News Briefs

Outgoing NRP chief gives controversial speech

Niagara Regional Police (NRP) Chief Wendy Southall gave a speech on Jan. 25 during the 2011 Niagara Women in Business Awards regarding her time as the first female, first civilian and longest-serving police chief in the NRP's history. Southall, in her speech, fired back at those who said that she "wouldn't last a year" in the position and said that they could "kiss my royal chief's A-S-S as I retire [this spring] as the longest-serving chief in the 41-year history of the NRP," has garnered criticism from such people as St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan. Southall became chief in 2004, after serving on the Niagara Regional Police services board, and clashed frequently through her career with members of the NRP administration who resisted her rise to power.

Passport Canada to open office in Pen Centre

On April 30, Passport Canada will be opening its new, 720 square-meter office in the Pen Centre – after closing its current location in the Landmark Building on Church Street. According to a Passport Canada representative speaking to the St. Catharines Standard, the move will be conducted without any interruption to service, and was prompted by the impending expiration of the current lease on the property and the need for additional work space. The new location will have 20 additional seats in its waiting area and five additional counters, bringing the totals up to 70 and 14 respectively. The new office will replace the now-defunct McDuff's Mini Golf Area, which is beside the movie theatre. An elevator will be installed near the staircase to allow wheelchair access.  

Prominent lawyer calls for Toronto police chief to be investigated

Clayton Ruby, a Toronto lawyer, Order of Canada member and former Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada, filed an official complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) on Jan. 25 – which called for an investigation into what role, if any, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair played in the illegal arrest of Jason Wall at the G20 protests in Toronto. Wall was arrested for "wearing a disguise with intent" after being caught wearing a bandana while at the protest. On Sept. 7, 2011 the OIPRD concluded that the arrest, which was prompted by an upper-level order to detain anyone wearing a bandana, had been illegal. The investigation is meant to determine if the order to arrest bandana-wearers had come from Blair.

Parking ticket discounts to be discontinued

St. Catharines City Council has recently ended the long-time practice of offering a discount on traffic tickets that have been paid early. The discount, which was offered to entice people to pay their fines promptly instead of waiting until the last minute and costing the city extra money on paperwork, was cancelled after Councillors argued that it was ineffective, citing the low rate at which the discount was used. Under the old system, the fine for parking at an expired meter would have been reduced from $12 to $9, $36 instead of $48 for parking on a sidewalk and $50 instead of $75 for parking on a fire route. The prices will now be fixed at the standard, higher rates regardless of when the ticket is paid.

New arrests in phone hacking scandal

On Jan. 28, British police arrested four journalists and a police officer and searched the offices of Rupert Murdoch's News International company as part of their inquiry into illegal phone hacking scandal which surfaced during the summer of 2011. The arrests are part of a large investigation in corrupt practices between journalists and police. Further investigation may determine if Murdoch, the President of the Fox Broadcasting Corporation will also be implicated as well. The journalists were reported to be members of the Sun, the popular tabloid owned by News International, the British branch of the News Corp. media group.

"The Barefoot Bandit" receives six-year sentence

A federal judge sentenced Colton "The Barefoot Bandit" Harris-Moore  to six-and-a-half years in prison on Jan. 27 for an infamous string of thefts and burglaries. The 20-year-old Washington native became famous for his ability to evade authorities and his daring thefts of everything from sports cars to speed boats and even small airplanes. Harris-Moore got his nickname by leaving 39 chalk footprints and the phrase "C-ya" at one of his crime scenes. The Barefoot Bandit has over 50,000 fans on Facebook and even a movie deal based on his life.

Powerful solar storms blast Earth

The Earth is being bombarded by high-energy particles unleashed by the strongest solar storm since 2005, scientists say. Solar flares are caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy stored in the Sun's atmosphere. The charged particles are mostly a concern for satellites disruption and astronauts. But, they can also cause communication problems for aircraft travelling near the North and South Poles. Effects of geo-magnetic  storms such as these are often benign, however they have caused power outages in the past. This will allow people in more southern parts of North America to see the Northern Lights.