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A Behchoko woman failed to appear in court on Wednesday in Yellowknife to receive her sentence.

Donna Camsell was convicted of impaired driving, dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident from an incident in July, 2012.

Judge Christine Gagnon issued a warrant for her arrest, but will hold it until Dec. 10, when the courts reconvene in Behchoko.

Camsell's lawyer, Jay Bran felt she might show up to receive her sentence then.

- Daniel Campbell

Ragged Ass among Canada's top 20 streets

Ragged Ass Road has been ranked the 20th coolest street in Canada recently by Vacay, a Canadian-focused travel publication.

"We were looking for streets that were very unique and special," said the publication's deputy editor Rod Charles. "Ragged Ass has just as much going for it as College Street in Toronto, in terms of history and stories."

Rue du Petit-Champlain in Quebec City topped the list of Top 20 Streets in Canada, while Yellowknife was the only Northern city to make the cut.

- Laura Busch

Lights for the trail

The City of Yellowknife is asking for donations of unwanted LED Christmas lights to help them in their plan to light up the McMahon Frame Lake Trail on Dec. 10. Donations should be made by that date if possible, but will be accepted into January for future events. The lights can be dropped off at any city facility, or donors can call the city if they'd prefer the lights picked up. The lights will start at the trail access at the end of Matonabee Street and will continue south along the trail.

- Candace Thomson

Outdoor rinks open

The City of Yellowknife currently has three outdoor ice rinks in operation; one at Tommy Forrest Ball Park, one at Forrest Drive Park, and another at Jeske Crescent. There is a speedskating oval at Tommy Forrest Ball Park, as well as a hockey rink. Residents are encouraged to do some laps and log their kilometres with the Yellowknife Speed Skating Club, in support of Yellowknife Olympic athlete Michael Gilday.

The city will be building rinks at Olexin Park, Frame Lake, and School Draw Park later this winter.

- Cody Punter

Ice crossing opens

The Liard River ice crossing opened to light traffic up to 5,000 kilograms on Tuesday afternoon.

One lane of the crossing was opened. Motorists are asked to watch for signs and for crews who are still flooding the ice so the crossing can be opened to its maximum weight limit. Motorists should follow the posted speed limits and drive carefully to ensure the safety of everyone on the crossing, said John Suwala, the regional manager of highway operations for the Department of Transportation.

As of Dec. 3 assessments were still being done on the ice at the N'dulee crossing on the Mackenzie River. No work has begun on the ice yet, Suwala said.

Hockey event raises funds for Movember

Movember concluded in Fort Simpson on Nov. 30 with the annual Movember Men's Hockey Challenge.

The challenge raised $241, which Rowe's Construction agreed to match, said Chris Hewitt, one of the organizers. The event included individual competitions and a hockey game.

Calen Hardisty won the best mustache competition, while Sheldon McKay took best goaltender and Liam Hardisty won the shoot out. Darren Hardisty was the top scorer during the game. The Northern store assisted with providing prizes for the event.

Movember, which encourages men to grow mustaches for the month of November, raises funds for and brings awareness to prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges.

Jewelery-making workshop with former Olympian

The Open Sky Creative Society in Fort Simpson will be hosting a jewelery-making workshop on Dec. 7.

There are 12 spots available in the free workshop that Sharon Firth and Anders Lenes will be leading. Firth is a four-time Olympian, and creates jewelery that reflects her upbringing in Aklavik, as well as current fashion trends. The workshop will begin at 3 p.m. Seats can be reserved by contacting Open Sky.

Santa Claus parade in Fort Simpson

The annual Santa Claus parade in Fort Simpson will be taking place this Saturday.

Floats are asked to gather beside the Nahanni Inn by 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. The parade will begin at 7 p.m., and wind past long term care at the Fort Simpson Health Centre before making its way down the village's main street.

Organizer Peter Shaw said, as of Dec. 2, the participation of 14 floats had been confirmed.

Foul smell prompts evacuation

A foul, gas-like smell wafting through Inuvik Dec. 2 led to a brief evacuation of East Three school.

The odour, which could be smelled in buildings throughout town, was attributed to a trace chemical being used by Inuvik Gas for some maintenance work.

Kevin MacKay, the general manager of Inuvik Gas, said "this morning at approximately 11:40 a.m., Inuvik Gas crews were working on the odorant injection system at the gate station.

"An odour is added to natural gas for safety reasons, to assist in the detection of leaks. As a result, there was a strong odour in some areas of town due to the wind direction. "

Inuvik Fire Chief Jim Sawkins said he spoke to MacKay following the five-minute evacuation of the school. Sawkins said he had been assured there was no public danger.

East Three Secondary School principal Deb Maguire said the partial evacuation occurred over the lunch hour, and was "routine."

Any students disturbed by the lingering odour were allowed to step outside for fresh air as needed.

Influx of mail

The Inuvik Post Office extended its hours Monday to help deal with a backlog of mail attributed to the ferry problems.

Post office staff said Dec. 2 the hours would be extended until 7:30 p.m. so that people could begin picking up the crush of parcels and packages that have begun arriving.

The mail has been delayed for most of the last three weeks, the staff members said, and it's unlikely the backlog will ease up before Christmas.

Deliveries of all sorts have been disrupted by problems keeping the ferry crossing at Tsiigehtchic open due to ice conditions.

Craft fair Saturday

The Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre is hosting a Christmas craft fair this Saturday, Dec. 7.

The show comes on the heels of the annual Great Northern Arts Christmas Craft Fair two weeks ago, and will give people an extra chance to do some Christmas shopping for local products.

The show will run from 1 to 6 p.m.

Light up your life

The Town of Inuvik's official Christmas contest is on.

The Let's Light up the Town competition will be judged Dec. 20 by council members Melinda Gillis and Kurt Wainman for the second straight year.

They'll be scouring the town like a couple of Santa's elves for the best outside residential displays and arrangements.

For more information call the town's community services department.