Child hit by vehicle

A nine-year-old girl was struck by a motor vehicle at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday while crossing the intersection at Range Lake Road and Finlayson Drive, while she headed toward St. Joseph School.

"The driver of the vehicle was distracted and lost concentration," said Sgt. Bruce McGregor of the RCMP.

The child was knocked down on impact and taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital by ambulance with minor injuries, and released from the hospital at 10 a.m. with bruising and stiffness, according to McGregor.

The driver of the vehicle has been charged with failure to yield right of way to a pedestrian and driving without due care and attention.

- Sarah Ferguson

Highway open, fire ban returns

Highway 3 reopened Wednesday after it wasclosed Tuesday due to a forest fire close to the road.

Due to extreme fire conditions a city-wide open-air burning ban was put in place by the City of Yellowknife as of Thursday afternoon, which includes properties with approved fire pits.

The fire, between Behchoko and Fort Providence, is still burning, so the highway could close again if there is danger of smoke or fire on the road, according to the Department of Transportation website.

-Nicole Veerman

Shaky ground

The windows rattled and the ground shook Wednesday afternoon around 3:15 p.m. as a cloud of dust formed near the Dettah access road.

Earl Blacklock, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, said Det'on Cho RTL Construction was blasting on the road. Blaine Nickel, general manager for the construction company, wouldn't comment, saying it was up to Det'on Cho's subcontractor DNX Drilling to speak to the media.

A representative from the drilling company didn't return phone calls by press time.

--Nicole Veerman

Power outage Wednesday night

The cause of a power outage Wednesday night at 9:40 p.m. is unknown, other that it was a power transmission issue due to "outside interference," according to Kevin Lailey, operations superintendent of Northland Utilities.

- Sarah Ferguson

Canadian Zinc hearings in two communities

Canadian Zinc and the Prairie Creek Mine will be in the spotlight from June 22 to 24.

The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board is holding a community meeting in Nahanni Butte on June 22 and a public hearing in Fort Simpson from June 23 to 24 for its environmental assessment of the mine. Nahanni Butte Dene Band, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and Parks Canada were scheduled to make presentations in Nahanni Butte.

In Fort Simpson, 10 official parties are scheduled to speak. The hearing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days in the community hall. Members of the public will have a chance to make statements on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Deh Cho forest fires match 2010 numbers

The Deh Cho has already matched the total number of forest fires it had last year.

As of June 20 the region has had seven fires covering 33.75 hectares total. In 2010 the Deh Cho had only seven forest fires during the entire season, the lowest number on record for the region since 1975. One fire was being monitored on Monday while six others were out.

The South Slave region, which includes Kakisa and Fort Providence, had 14 fires by June 20 affecting a total of 13,977 hectares.

In total there have been 44 fires in the territory this year.

Wrigley ready to host assembly

Final preparations are being made in Wrigley for the Dehcho First Nations annual assembly.

Residents are busy getting the community ready to host the event, said Gaylene Moses, Pehdzeh Ki First Nation's co-ordinator for the assembly.

A liquor prohibition will be in effect in Wrigley from June 27 to July 1. A checkstop will be in place to ensure visitors comply with the prohibition, said Moses.

On June 27 there will be handgames and music by Johnny Landry. There will be drum dances on Tuesday and Thursday and a talent show and family dance on Wednesday.

Open Doors holds summer program

The Open Doors Society is organizing its annual summer program in Fort Simpson.

The society is running this year's program on weekdays from 1 to 5 p.m. from June 27 to July 15. The program is open to youths ages 12 and under. Children under the age of six must be accompanied by an adult. The focus of this year's program is on outdoor activities and crafts.

Huskies tops at Slo-pitch tournament

Oddly enough, the Huskies fastball team took the men's title at the slo-pitch tournament held from June 17 to 19.

What started off with thunderstorms ended with a sunny Sunday and a 12-9 win over the RCMP team for the Huskies. In the women's tournament, Team Jacob won.

There were seven local teams participating for the men's tournament and four for the women's.

Help needed for TRC

Volunteers are still needed for the Truth and Reconciliation National Northern event in Inuvik.

People are needed to direct traffic, help with registration, statement gathering, technical expertise, provide elder services, act as runners, be ambassadors and be ground aides. Help is also needed for set up and tear down of the site.

Volunteers need to fill out an application that is available online at www.trc.ca. Volunteers can work for three- or four-hour shifts each day.

Volunteers meet

The non-governmental organizations of Inuvik had their first meeting in June and plan to hold another.

Since the groups often run into the same issues, they thought joining forces could benefit the community.

The next meeting will be set for July 4 at noon at the Interagency office.

Prior to the meeting, each participant will consult with their boards and come up with a list of top three areas of need.

Steak dinner raises $2,000

A steak dinner for the Healthy Smiles Society trip to Africa raised more than $2,000 for the trip.

Organizers raised $1,400 in sales and more than $600 in donations during the barbecue at the Royal Canadian Legion on June 18.

The money will go towards a trip to Zambia where the participants will give dental care to people who rarely receive it.

Six participants will travel from July 8 to 23, but still need more money for the trip.

McLeod goes to Washington

Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Bob McLeod spent the weekend in Washington D.C., promoting Arctic natural gas, secretary Drew Williams stated in a press release.

McLeod arrived in Washington on June 17 and is scheduled to return today, after making presentations to U.S. government officials and oil and gas industry executives about the importance of Arctic natural gas.