Two Ontario men face charges after alleged immigration fraud at Lambton College
BRIEFLY: Forest’s Case becomes new general manager for Blenheim Blades
May 8, 2026
Barry Wright/The Independent
Forest resident Brett Case is the new general manager of the PJHL’s Blenheim Blades. He was hired after a season as assistant general manager with the Chatham Maroons. Case, born and raised in Watford, serves as the general manager of the Alvinston Killer Bees and he will continue in that role.
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Plympton-Wyoming’s Pat Verbeek and his Anaheim Ducks have advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a series-clinching win over the Edmonton Oilers last week.
The Ducks are tied 1-1 in their second round series against the Vegas Golden Knights after both teams secured 3-1 wins in Vegas.
Game three is on Friday night at 9:30 in Anaheim.
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Belle Stewart and Caelin Podolinsky scored for LCCVI in its 2-1 win over the Panthers at John McGregor in senior girls’ AA soccer April 30. The Lancers opened the season with a 1-nil win over North Lambton.
The Eagles evened its record at 1-1 by a 2-nil home field win over Wallaceburg April 30. Jenna Marsh and Lainie Rintoul scored for North Lambton.
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Kostia Voronko scored three times and Owen Tremaine added a pair of goals to lead North Lambton to a season-opening, 6-nil win at LCCVI in boys’ AA soccer. Ryder Maness also scored the Eagles and Brennan Stanlake earned the clean sheet. North Lambton followed that up with a 1-0 win against Wallaceburg on April 30. The Eagles are now 2-0 on the young season.
Luke Shaw scored twice for LCCVI in a 3-3 draw with the Panthers at John McGregor. Gavin Carver had the other goal for the Lancers who are now a loss and a draw in a pair of contests.
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LCCVI is now 1-1 in LKSSAA girls’ rugby action following a 20-nil win over Northern last week.
The regular season continues to May 21. Playoffs begin the following week.
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Josh Manning’s fourth goal of the contest late in the third period and Courtright’s Austin Dalgety made 63 saves to lead the Point Edward Pacers to an 11-9 win over Hamilton in OLA Junior B lacrosse on Sunday.
Oil Springs’ Jack Stephenson also scored for Pacers. He also scored for the Pacers in an 8-6 win over Owen Sound May 2.
The Pacers take on Regals in Guelph Friday before going head-to-head with the Welland Raiders in a home-and-home series. The Pacers entertain the Raiders on Saturday at 7 pm.
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The Western Counties baseball season is scheduled to open Saturday at Van Damme Park in Port Lambton on Saturday. The junior Pirates host the Wyoming Jr. Cowboys at 5 p.m.
Petrolia, Wyoming, Corunna, Port Lambton, Dresden and Chatham will play as senior squads this season while Chatham will also field a junior team. The teams will also play exhibition contests against the Sarnia Brigade 22u’s.
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Mooretown’s St. Clair Current swim team won three overall championship trophies and a trio of three-place trophies at the SEAL league championship last week in Chatham. Leah Stephens, Jenah Stephens and Parker Leckie won age-group titles while Whitney Wilson, Izabella Lloyd and Nathaniel Kusnir captured third-place trophies.
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The recently formed Lambton Lions collegiate wrestling club won six medals, including a gold, two silvers and three bronze medals at the Ontario Senior Open wrestling championships at Lambton College last weekend.
Griffin Wittliff won the men’s 97-kilo final with a victory over fellow Lion Kelso Jennings.
Jenni Bershatsky captured silver in her weight class while Watford’s Devynn Manning, LCCVI’s Eduardo Olaya and Maggie McKenzie all won bronze medals.
Meantime, Howard Moffatt and Vito Salamanca both had second-place finishes in their weight classes wrestling for the Sarnia Bluewater club. Abhimanyu Chadha was third in his class.
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Front Page
Two Ontario men face charges after alleged immigration fraud at Lambton College
July 10, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was edited July 10 to include comments from the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Two men are facing immigration and criminal charges after Lambton College tipped authorities off about a student immigration scam. College officials called the Canada Border Services Agency in February 2025, about students who had dealt with immigration consultants.
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Front Page
OPP look for missing Crime Stoppers sign in Thedford
July 9, 2026
The Independent It may not be a good sign for Crime Stoppers. Lambton OPP were called to the intersection of Highway 70 and Arkona Road after a large Crime Stoppers sign at the entrance of the community was stolen. It’s valued at $800. Police are investigating, adding if you have tip about the stolen Crime Stoppers’ sign, you can call
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Front Page
Whoops: Local plowing match officials back track, confirms Brigden will host 2027 IPM after all
July 9, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent The Lambton 2027 International Plowing Match Committee says they were wrong; the 2027 event will be in Brigden. A local committee landed the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in April 2025. The group attracted hundreds of volunteers and planning was well underway. In late May, Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) officials came to Brigden, working with the
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Front Page
Integrity Commissioner dismisses complaint against Dennis’ ‘woke’ art tirade
July 9, 2026
The Independent The Integrity Commissioner says a Sarnia councillor’s comments about an Indigenous mural at City Hall were “a political argument” and has dismissed the complaint. In March, Sarnia unveiled a mural depicting the relationship between Sarnia-Lambton and The Council of Three Fires Confederacy; the Ojibway, Odawa, and Potawatomi people. The project included the $5,000 mural, a new wall honouring
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