Japanese damage estimate tops $300 billion

TOKYO - Japan estimated the cost of the damage from its devastating earthquake and tsunami could top $300 billion as authorities in Tokyo warned that babies should not be given tap water because of radiation from a crippled nuclear plant.
The first official estimate since the March 11 disaster covers damage to roads, homes, factories and infrastructure, and dwarfs losses from both the 1995 Kobe quake and Hurricane Katrina that swept through New Orleans in 2005.

Drugs and weapons found during traffic stop

London Police stopped a car going the wrong way on King St. and discovered drugs and a pellet gun in the vehicle.
Police pulled over the car on Monday night, and an investigation led to the seizure of 13 grams of heroin, 12 grams of crack cocaine, three grams of crystal methamphetamine, one gram of marijuana and $1,200 cash. Police also found a switchblade knife and a black Beretta replica CO2 pellet air pistol.
Three Toronto men and man from St. Catharine's face charges.

Penn Kemp offers a poem in aftermath of disaster in Japan

London’s Poet Laureate, Penn Kemp believes “in the power of art to shape emotion into action for change, and help, in this case, for Japan.”
To wit, she has offered this poem, “Facing the Epicentre” from her DVD entitled Luminous Entrance, which calls for action to address climate change to view the full poem in the i London app, choose view in browser.


The time has now come when Earth
forces work us over. The day sparks.
How can we stabilize the Earth? When
she quakes, we too tremble in fear and
resentment. (How dare our mother shake
us off, like a bitch come in from the rain?)
Just when we had our lives organized,
our houses arranged the way we like,
our business minded, our minds at ease.
On vacation.
Just then. Foundations heave.
No leg to stand on. Upright is not
an option.
What is happening below the waves?
“When the ocean floor has burbled
cartographers must draw new maps.”
We still tremble on uneven ground.
Dreams caution us to acquiescence,
acceptance, equilibrium. We respond
with surface calm but the network
of nerve trembles with the earth.
Inner and outer hang on a thread.
The North Pole shifting an inch
makes the Earth rounder. May we too
round out our differences.

Door-to-door charity solicitations

 Police are investigating complaints in relation to door-to-door solicitation for charities.
Police have reported that individuals are going door-to-door soliciting funds for charities without the sponsorship or knowledge of those charities.
They are reminding the public to take caution when dealing with unsolicited requests for donations or sales. Residents should take these steps to ensure they ask the right questions:- What is the full name of the charity?- Is the charity a “registered charity”?- If so, what is the charity’s registration number?

Children notified of moms death

Children of a London woman who went missing in November were told of her death Tuesday night.
The body of 30-year-old Therssa Wilson was found on the banks of the Thames River near Chatham.
Wilson's estranged husband Brad Fleming said he broke the news to the couple's two children.
Wilson was last seen leaving the apartment she shared with her boyfriend in the area of Exeter Rd. and Wellington Rd in London on Nov. 24.

Elderly man rescued from under car

A 71-year-old man suffered serious head injuries Wednesday after he was struck and trapped beneath a car.
Emergency crews were called to the scene in downtown Ottawa shortly after 9 a.m.
They found the man wedged completely under the driver's side of the Toyota Camry.
Bystanders rushed to free the man using a car jack to lift the vehicle off him. Firefighters stabilized the vehicle while paramedics pulled him out.
The man remained unconscious en route to hospital, where he remains in serious condition.

Treacherous driving conditions due to storm

Treacherous driving conditions are wreaking havoc on the roads, with London OPP reporting 90 accidents in the west region.
School buses have been cancelled across Middlesex, Oxford and Elgin Counties, but are running in the City of London.

More than 5,000 households in the Aylmer area lost their power.

Motorists can also expect to deal with blowing snow with winds from the east gusting to 60 kilometres per hour.
Temperatures are expected to hold steady near - 2 Celsius.

Dramatic video of boat riding tsunami

The Japanese coast guard released a video on Saturday showing the massive tsunami waves swelling in the sea off the coast of northern Japan, after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck offshore on March 11. To see the video follow the link below.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/video/world-22186928/raw-video-japanese-ship-rides-tsunami-waves-24583397.html#crsl=%252Fvideo%252Fworld-22186928%252Fraw-video-japanese-ship-rides-tsunami-waves-24583397.html

UWO grad still in running to be Charlie Sheen's intern

Phil Pallen, a University of Western Ontario graduate is one of a handful of people who are still in the running to become Charlie Sheen’s social media intern.

22-year-old Pallen is one of the top finalists competing for the position of Charlie Sheen’s intern.

Not bad, considering the field started at 80,000 applicants.
The successful applicant will work with Charlie Sheen and his team on a paid internship this summer. He or she will help with creating and maintaining the “Charlie Sheen brand.”

Body of London woman found

The body of a woman found on the banks of the Thames River near Chatham is a London woman who went missing in November.
London police said the victim is Therssa Wilson of London, who went missing on Nov. 24. She was last seen leaving the apartment she shared with her boyfriend in the area of Exeter Rd. and Wellington Rd in London.
Wilson's body was found on March 16.
Wilson, a 30-year-old mother of two.

Oxford, Middlesex and Elgin county school buses canceled

The following schools are affected:
Middlesex County:
Adelaide – W.G. MacDonald Public School
Caradoc North Public School
Centennial Central Public School
McGillivray Central Public School
Medway High School
Mosa Central Public School
Oxbow Public School
Valleyview Public School
West Nissouri Public School
Westminster Central Public School
Elgin County
Aldborough Public School
New Sarum Public School
Port Stanley Public School
South Dorchester Public School
Southwold Public School
Sparta Public School
Summers’ Corners Public School
Oxford County:
Blenheim Public School
East Oxford Public School
Tollgate Central French Immersion Public School
Zorra Highland Park Public School