Callum Galusha, left, along with his sister, Socorro, enjoyed the annual community Christmas dinner at Knox United Church here Friday afternoon. About 180 people turned out to enjoy a festive meal of turkey and all the fixings.

Lorelai Lake, left, and her dad, Kevin, raced down the hill at the overpass here on Boxing Day. Plenty of kids and their families were on hand to enjoy the wintry weather as well as test out some new sleds from Santa.

Anniss Seid, right, had to stretch to his limits to dig this drop shot by Steve Boileau during the ‘A’ Open final at the Sunset Country Squash Club’s 29th-annual Boxing Day tournament here Saturday. Seid made the shot but Boileau wound up beating the defending champ 3-2 (12-10, 10-12, 10-12, 11-8, and 11-9) to claim the overall title for the first time.

OTTAWA—U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have set a date for their first meeting in Washington.

Trudeau and his wife are to be welcomed by the Obamas for an official visit and state dinner at the White House on March 10.

SYDNEY, Australia—A Canadian resident has finished an incredible journey: John Beeden has rowed by himself across the Pacific Ocean.

It took him 209 days to make the crossing in his six-metre boat “Socks II.”

Beeden’s website said the 53-year-old is the first person to complete the 11,296-km crossing from San Francisco to Cairns, Australia.

VANCOUVER—Amid bear hugs, smiles, and tears, the family of a Syrian boy whose lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach earlier this year repeated one message when they landed at the Vancouver airport yesterday: thank you.

CONCORD, N.H. How far have vegan alternatives come to tasting like the real thing? Not far enough, according to a panel that tasted some options for The Associated Press.

“Noxious” and “kind of not natural” were among the reactions to some of the meatless alternatives being pushed by a new generation of vegan food makers that want to revolutionize the way Americans eat.

OTTAWA—The escalating debate over doctor-assisted death could be the perfect chance for Canada to fix its broken system of palliative care—a “dark secret” that health advocates say has been quietly deteriorating in the shadows for decades.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Mn.—The stakes were high enough the last time Minnesota played Green Bay that Vikings’ coach Mike Zimmer—one of the least-gimmicky guys in his profession—ordered clothing for the organization to commemorate the occasion.

The NFC North logo adorned the front of the all-black T-shirts.

Beat Green Bay was the message on the back.

HELSINKI—Mitch Marner took off his sandal, held it up like a microphone, and joined the reporters interviewing teammate Dylan Strome.

Strome laughed and swatted away his friend’s shoe before continuing to answer questions about Canada’s forward lines after a 6-1 victory over Denmark yesterday in the preliminary round of the world junior hockey championship.

TAMPA, Fla.—The Montreal Canadiens stopped a long skid just in time to move back into first place.

Max Pacioretty won it in the third round of a shootout, and Mike Condon made 36 saves, as the Canadiens edged the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 last night to end a six-game losing streak.

CHICAGO—Tony Snell has no idea when he might play these days, so he prepares as if he’s still a part of the Chicago Bulls’ rotation.

Snell and Pau Gasol each had 22 points, and Derrick Rose added 20, as the Bulls pulled away late for a 104-97 victory over the Toronto Raptors last night.

“I’m staying ready every day,” Snell said. “I make sure I’m staying ready at all times.”

DALLAS Authorities said a Texas teenager serving probation for killing four people in a drunken-driving wreck after invoking an “affluenza” defence was in custody in Mexico, weeks after he and his mother disappeared.

WEST MILFORD, N.J. New Jersey wildlife officials said there’s been a sighting of a bear that walks upright on its two hind legs, and has become a social media darling.

Fans of the bipedal bear nicknamed Pedals had grown concerned when the animal had not been seen for several weeks.

SAN FRANCISCO Wildlife experts and law enforcement officials on Monday worked to keep a determined elephant seal off a Northern California highway that it has repeatedly tried to cross, snarling traffic in the area.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of An apology from Japan’s prime minister and a pledge of more than $8 million sealed a breakthrough deal Monday in a decades-long impasse with South Korea over Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Amid layoffs and idled operations, the U.S. coal industry is close to setting a record low for on-the-job deaths in coal mines.

In late December, there were 11 deaths in coal mines nationwide for the year, putting the industry on track to best the record low of 16 set in 2014.

DAKAR, Senegal Bill Amahdou dips his brush into a tin of white paint sitting on the sandy road, and effortlessly outlines a Senegalese flag on a truck’s back flap. He then paints an eye within an orange heart next to the flag. Disparate images blending together in bright harmony on vehicles that are symbolic of Senegal: car rapides, or fast buses.

With grocery prices continuing to rise, many Canadians are looking for ways to save on their food dollar.

Pulses, which are grown in Canada, are a great way to boost protein for not much money. Stock your pantry with a variety of beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils.

Years ago, a friend took me to one of his favourite restaurants in New York City. Dinner was fantastic, the company riveting, but what stayed with me most was dessert: maple budino. One bite and I was smitten.

Chefs are devoting entire cookbooks to creative vegetable recipes.

Yotam Ottolenghi, who has four locations of his eponymous restaurant as well as Nopi in London, England, wrote “Plenty” and “Plenty More.” His newest cookbook, “Nopi,” also contains some spectacular vegetable dishes that are served at the high-end restaurant.

Isaiah Peltomaki, left, and Randy Wilde enjoyed the large Christmas feast at Knox United Church here on Christmas Day. The Fort Frances Choraliers were on hand singing Christmas carols while about 180 people turned out for the annual dinner featuring all the festive fixings.

Teagan McKinnon, left, handed her ticket to the Conductor (Mitchell Riordon) at the “Polar Express Family Christmas” held last Tuesday at the Fort Frances Public Library. About 100 children attended the event, where they enjoyed an evening of singing Christmas songs, playing games, and sitting on Santa’s knee.

This year’s “Polar Plunge” has been on thin ice—literally.

Above-average temperatures for the past month left Voyageur Lions Club members praying for colder weather in order for there to be enough ice to hold the event, which features brave souls jumping into the frigid waters of Sand Bay through a hole in the ice each New Year’s Day.

The “Hallett Hall Choraliers” sang a selection of Christmas carols for a large group of residents and visitors at Rainycrest here last Wednesday afternoon. The new group, which is directed by Diane Maxey, had been rehearsing for the past six weeks.

Thanks to the efforts of local several residents, no one had to spend Christmas Day here without a holiday meal.

The 28th-annual community Christmas dinner, held at the Knox United Church on Friday afternoon, featured turkey with all the fixings, along with a gift bag filled with chocolates, candy canes, and an orange.

Staff

The calendar year for local athletics always is a vast landscape full of triumphs and tragedies.

Those two extremes were defined even more emphatically throughout 2015 as tears of joy for sporting success were mixed with tears of sadness for lost games or, more importantly, people.

ST. LOUIS Federal officials were monitoring 19 vulnerable levees on the rising Mississippi River and its tributaries, warning that hundreds of homes in Illinois and Missouri could be threatened by a rare winter flood that already forced the partial closure of interstate highways and widespread evacuations.

CONAKRY, Guinea The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak over in Guinea Tuesday, a huge step in the fight against the world’s largest epidemic and the first time there are no known cases anywhere since the virus emerged in Guinea two years ago.

TORONTO For a second year in a row, Canadian fitness experts are touting functional fitness and high-intensity interval training as top workout trends.

Functional fitness, which was second in Canfitpro’s annual trends survey last year and No. 1 this year, involves exercises that work multiple muscle groups and mimic activities like shoveling snow or carrying groceries.

WASHINGTON Americans place a higher priority on preserving the religious freedom of Christians than for other faith groups, ranking Muslims as the least deserving of the protections, according to a new survey.

We’ve all suffered through cardboard-dry chicken breasts. We do it because periodically we commit (or recommit or re-recommit) to healthy eating. And boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a fine and filling lean protein well suited to the job.

I love every bite of the holidays. I loved the mashed potatoes and the pies and the cornbread stuffing and everything else. And I’m not going to look back with regret.

I am, however, not going to continue eating this way indefinitely. And this salad is why I’m not so sad about that.

The French love to cook fish by poaching it in a flavoured liquid, usually a combination of white wine and water, leeks or onions, and some herbs. It’s a notably lean way to roll because there’s no fat involved. And the finished product is reliably tender because it has been cooked at a low temperature.

Bonnie Penney of the Fort Frances Lions Club, left, looked on as Miranda Allen of Safeway drew the winning ticket for the Lions’ food draw yesterday afternoon. Marie Saunders of Devlin won the grand prize of $100 a week for groceries for a year while Christian Windego won the second-place prize of $1,000 in food certificates.

Mya Wrolstad skated for the first time while her mother, Wendy, looked on during at “Toonie Skate” at the Ice For Kids Arena yesterday. Although there isn’t the usual amount of ice outdoors so far this winter, there is plenty of it indoors for youngsters to skate on.

NORRISTOWN, Pa.—Bill Cosby was charged yesterday with sexually assaulting an Ontario woman at his home 12 years ago—the first criminal charges brought against the comedian out of the torrent of allegations that destroyed his good-guy image as America’s Dad.

CALGARY—Passengers are describing a Toronto-bound Air Canada flight that was diverted to Calgary yesterday as a terrifying roller-coaster ride.

Emergency officials said 21 people, including three children, were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor sprains to serious chest and neck trauma.

However, no one suffered life-threatening injuries.

OTTAWA—Joseph Boyden, the award-winning author whose work vividly documents the complexity of Canada’s indigenous history, is among the latest appointments to the Order of Canada in a year when aboriginal issues have dominated the national agenda.

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Authorities say a husband-and-wife’s fight over a chicken dinner landed them both in the hospital.

Richland County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Curtis Wilson said the wife wanted to get chicken at Church’s and the couple got into an argument that ended with the husband knocking her out with a punch Tuesday night.

OTTAWA—The federal Liberal government says a “significant number” of Conservative appointees have offered to step down after being asked to quit while others will be called before parliamentary committees to explain their credentials.

But the Prime Minister’s Office is refusing to provide even a numerical breakdown, citing privacy concerns for the individuals involved.

TORONTO—A series of regulatory and fee changes are set to take effect in Ontario on Jan. 1, including increases in electricity bills and a break for natural gas users.

