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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2015-05-27, Page 3Impaired driving charges surge in Huron County Marco Vigliotti Postmedia Network Huron County's OPP detachment says impaired driving offences over the first four months of 2015 have increased by 90 per cent compared to the same span last year in a development it calls "trou- blesome" and "very concerning." The regional police force says it has already charged 34 drivers with impaired driving and/or over 80 milligrams offences in Huron County this year, compared to just 18 at this point in 2014. "It is very concerning to see such a drastic increase this year in the numbers of impaired drivers being charged in Huron County. Every single one of those drivers that were stopped and taken off the road posed a risk to our loved ones using the roadway," Huron OPP Staff Sgt. Shawn Johnson said in a prepared statement. According to figures provided by the OPP, men constituted a whopping 85 per cent of those charged with impaired driving offences, while both male and female young drivers between the ages of 16 and 29 formed the largest share of offenders by demographic band at 33 per cent. Only 24 per cent of Clinton spring fair is just around the corner Laura Broadley Clinton News Record This year's Clinton spring fair will combine the old and the new. The annual event is in its 161st year and with that comes a lot of tradi- tion. Organizers are add- ing some new attractions to complement what has become a mainstay. A new attraction this year is the Rubik's cube lesson. Lucas Dupee will be available on the Satur- day of the fair weekend to teach children how to solve a Rubik's cube. Dupee recently learned himself at the Rubik's cube club at Wilfrid Lau- rier University and by world record holder Eric Limeback. Dupee can solve a Rubik's cube in less than one minute and is eager to pass along his knowledge. "My intention is to teach younger people how to do this because it always seemed like such an impressive thing to me to be able to do:' If interested, please contact Dupee by email clintonfair@tcc.on.ca or duked@live.ca. Another first-time event will be the dog agility show. Organizer Bonnie Fritz says people can expect to see a timed event in which dogs go through a vari- ety of obstacles at the direction of their handler. "The objective is to get the dog around the course as fast and as clean as possible. The handler needs to use their handling skills to give the dog direction," she said. Fritz is the agility trainer with P.E.T.S boarding kennel & training center. She said that while it takes a while to train for both the handler and the dog, it's ultimately how much work they're will- ing to put into it. Fritz has been com- peting in for 15 years and currently works with two dogs. The event at the fair won't be a competition but will give participants the opportunity to show off their skills. The agility show will take place on June 6 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the north end of the racetrack. The Clinton spring fair will be held from June 4-7 at the Clinton Community Park and Central Huron Commu- nity Complex. For more information go to www.clinton- springfair.com. those charged hailed from outside Huron County. The statistics also show that 62 per cent of impaired drivers were pulled over in rural areas, prompting a swift rebuttal from the force dismissing suggestions that driving while intoxicated is some- how tolerable in sparsely populated locales. "Any suggestion that drinking and driving is a just a way of life in rural Ontario or socially accept- able in Huron County is completely unacceptable and highly inexcusable," Johnson said. "Impaired driving is a serious crimi- nal offence, one that places our community at great risk. Collectively, we can all make a positive dif- ference in reducing the number of impaired driv- ers as we move forward in the year." The police forces notes that all drivers charged with impaired driving were slapped with an automatic 90 -day driver's licence suspension and summoned for a future court date. Interesting statistics in the Huron County OPP year-to-date Impaired/ Over 80 Charges data: (Actual numbers are in parentheses) 85% (29) of the charged drivers were male 76% (26) of the charged drivers were from Huron County 68% (23) of the stops took place during daylight hours (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) 62% (21) of the drivers charged were stopped in rural areas. 38% (13) of drivers charged were between the ages of 16 to 29. Of particu- lar note, six (6) of those driv- ers were under the age of 22 (Young Drivers that are sub- ject to a Zero Blood Alcohol Concentration). 33% (11) of drivers were between the ages of 30 to 49 and 26 % (9) were between the ages of 50 to 69. 15% (5) of the drivers charged were involved in motor vehicle collisions Source: Huron County OPP clintonnewsrecord.com MUNICIPALITY OF BLUEWATER NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN SERVICING STUDY (COMMUNITY OF BAYFIELD) AND MAIN STREET RECONSTRUCTION PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE The Municipality of Bluewater recently developed a Stormwater Servicing Master Plan for the Bayfield settlement area. The plan provided recommendations for a stormwater servicing strategy that will be implemented in phases within the established areas of Bayfield, as well as recommending best practises and strategies for addressing stormwater servicing within future development areas of the community. The first project identified through the Master Plan was the reconstruction of historic Main Street, including upgraded stormwater drainage and streetscape. A public information session is planned to present details on the Master Plan and the proposed Main Street design. Representatives of the Municipality and the Project Engineers will be in attendance. DATE: Wednesday June 10, 2015 LOCATION: Bayfield Community Centre TIME: 7:00 pm — 8:30 pm PRESENTATION: 7:30 -pm iva— —, rlrc7c BUJEWATER Wednesday, May 27, 2015 • News Record 3 It was another Super Sunday at Clinton Raceway this weekend. The weather cooperated and crowds were treated to a great afternoon card of live harness racing. Race 10 featured a racing under saddle event, with local Natalie Elliott taking mount on the one horse, Lexus Hawkeye. The two lead off of the gate to the half mile marker, loosing ground to race winner Truth in Action and rider/trainer/owner Karen Isbell all the way from California. " c.. ....- rr - i Trevor Henry put on driving clinic with five wins, two second place finishes and a third in race four. It began for local owner/trainer George McClure in race one with a win for Missus Big in a gate to wire victory, and wrapped up with Wildcat Art in race nine of the day. Henry returns this Sunday May 31 for the 35th Annual Charity Driver's Challenge, competing against some of the best in the industry. The Royal Canadian Legion Fundraiser will consist of a Pineridge Chicken BBQ, silent auction and 50/50 draw. Tickets can be purchased from Clinton Raceway, or the Clinton Legion Branch and members. For more information please visit www.clintonraceway.com Lives All Sommer L°wg NORSE R4CIIG SUNDAY MAY 31 3 ;. •0 ,„„ P� BBQ Chicken Dinner $10 from eac ticket sold benefits the Royal Canadian Legion Branch your ticket was purchased from. A Royal Canadian Legion Fundraiser Clinton RacewayPresents11,1 Silent Auction su--nro�Y Asx 50/50 draw ! every live race day in the 2015 season! -� 147 Beech St. CLINTON 519.482.1678 r a c e w a y clintonraceway.com