All Syndicated

Bruce Grey Owen Sound Conservative MP Larry Miller has announced he’s retiring from politics.

At a news conference in Owen Sound Friday morning, Miller said he will not be running in this year’s federal election. He’s been the MP for the riding since 2004 and says that’s long enough and he’s glad to be exiting on his own terms. Millers said his electoral success stems from staying close to the grass roots.

Ahead of what is expected to be a bitter cold weekend, the Middlesex London Health Unit has issued a Cold Weather Alert.

Overnight temperatures will plunge to -17 C Saturday night and -21 C on Sunday night. That has local health officials reminding anyone spending time outdoors to bundle up by dressing in layers and wearing a hat and insulated gloves or mittens.

The Supreme Court will soon decide whether to hear a dispute over Great Lakes shoreline ownership that could have regional implications for public beach access. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

Beach-walking is a long-held tradition for the Great Lakes that has been historically upheld in legal disputes.  The recent challenge to these laws by Indiana property owners would overturn this public right. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

The Great Lakes Cruising Club was formed in 1934 as a network to share information about ports and shores along the Great Lakes. Club members compile reports on ports across the region to help others plan for exploring the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

The New York Department of Health should adopt proposed drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals. New York’s proposed standard for PFAS would be the strictest in the nation. Read the full story by the Times Union.

Baseboard heating not living up to its name?

Pretty much anything that builds up on your heater’s heating element or radiator fins—dust, dirt, pet hair, cobwebs—can block airflow and interfere with the unit’s ability to put out heat. Which is its only job. So clean it.

Huron County councillors continue to look at the concept of consolidation as part of a county-wide facilities review.

One site they are looking at is part of the former Victoria Public School property in Goderich, behind the new hotel. Goderich has offered to sell it to the county.

CAO Meighan Wark said they have determined the property is the right size to accommodate a building that would have all the components they need.

If council decides that is the direction it wants to go, Wark says the next step would be to hire an architect for the project.

With temperatures expected to dip down to -15 C Saturday night and -20 C Sunday night, the Canadian Automobile Association has some advice to make sure your vehicle keeps running this winter.

If the battery in your vehicle is more than three years old, this weekend will be the time to get it checked. The CAA does not recommend boosting the battery yourself. If it is not done correctly, it can damage your vehicle’s electrical system.

A year-long research project undertaken by Second Harvest and Value Chain Management International says 58 per cent of food produced in Canada is wasted every year.

Second Harvest is a food rescue organization, and Value Chain Management International is a public and industry advocate for food rescue.

The report, released in Toronto Thursday, was funded by the Wal-Mart Foundation and is based on the responses of more than 700 food industry leaders across Canada.

Bruce County officials now have a way to collect and analyze tourism information on an ongoing basis.

And according to the first report of 2019, more than 2.5 million visitors pumped $299 million into the local economy last year.

Kara Van Myall, the director of planning and development for Bruce County, said they used a new framework that takes data from multiple sources.  That includes partnered organizations such as Ontario Parks and Ontario Ferries, surveys through the county by businesses and tourists, and surveys from a third-party panel.

With the announcement this week that the provincial government is conducting municipal reviews in 82 regions and counties, the MPP for Huron-Bruce is quick to point out that her riding is not part of this process.

Lisa Thompson said the reviews are designed to find efficiencies in how certain municipalities operate.

“What’s going well, and what can we be supporting in the spirit of doing something differently, so that we can realize efficiencies and make dollars really count when they need to be invested primarily in infrastructure and community priorities,” she said.