The debt retirement charge of about $70 a year is being eliminated from hydro bills, but so is a 10 percent discount program that saved the average residential consumer about $200 a year.

TORONTO—The night marked a milestone for coach Dwane Casey and saw the Toronto Raptors play with their full starting lineup in more than a month.

The victory also boosted the Raptors to 20 wins before the New Year for just the second time in franchise history.

PITTSBURGH—Jonathan Bernier was excellent in unexpected action, and the Toronto Maple Leafs rebounded from a rough outing the night before.

Bernier made 39 saves, and P.A. Parenteau and Peter Holland scored in the shootout, as the Leafs nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 last night.

“I thought Bernier was real good,” said Leafs’ coach Mike Babcock.

PHILADELPHIA—The Philadelphia Eagles fired Chip Kelly with one game left in his third season—dumping the coach after missing the playoffs in consecutive years.

Kelly was released Tuesday night just before the end of a disappointing season that began with Super Bowl expectations.

The Eagles are 6-9 after going 10-6 in each of Kelly’s first two seasons.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. ‚The number of grizzly bear deaths or removals in the Yellowstone region climbed to an all-time high in 2015, but biologists say they’re not worried about the animal’s long-term survival in the area.

On Jan. 1 around 2:40 a.m., the Rainy River District OPP conducted a traffic stop near Portage Avenue and First Street East.

After speaking with the driver, it was determined she had been drinking.

The driver, 31-year-old woman from Naicatchewenin First Nation, failed the roadside test and subsequently was arrested.

The Muskie girls’ hockey team stared defeat in the face and made it blink.

Annalise Hayes netted the game-winner 3:28 into overtime as the sixth-seeded Muskies erased a 2-0 deficit in the third period to beat the fourth-ranked St. Francis/North Branch Fighting Saints 3-2 in the Red Division final of the 2015 Schwan Cup in Blaine, Mn. on Friday.

Laker Dylan Kooner (10) shoved the puck past English River Miners’ goalie Reid Kilburn late in the third period Saturday night at the Ice For Kids Arena to give the hosts a 3-1 lead. The Lakers went on to a 4-1 win.

Joanne Ogden, left, and Danette McIntyre jumped into the icy waters of Sand Bay on New Year’s Day for the annual “Polar Plunge” organized by the local Voyageurs Lions Club. Some 19 jumpers took the plunge this year and raised a total of $7,222.

Kiwanian Pam Buttner and her husband, Larry, drew the “Trip of the Month” draw winner for January this morning at International Travel Services. Heather Johnson of Fort Frances is heading to Paris, France—a trip valued at $4,950. Next month’s trip is to Roatan, Honduras ($4,200).

TORONTO—Canada’s highest-paid CEOs saw their compensation dip two percent from 2013 to 2014 but they still raked in an average of $8.96 million each, according to a new study.

The think tank that conducted the research, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said that’s 184 times more than the average wage in Canada.

SAN DIEGO—Twins in San Diego are getting some attention because, though born just minutes apart, one has a birthday in 2015 and the other in 2016.

Jaelyn Valenica was born New Year’s Eve at 11:59 p.m.

Her twin brother, Luis Valencia Jr., arrived at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

SASKATOON—A woolly mammoth tusk believed to be between 12,000 and 15,000 years old has been discovered at a gravel pit east of Saskatoon.

Tim Tokaryk of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum said the fossil was found by Inland Aggregates at its work site last fall.

Tokaryk said the tusk will help expand knowledge of where woolly mammoths once roamed.

OTTAWA—Wonky weather conditions are prompting aboriginal leaders to raise concerns about the impact of climate change on winter roads, which serve as lifelines for food, fuel, and other necessities in several northern communities.

Carolina closed out its remarkable season by wrapping up home-field advantage in the NFC.

Denver turned to Peyton Manning to take advantage of New England’s slip-up in the AFC.

And Rex Ryan made certain to continue the N.Y. Jets’ playoff drought.

ANAHEIM, Calif.—After a miserable start to the season, the Anaheim Ducks have climbed all the way back into playoff position.

That might not seem like much in the jumbled Pacific Division, but for now they’ll gladly take it.

GREEN BAY, Wis.—A smiling Adrian Peterson held the football high in the air as if he had just won a trophy.

The Minnesota Vikings are back atop the NFC North.

BURNS, Ore. The remote high desert of eastern Oregon became the latest flashpoint for anti-government sentiment as armed protesters occupied a national wildlife refuge to object to a prison sentence for local ranchers for burning federal land.

PARIS A Paris canal will be drained this week for cleaning, first into a puddle and then into a dry ditch.

Canal Saint-Martin, popular with Parisians and visitors alike for its arched bridges, locks and trendy surrounding neighbourhood, will be emptied for the first time in 14 years beginning Monday.

TEHRAN, Iran Allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom’s lead and on Monday began scaling down their diplomatic ties to Iran in the wake of the ransacking of Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic, violence that was sparked by the Saudis’ execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

SAN DIEGO Twins in San Diego are getting some attention because, though born just minutes apart, one has a birthday in 2015 and one in 2016.

Jaelyn Valenica was born New Year’s Eve at 11:59 p.m. Her twin brother, Luis Valencia Jr., arrived at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

WASHINGTON Michelle Obama’s affection for the White House South Lawn has grown just like the sweet potatoes and carrots she plants there.

During seven years as first lady, Mrs. Obama has often used her family’s temporary backyard as a grassy stage from which to promote a lifestyle built around plenty of fresh, nutritious food and lots of exercise.

Stylists Natalie Armstrong, left, and Alicia Anderson, along with owner Erin Wood, welcomed clients to Simplicity Professional Hair and Body Care this morning at its new location at 261 Scott St.

The Pickle Lake OPP continues to search for a missing woman from there.

The OPP is seeking the assistance of the public in locating her.

Charnelle Masakeyash, 26, is a First Nation female described as 5’7” and 130 pounds, with a medium build, straight, shoulder-length black hair (usually worn in a pony-tail), and brown eyes.

She was reported missing on Sunday, Nov. 8.

The local New Year’s baby for 2016 is a girl!

She was born on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 8:55 a.m. at La Verendrye Hospital, weighing in at nine pounds, five oz.

Proud mom is Shawna Jones.

The baby had not been named as of press time.

Each year, gifts and gift baskets are provided for the New Year’s baby by local merchants.

Hailey Beaudry’s crew couldn’t turn late-night excitement into early-morning rewards.

The Fort Frances skip and her rink of third Nicole Hartlin, second Erin Tomalty, and co-leads Tory and Anika Beaudry were dumped 10-2 in six ends by Tiana Gaudry (Thunder Bay) in the second tie-breaker at the junior women’s provincial curling championship in Sioux Lookout this morning.

OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau’s advisers are warning that the federal government needs to do a better job of connecting with Canadians—especially online—in order to keep pace with ever-evolving public expectations.

WASHINGTON—A visibly-emotional President Barack Obama, at one point wiping tears from his cheek, today unveiled his plan to tighten control and enforcement of firearms in the U.S., using his presidential powers in the absence of legal changes he implored Congress to pass.

Obama accused the gun lobby of taking Congress hostage, but said “they cannot hold America hostage.”

FORT QU’APPELLE, Sask.—A mishap on a chair lift at a Saskatchewan ski hill left a seven-year-old dangling from the restraining bar by her helmet.

Don Williams, of Mission Ridge Winter Park in Fort Qu’Appelle, said it happened Thursday afternoon when the little girl slipped between the restraining bar and the front edge of her seat.

PUSLINCH, Ont.—A massive fire that gutted a barn and killed more than 40 racehorses inside has caused one of the most financially and emotionally devastating losses to rock the community, the local fire chief said today.

SASKATOON—A woman is facing impaired driving charges following a crash outside Saskatoon that killed a couple and their two young children.

RCMP said yesterday that the last family member in the accident—a five-year-old girl who had been taken to hospital with serious injuries—did not survive.

TORONTO—Environmentalists want the Ontario government to abandon plans for a $13-billion refurbishment of four nuclear reactors at the Darlington generating station east of Toronto and instead import more electricity from Quebec.

PIERRE, S.D. Regulators in South Dakota have again approved the portion of the embattled Keystone XL oil pipeline that would go through the state.

The Public Utilities Commission’s decision Tuesday still requires TransCanada Corp. to get a presidential permit for the project.

HELSINKI—The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation says lowering ticket prices and boosting the number of French-speaking players on Canada’s roster could help improve attendance at the 2017 world junior championship in Montreal.

“It’s a big city,” Rene Fasel told a news conference today, the final day of the 2016 tournament.

CLEVELAND—Here’s more bad news for opponents of the Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving is back.

Playing his sixth game since returning from a broken left kneecap, Irving scored a season-high 25 points as Cleveland dumped the Toronto Raptors 122-100 last night.

ST. LOUIS­—Bobby Ryan helped the Ottawa Senators end both their scoring drought and their losing streak.

Ryan scored twice, including the game-winner at 2:33 of overtime, to help the Senators rally from a two-goal deficit to earn a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues last night.

“Huge win,” said Ottawa coach Dave Cameron. “Huge win.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of A South Korean university is testing a sedan that can pick up and transport passengers without a human driver, giving a glimpse into the future of autonomous public transport.

The automotive future according to a new electric car maker looks an awful lot like a Corvette crossed with the Batmobile.

California-based Faraday Futures debuted its sleek electric concept racecar Monday night during the annual CES show that focuses on consumer gadgets and has increasingly become a way for carmakers to show off their latest technological feats.

SAN FRANCISCO The 900-pound elephant seal that tied up traffic in Northern California last week has given birth.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://sfg.ly/1JpfAyW ) Monday that the birth happened Saturday, five days after the elephant seal first tried to cross a busy highway near Sears Point in Sonoma County.

WASHINGTON Concerned that inflamed tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia may threaten key foreign policy objectives in Iraq and Syria, among other places, the Obama administration toed a careful line Monday in seeking to calm a diplomatic storm that many fear could lead the longtime regional rivals to direct sectarian conflict.

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama moved Monday to expand background checks to cover more guns sold at gun shows, online and anywhere else, aiming to curb a scourge of gun violence despite unyielding opposition to new gun laws in Congress.

