Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Sudbury police officer pleads guilty to discreditable conduct:
A Greater Sudbury Police officer known for his community outreach work pleaded guilty Friday to three charges under the Police Services Act, including discreditable conduct. Const. Nihad Hasanefendic was sentenced to 80 unpaid hours of work during a morning hearing at Tom Davies Square, a modest sentence made possible because of his exemplary work history and the fact he admitted his guilt right away and didn't dispute the facts in the case. Of the three charges, the most significant was the discreditable conduct charge, which involved a civilian police employee over a three-year period. Find the full story here.
Close to $19,000 raised for Mario Diotte in hair shaving event:
Mario Diotte can now add barber to his resume. The young man from Sudbury has been through a lot after getting diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer. Diotte has to receive treatment with a specialist in New York City, a treatment that can cost upwards of $115,000 every six months. At the beginning of May, KiSS 105.3 morning show host Shannon King decided to start a fundraiser that would shave her hair and raise funds for Diotte’s treatment. King works with Diotte’s mother Lise at Rogers Radio in Sudbury. It all came together Thursday night as the two women shared the stage at the New Sudbury Centre to have their hair shaved off by Mario Diotte. It was a special moment, an embrace, as Shannon and Mario met in person for the first time. He helped to shave their heads and was presented with a cheque for $18,565.
GNO migrating down Elgin St. to temporary digs before moving into Place des Arts:
The francophone art gallery La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario, which has been located at 174 Elgin St. for 22 years, will be moving on July 1. The decision to relocate will help the GNO to continue to fulfill its mission, which has always been to provide rich and varied programming focused on artistic creation, said a press release. “Since its beginnings as an artist-run centre, the GNO’s main focus has always been on the work being done by artists in order to present remarkable exhibitions to the community,” said GNO director Danielle Tremblay. “Our relocation will allow us, for example, to offer longer artist residencies.” The gallery’s relocation will allow it to explore new ways of exhibiting contemporary arts and to reach out to new audiences in the period preceding its move to the Place des Arts building, expected in 2020. Until Place des Arts is built, GNO will be situated just down the road from its current site, at 54 Elgin St., on top of the Zig's bar and next to the McEwen School of Architecture.
Lifeguards back on summer duty at municipal beaches:
City of Greater Sudbury municipal beaches are set to open with lifeguard supervision beginning Saturday, June 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The City of Greater Sudbury operates seven public beaches. Parents are reminded that lifeguards are not a substitute for adult supervision of children. Children must be supervised and within arm's reach at all times by an adult caregiver. Older children are reminded to swim with a buddy for greater safety. For more information, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/beaches.
Whooping cough cases increasing in Greater Sudbury and districts:
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is responding to increased reports of pertussis infections (whooping cough) in its service area of Greater Sudbury and Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. A total of 12 cases have been reported to date for 2019. The presence of pertussis is likely much higher than reported as the infection is underreported, especially among adolescents and adults who often don’t seek health care for their symptoms, said a press release from the health unit. These individuals are an important source of infection for others. Pertussis is a bacterial disease that is prevented by a vaccine. Infections tend to occur in cycles with peaks occurring every two to five years. The last local peak in pertussis was 2015 for about a year. A total of 27 cases were reported during that time.
Lansdowne and École St-Denis are Sudbury's ugliest schoolyards:
Lansdowne Public School and École St-Denis are the winners of the 2019 Ugliest Schoolyard Contest, presented by VETAC, Greater Sudbury's Regreening Advisory Panel. The contest takes place every spring and encourages local students to participate in regreening their schoolyard spaces. The winning schools will share a cash donation of $20,000 from Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO), a Glencore Company, the contest's major corporate sponsor. Financial contributions from additional sponsors are pooled with supplies donated by local businesses to help each school transform their schoolyard into a greener and healthier outdoor environment.
