Drunks in Belleville

Belleville Police say they stopped several vehicles during a Boxing Day RIDE check last night (DEC26).

They charged a 46-year-old Belleville woman with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking when they allegedly found her in the downtown core with cocaine and marijuana.

Police also charged two 29-year-old men in two separate instances of alleged drunk driving.

Poor driving east of Belleville

Provincial police and the Ministry of Transportation are weighing in on road conditions.

OPP say they are dealing with more than 50 collisions in the area east of highway 15 near Kingston and northward to Ottawa. One section of the 401 near Cornwall is even closed.

They’re citing freezing rain and “accumulation” on the roads for the problems…and advising anyone with travel plans in Eastern Ontario to stay home for the time being.

Drivers heading westbound to Toronto will have it a bit easier.

The Ministry of Transportation says it’s fog that will keep you moving slowly westward.

Officials are especially advising of poor conditions on rural roads.

Holiday closures

Your favourite places may not be open when you need them this holiday…but it should come as no surprise.

Financial institutions like banks and credit unions will all be closed this Christmas and Boxing Day.

Most drug stores…with your holiday heartburn remedies… are closed for Christmas but open for Boxing Day.

Liquor and beer stores are closed both days.

The Bayview Medical Clinic in Belleville is closed on Christmas Day but opens again on Boxing Day.

There is no general mail delivery on Christmas nor Boxing Day…but some postal outlets will be open on Boxing Day.

All grocery stores will be closed on the big day but many will open on Boxing Day.

All government services are closed both days.

All public transit closes down for both days.

Mother charged after 15-year-old boy gets into a traffic accident in Belleville

A 15-year-old boy has escaped injury in a traffic accident on Pine Street in Belleville.

Police, fire and ambulance crews responded after a vehicle ran into a hydro pole at nine o’clock last night.  The 15-year-old driver was extricated from the car with the “jaws of life”.

The boy’s 37-year-old mother was charged by police with allowing a person under the age of 16 to drive.  The vehicle was demolished, but, fortunately no one was hurt.

Holiday recycling and garbage collection schedules changed

A few changes to the garbage and recyling collection schedule in the Quinte area this week.

Garbage pickup in Thurlow has been moved from tomorrow to Friday, but recycling there has been pushed back two days, to Saturday.

Recycling collection in Belleville’s East Hill area will go ahead, as usual, on Friday, but garbage won’t be picked up until Saturday.

In Quinte West….garbage will be picked up in Trenton and in North Murray ward Friday, and recycling will be done this coming Saturday.

In Frankford….garbage will be collected Monday and Tuesday, with no change to recycling pick-up.

Ice conditions still poor in Quinte area

It looks like it’s the middle of winter with all the snow out there, but the fire chief in Quinte West says ice conditions are hardly safe.

Firefighters and the O-P-P have responded recently to reports of people on the Bay of Quinte.

Chief John Whalen says the ice has to be thicker than it is now to be safe to go out on, with a minimum of ten centimetres needed to walk on it, and 12 centimetres required for a snowmobile or all terrain vehicle.

Whalen says anyone who has to be on the ice should wear a wetsuit and put a cellphone inside a plastic bag to keep it from getting wet in case it’s needed for an emergency.

Appeal Granted in Baby Assault

An early Christmas present for a Picton woman.  The woman, who cannot be identified, is the adoptive mother of a baby assaulted and injured back in 2005.  She has won an appeal of the sentence given to 24 year old Darren Wadforth, which she called a “slap on the wrist”.

On March 19th, the Crown will appeal the 18 month conditional sentence given Wadforth.  The child suffered multiple injuries from the assault, and was in it’s first month of life.

Madoc Mine Faces Charges

Environmental charges have been laid against Canada Talc mine of Madoc.

6 charges have been laid against the two parent companies and the former manager of the mine, Elvis Regular.

The charges by the Ministry of Environment involve improper sampling and providing false or misleading information.  The incidents are alleged to have occurred between 2001 and 2006.  The talc mine first started operation back in 1896.  The matter goes to Belleville Provincial Offenses Court on February 24th.

Picton boy’s choking death under investigation

A coroner is investigating the possibility a 16-year-old Picton boy died while deliberately choking himself to get a high.

Doctor Hans Westenberg of Kingston, says he has heard the family of Elijah Cole said he was involved in a choking game, in which participants get a rush of euphoria by starving the brain of oxygen.

Cole was rushed to hospital unconscious on November 26th, after being found at a home in Picton, but was taken off life support and declared dead on December eleventh.

Westenberg has asked the O-P-P to further investigate the boy’s death.

O-P-P arrest Trenton man on warrant from October

A man has been arrested in Trenton on a warrant for assault, assault with a weapon and mischief.

Quinte West O-P-P went to a home on Annwood Court last night, and picked up fifty-one-year-old Alan Summers of Trenton for alleged offences in October.

He has a bail hearing early this afternoon, and is also wanted by Durham Region Police, east of Toronto.