STONY BROOK, N.Y. Dunia Sibomana was considered the lucky one two years ago when a group of chimpanzees jumped from the trees and attacked him and two other boys as they played near a preserve in their native Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ingrid Ellis, left, along with Kenzie Begin and Claudia Ellis, were chilled to the bone once they made a big splash into Sand Bay during the annual “Polar Plunge” on New Year’s Day. A total of 19 jumpers raised $7,222.

Although the Fort Frances Voyageur Lions Club’s annual “Polar Plunge” survived the threat of thin ice, fewer jumpers than expected plunged into the frigid waters of Sand Bay on New Year’s Day here this year.

Nineteen jumpers took the plunge and raised $7,222.

Pre-budget consultations and working with a new Northern Ontario Liberal caucus are just two of the items on the agenda for rookie Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak to kick off 2016.

A 34-year-old man from Fort Frances surrendered to police and was taken into custody around 9:35 a.m. today after he had barricaded himself in a residence on the 200 block of Second Street East just after 10 p.m. last night. A police perimeter remained up this morning until the arrest was made but all roads have since been re-opened to the public.

The town now will start the process to choose an architecture firm to design an open-air market square at the site of the former Rainy Lake Hotel.

It received six proposals as of yesterday’s 2 p.m. deadline, which were opened publicly in the committee room at the Civic Centre.

The firms and their the prices include:

Shawna Jones proudly held her daughter who was the first baby born in Rainy River District in 2016. The newborn, who was not named as of press time, arrived on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 8:55 a.m. at La Verendrye Hospital here, weighing in at nine pounds, five oz. Each year, gifts and gift baskets are provided for the New Year’s baby by local merchants.

The Christmas season once again was deemed a success by the local Salvation Army, which aims to help out families during the holidays.

“Overall it was a huge success,” enthused Lt. Ryan MacDonald while also noting it was a very busy time of year.

Jake Gushue of the English River Miners was standing on the tracks as the train driven by Lakers’ forward Cole Tymkin prepared to crash head-long into him during the first period of the host team’s 4-1 victory here Saturday night.

It’s the most popular New Year’s resolution—and typically the least successful one.

The changing of the calendar always brings a resounding chorus of pledges from people seeking to get themselves in better physical shape.

Faith can move mountains but having a team with a ton of talent doesn’t hurt, either.

The mild winter so far has brought a smile to just about everybody’s face in Fort Frances.

Trevor McKinnon is not among them.

The supervisor with the Town of Fort Frances has been fighting what’s so far been mostly a losing battle to get the community’s three outdoor ice rinks up and running for public use thanks to the above-average temperatures of late.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of North Korea said it conducted a powerful hydrogen bomb test Wednesday, a defiant and surprising move that, if confirmed, would be a huge jump in Pyongyang’s quest to improve its still-limited nuclear arsenal.

Two sawmills in Ear Falls and Kenora have started ramping up lumber production in 2016 due to the ongoing recovery in the sawmill sector.

“We are extremely pleased to see EACOM’s Ear Falls sawmill start full production . . . with the addition of a second shift starting Monday, Jan. 4,” said Unifor national representative Stephen Boon.

A last-minute, big-name roster addition still couldn’t swing the scoreboard in favour of the Boston Pizza Ball Blasters.

Jaymee Fiset and Rebecca Selman each netted four goals to lead the Shear Serenity Strykers (formerly Team Orange) to a 10-9 win yesterday on the opening night of action in the Borderland Women’s Indoor Soccer League at Fort High.

The SIJHL was the only one of the 10 Junior ‘A’ hockey leagues in Canada not to have a player selected for the CJHL’s “Prospects Game” on Jan. 26 in Surrey, B.C.

The annual game showcases those considered the top NHL prospects at this level by NHL Central Scouting.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation officially announced yesterday that the local tennis court project will be getting a financial boost.

As reported in the Times last month, the OTF is granting $150,000 toward the proposed multi-use facility on the grounds of St. Francis School.

Bad serving put the Muskie senior girls’ volleyball team in a bad spot.

Then Chelsea Kabatay decided to gear down to help put the points up.

Fort High fought back from a 24-20 deficit in the fourth set thanks to Kabatay fuelling a 6-0 run with her work from behind the serving line to cap a 3-1 victory over the Dryden Eagles in NorWOSSA action here Tuesday afternoon.

When a team has first-year players producing like veterans, it’s a winning formula.

Rookies ruled the day for the Muskie boys’ hockey team last night in Kenora as the NorWOSSA leaders improved to 8-0 with a 9-0 romp over the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints.

The end of the old year and start of the new one brought a fresh batch of thrilling hockey action in the Fort Frances Girls’/Women’s Hockey Association.

The Fort Frances Atom ‘AA’ Calder Legal Eagles closed out 2015 in style with a 3-2 win over the Fort Frances Minor Hockey Association Novice Armstrong Crushers.

Not even their goalie could save the Fort Frances Lakers this time.

Brad Arabia and Brad Thrower each had a goal and an assist to lead the host Thunder Bay North Stars to a 4-2 win over the Lakers last night.

The Lakers (25-4-01), who were outshot 47-31, also saw their eight-game winning streak snapped.

The Muskie girls’ hockey team took over sole possession of first place in NorWOSSA with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Dryden Eagles here Tuesday night.

Fort High (7-1) prevailed in the fifth round of the shootout when Janelle Kaemingh unloaded a perfect wrist shot right under the crossbar to beat Eagles’ goalie Jacquie Grandmont.

Junior Muskie Alex Spuzak put another attack in motion with this pass during the fourth set of Fort High’s 3-2 loss to the visiting Dryden Eagles in NorWOSSA action Tuesday afternoon.

Emma Bone sang “Journey to the Past” from the animated feature film, “Anastasia,” yesterday evening at McMillan Hall (Knox United Church) during auditions for the upcoming “Show Us Your Talent” fundraiser for the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts. That concert will be held Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at McMillan Hall.

Muskie Janelle Kaemingh calmly skated away after beating Dryden Eagles’ goalie Jacquie Grandmont in the fifth round of the shootout Tuesday night at the Ice For Kids Arena to give Fort High a 3-2 triumph and sole possession of first place in NorWOSSA.

HONOLULU Hawaii’s last sugar plantation is getting out of the sugar-growing business, signalling the end of an industry that once powered the local economy and lured thousands of immigrants to the islands.

NEW YORK—Hours after one of their best defenders had surgery, the Toronto Raptors got back to defending the way they know they can.

Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Raptors prevailed 91-74 last night to hand the Brooklyn Nets their eighth-straight home loss.

ANAHEIM, Calif.—Jonathan Bernier carried the Maple Leafs early with 18 first-period saves, then he traded blows with Corey Perry in the third.

A busy night for Toronto’s revitalized goalie ended with another encouraging win.

Bernier made 39 saves in his 11th career shutout, and P.A. Parenteau scored two goals, as the Leafs blanked the Anaheim Ducks 4-0 last night.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of North Korea’s declaration that it had tested a hydrogen bomb for the first time was greeted with widespread condemnation ‚Äî but also skepticism and doubt ‚Äî as world powers vowed Wednesday to punish the impoverished and defiant nation with new international sanctions.

HOUSTON The Canadian company that proposed the Keystone XL oil pipeline has filed a lawsuit over the U.S. government’s rejection of the project and says it plans a second legal challenge.

TransCanada on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit in Houston alleging President Barack Obama’s decision in November to kill the pipeline exceeded his power under the U.S. Constitution.

LOS ANGELES Wylee the border collie can search an avalanche the size of a football field in five or 10 minutes. It would take a probe line of 50 people using poles a couple hours to cover the same ground.

When 30 minutes can mean the difference between life and death for a skier lost on a snowy mountain, most people would bank on the dog.

WASHINGTON Celebrate your child’s scribbles. A novel experiment shows that even before learning their ABCs, youngsters start to recognize that a written word symbolizes language in a way a drawing doesn’t a developmental step on the path to reading.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. Scientists have discovered five supersize stars in other galaxies on a par with the monstrous stellar system in our own Milky Way.

Eta Carinae is the brightest and most massive star system within 10,000 light-years of us. The binary system is located in the southern constellation of Carina, a ship’s keel, and outshines our own sun by 5 million times.

When it comes to food, India and China have more in common than you might think. Both harbour a deep love of ear-tingling chilies, vast quantities of garlic and seafood.

This robin was spotted in town this week. But while our milder than normal winter so far may have enticed it to hang around, the bird may regret its decision when a blast of Arctic air hits Borderland starting tomorrow.

The holiday break didn’t take any of the sharp edges off the best local female volleyballers right now.

How I Set Your Mother solidified its hold on first place in the Fort Frances Women’s Volleyball League last night by nabbing the maximum six points for the 10th time in 13 weeks as the circuit resumed after being off since Dec. 10.

The road to the NHL just became even more difficult for Fort Frances native Ryan Faragher.

Trying to find a spark in a season of underachievement, the Anaheim Ducks yesterday acquired Montreal Canadiens’ back-up goalie Dustin Tokarski in exchange for left-winger Max Friberg.

Volunteer Maxine Hayes double-checked the framing job she did on a portrait yesterday at the Fort Frances Museum. Museum staff and volunteers have been busy gathering and framing photos in anticipation of staging a new exhibit there that will focus on portraits of local residents—some dating back to the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit will be ready next week.

The winter air was filled with white last night—but Team White wasn’t able to fill the basket as much as they had hoped.

Josh Mastin netted a game-high 44 points to lead Team Black (5-0) to a 120-103 win over Team White (1-5) in the first of two games in the Fort Frances Men’s Basketball League on Tuesday night at J.W. Walker.

That was a close one.

With top scorers Aaron Bujold and Sekina Scheibler fouling out in the third quarter, the Muskie junior boys’ basketball team had to hang on for dear life yesterday to remain undefeated in NorWOSSA play this season.

But they prevailed 37-35 over the host Kenora Broncos.

The scoreboard said it was an easy night but the bodies of the Muskie girls’ hockey team told a different story when they woke up this morning.

“We’ve got quite a few bumps and bruises today,” noted head coach Todd Hamilton after his squad’s 13-1 romp over the host Sioux Lookout Warriors in NorWOSSA action last night.

