Whitehorse Daily Star

October 7, 2009

• Educators recognized by prime minister's awards Linda Bonnefoy and Susan Herbrick of the Yukon Best Practice Mentorship Program were awarded a Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Education on Monday in Ottawa.
• Beetles, fire: a double threat in a warming world HAINES JUNCTION — A veil of smoke settled over the forest in the shadow of the St. Elias Mountains, in a wilderness whose spruce trees stood tall and gray, a deathly gray even in the greenest heart of a Yukon summer.
• National Family Week activities include free dinner this evening Many Rivers Counseling and Support Services, with help from Partners For Children, has co-ordinated a fun-filled slate of free family events in celebration of National Family Week (Oct. 5-11).
• FORGOTTEN FOOTWARE Volunteers are photographing scenes of poverty and homelessness around Whitehorse this week.
• Victim assistance volunteers sought Working in tandem with RCMP officers, victim assistance volunteers provide a vital service to the community, and the Yukon needs more of them, says the program's co-ordinator.
• United Way breakfast raised $25,000-plus Last month's United Way pancake breakfast and silent auction raised more than $25,000, which is 20 per cent of this year's fund-raising goal of $125,000.
• Council urged to award contract City administration is recommending Duncan's Limited be awarded a $318,225 contract for improvements to the Porter Creek sewage system.
• Yukoners to get secure driver's licences Yukon drivers and citizens will be issued new secure driver's licences and government identification cards beginning as early as next summer.
• Wheelchair users endured arduous trip, rude motorists For Judi Johnny, who relies on a wheelchair to get around, a Monday morning trip downtown from her home in Granger was a little more than she bargained for.
• Woman dies after car rolls A Watson Lake woman has died after her vehicle rolled on the Alaska Highway.
• Mechanical woes ground Jazz flight A mechanical failure is being blamed for a cancelled Air Canada Jazz flight from Whitehorse to Vancouver this morning.
• Bursary programs award 10 grants Ten Yukoners have received this year's post-secondary health and medical education bursaries, Health and Social Services Minister Glenn Hart announced last Thursday.
• Record-setting elk ‘kept getting bigger' Alan Klassen is all smiles when he recalls his successful hunt in late September for what turns out to be an elk for the record books.
• Man found guilty of sexual assault The evidence Douglas Hockley gave when he took the stand to defend himself against accusations he violently raped a woman on a Whitehorse trail two years ago was calm and confident, but it was also unbelievable, a Yukon Supreme Court judge said today.
• Privacy concerns see voters list contract The population of Whitehorse has grown substantially since the 2006 municipal elections, but the list of eligible voters has shrunk.

October 6, 2009

• Young door-knockers will help out food bank When Whitehorse residents hear the rap of children's knuckles on their doors tomorrow, it won't be overeager trick-or-treaters wanting candy for themselves.
• Helping Hands At The Ready Help from several sources rushed to the scene of Monday morning's single-vehicle rollover on the Alaska Highway near the Mt. Sima Road.
• First of two election forums goes tomorrow Whitehorse residents have two opportunities this week to hear their municipal candidates debate the issues ahead of the Oct. 15 elections.
• Minister makes pre-summit jaunt to Golden State (Analysis) Emitting more than one metric tonne of carbon in the process,
• The Signs Of Homelessness Volunteer photographers are capturing images of homlessness around Whitehorse this week.
• Correction The two suspected drug traffickers who applied for bail last week must come up with $40,000 each if they are to be released.
• Don't follow this hapless guy's habits Yukoners are seeing an odd-looking character popping up on posters, in print ads, on tissue packs and on the radio.
• Haines Junction residents will indeed vote There will be an election in Haines Junction after all.
• Man sought after woman sexually assaulted Whitehorse RCMP believe a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman last Thursday may have fled the territory and are asking for the public's help in tracking him down.
• City studying wide range of fee increases The city still needs to address outstanding concerns that it unfairly competes with local fitness centres, a couple of city councillors agree.
• Handguns, rifle found to fire pellets When RCMP officers arrived at the parking lot of the Whitehorse liquor store Monday to respond to a call for back-up,

October 5, 2009

• Exhibit Debuts Jessica Vellenga opened Unmentionables at the Arts Underground on Friday evening.
• Students start week of social responsibility Local high school students and teachers have kicked off their work on social responsibility and the ethic of care.
• Yukoners in Alaska for conference A Yukon-led contingent is attending the Alaska Travel Industry Association's (ATIA's) annual convention in Fairbanks to promote the ATIA's 2010 convention, which will be hosted in Whitehorse next October.
• Chimney Blaze Quelled Whitehorse firefighters were called out to this Alexander Street residence for a chimney fire Saturday.
• McClintock River Bridge work is over The McClintock River Bridge rehabilitation project south of Whitehorse has been completed ahead of schedule and under-budget, Highways and Public Works Minister Archie Lang said today.
• Teen arrested after vehicles robbed Whitehorse RCMP have arrested a teenager suspected of breaking into two vehicles in Riverdale early this morning
• Cathers sees flaws in Liberal bill Former Yukon Party cabinet minister Brad Cathers thinks a proposed bill to stop the sale or privatization of the energy corporation is a good idea, but needs tightening.
• Denouncing Violence The Sisters in Spirit initiative took place Sunday across Canada.
• Charette paves way for economic plan Results from the City of Whitehorse's economic development charette* are in and they are big on generalities, but light on specifics.
• Deal's cost to taxpapers will remain confidential Details surrounding the use of public money to reach the out-of-court settlement in the Takhini North infrastructure dispute will remain secret.
• Public figures call attention to homelessness No one knows just how many Yukoners don't have a place to call their own.