Judy Bergen, 12, left, held the launcher while Sophie Neudorf, 6, stomped on the “button” (a two-litre pop bottle full of air) to send her bottle rocket into the air during a crafts workshop for children outside Aylmer Old Town Hall Library on Thursday, July 24. In behind helping with the launch was library assistant Mary Wiebe. On top of…

Central Elgin councillors on Monday, July 21, gave the nod to rezoning for a light industrial park on vacant land at 143 Borden Ave. in Belmont. That’s on the south side, behind a former Borden plant that’s been converted to other industrial and commercial uses. Height of the buildings in it is to be restricted to a single storey. The…

Two lightning strikes during an overnight thunderstorm damaged a pair of Aylmer homes in the early morning hours of July 23. Aylmer Fire Chief Sam Taylor said 16 volunteer firefighters responded to the first lightning strike at 4:30 a.m. to a home on John Street South. Electrical wires were downed and minimal damage was caused to the home. Eleven firefighters…

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has delivered a submission to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director in their review of Ontario Provincial Police practices for obtaining voluntary DNA samples. The review stems from a Justicia for Migrant Workers complaint that was filed with the OIPRD relating to the OPP investigation into a violent sexual assault to a Vienna…

A woman who was the passenger in a dark grey Chevrolet Impala was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Imperial Road and Lyons Line north of Aylmer on Tuesday afternoon, July 22. The two occupants of the white Chrysler 200 were uninjured. The driver of the…

Malahide Mayor David Mennill and Deputy Mayor Jim Jenkins insisted Thursday, July 17, that spending $11.75-million for a new Elgin County administration centre, including museum, archives and provincial offences court, is better than replacing Terrace Lodge, where residents are two to a bedroom and four to a washroom. Mayor Mennill told fellow township councillors that renovating the existing county administration building south…

William Ropchan, 8, left, Cecelia Lunn, 5, Tim Flikkema, 8, and Mason Lunn, 8, attached a switch to the robot arm they were constructing during a Mad Science workshop at the Belmont Library on Tuesday, July 22. Twenty-five children aged 5 to 12 participated in the workshop that was offered in the library’s lower level.

A reported stolen pickup truck struck a hydro pole south of Aylmer early Sunday morning, July 20 which resulted in a power outage for many residents in the area. Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police Constable Troy Carlson said a grey 2004 Ford pickup truck was travelling south on Imperial Road at Sparta Line at 2:57 a.m. when it crossed into…

Tillsonburg Shrine Club Past President Don Mulholland was selling tickets outside No Frills north of Aylmer on Monday afternoon, July 21 for the organization’s annual pork barbecue that doubled as a draw for a 2014 Ford Mustang valued at about $32,000. Tickets for the barbecue and draw, that will be held at the Tillsonburg Community Centre on Wednesday, Aug. 20…

Straffordville Community Centre was closed on Friday morning, July 18 after Bayham officials found out from an engineering firm that the interior ceiling was no longer safe for occupancy. The recently renamed community centre would remain closed while the interior ceiling is replaced. It is anticipated that work will be completed by Nov. 1 when the hall will reopen for…