Nolan Mann of the Fort Frances PeeWee ‘AA’ Canadians gave Owen Gouliquer of the Dryden Paperkings the see-you-later treatment as he burst off the boards during the first period of the host team’s 5-2 victory in the opening game of its home tournament this morning at the Ice For Kids Arena.

OTTAWA—The federal public safety minister says his officials have reminded airlines they don’t need to vet children against Canada’s “no-fly” list after a six-year-old was stopped by airport security.

The Associated Press LONDON British health officials say drinking any alcohol regularly increases the risk of cancer, and have issued tough new guidelines that could be hard to swallow in a nation where having a pint is a hallowed tradition.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—If the Kansas City Chiefs believe in karma or coincidence or some sort of cosmic alignment, then they should be confident their 22-year drought without a playoff victory soon will come to an end.

Start with the fact they’re heading to Houston on Saturday to face the AFC South champion Texans.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.—The Minnesota Vikings head into the playoffs looking like a team on the rise, with a second-year head coach pushing the right buttons, a 23-year-old quarterback still figuring things out, and a young, fast, aggressive defence that only figures to get better in the coming seasons.

LOS ANGELES—Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn stepped off a cross-country flight from Philadelphia and walked straight into the L.A. Kings’ lineup.

The duo’s long day ended with big third-period efforts from both veterans and another gritty win for their surging new team.

TAMPA, Fla. Whatever disparaging cliche you’ve heard about the lowly dime ‚Äî dime a dozen, nickel and dimed, dime’s worth of difference ‚Äî it’s not true of this dime.

No, this particular coin that went to auction Thursday evening in Tampa sold for just under $2 million.

The 1894-S dime was struck at the San Francisco Mint. Only 24 were made, and only nine likely still exist.

WASHINGTON A dummy U.S. Hellfire missile was mistakenly shipped from Europe to Cuba in 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The inert missile did not contain any explosives, the Journal reported, but there are concerns that Cuba could share the technology with potential U.S. adversaries like North Korea or Russia.

PORTAGE, Mich. Someone is betting $40,026 on the life of a 73-year-old lottery winner in Michigan.

That was the highest bid Thursday in an online auction for a lottery prize that pays $1,000 a month, before taxes. But here’s the hitch: The money is paid only for as long as Donald Magett stays alive.

FAIRFAX, Va. President Barack Obama tore into the National Rifle Association on Thursday as he sought support for his actions on gun control, accusing the powerful lobby group of peddling an “imaginary fiction” that he said has distorted the national debate about gun violence.

KISSIMMEE, Fla.—Scientists have discovered five supersize stars in other galaxies on a par with the monstrous stellar system in our own Milky Way.

Eta Carinae is the brightest and most massive star system within 10,000 light-years of us.

The binary system outshines our own sun by five million times.

TORONTO—The discovery that a gene which turns some bacteria into antibiotic-resistant superbugs has been in Canada for at least five years has scientists wondering when it first emerged and how to stop its spread.

The MCR-1 gene makes E. coli and some other species of bacteria resistant to colistin—an antibiotic considered the drug of last resort for some diseases.

WASHINGTON Get ready for weather whiplash as powerful climatic forces elbow each other for starring roles in a weird winter show.

The spine-chilling polar vortex is taking centre stage in Europe and bringing persistent cold to much of North America ‚Äî except in Hollywood, where soggy El Nino won’t give up the spotlight.

Want a delicious new way to eat rice? As in, a way that doesn’t involve eating it from a little white takeout box?

Alzheimer Society of Kenora-Rainy River Districts volunteer Ellen Gagné, left, and Mary O’Connor, client services co-ordinator, joined Mayor Roy Avis in raising the flag at the Civic Centre on Friday afternoon to mark January as “Alzheimer Awareness Month” in Fort Frances. Alzheimer Society events this month include an Alzhimer “coffee break” hosted by Rainycrest this Wednesday (Jan.

Nominations for the upcoming Couchiching First Nation election will take place this Wednesday (Jan. 13) from 6-9 p.m. at the multi-use building.

The nominations are for one chief and six councillors.

Election day is Wednesday, Feb. 24.

There will be a single polling station at the multi-use building that day.

The Nipigon River bridge on Highway 11/17 was re-opened to a single lane of traffic this morning.

Police received a report around 3:15 p.m. yesterday that the bridge had lifted, blocking traffic.

Police arrived on scene and noted the west side of the bridge had lifted about 60 cm.

No injuries or vehicle damage occurred as a result of this incident.

Ashton Cousineau (18) and Declan Webb of the Fort Frances PeeWee ‘AA’ Canadians brought down the barricade on highly-touted prospect Daimon Gardner of the Warroad Lakers during their semi-final meeting at the Canadians’ 10-team home tournament yesterday at the ’52 Canadians Arena. Gardner had a short-handed goal in the third period to help Warroad prevail 6-3.

Chris Silver’s rink acted like a vehicle that hadn’t been plugged in this past weekend.

But once his quartet warmed up, they got up to full speed in a hurry.

Attention to detail—and to defence—paid dividends for the Muskie girls’ hockey team over the weekend.

The black-and-gold went 2-2 in four exhibition games in Thunder Bay against teams of various competitive levels.

Fort High fell 6-1 to the Confederation College Thunderhawks on Friday, with former Muskie captain Amy Penner burning her old team for a pair of goals.

WINNIPEG—Buffalo Sabres’ forward Evander Kane got the last laugh yesterday afternoon.

Kane assisted on the game’s final empty-net goal, which gave Sam Reinhart a hat trick and the Sabres a 4-2 win that halted their six-game losing skid.

Kane was playing his first game against the team that traded him last Feb. 11 in a multi-player deal that many fans considered good riddance.

OMAHA, Neb.—Disappointed you didn’t win the Powerball jackpot on Saturday night?

Don’t be.

Lottery officials say the prize has swelled to an estimated $1.3 billion, which is the world’s largest. Ever.

“Biggest jackpot in the history of the world. Absolutely confirmed,” Texas Lottery executive director Gary Grief said.

OTTAWA—The Supreme Court of Canada held an oral hearing today as it mulls whether to grant the federal government’s request for a six-month extension in response to its historic ruling on doctor-assisted death.

Two frontier survival tales, “The Revenant” and “The Martian,” led a bleep-filled Golden Globes where the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jennifer Lawrence was challenged only by the relentless mocking of the show’s beer-wielding host, Ricky Gervais.

TORONTO—Ontario’s correctional workers have given up their right to strike in the latest round of contract negotiations with the government.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the government reached an agreement early Saturday morning after a meeting with a mediator.

CHICAGO Even though fewer U.S. teens are smoking, secondhand smoke remains a big problem for them, a government study found.

Nearly half of nonsmoking kids in middle school and high school encountered secondhand tobacco smoke in 2013, and rates were even higher among smokers.

MINNEAPOLIS—Before his team took the floor against the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota coach Sam Mitchell was asked about Dirk Nowitzki’s ability to still carry his team after 17 NBA seasons.

Mitchell praised Nowitzki’s experience and ability to “get it done,” then the 37-year-old forward proved it against the inexperienced Timberwolves.

KAPALUA, Hawaii—The view from the top looks as spectacular as ever for Jordan Spieth.

He was standing in the 18th fairway yesterday at Kapalua, his victory in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions easily secured, when his thoughts were interrupted by a comment from caddie Michael Greller: “Way to make a statement.”

The statement was nearly as big as his eight-shot victory.

MINNEAPOLIS—Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks needed more than three quarters to warm up at Minnesota.

Then the Vikings kicked away their chance to beat the two-time defending NFC champs.

Two frontier survival tales “The Revenant” and “The Martian” led a bleep-filled Golden Globes where the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jennifer Lawrence was challenged only by the relentless mocking of the show’s beer-wielding host, Ricky Gervais.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is ending its elephant acts a year and a half early and will retire all of its touring elephants in May, amid concerns that circuses have mistreated the animals.

OMAHA, Neb. Disappointed you didn’t win the Powerball jackpot this weekend? Don’t be.

Lottery officials say the prize has swelled to an estimated $1.3 billion the world’s largest. Ever.

“Biggest jackpot in the history of the world. Absolutely confirmed,” Texas Lottery executive director Gary Grief said.

NEW YORK—David Bowie, the other-worldly musician who broke pop and rock boundaries with his creative musicianship, nonconformity, striking visuals, and a genre-spanning persona he christened Ziggy Stardust, died of cancer yesterday.

He was 69 and had just released a new album.

For this easy Super Bowl snack, we combined two of our favourite game day indulgences — guacamole and roasted potato skins.

Participants Denise Rybuck, left, Bonnie Shute, and Mary Hickling looked on as Andrea Avis, program director at the Fort Frances Public Library, explained the process of transferring a photo onto a block of wood during a workshop there last night. The workshop, which wraps up next Monday, is offering those on hand a chance to learn an inexpensive way and creative way to display photos.

A snake thief smuggled a two-foot-long python from a Portland pet store by stuffing it down his pants.

Sgt. Greg Stewart said no arrests have been made in Friday’s theft.

But Christin Bjugan, an owner of A to Z pet store, said video surveillance has helped viewers and police detectives identify a suspect, and she expects to have the snake returned soon.

LONDON—It’s the dark days of one of the rainiest British winters on record.

So some London commuters were surprised to hear their trains had been delayed because of the sun.

Rail operator Southeastern tweeted today that “we had severe congestion through Lewisham due to dispatching issues as a result of strong sunlight.”

A Canadian helicopter pilot who plunged into a crevasse while working on a remote ice shelf in Antarctica died of his injuries today.

David Wood was working with the Australian government’s Antarctic program at Davis station—a permanent base in Antarctica.

SWIFT CURRENT, Sask.—A stretch of highway in southwestern Saskatchewan was cordoned off until this morning after a tractor-trailer carrying 63 drums of uranium concentrate bound for a refinery rolled—spilling a small part of its load.

Wildfires scorched a record amount of Canada’s national parks last year—the latest in a number of long, hot summers that almost entirely have depleted Parks Canada’s firefighting reserve.

“We had a very busy fire year,” said Jeff Weir, director of fire management.

