or anything out there.

This Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of NASA's launch of Voyager 2, now almost 11 billion miles distant.

BARCELONA, Spain—A van veered onto a promenade and barrelled down the busy walkway in central Barcelona yesterday, swerving back and forth as it mowed down pedestrians and turned a picturesque tourist destination into a bloody killing zone.

Thirteen people were killed and 100 were injured, 15 of them seriously, in what authorities called a terrorist attack.

NEW DELHI — The annual tradition of flying kites over the Indian capital on Independence Day takes a painful toll on birds that fall victim to their razor-sharp strings.

Workers at the Charity Birds Hospital see it happen every year mostly to pigeons but also to crows, eagles and parrots. The wounded populate cages lining the halls of the clinic’s emergency ward.

WASHINGTON — Poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to a collision between a Navy destroyer and a commercial container ship that killed seven sailors, Navy officials said, announcing that the warship captain will be relieved of command and more than a dozen other sailors will be punished.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — With prominent Republicans openly questioning his competence and moral leadership, President Donald Trump burrowed deeper into the racially charged debate over Confederate memorials and lashed out at members of his own party in the latest controversy to engulf his presidency.

BEIJING — Furious Chinese businesspeople said Friday that Beijing’s decision to enforce U.N. sanctions on North Korean seafood imports would hobble the economy of an entire northeastern city, sparking a rare public protest earlier this week after the surprise move suddenly choked off border trade.

VIENNA — Austrians were making bacon thousands of years ago. And a researcher says they were probably the first in Europe to do it on an industrial scale.

Hans Reschreiter of Vienna’s Museum of Natural History says DNA traces from more than 6,000 pig bones at what was a prehistoric slaughter house near the Upper Austrian town of Hallstatt shows they are more than 3,000 years old.

Look for clear to partly cloudy skies tonight, with an overnight low of 11 C (52 F).

Tomorrow will be partly sunny but hot, with a high of 28 (82) and low around 15 (58).

Partly sunny skies also are forecast for Sunday, along with a high of 26 (78) and low dipping to 10 (50).

Then Monday will bring variable cloudiness, with a high of 24 (74) and low again near 10 (50).

Five new fires were confirmed in the Northwest Region by yesterday afternoon while and seven were confirmed by day's end Saturday.

There were 149 active fires in the region in various states of suppression as of yesterday.

Scattered rainfall has assisted with suppression operations; however, fires continue to burn deep and require extensive effort by fire crews to extinguish.

On Saturday around 9:30 p.m., police were called to the school area on Airport Road in Pikangikum First Nation.

Upon arrival, a male was found unconscious and taken to the nursing station for treatment.

Bronson Lee Strang, 34, later was pronounced dead at 10:09 p.m.

The OPP is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

It was not their weekend to howl.

The Sight & Sound Wolves had their stay at the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) 'A' Division World Series in Fargo, N.D. end Saturday with a 6-4 loss to Oregon's NW Braves in a Losers' Bracket elimination game.

That left the Wolves with a 1-3 record for the tournament.

Jim Strachan worked to remove a brick in the pathway at the Lions Park on Second Street East yesterday afternoon to replace it with one bearing the names of his father and mother, Milton and Hazel Strachan. Twenty-seven bricks were placed in memory of loved ones who have passed away during the Fort Frances Lions Club's annual “Dandy Lion Festival” held there.

Gavin Paull of Fort Frances (16) nosed his way in front of Rene Poluyko (Tyndall, Man.) during the second heat of the WISSOTA Modifieds division Friday evening on the first of two nights of the annual Rea Memorial staged by the Borderland Racing Association at the Emo Speedway.

The official conclusion of a project a year-and-a-half in the making came late Friday morning as the grand opening was held for the Fort Frances Multi-Use Courts facility at the back edge of the property at St. Francis School.

LOS ANGELES—Jerry Lewis, the manic, rubber-faced showman who jumped and hollered to fame in a lucrative partnership with Dean Martin, settled down to become a self-conscious screen auteur and found an even greater following as the tireless, teary host of the annual muscular dystrophy telethons, has died.

He was 91.

WASHINGTON—North American countries concluded their first round of negotiations toward a new continental trade agreement yesterday with a statement that suggested major issues needed to be sorted out in the talks ahead.

