News
Health Canada has issued an eagerly sought approval for the Alzheimers drug Lecanemab. Lecanemab is the first medication approved in Canada that targets the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain and slows the progression of cognitive decline. Lecanamab is not a cure for alzheimers but can give patients more time if it is administered in the early stages of the disease. Bi-weekly intravenous injections currently cost about $26,000 US per year and Alzheimers societies across Canada are now pressuring provincial governments to fund the newly approved treatment.
The Hastings Prince Edward School Board has won a Bravo! Award for excellence in school board communications. Kerry Donnell, Communications and Privacy Manager, and Mary Doyle, Communications Officer, received the Coup de Coeur award from the Canadian Association of Communicators in for the board’s Shine On, Vapes Gone campaign from fall 2024. The campaign was aimed at Grade 9 students and raised raise awareness about the harms of vaping.
A Belleville woman was charged with assault yesterday after striking a security guard in the face. The 30 year old woman was reportedly causing a disturbance at an east end business. Security staff called for police assistance and the assault occurred while officers and security personnel were attempting to escort the woman from the property. The accused was charged and released and will appear in court in December.
And parking in Belleville is going to get more expensive. The City of Belleville is planning to increase the hourly rate from one dollar to a dollar fifty in the new year. Monthly passes will also increase by $1 a month. The City is also going to increase both enforcement and fines as well as adding more Accessible Parking spots. The changes were approved at last night’s council meeting.
Hurricane Melissa mad landfall in Jamaica today. The category 5 storm packs winds of up to 295 kph and is the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record keeping began 174 years ago. The storm is expected to move diagonally north across the island then head for Cuba. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has warned that none of the island’s infrastructure is built to withstand a category 5 storm.
And a new study released today has identified a pony-sized, hornless rhino fossil found in the Haughton Crater on Devon island in Nunavut as a new species. Epia ther a cerium ee jee look)’s bones were discovered more than 40 years ago but it has taken this long to determine that it is in fact a unique species. That is partly because Itjilik is similar to European rhino fossils but quite different from most of the North American fossils discovered so far. Ijilik was also found further north than any previous rhino fossil in an area that was thought to be cut off from a land bridge to Europe well before itjilik was alive. However, researchers now believe the small rhino shows that animals were able to cross between the continents for far longer than previously thought, possibly on winter ice. Carlteon Universitay paleobiologist and report co-auther Natalia Rybczynski, said itjilik was about the size of a modern Indian rhinoceros, walked on four toes instead of three like modern rhinos and probably had long fur to ward off the cold. But, like most ancient rhinos, it didn’t have a horn. It’s name means frosty in inuit.
Sports
The Blue Jays and the Dodgers will be back at it in Los Angeles tonight after going 18 innings last night. The Jays lost last night’s marathon to put the Dodgers ahead two games to one in the World Series match up. Toronto will send Shane Bieber to the mound against Shoehei Ohtani for the Dodgers. And if you want company to watch the game, the County is sponsoring the World Series Under the Stars in the baseball diamond at the Picton Fairgrounds. Bring a chair, warm clothes and snacks and cheer on the Jays with your neighbours. First pitch goes out at 8 pm.
In CFL news, Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo made the Offensive Honour roll for hiting 20 of 27 passes including one touchdown against Calgary and Montreal Alouettes Lineman Shawn Oakman took defensive honours for making seven tackles, one sack and a pass knockdown against Winnipeg. The offensive line of the week belonged to the Ottawa Redblacks.
All the Canadian teams are in action in the NHL tonight. The Maple Leafs host the Calgary flames to an early 6 pm start in Toronto. Winnipeg is in Minnesota for an 8 pm puck drop against the Wild, Ottawa visits the Windy City for an 8:45 face off against the Blackhawks, the Utah Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers get underway at 9:30 in Edmonton, the New York Rangers are in Vancover for a 9:30 start against the Canucks and Montreal visits Seattle. The Canadiens and the Kraken drop the puck at 10:30.
