News

The Prince Edward Learning Centre’s popular PEC Fresh Market is closing. The market was open to anyone and provided low cost fresh produce from local producers. The locations in Sophiasburg and Consecon have already closed their doors and the Picton market’s last day will be October 21st. Prince Edward Learning Centre Executive Director Kathleen Kennedy spoke about the closings earlier today on the Tuesday Grapevine, telling host Suzanne O’Connor that a combination of reduced funding and a need to focus on those most in need of food support forced the closure. Kennedy had this to say (Play Audio Below). Kennedy also said those with gift cards can still contact the centre and order food. But all is not lost, Kennedy said she and her team hope to introduce a PEC Fresh 2.0 within a few months. You can listen to the Grapevine interview with Kathleen Kennedy after the 6 pm news tonight or from our archives at 993countyfm.ca.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board had some good news to share at their first meeting of the year. Enrollment has increased at elementary schools within the board which will mean seven additional teachers and six Early Childhood Educators will be hired. The Board also had some good news from the joint HPEDSB – Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation “Have You Heard?” Campaign. The fundraising campaign has raised more than $550,000 which will mean every Kindergarten to Grade 3 classroom will now have a Soundfield system. The Soundfield system helps those with hearing difficulties or English Second Language challenges hear and understand classroom communications.

Parking is going to get a bit simpler in Belleville. City staff announced today that parking machines in municipal lots have been upgraded to allow motorists to enter their licence plate number which will then be used for enforcement. Drivers using the two-hour free parking available in the Front, Riverside, Riggs and Pinnacle lots still need to register so the two hour window can be monitored but they won’t need to pay unless they add more time. There are no changes for those that use the Hotspot App.

And in the UK a decision by the U.K.’s counterterrorism police to release five suspects on bail during an investigation into a suspected bomb plot at a U.S.-operated airbase in England has raised eybrows and attracted Donald Trump’s attention. Police confirmed Tuesday that no explosives were found in three vans linked to the suspects but a quantity of petrol was. Investigators said the decision to grant bail was grounded in “experience and strategy”. President Trump told reporters yesterday that he was surprised that the suspects were released and would not have done so if the decision had been his to make. British authorities have said the investigation is ongoing and that they have not ruled out involvement by Iran.

Sports

Here’s your weekly PECI sports update.

In girls basketball action. Bayside edged the junior girls 42 to 28 on Monday but the Panthers came back to score a 41 to 16 victory against North Hastincs on Thursday.
The senior girls also lost to Bayside by a score of 44 to 28 Monday but rallied for a 55 to 34 win over North Hastings in Thursday’s match up.

The Boy’s Soccer teams were also busy. East Northumberland defeated the juniors 3 – 1 Monday but the Panthers overcame Central Hastings 9-1 on Tuesday and St. Patrick’s 1 nothing on Thursday. The senior boys started the week with a 4-4 tie against ENSS but scored a 3 -2 win over St. Patricks Thursday

Both girl’s Rugby teams started the season strong with the Junior Girls winning 28 to 7 and the Senior Girls coming out on top by a score of 41 to 0 against Eastside on Wednesday.

And in Elementary Cross Country, 31 PECI students qualified for District Cross Country. And that’s your PECI Panthers sports round up for last week.

In NHL action tonight, four Canadian teams on the ice. Montreal is in Toronto for a 7 pm face-off and Vancouver travels to Edmonton for a 10 pm start.

And MLB playoff action starts tonight with four wild card games on tap. The Phillies and the Braves play this afternoon while the White Sox face the Astros, the Red Sox battle the Yankees and the Cubs play the Padres tonight.