Members of Occupy Kingston will have a few options when it comes to using a public space for meetings in the near future.

A staff information report going to the Arts, Recreation and Community Policies Committee tonight, says there are rooms currently available at the Invista Centre, Artillery Park and the Memorial Centre.

Staff reveal that the York Street site may not be a good option as it isn’t “move-in ready”–the space needs to be renovated, and that could cost the city about $5,000. Proposed improvements include painting, carpeting and phone lines.

Neither of the available spaces have been secured for Occupy Kingston, nor are they being exclusively held for the non-for-profit group.

No decision will be made tonight on the issue, as city staff plan to wait for councillors to make a recommendation.

The ARC committee will also discuss therevitalization of Doug Fluhrer Park tonight.

A motion on the agenda recommends staff gauge residents on the issue, asking the public to share their vision on what improvements should be made to the waterfront park.

Staff are also being advised to consult with local businesses and organizations, such as Cycle Kingston, the Downtown BIA and Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour, on the proposed plan.

The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario will appoint a Kingston man and 26 other Ontarians to the province’s highest honour today.

The honourable David Onley will invest Arthur McDonald with the Order of Ontario at Queen’s Park in Toronto this afternoon.

McDonald, a respected physicist,led the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory scientific team whose discoveries changed the basic understanding of physics.

A security threat, and alleged ‘bomb scare’ forced the evacuation of a Kingston court this morning where closing arguments were scheduled in the Shafia family murder trial.

Kingston Police confirm that Frontenac County Court House was evacuated this morning so police could search the building, and intense security was added to ensure the safety of the building.

The Kingston jury is scheduled to hear today closing arguments from the prosecution. The trial is slated to resume at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon and could go into the evening.

The Crown alleges Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Yahya and their adult son Hamed planned to kill Shafia’s three daughters and his first wife, for dishonouring the family.

The bodies of the four women were found June 30th, 2009, in a car in the Kingston Mills Locks where the Montreal family had stopped on their way back from a trip to Niagara Falls.

The lawyer for the estranged wife of convicted killer Russell Williams says they will take their case to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mary Jane Binks, an Ottawa lawyer representing Williams’ wife, had argued that opening up the divorce proceedings would cause her client more harm than she has already experienced. 

On Tuesday, Ontario’s top court struck down a sweeping publication ban on their divorce proceedings.

However, it will remain in effect for 14 days, giving the former colonel’s wife time to appeal the decision.

The ban, imposed by a lower court judge, forbids the publication of Williams’ wife name, address, employer, income and medical information.

It also covers a deal the couple signed about six weeks after Williams was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two eastern Ontario women.

Parking and pedestrian safety concerns at Hotel Dieu Hospital have made their way to Kingston City Hall.

Tonight, city council will review a staff report recommending the city begin discussions with the hospital on potentially expanding the amount of parking at the Brock Street site.

The recommendation also requires a $50,000 budget for analysis of the parking issue.

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An information report detailing the costs to reconstruct the 14 speed humps on Rideau Street and Queen Mary Road will go to city council tonight.

The staff report states the city paid half the bill–about $25,000, while the other half was covered by the contractor.

During budget deliberations in November of last year, staff informed councillors that the contractor would cover the entire cost, but according to the report, that was incorrect.

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City council will vote this evening on extending the noise exemption for the Power Play Centre.

Staff say the facility on Gardiners Road only received 10 noise complaints last summer, mostly dealing with shouting, yelling, loud music and the banging of hockey sticks and boards.

Under the noise exemption, the Power Play Centre cannot blow whistles or sound buzzers between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday to Saturday or on Sundays from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m.

The recommendation also asks that the facility provide area neighbours with two weeks notice of when a hockey tournament is scheduled.