Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board is developing a new strategic plan and they want to hear your input.  The school board has opened a web portal for public input on  the third party service ThoughtExchange.  The portal allows people to answer a survey and share their views on what the board’s strategic priorities should be for the next five years.  Anyone who wants to share their thoughts can access the portal through the board’s website.  The website has an explanation of the strategic process and a link to thoughtexchange.    Comments can be posted anytime between now and January 30th.

A Belleville man has landed in hot water after being charged with stunt driving and driving while distracted.  Quinte West OPP first intercepted the driver yesterday afternoon for travelling at 159 km/h in a 110 km/h zone.  When officers approached the vehicle they also discovered that the driver was watching videos on his phone. A 52-year-old man has been charged with stunt driving and for having a display screen visible to the driver.

Former BC Premier Christy Clark announced today that she will not be running to succeed Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Paty.  Clark said she does not feel there is enough time to mount a successful campaign and is concerned that her French language skills are not strong enough.  Clark’s prospects have been hampered by rumours that she once joined the Conservative party.  She said she was never a member of the Conservative Party but did publicly endorsed Jean Charest in the Conservative leadership race in 2022.  However, a Conservative Party spokesperson said their records show she did join.  While several candidates have entered the Liberal Leadership race, the two leading contenders, Chrysta Freeland and Mark Carney, have yet to say if they plan to run.

Some good news for Britain’s Royal family.  Catherine, Princess of Wales, said today that her cancer is in remission.  The 43 year old princess visited the London hospital where she received treatment to thank all the medics and staff there.  She also spent time with other cancer patients at the hospital, and shared the challenges she and her family had faced dealing with her diagnosis. 

The Insurance Bureau of Canada warned today that record claims in 2024 will lead to higher insurance premiums for homeowners this year.  Insurance companies paid out $8.5 billion in 2024, $2 billion more than 2016 the next highest year.   The Bureau blamed climate change and global warming.  Wildfires in western Canada and floods in the Greater Toronto Area were among the climate driven disasters last year that resulted in significant claims.  Along with higher rates, insurers are excluding certain risks from their policies.   Experts recommend paying close attention to any exclusion clauses that might have been added to renewals or included in new policies as well as shopping around for adequate coverage at a reasonable price.

And, if you suffer from Arachnaphobia this is not good news.  A new species of the deadly Funnel web spider has been confirmed in Australia.  The new species, named Atax Christenseni after the man who first identified the spider, is nearly twice as large as it’s dangerous cousin and can deliver even more venom in a single bite.  Spider expert Kane Christensen first discovered the 4 inch arachnid in the early 2000’s near Sidney, Australia and named him Big Boy.  But it has taken this long for scientists to confirm that Big Boy is indeed a different species.  Christensen says spiders like Big Boy wander into homes and can be found in garages or bedrooms.  He does not recommend touching them although there is an anti-venom for those who do get too close.