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Wednesday, April 22, 2015
MLA appears in court
Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli, who is charged with assault causing bodily harm, made a brief court appearance in Yellowknife on Tuesday. His case was adjourned until May 5.
Nadli, who is free on bail, was arrested and charged on April 5 in connection with an incident in Fort Providence in Nadli's riding. RCMP said the charge was laid after an individual received non-life threatening injuries.
There is a publication ban on naming the victim or releasing other details about the alleged assault.
- John McFadden
Teacher summit cost $35k
The GNWT spent approximately $35,000 attending the fifth annual International Summit on the Teaching Profession in Banff, Alta., late March.
The government sent 21 people to the conference, including representatives from Aurora College, the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, GNWT staff and Education Minister Jackson Lafferty.
The GNWT did not provide a breakdown of the costs.
- Stewart Burnett
Man charged with thefts from vehicles
A man has been charged with 10 offences in connection with thefts from vehicles in the city.
According to an RCMP news release Christopher Abel, 31, was arrested April 15 after a man was seen rummaging through a vehicle in the Rat Lake area about 2:30 a.m.
Police stated he was no longer at the vehicle when they arrived but they soon located and arrested him.
Abel is facing five counts of possession of property obtained by crime and five counts of mischief. He is also charged with one count of breach of probation.
- John McFadden
Funding awarded for city energy plan
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has awarded the city $85,000 to develop a new community energy plan.
The existing plan uses composting, increased energy efficiency and the use of renewable fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to a city news release, the money will be used to help look at ways to fund energy-efficient building retrofits.
- Shane Magee
Sammurtok stripped of portfolio
Rankin Inlet/Nunavut
Premier Peter Taptuna stripped Rankin Inlet North and Chesterfield Inlet MLA Tom Sammurtok of his Community and Government Services portfolio on April 14, after Sammurtok was charged with driving under the influence the previous day.
Taptuna said Environment Minister Johnny Mike will assume all of Sammurtok's ministerial duties, including the Community and Government Services file.
"Pending Minister Sammurtok's court appearance, he remains minister without portfolio," stated Taptuna.
A member can only be removed by consensus vote in the Nunavut legislative assembly.
Sammurtok released his own statement later that day, apologizing to his family, colleagues and all Nunavummiut for his poor judgment.
"I will not make any excuses or place the blame elsewhere, as I am fully responsible for my actions," said Sammurtok in the statement.
"When the legislative assembly reconvenes in May for our spring sitting, I will accept whatever discipline my colleagues deem appropriate.
"I realize that as an elected official, I am accountable to my constituents and the electorate of Nunavut.
"As public figures, we are responsible to uphold certain values. I realize a breach of trust is a hard thing to overcome, and, as an MLA, I will do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust."
Sammurtok is scheduled to appear in the Nunavut Court of Justice on May 21.
- Michele LeTourneau
Tourney time
Rankin Inlet
Teams from across the Kivalliq and a number of other Nunavut communities will be going to the net at the annual Laura Gauthier Memorial volleyball championship in Rankin Inlet this coming weekend.
The exciting, fastpaced tournament will see action in both a male and female division.
Game on for Arctic Circle Cup
Repulse Bay
The community of Repulse Bay is slated to host its annual Arctic Circle Cup senior men's hockey tournament this coming weekend.
As of press time, teams entered into the event were not known.
Boil water advisory ended
Rankin Inlet
A boil water advisory that had been in place for about two weeks in Rankin Inlet was officially lifted on April 14.
Players selected
Arviat/Rankin Inlet
Midget players Joe Curley of Arviat and Tyrese Dias and Jaden Sigurdson of Rankin Inlet have been named to the Team North entry at the 2015 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Halifax from April 23 to May 2.
Outraged over council meeting prayer ban
Rankin Inlet/Nunavut
Former Nunavut cabinet minister and long time Rankin Inlet resident Manitok Thompson expressed her outrage over a Supreme Court of Canada decision publicly this past week.
Thompson venomously opposes the court's ruling against prayers at a city council meeting in Sagunay, Quebec, and said she would not like to see the ruling adopted in Nunavut.
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