MONTREAL—Tensions boiled over in Quebec City yesterday as police were pelted by beer bottles and smoke bombs set off in garbage cans in an ugly end to a weekend of pro- and anti-immigrant rallies.

BEIJING — Chinese SUV maker Great Wall Motors is considering making a bid to acquire Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep unit, two employees of the Chinese company said Monday, in an ambitious new move for the country’s fast-growing domestic auto brands.

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Henrik Stenson kept making birdies on the back nine yesterday at the Wyndham Championship.

They added up to a tournament record—and his first victory of the year.

Stenson closed with a six-under 64 for a one-stroke victory in the final event of the PGA Tour regular season.

CHICAGO—Alex Avila felt for Raffy Lopez. It was quite a day for catchers.

Avila capped Chicago's three-run 10th inning with a two-run single as the Cubs swept the Toronto Blue Jays with a wild 6-5 victory yesterday afternoon.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Avila lined a base hit into right field against Roberto Osuna (3-4).

BRISTOL, Tenn.—Erik Jones really needed to win, and Kyle Busch would have loved to celebrate the first Cup win for the kid he discovered.

But this is Bristol Motor Speedway and Busch practically owns the place.

Busch swept the weekend for the second time in his career by winning the Monster Energy Cup Series race Saturday night.

Americans with telescopes, cameras, and protective glasses staked out viewing spots along a narrow corridor from Oregon to South Carolina today to watch the moon blot out the midday sun in what promised to be the most observed and photographed eclipse in history.

LONDON—With a dozen deep bongs, Britain's “Big Ben” sounded the hour for the last time today before falling silent for repair work due to last almost four years.

The giant bell atop Parliament's clock tower rang out at noon, as it has almost every hour since 1859, becoming an iconic sound of London.

KAMPALA, Uganda — South Sudan’s civil war presents humanitarian workers with “one of the unique crises” in the world, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday.

LONDON — With a dozen deep bongs, Britain’s Big Ben sounded the hour for the last time Monday before falling silent for repair work due to last almost four years.

SINGAPORE — Vessels from several nations are searching Southeast Asian waters for 10 missing U.S. sailors after an early morning collision Monday between the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker ripped a gaping hole in the destroyer’s hull.

Americans with telescopes, cameras and protective glasses staked out viewing spots along a narrow corridor from Oregon to South Carolina to watch the moon blot out the midday sun Monday in what promised to be the most observed and photographed eclipse in history.

Though the disco ball drops in January, the shofar blows in September, marking the beginning of the new year for Jewish communities across the globe. Observed as one of the holiest days of the year, Rosh Hashanah is a special two-day celebration of what’s to come.

When it comes to landing dinner on the table on a weeknight, fish fillets are among the very quickest dishes you can prepare, rarely requiring more than five minutes to go from raw to ready to eat.

The date stated at the top of the “Moment in Time” feature on page 8 of yesterday's Daily Bulletin was incorrect.

It should have read June 29, 1977, not July 29, 1977.

The Times regrets any confusion or inconvenience this error may have caused.

Wearing special “eclipse glasses,” Danielle Cridland, left, and Maggie Gurski viewed the partial solar eclipse yesterday outside the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre. While the cloudy sky made viewing less-than-ideal, a small crowd of people of all ages gathered at the library and used the glasses and pinhole projectors to take in the rare celestial show.

Work on the new sidewalk on the 200 block of Scott Street is about 90 percent complete. As of early yesterday, only a short stretch of paving still had to be installed on both the north and south side of the east end of the block (nearest the intersection of Portage Avenue).

EDMONTON—Newly-published research suggests conflict between humans and grizzlies in the mountains and foothills of southwestern Alberta has been growing for more than a decade.

“We started to see substantial increase in the incidents starting in about 2006,” said Andrea Morehouse, a scientist at the University of Alberta.

TORONTO—Glen Abbey, one of Canada's most famous golf courses, received some protection from potential redevelopment into a residential and commercial complex last night.

Town council voted unanimously in favour of designating the golf course, which has hosted the Canadian Open more times than any other, under the Ontario Heritage Act.

OTTAWA—The federal-provincial task force charged with managing an unprecedented flow of asylum-seekers over the Canada-U.S. border will meet tomorrow in Montreal to review the next steps in handling the surge.