“We had more wildfires than normal and those fires burned larger areas than normal,” he noted.

TORONTO—Ontario Power Generation announced plans yesterday to start a $12.8-billion refurbishment of the Darlington nuclear power station this fall and to squeeze four more years out of the aging reactors at its Pickering generating station.

OTTAWA—An Afghan official has described a dramatic scene surrounding the release of a Canadian hostage held by the Taliban for five years.

Police chief Gen. Aminullah Amarkhil told The Associated Press today that Colin Rutherford’s release involved a helicopter landing to scoop him to freedom as fighter jets flew overhead in Ghazni province’s Giro district.

OTTAWA—Some of Canada’s biggest cities have chosen to opt out of a federally-run count of homeless people, resulting in what some experts predict will be an incomplete picture of the national poverty problem.

OTTAWA—Federal and provincial governments need to guarantee access to palliative care in legislation, the Canadian Cancer Society said today as it released a report on the state of care across the country.

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain Spain’s Princess Cristina spent 12 hours in court Monday at the start of her landmark criminal case, confronting accusations of bankrolling a lavish lifestyle with funds her husband received from an alleged scheme to embezzle millions from public contracts for conferences and sporting events.

VANCOUVER—The Florida Panthers’ franchise-record 12-game winning streak ended with a bang last night—and a few punches.

Daniel Sedin ripped his second goal of the night off the crossbar and in past Roberto Luongo on the power play at 2:21 of overtime as Vancouver edged Florida 3-2.

GLENDALE, Ariz.—The last step toward making Alabama’s run of championships under Nick Saban the greatest in college football history was the toughest.

The Crimson Tide needed all its power and speed. It needed all its talent and steely resolve.

And when that alone couldn’t do it, it was up to one gutsy trick to help win the fourth national title of the Saban dynasty.

LONDON It’s the dark days of one of the rainiest British winters on record. So some London commuters were surprised to hear their trains had been delayed because of the sun.

A snake thief smuggled a 2-foot (0.61-meter)-long python from a Portland pet store by stuffing it down his pants.

Sgt. Greg Stewart said no arrests have been made in Friday’s theft. But Christin Bjugan, an owner of A to Z pet store, said video surveillance has helped viewers and police detectives identify a suspect, and she expects to have the snake returned soon.

JUNEAU, Alaska Two members of the family featured on the reality TV show “Alaskan Bush People” were sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail after they were accused of applying for checks from Alaska’s oil wealth fund even though they weren’t entitled.

Come Super Bowl Sunday, we all love a heaping platter of wings. They’ve got to be crunchy. They’ve got to be a little bit greasy. They’ve got to be so delicious we can’t stop eating even after we know we’ve eaten too many.

Curator Sherry George showed off several of the portraits donated to the Fort Frances Museum by local resident Rose Bernardi. These photos—and many more—are part of the new exhibit there focusing on portraits.

Those who want to carve, cut, drill, saw, and create might not realize there is a space in Fort Frances where they can apply their woodworking skills—at no cost.

The Sister Kennedy Centre’s Fix-It Shop, a heated facility containing a variety of tools, has been under-utilized for some time and there’s an effort underway to revitalize it.

Ken Noble showed off some of the tools in the Fix-It Shop at the Sister Kennedy Centre here last week. Seniors there are trying to rejuvenate the shop and those interested are invited to a meeting this Monday (Jan. 18) at 6:30 p.m. to share their ideas and ask questions.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) co-ordinators Brad Gushulak and Shane Beckett have been introducing new apps and technology in classrooms throughout the Rainy River District School Board for learning and communication purposes.

“They really have an impact on the students,” Gushulak told trustees at the board’s regular meeting here last Tuesday night.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell believes there will be opportunities for her to make a difference this year.

And with plenty of challenges on the horizon, she has pledged to work diligently on behalf of the constituents of Rainy River District.

Kenzie McClain, left, and Sophia Black sang “Summer Nights” from “Grease” last Wednesday evening at McMillan Hall (Knox United Church) during auditions for the upcoming “Show Us Your Talent” fundraiser for the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts. That concert will be held Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at McMillan Hall.

They didn’t get the results they wanted but it wasn’t from a lack of trying.

The Fort Frances PeeWee ‘AA’ Canadians settled for fourth place at their home tournament this past weekend—losing a pair of games Sunday that saw them get down but never quit trying to get back up.

Warroad Warriors’ defenceman Blake Norris (4) kept close tabs on captain Matt Spence of the Fort Frances PeeWee ‘AA’ Canadians during the third period of Warroad’s 6-3 semi-final win in the Canadians’ home tournament Sunday at the ’52 Canadians Arena.

Andre Morin never should have woken the sleeping giant.

The Red Lake skip gave his Fort Frances counterpart, Chris Silver, more than a bit of trouble in the latter’s opening 8-7 win Friday at the Region 1 Bantam boys’ curling championships in Sioux Lookout.

WINNIPEG A Winnipeg doctor’s study on preventing kidney failure is getting recognition in the medical community.

Dr. Navdeep Tangri created a model to predict kidney failure, which was developed at the Seven Oaks Hospital Chronic Disease Innovation Centre.

Tangri developed an equation which can be used to predict which patients are at risk of kidney failure.

LOS ANGELES Google’s futuristic self-driving cars needed some old-fashioned human intervention to avoid 11 crashes during testing on California roads, the company revealed Tuesday, results it says are encouraging but show the technology has yet to reach the goal of not needing someone behind the wheel.

CANBERRA, Australia The undersea search for the Malaysian airliner that vanished almost two years ago has found a second 19th century shipwreck deep in the Indian Ocean off the west Australian coast, officials said Wednesday.

LONDON Will England bid goodbye to “God Save the Queen”?

British lawmakers agreed Wednesday to consider replacing the royalist song that serves as England’s anthem at sporting events.

This carnivorous canine caused traffic to stop yesterday as the public watched it feed on a deer carcass on the ice not far from Rainy Lake Sports and Tackle. While there remains much debate online over whether the animal was a wolf or coyote, it certainly got its 15 minutes of fame.

If you are ready to make a difference in your community, want to be part of the solution, and embrace new challenges, this is your time to join the Treaty #3 Police Service.

Interested applicants for police officer positions are invited to attend an information session with our recruiting staff.

Laurie Witherspoon and Steve Lindberg practised their steps during a dance class led by Frank and Donna Walton yesterday evening at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre. The classes will run there each Wednesday for the next seven weeks. Registrations are closed.

Whatever plan the Boston Pizza Ball Blasters may have had to stop Bryanna Dustin last night didn’t work.

Dustin netted six goals to power the Fine Foods Fury to an 11-3 romp in the Borderland Women’s Indoor Soccer League action last night at Fort High.

Better ahead than Red.

So went the story of Tuesday night’s doubleheader in the Fort Frances Men’s Basketball League at J.W. Walker, which saw Team Red suffer two losses.

In a hard-fought contest that went down to the wire, Team White held off Team Red 69-64.

Dustin Mowe paced Team White (2-5) with 18 points.

John Sivonen netted a game-high 29 for Team Red (2-5).

Fort Frances native Megan Carlson had a big hand in helping the Lynn University Fighting Knights capture top team honours at their first-annual Sprint Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla. on Saturday.

With 705 points, the Knights easily outdistanced the second-place East Stroudsberg (Pa.) Warriors, who finished with 473.

It was a busy weekend for the Fort Frances Girls’/Women’s Hockey Association both here and out of town.

The Fort Frances Atom ‘AA’ Calder Legal Eagles hung in with the Gillons’ Atoms (FFMHA) before falling 1-0 on Saturday.

Several teams from the FFGWHA then headed to Dryden for the annual Kathy Sanders Memorial tournament.

The Kenora Thistles once again were a thorn in the side of the Fort Frances Bantam ‘AA’ Canadians.

Jacob Frankcom netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner four minutes into the third period, to lead the host Thistles to a 3-1 win over the Canadians in the final of the ‘AA’ Bantam Challenge Cup on Sunday.

Brady Bodnarchuk netted the Canadians’ lone goal.

They’re heading for home—and for home-ice advantage, as well.

The three Muskie curling rinks served notice that they plan to defend their respective NorWOSSA titles to the end as all showed well at the league qualifier in Sioux Lookout, which wrapped up Tuesday.

New blood in the Fort Frances Lakers’ lineup also meant a new outcome—but not the one the squad was hoping for.

Former Laker Ben Smaha scored the game-winner in the third period last night as the host Dryden GM Ice Dogs won 4-2—their first in nine tries this season against Fort Frances.

LOS ANGELES—An eye-popping and unprecedented Powerball jackpot, whose rise to $1.6 billion became a national fascination, will be split three ways.

The winners’ identities remain a mystery but they bought their tickets in Florida, Tennessee, and an L.A. suburb where even lottery losers were celebrating yesterday that such heady riches were won in their modest city.

OTTAWA—The Trudeau government is “actively considering” speeding up promised investments in infrastructure in a bid to stimulate Canada’s rapidly-deteriorating economy.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during last fall’s election campaign to pump an additional $60 billion over 10 years into infrastructure projects.

LONDON—British actor Alan Rickman, a classically-trained stage star and sensual screen villain in the “Harry Potter” saga and other films, has died.

Rickman’s family said that the actor died early today in London at age 69 after a battle with cancer.

CALGARY—Shaw Communications is selling its media division to Corus Entertainment for $2.65 billion—a deal that will help fund the telecom company’s purchase of Wind Mobile.

Shaw Media includes the Global Television network and 19 specialty channels, including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, and Showcase—formerly part of the Canwest business group before it was split up.

PASADENA, Calif. The Al Jazeera America cable news network said Wednesday it will shut down two and a half years after its launch, a victim of a rough business environment and political headwinds it could not conquer.

HOUSTON—The Houston Rockets finally are on a roll, playing the way they expected to—but didn’t—to start the season.

James Harden had 27 points and 11 assists as the Rockets got their season-high fifth-straight win—a 107-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night.

“We’re playing for each other. That’s the most important thing,” said Harden.

TORONTO—Toronto coach Mike Babcock knew his team was in trouble once they had to climb out of an early hole.

