Oktoberfest-geist celebrated by all: It was party time on the weekend as about 8,000 people converged on Ladysmith for the 14th annual Oktoberfest. From the giant pumpkin contest to the parade, party-goers, some dressed in the traditional leiderhausen, enjoyed themselves.

Adventurers challenge Mother Nature: They came to challenge Mother Nature in the backwoods of Fort Coulonge but many could not withstand the harshness of her disciplines. More than 250 competitors, support crews, family, film crews and curious on-lookers participated in

Hector Soucie stepping down: After 33 years on municipal council, 30 years as mayor, Hector Soucie is stepping down. Soucie says he made his decision in early June and after discussing it with family and friends, was certain he was

Farmers can’t bear crop damage: “It looks like a 747 justed landed in your field,” the American hunter drawls in his heavy southern accent. Indeed that’s what Chris Judd’s corn fields look like. Acres and acres of the crop are

The greatest fair on earth: The Shawville Fair again reaped a bountiful harvest as 34,000 people passed through the gates on their way to turning the annual event into a huge success. “It was our second-best year ever,” says Mavis

Major summer star in Norway Bay: The phone lines were humming with the news: a country music star is staying at a cottage in Norway Bay. Someone said they saw the singer/songwriter with his wife and their two young sons

Chapeau Fair reaches 125th with vigor: The 125th annual Chapeau Fair ranks as one of the best in recent memory, say fair organizers. A combination of sunshine and new events, including a kids’ midway contributed to the four-day fair’s success.

Clinic attracts nearly 170 donors: When Marcienne Asselin gave a pint of blood at the Campbell’s Bay R.A. Hall last week, it was her first donation in about 15 years. Watching her husband die of cancer last March spurred the

Scare bears spook horses, vehicle hit: Three bears, a mother and her two cubs happened upon a team of Belgian horses pulling a wagon that was going down Thorne Lake Road on the way to the children’s picnic at Thorne

Sludge stench fouls moods of Wesley Road residents: A pile of sludge in Clarendon is creating a smell similar to that of dead carcasses and nearby residents have had enough. “I’ve never smelled anything so bad and I’m 61 years