GIBSONS, B.C.—Police say a black bear has been put down after it broke into a home and terrified a family in Gibsons, B.C.

Sunshine Coast RCMP said Elery Froude was home with her two sons and a family friend on Saturday evening when an adult male bear wandered in through the sliding glass door.

OTTAWA—Federal opposition parties are demanding the Trudeau government come clean on whether Canada plans to embrace continental ballistic missile defence, as concerns about North Korea's nuclear arsenal grow.

THUNDER BAY, Ont.—Development of the chromite-rich “Ring of Fire” region inNorthern Ontario is one step closer after the premier announced yesterday that agreements with First Nations are in place to start road construction in the area.

LOS ANGELES—A Los Angeles jury yesterday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million to a woman who claimed in a lawsuit that the talc in its iconic baby powder causes ovarian cancer when applied regularly for feminine hygiene.

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles jury on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million to a woman who claimed in a lawsuit that the talc in its iconic baby powder causes ovarian cancer when applied regularly for feminine hygiene.

CHICAGO—After giving the Minnesota Twins a chance to come back in the opener, Jorge Polanco immediately drove them in the right direction during the nightcap.

Polanco hit his second three-run homer of the day as the Twins scored six times in the second inning en route to a 10-2 rout of the Chicago White Sox to split a doubleheader yesterday.

NEW YORK — NFL fans and gamers can play their way to the Super Bowl ‚Äî if they’re good enough at the newest edition of “Madden NFL 18.”

Electronic Arts and the NFL on Monday announced they’re teaming up to create an online tournament involving all 32 teams .

The stars came out in the middle of the day, zoo animals ran in agitated circles, crickets chirped, birds fell silent, and a chilly darkness settled upon the land yesterday as the U.S. witnessed its first full-blown, coast-to-coast solar eclipse since World War I.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is vowing to win what has seemed to be an unwinnable war.

How he plans to do so is still murky despite the months of internal deliberations that ultimately persuaded Trump to stick with a conflict he has long opposed.

SINGAPORE — The shipping lanes around Singapore, among the world’s busiest, carry a host of challenges to safe navigation, including a narrow strait, frequently limited visibility and thousands of vessels sailing through daily.

The stars came out in the middle of the day, zoo animals ran in agitated circles, crickets chirped, birds fell silent and a chilly darkness settled upon the land Monday as the U.S. witnessed its first full-blown, coast-to-coast solar eclipse since World War I.

NEW DELHI — India’s Supreme Court said Tuesday that the Muslim practice that allows men to instantly divorce their wives is unconstitutional and requested the government legislate an end to the practice.

APPLEDORE ISLAND, Maine — When diving in the Gulf of Maine a few years back, Jennifer Dijkstra expected to be swimming through a flowing kelp forest that had long served as a nursery and food for juvenile fish and lobster.

The Fort Frances Lions Club held its annual “Dandy Lion Festival” on Sunday afternoon at the Lions Park on Second Street East.

Club member Bonnie Penney said she was very pleased with the crowd that turned out to enjoy the hotdogs, cake, live music, and kids' activities.

“Quite a few people here; that is good to see,” she remarked.

Work on the new Scott Street sidewalk is about 90 percent complete.

Precision Paving is close to being done installing the paving stones, with any deficiencies (i.e., poor cuts, bad seams, lips, etc.) to be addressed in the coming days, Operations and Facilities manager Travis Rob told town council Monday night.

Weechi-it-te-win Family Services will be hosting its 30th-anniversary “Gathering” on Aug. 30-31 at the Nanicost grounds in Fort Frances.

The keynote speakers include Dr. Raven Sinclair of the University of Regina, Terry Cross of NICWA, and Renee Linklater from CAMH.

The Alzheimer Society of Kenora/Rainy River Districts held its 15th-annual “Ride for Memories” on Saturday, ending with a steak dinner at the Royal Canadian Legion in Dryden.

With the forecast being sunny and hot, about 100 riders made their way to the Log Tavern in Nestor Falls for fresh-baked goods, followed by sumptuous soup and sandwiches for lunch at the Legion in Fort Frances.

