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Heather Wright/The Independent There will be fewer drives to Sarnia for blood work for Petrolia residents. Bluewater Health says the lab at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital will reopen April 22, even though the computer problems which prompted the closure in October have not yet been resolved. The outpatient lab was closed in the wake of the Oct. 23 cyber attack

Heather Wright/The Independent There wasn’t total darkness in Lambton County, however many people stopped to take in what experts call a once-in-a-lifetime event – a full solar eclipse. The path of totality – when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun – passed over densely populated parts of Canada, Mexico and

MP pushing feds for funding for waste water treatment expansion to keep the township in the mix Heather Wright/The Independent Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu says St. Clair Township is in the running for an electric vehicle battery plant. She says in order to “stay in the game” for the $3 billion investment, the township needs federal and provincial help to

Heather Wright/The Independent The Bergsmas dream is finally reality. The Dawn-Euphemia family is accepting bookings in May for Three Oaks Cabin – a respite centre designed for farmers and first responders. Diane and her husband, Al, and their family have been working on the project since the death by suicide of their son, Dalles. The young farmer and volunteer firefighter

The Independent Cameron Street in Corunna will be getting a bike path after all. Two weeks ago, St. Clair Township councillors questioned the need for dedicated bike paths and set the project aside. Monday, Councillor Pat Brown renewed his objection to the idea saying the street wasn’t wide enough. However staff said there was room for a 1.5 meter bike

Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley wants to go for a walk with you. The mayor is hosting “Walk with the Mayor” every Thursday night at 6 pm starting May 23 until June 27. If running is more your style, the CAO is hosting a running group at the same time. Rick Charlebois says it is part of the town’s effort to

Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative Lambton Kent District School Board will be selling a learning center in Chatham to help cover its deficit. The public board is facing a $1,781,000 deficit. Associate Director Brian McKay told trustees March 26 selling the John N. Given Learning Centre allows the school board to deal with its deficit pressures without impacting students. The public

Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative The Wanstead Co-op officially turns 100 April 7. It was on this date in 1924, the Wanstead Farmers’ Co-operative Company was established. But a group of farmers in the community had been working together to keep costs down long before that. The process to form the cooperative began on Jan. 24, 1924 when a meeting was

Brennan Feasey’s overtime goal lifted the Alvinston Killer Bees to a 3-2 win in the first game of the Western Ontario Super Hockey League final against the Thunder in Tillsonburg. TMitch Fitzmorris drew first blood for Tillsonburg at 5:28 in the first. Justin Abraham then lifted the Thunder to a 2-0 lead late in the second. But with just one

Southwestern Ontario hospitals have finally been able to pinpoint whose information was stolen Oct. 23 Bluewater Health CEO Paula Reaume Zimmer says about 82,000 patients had confidential health information stolen in the October cyber attack which crippled hospital systems. On Oct. 23, hospitals across southwestern Ontario who receive IT services from Transform Shared Services were the subject of a cyber

And they’re off. The provincial government says voters in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex will choose a new Member of Provincial Parliament May 2. The seat became vacant when long-serving Conservative MPP and Cabinet Minister Monte McNaughton stepped down in September to take a job with Woodbine Entertainment. Four of the five parties have chosen their candidates for the byelection. Chatham-Kent Councillor Steve Pinsonneault

A deal to re-use the now vacant Scotia Bank building in downtown Petrolia is close. When the bank announced it was closing the 112 year-old branch in November, Mayor Brad Loosley expressed interest in having the building turned over to the municipality. Loosley tells The Independent negotiations have been ongoing and an announcement could be coming this spring. “It’s been