Take a look at the most reads stories of week nine of 2015:
5 Johnson wants to put halt to city council catering, taxi delivery
Rebecca Johnson doesn’t want her fellow councillors to go hungry – but she doesn’t want taxpayers to foot the food bill.
Johnson on Friday said city hall spent $12,757 providing meals at various council meetings in 2014, $399 more than it spent in 2013. On average the meals, meant for 12 council members, the mayor and three members of administration, cost $330.
The veteran at-large councillor, who said she does not eat the catered meals, also takes issue with the city’s practice of delivering additional material to some councillors via taxi, sometimes several times a week, depending on the number of meetings held.
According to figures Johnson obtained from the city clerk’s office, taxi delivery cost $4,803.05 in 2014, up from $4,127.15 the year prior. The city courier typically delivers agenda material to councillors on Thursdays ahead of the weekly Monday meetings.
The clerk’s office told Johnson the taxi costs represent the delivery of extra material required by council. The average cost of delivery to all councillors requiring the service is $140.
4 Thunder Bay woman arrested, accused of trying to smuggle drugs on airplane
Provincial police have arrested a woman allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into northern communities.
It’s the second time in less than a week that the Sioux Lookout detachment of the OPP has made this kind of drug bust.
Police say they acted on information they received that a woman would be transporting narcotics through the Sioux Lookout airport.
Officers located and arrested a 34-year-old woman.
The accused woman was allegedly in possession of cocaine and prescription pills, destined for the North.
3 Waterfront contractors claim to be owed more than $1.4 million: Documents
Contractors working on the waterfront hotel and condominium projects claim they are owed nearly $1.5 million, documents show.
Manshield Construction registered a $1.45 million lien signed Jan. 27 on property set to house an eight-storey, 150-room hotel. The company built the foundations, parkade and part of the superstructure.
It claims work and materials between March 1, 2013 and Dec. 24, 2014 have not been paid for. The lien names 1876030 ONTARIO and T.B. Properties. Coastal Steel registered a $132,333 lien on the property Feb. 20.
That lien names the same owners plus Manshield Construction. It's contract is for $1.1 million to install structural steel for the hotel.
The money owed is for services and material that have already been supplied between Sept. 2, 2014 and Jan. 29, 2015.
Vector Construction has a $70,820 lien against property for one of the condominiums, which names 2353267 ONTARIO, Aurora Condominiums and Manshield. Also registered Feb. 20 The company has a $300,540 contract to supply masonry including concrete blocks, bricks and other material for the condo's exterior wall.
The lien is for work and material supplied between Aug. 30, 2014 and Jan. 9, 2015.
2 Woman robbed at ATM, boyfriend recovers cash and bank card
A 27-year-old woman faces robbery-related charges after a robbery at a north-side automated teller machine.
Thunder Bay Police say a 20-year-old woman was withdrawing cash late Sunday afternoon at TD Bank’s Dawson Street location when the suspect approached her, threatened her with a syringe and demanded cash.
The suspect fled with the money and the victim’s bank card, but was stopped by the victim’s boyfriend who recovered both the money and the card before the suspect fled the scene.
Police were called and located the suspect on Piccadilly Avenue and Sydney Street a few minutes later.
Ashley Hoard appeared in court on Monday morning and has been remanded into custody.
1 Tsekouras found guilty
John Tsekouras has been found guilty on all eight counts he faced in a drug trafficking trial and could spend up to 16 years in jail.
After 53 sitting days in court, John Harry Tsekouras, 40, was convicted on four of the eight counts Thursday at the Thunder Bay Courthouse. The other four counts were conditionally stayed.
Justice John Wright convicted the accused of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and marijuana and trafficking cocaine and marijuana in connection to events that occurred between June 11 and 16, 2011.
Tsekouras was charged and arrested in April 2012 as part of Project Dolphin – an extensive undercover operation conducted by the city police, OPP, RCMP and Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service that resulted in the arrest of 14 other people.
Much of the details of this case have been hidden from the public via a publication ban, but the judge lifted that order Thursday after he delivered his verdict.
Justice Wright said his decision was based on evidence that included text messages sent and received by a Blackberry that was seized from Tsekouras when he was arrested.