While not everyone might like the fact the town has removed trees from the 200 block of Scott Street and the north-side boulevard on the 200 block of Second Street, the removals were absolutely necessary for a number of reasons.

After donating “chemo comfort” Thirty-One bags to the Riverside Chemotherapy Unit here back in late February, Jessica Ogden now is rounding up sponsors for a second round and expanding donations to the Atikokan General Hospital.

Ogden sells Thirty-One, a line of bags, purses, and organizing items, and is offering “chemo comfort bags” for purchase for $35 each.

The town will be acknowledging financial donations made towards the Kiwanis Skate Park.

Council agreed Monday night to make an “acknowledgement of the generous contributions” to the skate park.

This likely will be a plaque put up at the Memorial Sports Centre.

The Bingo hall on McIrvine Road has a new owner.

The Evangelical Fellowship Church, currently located at 560 Webster Ave., has been working with 1921495 Ontario Ltd. to purchase 605 McIrvine Rd. site, which has been vacant for more than a dozen years.

Three fires hit our area over the past week.

Gerri Mutz lost her home last Thursday. Our community would like to send her thoughts and prayers as she struggles with the immense loss of her beautiful log home, plus all the belongings and memories a family acquires over many years.

That same day, a fire occurred on Roy Street in Emo, causing intense damage.

The Northern Policy Institute and North Superior Workforce Planning Board have launched a new interactive GIS tool that allows users to explore the many community, administrative, and service provider boundaries in the northern regions of Ontario.

The bleachers were full and the excitement tangible.

A jam-packed crowd was on hand for the annual two-day horse show held over the weekend in conjunction with the Emo Fair.

Here is the list of the high-point award winners:

Another Emo fall fair is in the books, and perhaps the biggest sign of success is that nothing major went wrong during the Aug. 17-19 event.

“It went well, really well I would say,” Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society chairman James Gibson told the Times.

“No big glitches. Not really any little ones, either, which makes my life easier,” he remarked.

At its regular meeting Aug. 21, Dryden council appointed Nick Beyak to fill the vacant councillor position following the resignation of Darryl Skinner on July 20.

After declaring the office of councillor vacant, council had 60 days to fill the vacancy either through a by-election or by an appointment, and chose the appointment option.

For Star Martin, this summer has been all about gaining confidence, making friends, and engaging in the community.

The experience culminated in her being named Emo Fair queen last Thursday evening following the entertainment portion of the pageant upstairs at the Emo-La Vallee Arena.

Janelle Allan was named First Princess and Reece McQuaker as Second Princess.

There were more winners in the Rainy River District Mutual Aid Association's weekly cash calendar draw.

Winning $30 for Aug. 20-26 were Bernice Kempf (Fort Frances), Donald Morrison (Folkston, Ga.), Rob Burnell (Fort Frances), Becky Strom (Atikokan), Delbert Redford (Emo), Gwen Barrow (Winnipeg), and George and Linda Boychuk (Sundown, Man.)

Rainy River Community College is gearing up for the fall semester with a fresh and modern college and athletic logo, as well as a new tagline: “We are Voyageurs.”

This is all a part of RRCC's rebranding initiative to better communicate the benefits of receiving a low-cost, high-quality education in our northern Minnesota setting.

Life at the Rea Memorial has been very good to Jamie Davis.

The Devlin native, who now lives in Fort Frances, captured the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds division of the annual two-day stock car extravaganza held in conjunction with the Emo Fair.

Davis nabbed the checkered flag in Saturday's feature one night after taking second place in Friday's final showdown.

Chelsea Kabatay hasn't even played an official point with the Rainy River Community College Voyageurs women's volleyball team but she already is predicting good things ahead.

The former Muskie spiker is ready to take on the challenge of post-secondary athletics as she and the rest of the Voyageurs prepare for the upcoming MCAC season.

The Muskie football team is in full swing with its main training camp—and there's plenty of room to join the fun.

Practices are running all this week and on Monday from 4-6 p.m., then will go from 3:30-6 p.m. starting Tuesday with the beginning of the new school year.

The practices are open to anyone attending Fort Frances High School.

The Township of Emo will offer a free walk/run program beginning in late August into the fall months.

Rainy River Running will offer people of all abilities the opportunity to get active in an encouraging, supportive group setting.