Rookie Joonas Korpisalo made 41 saves, and Boone Jenner opened the scoring in the first period, as the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets held on for a 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs last night.

NEW YORK Anglican leaders on Thursday temporarily restricted the role of the U.S. Episcopal Church in their global fellowship as a sanction over the church’s acceptance of gay marriage.

JAKARTA, Indonesia Attackers set off explosions at a Starbucks cafe in a bustling shopping area in Indonesia’s capital and waged gunbattles with police Thursday, leaving bodies in the streets as office workers watched in terror from high-rise buildings.

PARIS Religious Jews in Marseille are facing a wrenching choice: Whether to wear the skullcap that proclaims their religion or tuck it away in hopes of staying safe.

WASHINGTON China is coming to a crossroads as it hurriedly increases nuclear power production to cope with rising electricity demand and cut carbon emissions: Should it reprocess its nuclear waste or store it?

BOISE, Idaho The Food and Drug Administration says a potato genetically engineered to resist the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine is as safe as any other potato on the market.

LOS ANGELES An eye-popping and unprecedented Powerball jackpot whose rise to $1.6 billion became a national fascination will be split three ways.

The winners’ identities remain a mystery, but they bought their tickets in Florida, Tennessee and a Los Angeles suburb where even lottery losers were celebrating Thursday that such heady riches were won in their modest city.

LOS ANGELES A winning ticket in Wednesday night’s record $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot was sold in suburban Los Angeles, a spokesman for the California lottery says.

It could take several hours before officials know whether any winning tickets were sold elsewhere. The winning numbers were 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10.

CANBERRA, Australia Australia said Thursday that it was among 40 countries urged by the United States to increase their military contributions in Iraq and Syria following the Paris attacks in November. But Australia told the U.S. that its commitment would remain largely unchanged.

TUCSON, Ariz. A mother and her young child were reunited by U.S. Border Patrol agents after they were separated by a smuggler while trying to cross into the United States illegally, officials said Wednesday.

The reunion occurred after agents near Douglas apprehended a Guatemalan woman who was carrying a baby boy about 15 months old who wasn’t hers.

North Korea’s U.N. mission claimed Wednesday that its successful nuclear bomb test showed that it could now “wipe out” the United States, as the U.N. Security Council grappled with a response to the underground blast.

NEW YORK The average age of first-time mothers is at an all-time high in the U.S — over 26.

The change is largely due to a big drop in teen moms. But more first births to older women also are tugging the number up, said T.J. Mathews of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Big provisions are required to watch the big game, and nothing’s more substantial than a burger, even in its mini form ‚Äî the slider.

In her most recent cookbook, “The New Easy,” Donna Hay offers ways to make life easier for home cooks.

She thinks there are two separate agendas weeknights and weekends.

Muskie Jenna Clendenning couldn’t escape the feeling that someone was watching her—in this case, Kenora Broncos’ defender Willow Prince—during the first period of yesterday’s 14-0 win by Fort High at the ’52 Canadians Arena.

The beat goes on.

Four more games between the Muskies and Kenora Broncos yesterday resulted in another four wins for Fort High, which has not lost a NorWOSSA game to the Broncos this school year.

In junior boys’ basketball action, the first-place Muskies (5-0) romped to a 70-33 rout over the host Bronco (1-4).

Aaron Bujold led the attack with a season-high 38 points.

Kenora Broncos Hayden Findlay and Muskie Graeme Kitt literally went head-to-head on this face-off in the second period of Fort High’s 6-0 win in NorWOSSA boys’ hockey action last night at the ’52 Canadians Arena.

MOOSE JAW, Sask.—A Saskatchewan woman wants provincial laws changed so that the Lord’s Prayer is kept out of public schools.

Dusti Hennenfent said she’s upset the prayer is recited each morning at Moose Jaw’s Lindale Elementary School, where her two children attend classes.

Hennenfent says a Christian prayer doesn’t belong in a such a setting.

TORONTO—Ontario’s opposition parties say it’s no surprise that Hydro One has to manually read thousands of electricity smart meters because the devices can’t get a wireless signal.

Hydro One says 36,000 smart meters in rural areas cannot get a strong enough Wi-Fi connection to transmit usage data.

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.—Nine people aboard a Greyhound bus were transported to hospital yestersday after the vehicle flipped on its side beside an icy highway south of Prince George, B.C.

RCMP Cpl. Dave Tyreman said the bus lost control on Highway 97 just before 8 a.m., crossed the centre line, and ended up in a ditch.

OTTAWA—Indigenous leaders are pushing Canada to confront “deplorable” health conditions for their people as federal, territorial, and provincial ministers prepare to meet in Vancouver next week to work on a new health accord.

TORONTO—The Ontario Nurses’ Association is sounding the alarm about layoffs of registered nurses by cash-strapped hospitals—and warns patients will pay the price.

The union, which represents 60,000 registered nurses, says 770 RN positions were cut across Ontario last year, and hospitals in Windsor and Kitchener already have announced more RN layoffs this month.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA is adding a third company to its short list of space station suppliers.

On Thursday, NASA announced Sierra Nevada Corp. will join SpaceX and Orbital ATK in launching cargo to the International Space Station. These flights, yet to be finalized, will run through 2024.

LAS VEGAS—Team World finds itself in an unusual position at the 2016 Continental Cup after taking the lead against Team North America on the opening day of competition.

The World squad is riding a three-year losing streak but hold a 5-4 edge in points after picking up two victories last night.

MONTREAL—Chicago goalie Corey Crawford says it never gets old playing in his hometown in front of family and friends at the Bell Centre.

Crawford, of nearby Chateauguay, Que., put on a show for them last night with 39 saves as the Blackhawks edged the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 for their ninth-straight win.

LONDON—The Toronto Raptors are becoming accustomed to putting in extra effort on their trans-Atlantic trips.

Kyle Lowry scored 24 points while Cory Joseph had 19 as the Raptors won their fourth-straight game yesterday—holding off the Orlando Magic 106-103 in overtime before a sold-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Astronomers have discovered the brightest star explosion ever—a super supernova that easily outshines our entire Milky Way.

An international team revealed “the most powerful supernova observed in human history” yesterday in the latest “Science” journal.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Astronomers have discovered the brightest star explosion ever, a super supernova that easily outshines our entire Milky Way.

An international team revealed “the most powerful supernova observed in human history” Thursday in the latest Science journal. The astronomers used a network of telescopes around the world to spot the record-breaking supernova last year.

LONDON British police are seeking a burglar who may have a heavy conscience — or pockets — after stealing 15,000 pounds ($21,500) in 1-pound ($1.43) coins.

Greater Manchester Police said Friday that three houses in a street in Ashton-Under-Lyne, northwest England were robbed on Jan. 1. The culprits stole designer handbags, jewelry, a Range Rover and the trove of coins.

Hosting a horde of fans for the Super Bowl? Or are you crashing somebody’s party and tasked with bringing something delicious? Either way, you could spend a lot of time thinking about what to prepare. Or you could just make this and know beyond any doubt that you had picked a crowd-pleaser.

Causeway Cougars’ goalie Carter Payne and defenceman Holden Dvorak were intent on not letting this puck find its way into the net during the second period of the all-Fort Frances ‘B’ final against Gillons’ at the local Atom ‘A’ tournament yesterday at the Ice For Kids Arena. Gillons’ prevailed with a 6-1 victory.

Logan McFayden, left, and Jesse Marschalk went head-to-head during the third round of the “Magic: The Gathering” pre-release Oath of the Gatewatch event on Saturday afternoon at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre.

Shawn Morrison picked up a tree on Scott Street during the Fort Frances Fire Brigade’s annual Christmas tree pick-up Saturday. Teams spent the afternoon collecting the trees, which were taken to the wood chipper at Daryl’s Custom Landscapes Ltd. They also collected money to donate to a local charity.

SAINT ANDREWS, N.B.—Canada’s infrastructure minister says the federal government is considering changing the way it traditionally funds construction projects and pick up more of the tab.

Most infrastructure projects that receive federal funding require provinces and municipalities to pony up matching funds, splitting the costs three ways.

OTTAWA—Even though they’re responsible for a string of atrocities and affiliated with the grand-daddy of terrorist groups, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb largely has flown under the radar in terms of public perception of extremists.

WINNIPEG—The Manitoba government has named a northern lake after an RCMP officer who was killed in the line of duty.

The body of water, about 45 km north of Flin Flon, has been named Lake Strongquill.

It commemorates RCMP Cst. Dennis Strongquill, who was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in 2001.

OTTAWA—The Supreme Court has added four months to the federal government’s deadline for producing a new law on doctor-assisted death—but with an exemption for anyone who wants to ask a judge to end their life earlier.

The Liberal government had argued it needed the original Feb. 6 deadline extended by six months in order to have the time to craft a proper law.

OTTAWA Nearly a third of young Canadians admit they are “not at all knowledgeable” about retirement savings plans, according to a survey done for TD Bank.

The report also suggested that a large proportion of those aged 18 to 33 are uninformed about what registered retirement savings plans can and cannot be used for.

NEW YORK Pregnant women should avoid travelling to Latin America and Caribbean countries that have outbreaks of a tropical illness linked to birth defects, health officials said Friday.

CHICAGO—Patrick Kane had a big grin on his face as he skated around the back of the net to congratulate Artemi Panarin on his nifty pass in the third period.

Lots of smiles for the Chicago Blackhawks these days.

The Blackhawks matched a franchise record with their 11th-straight victory—using two goals from Jonathan Toews to beat the slumping Montreal Canadiens 5-2 yesterday.

HONOLULU—Whether he was playing money games with the other caddies in Argentina, or playing mini-tours on his long road to the big leagues in golf, Fabian Gomez couldn’t recall ever making seven-straight birdies.

He won’t forget yesterday in the Sony Open.

DENVER—The last time Tom Brady and the New England Patriots came to Denver, Peyton Manning watched the game on television from inside the locker-room.

Not next Sunday, though. The Broncos’ quarterback will take in his customary spot in the huddle.

Manning meets Brady for a 17th time—with a trip to Super Bowl 50 at stake.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Cam Newton. Larry Fitzgerald.

Two of the biggest stars playing for the two highest-scoring teams with a Super Bowl berth on the line.

