House explodes in west Kitchener
Four people were injured after a house exploded at 429 Activia Drive in Kitchener on Sunday. Firefighters were called at 11:45 p.m. Investigators have yet to determine what blast was caused by, and are still rummaging through the flattened remains of the house. Power shovels have been brought in to help with the process. No natural gas or methane leaks have been found in the neighbourhood.
Minor damage was also caused to a neighbouring home. Damage has been estimated at $575,000.
Drug dealer on trial
A drug dealer whose home was raided by police in September is now facing trial. Shawn Edmonds, a 37-year-old Kitchener man, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis resin, as well as possession of oxycodone and cocaine for the prupose of trafficking. Along with the drugs, police seized drug-related paraphenalia and equipment, along with case. The sezied drugs were estimated at a value of $13,000. The prosecution is seeking three years in prison for Edmonds. The sentence is scheduled to be decided next month.
Changes to be made to Weber Street signals
Local residents in the Mount Hope area were happy to see regional council vote affirmatively to approve the installation of a push-button crosswalk at Weber and Wilhelm Streets. This will occur when Weber Street is widened to four lanes, which is set to happen before 2014.
Traffic planners disagreed with the vote as the intersection falls short of criteria for this feature.