Trevor Croswell was rewarded for playing “Fair.”

The Emo resident took a pass on the final Superior Dirt Riders Northern Ontario motocross event of the season in Kakabeka Falls on Saturday—despite leading the MX-3 Beginner division in points in his rookie campaign.

The reason? So he could focus on selling some of his cows at the Emo Fair.

Hustle is a valuable asset to have on a tennis court.

It's a pretty good characteristic to have when you're trying to build one, too.

The hard work and dedication of those commissioned to make the Fort Frances Multi-Use Courts a reality had an opportunity to bask in the glow of a job well-done late Friday morning.

Kyle Turgeon and Dave Byrnes thought they had hit one out of the park.

But the Day 1 leaders reached out and stole a certain victory away from the Fort Frances tandem.

Scott Anderson and Tim Donaghue of Bemidji, Mn. went wire-to-wire in winning the 2017 Morson Bass International over the weekend, pulling in a two-day haul of 36.46 pounds.

The Red Gut Babes have come back from the dead countless times over the past five seasons.

But the grave they dug themselves Monday evening was too deep even for them to escape.

The sixth-ranked Dawson Tigers, meanwhile, confirmed they were no one-hit wonder—beating the second-seeded Babes on their own diamond for the second time in less than three weeks.

Their 20/20 vision gave Trevor Zimak and Glenn Leroux a clear view of what being champions looks like.

The Thunder Bay tandem were the only ones in the 110-team field to record 20 pounds or more on each of the two days of the Atikokan Bass Classic over the weekend.

The NW Braves didn't roll out the welcome mat for the Sight & Sound Wolves.

Sight & Sound closed out it stay at the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) 'A' Division World Series in Fargo, N.D. with a 6-4 loss to the Oregon-based Braves on Saturday.

Game stats were unavailable at press time.

Maria Henzmann, Matthew Fuhrer, Simon Fuhrer, and Aimee Richards held up some of the various animals featured in the small animal barn this year. Over the weekend, kids and adults alike were able to get a close look at some chickens, rabbits, goats, geese, sheep, and a set of donkeys—all from local farms.

One interesting entry in the exhibition hall was this horse-shaped array of cupcakes made by Cassie van Zwol. The entry earned the “Judge's Choice” distinction, which included a larger prize ribbon and being featured in one of the special cases over the weekend.

Mike Ranta knelt with his dog, “Spitzii,” beside his canoe while stopped at Tim Hortons here as he portaged through Fort Frances on Monday during his third cross-Canada trip. Standing behind them is David Jackson, who is accompanying Ranta on his journey and photojournaling the experience.

Cleo Reynolds, led by her mother, Shari, competed in this year's “Pole Bending" competition during the horse show. Despite the heat, "Zack” was calm and collected throughout the afternoon's events. All the young people who competed were rewarded with applause from those on hand.

Owen Riches was among the steady stream of visitors who dropped by the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre early Monday afternoon to view the partial solar eclipse. Like millions of people across North America, local sky-watchers of all ages put on special “eclipse glasses” like seen here, or used devices such as pinhole projectors, to safely view the rare celestial event.

Thrill-seekers at the Emo Fair were treated to “The Typhoon”—one of the many dizzying attractions of the midway that draw in visitors to Emo for three days each August.

Kyleigh and Susan Ossachuk knelt next to the freshly-placed brick in memory of their father/husband, John Ossachuk, during the “Dandy Lion Festival” on Sunday afternoon at the Lions Park on Second Street East. Twenty-seven memorial bricks were placed during the annual event, which also included a barbecue, live entertainment, and kids' activities.

Vaughn Wilson, one of this year's rookie loggers, and his sister, Sis McCormick, took part in this year's “Jack and Jill” cross-cut saw competition when females from the crowd are invited to come down to compete with one of the loggers. There were several women willing to test their skills this year.

Andrea Schram received her awards from 4-H leader Louis Bujold for raising the Grand Champion market steer at the conclusion of the 4-H beef show Saturday. During the market steer auction later that afternoon, Schram's steer sold for $6.40/pound to Sunset Country Ford whlie Aaron Bujold's Reserve Champion went for $5.75/pound to Cloverleaf Grocery.

