Whitehorse Daily Star

August 28, 2007

• Relief plan subject of intense discussion' The government is set to announce its plans for helping residents of flood-torn areas, Premier Dennis Fentie says.
• Fourth wheel back to normal After a month of unpredictable power outages, Yukon Energy says it hopes the problem is now fixed.
• Piers McDonald awarded for economic contributions Piers McDonald, president of Northern Vision Development and a former left-wing government leader, can now add the title of Business Person of the Year to his resume.
• Labour, business groups develop joint strategy The Yukon Federation of Labour (YFL) and the Yukon Chamber of Commerce are encouraging doctors and employers to help get injured employees back to work.
• Nail barriers will likely come down in a couple of weeks The Yukoner Workers' Compensation Health and Safety board (WCB) has determined it has no jurisdiction to rule on the nail barriers put in place at the off-sales shop outside the Two-O-Two Motor Inn.
• Federal resources for city drying up The city of Whitehorse is losing two of its major sources of city project funding, putting the city in grave financial danger said Coun. Doug Graham.
• Chinook run ends much lower than expected The Chinook salmon run is winding down and this year's numbers are coming in at about 24,000 fish to reach the Yukon-Alaska border, says a federal stock assessment biologist.
• Critic: Trans-Alaska pipeline update plagued with problems ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) An oil industry critic in a letter told members of Congress that a project to modernize the trans-Alaska pipeline is plagued with problems.

August 27, 2007

• Nails in barriers act as deterrent; business owner A safety officer for the Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board (WCB) will be looking at a 'temporary deterrent' in front of the off-sales at the 202 Motor Inn to determine if there is a safety issue.
• Senior bureaucrat appointed to manage hospital Less than two weeks after CEO Michael Aeberhardt departed under mysterious circumstances, the Whitehorse General Hospital has a new chief executive officer.
• Drug-house bylaw worries some city councillors Divided city councillors expressed concern Monday night about a new bylaw that makes landlords responsible for tenants' drug operations.
• Residential school payments could draw shady dealers With residential school payments on the horizon, Yukon community leaders should prepare to protect recipients against scams and reckless spending, city council heard last night.
• Local poet dies; remembered with fondness A local poet and performer, Robbie Benoit is being remembered as a man who brought a lot of laughter to the territory.
• New position bothers union and opposition critics' Hiring someone to manage an arm's length worker's advocate could compromise the rights of people who are injured on the job, political and union critics say.
• Summer students honoured for their action Two fast-acting heroes were honoured at last night's city council meeting after saving a woman's life earlier this summer.
• Young woman drowns near Inuvik INUVIK, NWT (CP) A young woman drowned while swimming with others in the Northwest Territories over the weekend.
• Soldier helps Iraqi girl get help in U.S. for vision problems WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) A seven-year-old Iraqi girl who had trouble finding candy thrown her way by troops is in the United States for a cornea transplant thanks to a soldier who saw her difficulty, a Wausau doctor and some Lions Clubs.

August 26, 2007

• CMG funding to hit $16.5 million by 2012 Yukon municipalities will be receiving increases in grant funding from the territorial government for the first time in 16 years.
• Yukon Zinc moves forward An English bank has given a southeast Yukon area mine $140 million (US) to bring a zinc operation into production.
• Former Yukoner injured in crash A former Yukoner who was taken to Victoria General Hospital with life threatening injuries earlier this month after a major vehicle collision in Campbell River, B.C. is in stable condition and may be moved from the intensive care unit of the hospital today.
• Delays for new jail unneccessary, Liberals contend Delays on replacing the Whitehorse Correctional Centre were unnecessary and are costing Yukon taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, a Liberal critic says.
• Period for opting out ends Now that the opt out period for the residential school compensation package has passed, officials are reminding former students that application forms for the compensation can not be accepted until Sept. 19.
• Anti-lagoon petition delivered to Dawson town offices The latest chapter in the Dawson secondary sewage lagoon saga was written when Jorn Meier and Marcia Jordan, organizers of a petition in opposition to the proposed location for the sewage lagoon, delivered their lists of signatures to city office and handed them to Mayor John Steins and city manager Paul Moore.
• Price index rises in July The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Whitehorse increased by three per cent in July 2007.
• N.W.T. opens negotiations on hydro project with diamond miners YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T. (CP) The Northwest Territories has opened negotiations to sell hydro power to the Diavik diamond mine, a move northern leaders hope will lead to new mineral development in the central Arctic fuelled by cheap electricity instead of expensive diesel.
• Drivers reminded of School bus safety School Bus Safety Week will run today through to Aug. 31 in the Yukon.
• New fundraising event planned The first annual 'Food on a Stick' fundraising fair will take place September 8-9 at the patio outside the Old Fire Hall Market.