Smith – Homeless Youth Donation

A $1.2 million dollar gift to the United Way from the Kingston man who founded Homestead Landholdings will be used to build a new facility for homeless youth.

95 year old A. Britton Smith says he hopes it will help youth get back on track.

The 1.2 million dollar donation is the largest one-time gift in the 75 year history of the local United Way.

The new facility will be operated by the Kingston Youth Shelter.  It will offer housing, counselling and training for young people from 16 to 19 years old.

Correctional Officers – Inmates Medical History

The union representing correctional officers at federal prisons is fighting to get more health information about prisoners if they come into contact with the inmate’s bodily fluids.

Correctional officers have been attacked with blood, urine and excrement and the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers says its members should be told an inmate’s medical history following those kinds of attacks.

Home Rental Fraud – Napanee

A woman from Napanee, who placed an ad on Kijiji for a home to rent in Ottawa, appears to be the victim of a scam.

A U-Hall truck dropped off all of the woman’s belonging in the driveway of 74 year old Kit Pullen’s Ottawa home around 4 a.m. yesterday.  But he wasn’t renting his home to the woman or anyone else.

He found her contact information in the pile of belongings.

The U-Haul driver returned to the Pullen’s home in Ottawa yesterday afternoon to pick up the woman’s belonging and return them to her in Napanee.

Attention Walmart Shoplifters

Kingston Police have charged a 41 year old man after he wheeled a cart load of good out of Walmart without paying yesterday…ran from police all the way to Princess Street and Gardiners Road…then pulled a knife on police.

The man has been charged with theft under $5,000, possession of a dangerous weapon, and assaulting police.

The two detectives who chased him from the Walmart to an area near the Royale Place Retirement Residence convinced him to lay down the knife after they pulled their guns and negotiated with him.

Perth Man – Intoxicated Spree

A 22 year old man from Perth is facing charges after as truck rammed a car at a home on Crimson Crescent in Kingston and a man forced his way into the home.

Police say the man was highly intoxicated – yelled and pounded on the front door of the home around 11 o’clock Tuesday night, jumped up and down on the hood of the car and then forced his way into the home.

When police arrived he was sitting on top of his truck.

Charges include impaired driving, break and enter, assault with a weapon and mischief.

Kingston Tourism

Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodations Partners are formally joining forces.

The two will sign a Memorandum of Understanding today.

It’s part of a joint initiative to implement an integrated tourism strategy for Kingston.

The two groups will now have…among other things one website, one industry newsletter one product development fund and one sport development fund.

Tourism Kingston is currently part of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation.

401 Eastbound – Closure

The eastbound 401 between Montreal Street and Highway 15 was scheduled to be closed starting at 9:30 this morning and it could be closed for up to eight hours.

A news release from Frontenac OPP says a tractor trailer has to be removed from a ditch after crashed early yesterday morning.

Traffic will be detoured north on Montreal Street to Sunbury Road and then south on Highway 15 back to the 401.