2017 Emo Fair Queen Star Martin, centre, posed with First Princess Janelle Allan, left, and Second Princess Reece McQuaker following the annual crowning ceremony last Thursday evening at the Emo-La Vallee Arena. Allan also was named Miss Congeniality and received the Dorothy Bonot Award.

Hemphill Heating included a pioneer-theme float, complete with log cabin and rudimentary heating system, in the annual fair parade held at noon on Saturday. The route runs from the Emo Health Centre to the fairgrounds, with some of the floats, classic cars, and tractors sticking around over the weekend for visitors to check out, as well.

It was two doses of rolling thunder from Thunder Bay (above) as David Simpson (70JR) and Don Craig (47) went wheel-to-wheel around Turn #4 in the first heat of the WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds during the Rea Memorial at the Emo Speedway on Friday evening.

Project chairman Rick Wiedenhoeft spoke in glowing terms about the collective efforts from various parties to help make the creation of the new facility a reality.

Scott Anderson, left, and Tim Donaghue of Bemidji, Mn. took the lead and never relinquished it in capturing the 2017 Morson Bass International on Saturday with a two-day total of 36.46 pounds. Kyle Turgeon and Dave Byrnes of Fort Frances had brought in a tourney-high bag of 20.10 pounds earlier on Day 2 but wound up having to settle for second place (34.23).

Evan Kabel might be on his way to being the next Denis Shapovalov by the looks of the serve he unleashed after the grand-opening ceremonies for the Fort Frances Multi-Use Courts on Friday.

Project chairman Rick Wiedenhoeft, left, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell, and Mayor Roy Avis officially opened the Fort Frances Multi-Use Courts with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting late Friday morning.

MONTREAL — The country’s two largest railways are calling for federal investments to boost the rail capacity of Vancouver’s North Shore,despite moving large quantities of grain last year.

Canadian National Railway (TSX:CNR) transported 21.8 million tonnes of the 2016-2017 Western Canadian grain crop, beating its record from two years earlier by two per cent.

WASHINGTON — Researchers say safety systems to prevent cars from drifting into another lane or that warn drivers of vehicles in their blind spots are beginning to live up to their potential to significantly reduce crashes.

LOS ANGELES — Visitors to the University of Southern California might well be muttering, “What fools these mortals be” as they stroll past a statue of the legendary queen of Troy and notice William Shakespeare’s name seemingly misspelled at its base.

To USC officials, it’s much ado about nothing.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — Some send up plastic leaflets that weigh less than a feather and flutter down from the clouds with calls for democracy or blurry cartoons ridiculing North Korea’s ruler. Some send flash drives loaded with South Korean soap operas, or mini-documentaries about the vast wealth of Southern corporations, or crisp new U.S. dollar bills.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Engineers at a lab in Florida have been working quietly for the last two and a half years on building one of the most powerful magnets in the world.

Schnitzels are often made with veal or chicken, but pork is a great alternative. Pounding out the cutlets makes them even thinner and more tender, so they cook up quickly, perfect for a weeknight meal. And there’s that irresistible crunch from the Panko bread-crumb coating. This is one of those heartening dishes that’s popular with both kids and adults.

Yesterday, Rainy River District OPP officers responded to numerous mischiefs on several roads in the Township of Alberton.

Officers are looking for assistance in locating those responsible for damaging and destroying mailboxes in the early-morning hours of yesterday.

Two new fires were confirmed in the Northwest Region by yesterday afternoon.

Sioux Lookout Fire #199, a small lightning-caused blaze, was declared “out” at 0.1 hectares in size.

But Dryden Fire #36, located near Cherry Lake, was listed as “not under control” at 0.1 ha at last report.

There currently are 138 active fires in the region.

A group of former pro hockey players with a hefty list of combined accomplishments will be lacing up the blades here this fall.

Legends All Stars Hockey Events announced earlier today a team of past NHL stars is slated to take on a team of local players in a charity exhibition game on Oct. 19 at the Ice For Kids Arena.

A late-game rally had the Couchiching Raiders' boisterous fans in a rapturous uproar.

Half-an-inning later, after a bloop and a blast, the only noise to be heard emanated from the visitors' dugout.

The pitching matchup dictated runs were going to be hard to come by, but nobody would have guessed this hard.

