News

Copy by Lawrence Zwer

The weather could still be the news this Family Day, with a 40 percent chance of flurries as we dig out from the weekend. I’ll have more in the weather, after the sports.
If you’re wondering what’s closed this Holiday Monday, here’s a recap. Always good to look online or give places a call, though, as there were many closures due to the storm. All government offices and banks are closed, as are the Beer Store and LCBO. Local libraries are also closed. But, there will be no changes to garbage and recycling pick-up schedules in Prince Edward County.

If you’re looking for some fun things to do with the family today other than shovelling or sledding, the Wellington and Picton Community Centres will have skating 9am – 3pm sponsored by the Wellington Rec Committee and the Prince Edward County Professional Firefighters Association Local 2745, respectively. The County Museums at Macaulay House will also have programming from noon to 3. And our Wellington Dukes will be travelling to the Duncan Memorial Gardens in Trenton for a 1.30pm game today if you feel like a short trip to see the boys take on the Golden Hawks.

Turning to politics, Ontario’s four major party leaders will take part in a live studio debate tonight, starting at 6.30pm. PC Leader Doug Ford, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner will take part in the second and last debate of the campaign, which is hosted by the CBC, but will be broadcast across local channels through 8pm. Just a reminder that voting day is only 10 days away, and if you can’t make it on the 27th, you do have options to vote early. You can vote at the main riding office at 71 Adam Street in Belleville up to 6pm on February 26th. And from February 20th to the 22nd, you can vote locally 10am-8pm at the Ameliasburgh Town Hall, the Picton Community Centre, and the Wellington Community Centre.

In international news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled yesterday, that he was moving ahead with Donald Trump’s proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, calling it “the only viable plan to enable a different future” for the region. Netanyahu discussed the plan with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who kicked off a Middle East visit by endorsing Israel’s war aims in Gaza, saying Hamas “must be eradicated.” That created further doubt around the shaky ceasefire as talks on its second phase are yet to begin. Rubio, in his upcoming stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is likely to face more pushback from Arab leaders over Trump’s proposal, which includes redeveloping Gaza under U.S. ownership. Netanyahu has said all emigration from Gaza should be “voluntary,” but rights groups and other critics say that the plan amounts to coercion given the territory’s vast destruction.

Sticking with Rubio, the Secretary of State said yesterday that Ukraine and Europe would be part of any “real negotiations” to end Moscow’s war against Ukraine, signaling that U.S. talks with Russia this week were a chance to see how serious Russian President Vladimir Putin is about peace. America’s top diplomat played down European concerns of being cut out of the initial talks between Russia and the US set to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. In an interview with CBS, Rubio said a negotiation process had not yet begun in earnest, and if talks advanced, the Ukrainians and other Europeans would be brought into the fold.

Sports

As I said in the news, the Wellington Dukes are making the short trip to the Duncan Memorial Gardens in Trenton to take on the Golden Hawks. Puck drop is at 1.30.

The Belleville Senators are also in action this afternoon, facing the Utica Comets at CAA Arena at 3pm.

The Great American Race, the Daytona 500, kicked off the Nascar season yesterday afternoon. Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron overcame a 3 and a half hour rain delay and last lap accidents that catapulted the driver from 9th to first, for his second consecutive victory at the biggest event in Nascar’s season. The victory is Hendrick Motorsports 10th at the race, putting them one ahead of Petty Enterprises.