Back to School – Labour

The yellow buses are running and its back to school time today.

It won’t be entirely problem-free with elementary school teachers and education workers staging work-to-rule campaigns over the lack of new contracts.  Francophone teachers are also without a new contract as they head back to the classroom.

Safety is always a concern with a lot more pedestrian traffic around schools and school buses back on the roads.  Police say drivers need to remember about stopping in both directions when school buses have their lights flashing and should be prepared to yield to pedestrians and cyclists.

Party – University District

The parties continued in the Queen’s student ghetto area last night with large gatherings at houses – but no street party.  Party goers left behind more trash and broken glass after volunteers cleaned up after a large party that closed University Avenue Sunday night.

Police says a couple of people were charged last night with liquor offenses and there was a close call for Kingston Police when a vehicle hit a police cruiser and almost hit an officer early this morning – then took off.

Police had stopped two party goers on King Street around 1:50 this morning when the crash happened.

A 21 year old Kingston man has been charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

On Sunday night a crowd estimated at close to 2,000 forced police to call in members of the Emergency Response Unit to manage the party on University Avenue near the intersection of Johnson Street.

The street party broke up by around 2:30 a.m. Monday.

Police say because officers were so heavily outnumber they did not make any arrests or lay any charges due to concerns about public safety and their own wellbeing.

Kingston Police say they’re disappointed with the actions of the students and will discuss issues with Queen’s University administration, the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University and the City of Kingston.

Weekend Fatalities

A 27 year old woman from Kingston died in a head on collision on the 401 east of Kingston Sunday night.

The OPP says a vehicle going east in the westbound lanes in the Lancaster area hit another vehicle passing a transport.  Akanksha JAIN of Kingston died at the scene along with the driver of the wrong way vehicle…28 year old Johnathan Cawthron of Nova Scotia.  Jain’s 31 year old husband and 3 year old son are in hospital with serious injuries and her 58 year old mother-in-law from India died in hospital.

A two vehicle crash in Prince Edward County around 3:30 a.m. Sunday resulted in a 33 year old man from Odessa being charged with impaired driving causing death.  Ronald Scott has also been charged with failing to remain at the scene of the crash at Highway 62 and Oram Road that claimed the life of a man from New Tecumseh, Ontario.

Bayridge Extension – Open

The Bayridge Drive extension is officially open.

Bayridge no goes through to Creekford Road and will help with development in that area and access to the 401 in the west end.

SUV Flips

Nobody was injured when an SUV flipped over on King Street between Union and Earl.

The vehicle wound up on its roof in the middle of King Street around five yesterday afternoon.

King Street was closed for several hours while police investigated.

Liver Transplant Twins – School

The twin girls from Kingston who received liver transplants earlier this year have already started kindergarten.  Binh and Phuoc Wagner hopped onto a school van recently on their way to kindergarten for the first time. Their parents, Johanne and Michael, say tyhey couldn’t get over it after having thoughts at this time last year that the girls might never make it to school.

They have recovered transplant waiting list for new livers because of the effects of Alagille syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects vital organs.