Erskine Injured – Head on Crash

Former NHL defenseman John Erskine has been identified as the person who was injured in a head on crash on the 401 near Palace Road early Wednesday morning.

His agent has confirmed Erskine was at the Napanee Raiders Schmaltz Cup winning game on Tuesday night.

Erskine was taken to Kingston General Hospital with serious injuries after a black pickup truck going west in the eastbound lanes collided head on with a transport truck around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday.

The OPP says a 38 year old man from Elginburg is facing charges following the crash – but they haven’t laid any charges yet.

 

Search

It turns out that search in Lake Ontario near Millhaven on Wednesday night was prompted by a log floating in the water.  The OPP says a concerned citizen thought they saw a body in the lake just west of County Road 4 around eight o’clock Wednesday night. That call prompted a search by Police, Napanee Fire and Rescue, the Coast Guard, and Search and Rescue at CFB Trenton.

A news release from Lennox and Addington OPP says searchers now believe what was initially seen was actually a log found in the water and there have been no missing person reports.

 

Millhaven Lockdown

Millhaven Institution is under a lockdown.

The lockdown was put in place on Wednesday morning to allow staff to conduct an exceptional search.

The Correctional Service says regularly scheduled visits may be affected and visitors should contact the institution to determine if the visit will be allowed.

 

Walkway – La Salle Causeway

The City of Kingston has approved a plan for a walkway for pedestrians between the La Salle Causeway and The Tragically Hip Way.

The Northbound lane on Ontario Street will be closed, and the temporary walkway will be created with barriers.

The current sidewalk has been closed because the stone wall at Fort Frontenac is unstable and poses a serious risk.

Repairs to the wall are expected to cost four to 5 million dollars and could take up to three summers to complete.

 

Catholic Bishop Installation

Kingston’s Catholic community welcomes its new Archbishop today.

The ceremony will include leaders of other faiths, the Chief of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, and 23 Bishops from across Canada and the United States including the Pope’s representative in Canada.

Archbishop Brendan O’Brien is retiring after 12 years leading the Kingston Archdiocese.  Archbishop Michael Mulhall is taking over and will be installed during the ceremony at St. Mary’s Cathedral this afternoon.

 

Food Bank Blitz

The Partners in Mission Food Bank is holding its 34th annual Food Blitz tomorrow.

It will be the final one for food bank executive director Sandy Singers.  Dan Irwin will be taking over Singers role in mid-May.

Volunteers will be at eight grocery stores in Kingston on Saturday…collecting goods from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Empire Life

The Empire Life Insurance Company based in Kingston is reporting excellent results for the first quarter of the year.  The company has reported common shareholders’ net income of $43 million for the first quarter of 2019, compared to $39 million in 2018.

Earnings per share increased to $43.59 cents compared to $39.30 and return on common shares was 11.2% compared to 10.8% during the first quarter of last year.

 

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness Week kicks off in Kingston on Saturday.

Kingston Fire and Rescue is hosting a community event and barbecue from 10am to 2pm at its headquarters at 500 O’Connor Drive.

The city is encouraging everyone to develop a plan to be prepared for an emergency and has launched an online contest called #PrepareYourSelfieYGK.

Details are on the city of Kingston’s website.

www.CityofKingston.ca/GetReady.