Welcome to the NFC championship game—the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers this Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.

LOS ANGELES After successfully delivering a U.S.-European ocean-monitoring satellite into orbit, a Space X rocket made a hard landing on a floating barge in the roiling Pacific, breaking a support leg and toppling over Sunday.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of North Korea has launched an estimated 1 million propaganda leaflets by balloon into South Korea amid increased tension between the rivals following the North’s recent nuclear test, Seoul officials said Monday.

WASHINGTON Diplomatic triumph or travesty, America’s relationship with one of its most intractable foes took two giant leaps forward this weekend when Iran released four Americans in a prisoner swap after locking in last summer’s nuclear deal and receiving some $100 billion in sanctions relief.

DAVOS, Switzerland The world’s political and business elite are being urged to do more than pay lip service to growing inequalities around the world as they head off for this week’s World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

WASHINGTON The amount of man-made heat energy absorbed by the seas has doubled since 1997, a study released Monday showed.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso Burkina Faso began three days of national mourning Sunday and the president said security would be stepped up in the capital and the country’s borders after al-Qaida militants in a vehicle from neighbouring Niger killed at least 28 people in an attack on a hotel and cafe popular with foreigners.

This Valentine’s Day, take a pass on the expected. As in, ditch the restaurant reservations. You’re just going to get overcharged for so-so food, anyway.

I’m not sure how it happened, but the microwave mug muffin is suddenly an internet sensation. I’m a believer in making muffins in large batches and freezing, so I admit I’ve only taken interest in the individually-made microwave version recently.

Colten Allen, left, looked on as Kamryn Sandelovich used an old map of Ypres, Belgium to explain what trench life was like during WWI. The Grade 8 students at Robert Moore School used artifacts borrowed from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa to host their own “museum day” there this morning, presenting the information and items to other students and staff.

WASHINGTON It’s cold season and the miserable trudge in seeking antibiotics because their mucus turned green, or the cough has nagged for weeks.

Despite years of warnings, doctors still overprescribe antibiotics for acute respiratory infections even though most are caused by viruses that those drugs cannot help.

Bob Vansickle, of Community Living Sarnia-Lambton, spoke to staff of Community Living Fort Frances and District yesterday during a workshop at La Place Rendez-Vous. The local branch hopes to use the employment model from Sarnia-Lambton to enhance its own employment services.

SAINT ANDREWS, N.B.—The federal government may consider forgiving the flight costs for Syrian refugees who came to Canada before the Liberals came to power, the federal immigration minister said today.

Until Nov. 4, all refugees arriving under the government’s resettlement programs were required to cover their own airfare—a long-standing policy dating back decades.

MONTEBELLO, Que.—Tom Mulcair vowed today to make sure the New Democrats do not lose sight of their identity as they attempt to rebuild from last year’s crushing election defeat.

During a speech at his party’s caucus treat in Montebello, Que., Mulcair promised to ensure the NDP remains loyal to its leftist roots.

SAINT ANDREWS, N.B.—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will trade the snowy hillsides of a seaside New Brunswick town this morning for the snow-capped Alps of Switzerland, with the national and global economy following him across the Atlantic Ocean.

MONTREAL Canadian Pacific Railway has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to get involved in its battle to acquire Norfolk Southern.

The Calgary-based railway wants U.S. antitrust authorities to conduct a review of what it alleges is an illegal co-ordinated effort by major U.S. railroads to block industry consolidation, including its proposed takeover of the Virginia rail company.

NEW YORK—A new analysis is challenging the idea that smoking marijuana during adolescence can lead to declines in intelligence.

Instead, the new study says pot smoking may be merely a symptom of something else that’s really responsible for a brainpower effect seen in some previous research.

It’s not clear what that other factor is, noted Joshua Isen, an author of the analysis.

TORONTO—As the country’s health ministers prepare to meet in Vancouver, Ontario already is saying decisions on changing the health-care funding formula should be left for another day.

During last year’s election campaign, the Trudeau Liberals promised to negotiate a new health accord with the provinces and territories, including a long-term deal on funding.

WINNIPEG—The Colorado Avalanche were sacrificing their bodies and it paid off last night.

Carl Soderberg scored a goal and added an assist as the Avalanche blocked 21 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

“We did a great job blocking the shots,” said Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov, who made 36 saves.

MELBOURNE, Australia—For five sets and nearly five hours, two chiseled Spanish left-handers went head-to-head again at the Australian Open.

TORONTO—On a night announcers nudged fans to vote Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan into the NBA all-star game in Toronto, the Raptors’ dynamic duo played like they belonged there.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The International Space Station now has a bright pop of orange, thanks to commander Scott Kelly’s green thumb.

Kelly showed off his gardening results; a thriving zinnia with a beautiful orange-yellow bloom over the weekend. He posted photos of the flower on his Twitter account.

“Yes, there are other life forms in space!” Kelly said in a tweet.

NEW YORK A new analysis is challenging the idea that smoking marijuana during adolescence can lead to declines in intelligence.

Instead, the new study says, pot smoking may be merely a symptom of something else that’s really responsible for a brainpower effect seen in some previous research.

Most everybody loves fresh, warm doughnuts. But most everybody doesn’t love the hassle of making those fresh, warm doughnuts. It’s a messy process that involves making a dough that can be temperamental. Who has time for that on Valentine’s Day?

Amber Audette, left, and Kylee Keith shared their knowledge about some of these artifacts, including a poster and small box respirator, to explain what life was like during World War One.

A local restaurant has landed on The Food Network’s list of “10 Highway Hotspots to Try On Your Canadian Road Trip.”

Flint House, which opened its doors at the end of November, was among the top picks by Dan Clapson in his Jan. 14 article at www.foodnetwork.ca

With plans to expand its employment services, staff of Community Living Fort Frances and District looked to the expertise of Bob Vansickle, supervisor of employment service at Community Living Sarnia-Lambton, during training that took place Monday and Tuesday at La Place Rendez-Vous.

Brad Townson picked up a tree on Scott Street during the Fort Frances Fire Brigade’s annual Christmas tree pick-up Saturday. Teams spent the afternoon collecting the trees, which then were taken to the wood chipper at Daryl’s Custom Landscapes Ltd. They also collected money to donate to a local charity.

The First World War may have ended 97 years ago but Grade 8 students at Robert Moore School here were reliving those years thanks for artifacts on loan from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Rhonda and Jason Lilley got some pointers from Frank Walton, right, who along with wife, Donna, led a dance class last Wednesday evening at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre. The classes will run there each Wednesday for the next seven weeks. Registrations are closed.

A pair of local bowlers led the way at the Open zone roll-offs in Kenora over the weekend.

Jeff Watts finished the two-day, 20-game showdown with a 4,621 total (231 average) to top the 19 men vying for the nine berths up for grabs at the provincial championships March 23-26 in Timmins.

Muskie Cam Gushulak stretched himself to the extreme but couldn’t quite get to the puck in time to send it past Kenora Broncos’ goalie Justin Bishop during the first period of their NorWOSSA showdown last Thursday night at the ’52 Canadians Arena. But Fort High improved to 9-0 in league play with a 6-0 victory over the Broncos.

The young gun saw the old sharpshooter reloading and decided to unload his entire arsenal.

Kenora’s Jordan Olsen derailed a comeback bid by four-time champion Ben Andrusco (Fort Frances) on Sunday—winning 3-1 (11-9, 13-11, 8-11, and 11-9) to capture the men’s ‘A’ Open division of the annual La Place Rendez-Vous squash tournament here.

PORTLAND, Ore. As military helicopters ferry search and rescue teams over the Pacific Northwest, below them are scenes of devastation from a giant earthquake that could strike the region at any time.

IRBIL, Iraq Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State’s relentless destruction of heritage sites it considers heretical.

PANAJI, India Coconut trees are no longer considered trees in the tropical Indian state of Goa, where authorities have reclassified them in order to allow farmers to more easily cut them down.

BAY CITY, Mich.A fleet of tall ships is scheduled to return to the Great Lakes this summer.

The Grand Rapids Press reports (http://bit.ly/1KpCguh) Tuesday at least 20 of the high-masted vessels are expected to visit each of the Great Lakes beginning in July. In between ports, organizers say the ships will be racing.

AMES, Iowa Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump received the endorsement Tuesday of conservative firebrand Sarah Palin, giving the billionaire businessman a potential boost less than two weeks before Iowa’s kick-off caucuses.

NEW YORK Hollywood actress, director and author Drew Barrymore may soon add a new title to her resume: international retailer.

DEFOREST, Wis. Adults caught up in the coloring book craze now have new and more social ways to participate: through libraries and meetup groups.

Wake up, Maggie, I think I’ve got something to say to you—you’ve got a pretty amazing scoring touch.

Maggie Jean netted six goals in a 7-2 win for the Wright Physiotherapy Rockettes over the Boston Pizza Ball Blasters in Borderland Women’s Indoor Soccer League play last night at Fort High.

The effort also boosted her into the overall league scoring lead with 10 goals.

Happy early birthday to “The Marine Machine”.

Two days before turning 18, Fort Frances native Megan Carlson notched two victories for the Lynn University Fighting Knights (Boca Raton, Fla.) in their dual meet against the host Rollins University Tars (Winter Park, Fla.) on Saturday.

It’s been lights out for anyone trying to dim Team Black’s ambitions of victory so far this season in the Fort Frances Men’s Basketball League.

Josh Mastin netted 41 points to carry Team Black to a 97-75 win over Team Red on Tuesday at J.W. Walker School.

The Fort Frances Bantam Leafs needed either two more goals or one less two-player crash.

Ava Miller scored 10 seconds into overtime to give the Minneapolis Storm a 3-2 win in the Leafs’ last game in the 15UB bracket at the St. Luke’s Icebreaker Invitational tournament in Duluth on Sunday.

It’s not like they don’t see each other enough on home ice.

But the hockey gods have a strange sense of humour sometimes.

The Fort Frances Midget ‘A’ #1 and #2 teams took their in-town rivalry on the road over the weekend at the Robin’s Minor Hockey Classic Tournament in Thunder Bay.

The Fort Frances Lions were the queens of the jungle this past week in Fort Frances Girls’/Women’s Hockey Association action.