Joe Basaraba is going to Carolina in more than his mind.

The 25-year-old Fort Frances native has had his ECHL hockey path take a southeastern turn as he was traded yesterday from the Idaho Steelheads to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

Basaraba played two seasons with the Steelheads, notching 78 points in 119 regular-season games, including 46 in 72 last season.

Chad Reynolds with a big musky he recently caught on Lake of the Woods.

Muskie quarterback Brady Meeks barked out the signals behind his offensive line as football training camp held its second day of practice Tuesday. Training camp runs through this week from 4-6 p.m. and next week from 3:30-6 p.m., with the team slated to begin the Winnipeg High School Football League season on Friday, Sept. 8 against the host Maples Marauders.

Cheyenne Calder, left, family support practitioner at Kenora and Rainy River District Child and Family Services, joined “Backpacks for Kids” organizers Kathy Lampi and Heather Calder of M. Wu Dentistry in unloading a bevy of backpacks filled with school supplies yesterday outside the local KRRDCFS office.

Marissa Kerry finished her rookie season in brilliant style with a five-hit complete game to give the Fort Frances Her-icanes a 1-0 win over the Dawson Tigers in the Rainy River District Women's Fastball League championship final yesterday evening at VanJura.

EDMONTON—A bride and groom spent their first night of wedded bliss in jail when Edmonton police arrested them after a post-wedding brawl in a downtown bar.

It's unclear how it all started, but photos and videos posted on social media show the fight on the weekend spilling out of the Denizen Hall bar and onto the street.

Witnesses say the bride was right in the middle of it.

OTTAWA—Judy Foote resigned from the federal cabinet today and announced she'll step down as a Liberal MP shortly after Parliament resumes next month.

The Newfoundland and Labrador MP has been on an indefinite leave of absence from the Public Works and Government Services Department since April due to family health issues.

MONTREAL—It's a far-out dream that Canada's two newest astronauts are hoping will come true: orbiting the moon within the next decade or so.

In fact, Joshua Kutryk and Jennifer Sidey already are looking beyond the International Space Station as they begin two years of intense basic training.

TORONTO—The union representing Ontario's public elementary school teachers is calling on all elementary schools in the province to pull the name of Canada's first prime minister from their buildings.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—SpaceX has unveiled a sleek white spacesuit for astronauts on its crewed flights coming up next year.

Chief executive Elon Musk made the big reveal via Instagram yesterday.

He said it's not him in the new suit, rather a SpaceX engineer.

SpaceX is developing a crew version of its Dragon cargo capsule for NASA astronauts.

OTTAWA—The CP Women's Open hasn't been a major on the LPGA Tour since 2000, but it will have the feel of one this week with teenage phenom and local favourite Brooke Henderson headlining a strong field.

Henderson, ranked No. 10 in the world, undoubtedly will have a huge gallery when play began today at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, where she is an honorary member.

Ten days ago, Rory McIlroy wasn't sure if he was going to play the rest of the year.

A week off made him feel good enough that a nagging rib injury can be managed well enough for him to compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

And with just over a month before he shuts it down for the year, McIlroy wants to do more than just play.

MONTREAL—If their last meeting was an indication, the clash tonight between the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers should be quite the offensive spectacle.

On July 28 in Winnipeg, the Bombers erased a 12-point Montreal lead in the last minute to win 41-40 on a final-play touchdown by Andrew Harris.

PITTSBURGH—Rich Hill's first 98 pitches left the Pittsburgh Pirates confounded, occasionally fuming, and absolutely hitless.

His 99th turned a potentially historic night by the Los Angeles Dodgers' lefty into something else entirely: a loss.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Even in a down year, the Toronto Blue Jays are as capable of going deep as any team in baseball.

They showed that off last night.

Kevin Pillar hit Toronto's sixth home run of the game in the eighth inning—lifting the Jays to a 7-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

NEW YORK — Walmart is diving into voice-activated shopping. But unlike online leader Amazon, it’s not doing it alone.

The world’s largest retailer said Wednesday it’s working with Google to offer hundreds of thousands of items from laundry detergent to Legos for voice shopping through Google Assistant. The capability will be available in late September.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX has unveiled a sleek white spacesuit for astronauts on its crewed flights coming up next year.