John Best

With Doug Ford about to visit the Lieutenant Governor later today to dissolve the legislature the government is pushing funding announcements out the door. Among the announcements is funding for three elementary schools in Hamilton, including a new high school in Binbrook and expansion of elementary schools in Stoney Creek and Hamilton.

On a given day, Hamilton Police are only able to deal with 72 percent of the calls for service they receive. That was one of the key statistics provided by Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen as he defended his request for a 5.7 percent increase in the service's 2025 budget. The service is forecasting a $227 Million budget for the coming year. The $6.57 capital budget includes the rollout of body-worn cameras.

The epidemic of smash-and-grab jewellery store holdups continues. The most recent one happened Monday the Arain jewelry store located in the Burlington Centre Mall.

A 16-year-old female driver has dies following a head-on collision in Niagara Falls early Monday evening. Niagara Police say the 16-year-old female was driving a gray Hyandai Accent westbound on Thorold Stone Road when she met a 32-year-old was operating a black Chevrolet Cruz eastbound on Thorold Stone Road. The 16-year-old female lost control of […]

In the area's fourth smash-and-grab jewel store heist this month, Hamilton Police were able to make an arrest thanks to Security staff and Limeridge Mall patrons. Things unfolded shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, when four suspects armed with hammers attended Peoples Jewelers inside CF Lime Ridge Mall . The suspects used their hammers to smash display cases and steal jewelry, moments later all four fled the mall on foot. Two of the suspects were unable to reach their getaway vehicle before it sped away, stranding both in the parking lot. Both stranded suspects began running through the parking lot as mall security and citizens provided crucial, real-time updates to Police dispatchers. Officers were able to arrest a youth from Toronto amid the fracas, in large part due to the help from the community. Hamilton Police recovered jewelry and clothing linked to the suspects as part of the search of the area.

The Healthy and safe communities division of the City of Hamilton covers a wide range of tasks—from fire and EMS through social assistance programs and public health to recreation.

As if smash and grab jewel robberies aren't already making shopping an adventure for residents, Hamilton Police have now made an arrest after a bear spray incident shut down the Walmart on Upper James for a brief period on Tuesday.

At the end of the day the outcome was unchanged and as a result Kojo Damptey is the NDP standard-bearer in the Hamilton Mountain riding. After the Tuesday nomination meeting it was announced that Damptey had secured the nomination, but in a later memo to NDP members, Provincial Director Kevin Beaulieu said some ineligible people had voted and with them removed, Damptey fell short of the necessary 50 percent to secure the nomination. A runoff vote was held yesterday and Damptey's candidacy was confirmed. Still, the incident showed the continuing signs of Hamilton NDP ranks being riven with factions—apparently triggered by the news that NDP leader Marit Stiles had decided not to reinstate Sarah Jama as the Hamilton Centre Candidate. Hamilton District Labour Council president Anthony Marco posted a tweet that attempted to link the Damptey nomination hiccup and Jama's ouster.

The Halton District School Board, in partnership with Special Olympics Ontario (SOO), will host a Sports Festival on Feb. 4, 5 and 6 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Milton Velodrome (2015 Pan Am Blvd, Milton) for hundreds of HDSB elementary students with special education needs.

Hamilton's Integrity commissioner made short work of an anonymous complaint against Councillor John Paul Danko. It took the IC just nine days to dismiss a complaint that Danko had falsely maligned Councillor Cameron Kroetsch in an exchange of social media posts. The posting followed Danko's tabling a motion that called for Council to cut off funding to any community organization that has been involved in advising encampment residents to refuse shelter accommodation. The issue arose from Mr. Justice Ramey's decision that paved the way for dismantling encampments in Hamilton Parks. Ramsey referred to the testimony of a city employee who said he had observed activist groups urging encampment residents to refuse shelter. The exchange that was subject of the latest complaint to the Integrity Commissioner follows.