Marissa Kenny had both goals as the Lions edged the Emo Express 2-1 on Friday.

The next day, Kenny again netted a pair, while Jersey Rose got the other goal, in a 3-1 win over the Warroad Warriors.

If anyone was uncertain who the team to beat was, that was cleared up in a hurry yesterday.

Defending champ Tracy Fleury (formerly Horgan) of Sudbury, with Devlin native Jenna Walsh (formerly Enge) at second, dumped Gale Wiseman of the host Timmins club 13-2 in eight ends in last night’s opening draw at the Northern Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

MarleyRae Huntley was all smiles while colouring a picture during a French event—“Rencontre & Raconter”—at St. Michael’s School here Tuesday.

Performers from the Calgary-based dance troupe, “Decidedly Jazz Danceworks,” discovered a clue to help them find “jazz” during “The Great Jazz History Mystery” last night at the Townshend Theatre as part of the Kids & Company entertainment series. Inspired by Looney Tunes, Dr.

DEFOREST, Wis.—Adults caught up in the colouring book craze now have new and more social ways to participate: through libraries and meet-up groups.

Libraries across the U.S. are holding adult colouring programs more and more in response to the spike in interest, according to the American Library Association, including New York City, Denver, and Milwaukee.

NORTH MIDDLESEX, Ont.—The president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture says barn fires are a harsh reminder of the dangers of farming.

More than 2,000 pigs died early Tuesday in a barn fire north of London, Ont.

And while the barn was destroyed, the OPP said no people were hurt in the blaze.

MONTREAL—Unifor says it has reached a tentative contract agreement with Resolute Forest Products covering one group of workers in a deal the union hopes will set a pattern across Quebec’s forestry sector.

The agreement still needs to be ratified by forestry workers in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region.

TORONTO—Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation hopes to have two lanes of a failed bridge on a northern section of the Trans-Canada Highway open to traffic by the end of February.

BATON ROUGE, La. A decade-old oil leak that could last for another century was caused by an “act of God” during a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, the president of the company responsible said Wednesday.

Taylor Energy President William Pecue told a gathering of industry experts and environmental advocates in Baton Rouge that the company cares “very deeply” about the environment.

WINNIPEG A Winnipeg woman has launched a website that hopes to offer help to thousands of people who have a little-known condition called Trichotillomania.

Tenesha Lawson says the mental health condition causes people to pull hair out of their bodies.

Lawson has lived with the condition since she was 11 years old.

ANAHEIM, Calif.—The Anaheim Ducks scored all their goals at even strength against the Minnesota Wild, which was critical for the NHL’s lowest-scoring team—especially against a club that doesn’t give up many power-play chances.

Rickard Rakell scored the go-ahead goal with 6:19 left in the third period and rookie John Gibson made 25 saves, leading the Ducks to a 3-1 victory last night.

TORONTO—DeMar DeRozan’s teammates know exactly what to do whenever the Raptors’ guard gets into a groove.

Just let him go.

DeRozan netted 34 points, including 18 in the third quarter alone, to lead Toronto to a 115-109 victory over the Boston Celtics last night for their season-high sixth-straight win.

MONTPELIER, Vt. Mos Def’s arrest in South Africa shined a light on the world passport, a document invented by a Vermont man in the aftermath of World War II.

The 42-year-old rapper and actor, who is also known as Yasiin Bey, was accused of trying to leave South Africa while using a passport not recognized by that country.

ROME An Italian ecumenical mission is in Lebanon this week to work out the final details of a pilot project to bring as many as 1,000 refugees to Italy on humanitarian visas so they’re not tempted to risk deadly sea crossings to get to Europe.

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis is changing church law to correspond to his rule-breaking celebration of the Easter Week ritual of washing the feet of men and women, Christians and not, in a sign of universal service.

LONDON President Vladimir Putin probably approved a plan by Russia’s FSB security service to kill a former agent-turned-Kremlin critic who died after drinking tea laced with radioactive poison, a British judge said Thursday in a strongly worded report that led Moscow to accuse Britain of souring bilateral relations.

WASHINGTON The current version of the SAT college entrance exam has its final run this weekend, when hundreds of thousands of students nationwide will sit, squirm or stress through the nearly four-hour reading, writing and math test. A new revamped version debuts in March.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Scientists yesterday reported they finally have “good evidence” for Planet X—a true ninth planet on the fringes of our solar system.

The gas giant is thought to be almost as big as Neptune and orbiting billions of miles beyond Neptune’s path—distant enough to take 10,000-20,000 years to circle the sun.

Valentine’s Day can throw the best of us into a wild panic. How to show the one you love the way you feel without succumbing to cliches? You know what I mean ‚Äî booking a table at a romantic restaurant for the set steak dinner with a side of heavy breathing couples, or buying a bunch of roses on the way home. Always lovely, but never original.

Lidia Bastianich hopes her new book, “Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine,” will help dispel apprehensions some people may have about cooking.

“Just the fact of relaxing in the kitchen and give yourself the confidence that you can do something. You can boil pasta, you can scramble an egg, you can steam some vegetables. You begin that and then you build on that.

Mary O’Connor, left, client services co-ordinator of the Alzheimer Society of Kenora-Rainy River Districts, spoke with seniors at the Sister Kennedy Centre here yesterday about dementia as they hosted their first Alzheimer “Coffee Break.” Businesses, organizations, and individuals are invited to host their own “Coffee Break,” with coffee and information supplied by the Alzheimer Society and any

Despite efforts to reach a deal this week, mediation between the Rainy River District School Board and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (District 5B) ended unsuccessfully during the night of Jan. 19.

The teachers’ union informed the board that it intends to continue its partial withdrawal of services that began on Dec. 9.

The Fort Frances & District Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee has been busy securing new doctors to serve district residents and is requesting $80,000 in the town’s 2016 budget to keep the ball rolling.

A male and female fox recently were spotted one sunny afternoon in the backyard of a Colonization Road West home.

For a second-straight year, Ontario is increasing wages for early childhood educators and other child-care professionals in licensed settings.

Ontario is providing a $1 per hour wage increase for eligible child-care workers who qualify in the licensed child-care sector, bringing the total wage increase up to $2 per hour, plus benefits.

Raymond Roy will hope to become more masterful by later today.

The Fort Frances skip and his team of third Don DeBenedet, second Brent Taylor (Atikokan), and lead Ian McLennan fell 5-4 to Gord Williams (Thunder Bay) in their first game of the 2016 Masters men’s provincial curling championship in Geraldton.

Scared Hitless is getting serious.

They were the only team to garner the maximum six points in Fort Frances Women’s Volleyball League action last night.

Scared Hitless is tied with league-leading How I Set Your Mother for the most points in the season’s second half with 17—and have 62 overall to sit if fifth place, just one back of Bump It Up (63).

A government advisory group is calling for significant investment in northern infrastructure that would include tax breaks to companies setting up shop in the territories.

TORONTO—Premier Kathleen Wynne says it is unacceptable to her that two Ontario colleges are operating campuses in Saudi Arabia that don’t admit women students.

Niagara College and Ottawa-based Algonquin College have been operating men-only campuses for a couple of years in two cities in Saudi Arabia, where Sharia law forbids the education of women and men in the same classes.

MONTREAL—The husband of one of the Quebecers killed in the Burkina Faso terrorist attack says hanging up on Justin Trudeau “felt good” after the prime minister called him earlier this week.

Yves Richard told Montreal radio station 98.5 FM yesterday he was frustrated in the hours after last week’s tragedy with what he called Global Affairs Canada’s lack of tact and empathy.

OTTAWA—More than half of Ottawa’s newly-arrived Syrians are under the age of 14, posing a particular challenge to refugee resettlement agencies.

How do you keep the kids busy while trying to help their parents find a place to live?

One child recently proved the point—and in so doing underlined the urgency of finding those homes as fast as possible.

VANCOUVER—The federal government wants to join the provinces and territories to cut the cost of prescription drugs but stopped short yesterday of announcing a concrete plan.

Calgary doctors say a rare parasite could become more common as uncooked culinary trends such as sushi, sashimi, and ceviche grow in popularity.

A new report in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology examines the case of a Calgary man stricken by tiny parasitic worms in his stomach after eating raw, wild salmon from a grocery store.

MELBOURNE, Australia—Roger Federer already was a long way clear at the top of the list of men with the most wins in Grand Slam singles matches, so becoming the first to 300 wasn’t a major distraction.

He reached the milestone at Rod Laver Arena earlier today when he moved into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Grigor Dimitrov.

Charleen Mallory conducted a workshop on soap-making Saturday afternoon at the Fort Frances Museum, which drew a full complement of 10 participants. It was part of an ongoing series of workshops put on by the museum and the “Friends of the Museum.” Lindsay Hamilton will hold an open studio for children and families this Saturday from 1-4 p.m.

OTTAWA—The Trudeau cabinet is expected to “very soon” debate the size and scope of the country’s re-organized mission against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

But precisely how much latitude those military trainers will get is going to be one of the most divisive elements of the discussion.

OTTAWA—The federal government discriminated against children on reserves in its funding of child welfare services, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled today.

TORONTO—A Toronto police officer yesterday was found guilty of attempted murder in the shooting death of a troubled teen on an empty streetcar, a verdict the teen’s mother called a first step in changing the way police deal with people in crisis.

TORONTO—The Guelph Mercury, one of the country’s oldest dailies, will cease publishing its print editions this week—the latest casualty of the deep malaise in Canada’s newspaper industry, its publisher announced yesterday.

The closure will throw 23 full-time and three part-time employees out of work, including eight in the newsroom.

LA LOCHE, Sask.—A 17-year-old boy accused of shooting four people to death in a remote Saskatchewan community described himself as an “outcast” at home and victim of bullying at school, say his friends.

The teen, who made his first court appearance yesterday, was known to hold his emotions inside and rarely spoke—even when hanging out with his high school buddies in La Loche.

OTTAWA—Parliament needs to craft a stand-alone law on doctor-assisted death, a prominent Canadian constitutional scholar warned a Commons-Senate committee yesterday.

In a testimony to senators and MPs, Peter Hogg stressed the need to develop safeguards at the federal level that can be applied even where provinces have not pursued a legislative path.