Dryden

The monarch butterfly fluttered a step closer to extinction Thursday, as scientists put the iconic orange-and-black insect on the endangered list because of its fast dwindling numbers.

“It’s just a devastating decline,” said Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University who was not involved in the new listing. “This is one of the most recognizable butterflies in the world.”

The Parole Board of Canada has granted the trucker who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash day parole for six months. 

Following an emotional, seven-hour hearing at Bowden Institution on Wednesday, the two-member board panel said Jaskirat Singh Sidhu will get full parole after those six months if he follows all conditions, including no contact with the families of the victims. 

Sidhu was sentenced to eight years after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges for the 2018 crash that killed 16 and injured 13. 

Northwestern Ontario’s gas prices have dropped again, but there’s still not much to celebrate.

In Kenora and Dryden, prices have dipped from 199.9 per litre to 195.9 at most fuel stations.

But across the region, the Kenora district still has the most expensive fuel in Ontario and the 18th most expensive fuel in Canada at an average of 199.9 per litre, according to statistics from GasBuddy.

LWCB released an update on water levels following a massive rain storm on Tuesday night.  

The region saw significant rainfall on July 19, with widespread totals of 50 mm and as much as 100 mm in some areas around the Winnipeg River. As a result, local tributary flows and lake/river levels are expected to increase.  

Washouts and floods continue to plague drivers in the region.

The Ministry of Transportation is now reporting that Highway 601 is closed in both directions at McGogy Road North near Dryden.

Traffic control is in place and drivers are asked to use caution in the area.

The City of Dryden says the closure, from Scott Street to Theil Road, is to complete emergency repairs to the Swanson Creek Bridge.

Highway 17 has reopened between Kenora and Vermilion Bay following a washout that closed the Trans-Canada Highway for several hours Wednesday morning.

The highway closure, which was reported at 03:43 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20, was near Richard Lake east of Kenora.

Environment Canada says they recorded up to 101 mm of rainfall last night, which shattered rainfall records for the area. The previous record of only 20 mm, or one-fifth of what we received last night, was set back in 1992.

The region’s still recovering from Tuesday night’s severe storm and rainfall which closed highways, took out power to homes and shattered weather records in northwestern Ontario.

Highway 17 reopened between Kenora and Vermilion Bay at Richard Lake Road late this morning after being closed for several hours due to a massive hole in the highway.

Hydro One reports 11 seperate power outages within the Kenora area affecting 134 homes. They include two outages on Airport Road, one on North Poplar Bay Road and seven outages in the Channel Island and Thompson Island area.

The American League, with five Toronto Blue Jays in the lineup, defeated the National League 3-2 in last night's Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Los Angeles.

Blue Jays' ace Alek Manoah pitched a near-perfect second inning, striking out 3 and hitting 1 batter while being caught by Toronto teammate Alejandro Kirk as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. played first.

The City of Dryden would like to advise the public that the King Street Underpass is now open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  

The road maintenance that was scheduled for this week has been postponed for an unknown length of time.  

Public Works and the City of Dryden would like to thank the public for their patience and co-operation.  

*** This article was written prior to the rain storm on the evening of July 19 ***

The level of Lake of the Woods is still above average for this time of year.  

The Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB) says that the level of Lake of the Woods is in the 95th percentile for this time of year and that the average lake level declined by 2cm over the past week.