Kingston news in review, September 3-September 9 2018

This week marked the beginning of the school season and, with it, all that the return of several thousand students into the city entails. This week also sadly ended a long stretch, since March of 2017 according to Kingston Police, without a homicide in the city. We were happy to report that several missing people were found, safe and sound. Here’s a recap of these and other major stories that caught Kingstonians’ attention the most this past week:

1. Kingston experienced its first homicide of 2018 this week with an early morning shooting at the west-end motel Kozy Inn. Kingston Police and Frontenac Paramedics responded quickly, but 39-year-old Jean-Guy Vincent succumbed to his wounds. 19-year-old Aaron James Lewis has been charged with 2nd degree murder.
2. Kingston Police asked for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 12-year-old. The child was found on September 2nd by an alert citizen who had seen the child’s photo via social media reports. She was returned, safe and sound, to her family by police.
3. Both East and West Fairfield Retirement Residences were at first vacated by Kingston Fire & Rescue, and then ordered closed, following reports that the private retirement residences were not adequately staffed and could not be safely evacuated in case of emergency. Reports also emerged that, at times, residents were not being served meals. All residents were relocated successfully by LHIN, though some to areas as far away as Belleville and Brockville, and it was necessary to temporarily move some to hospital rooms at KHSC.
4. Durham Regional Police asked for help locating a missing mother and child from the Durham area. A phone call home and an abandoned vehicle placed them somewhere in the Kingston area. Both mother and daughter were later found, safe and sound, still in Kingston.
5. The influx of Queen’s students at the beginning of the school year got off to a bit of a rocky start, with over 100 charges laid through the new University District Safety Initiative. Students charged under this initiative do not receive a set fine as in previous years, but must instead attend court to answer the charges.