Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement residing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay that are 62 years of age to 64 years of age are advised that frozen musk ox meat will be available today, Friday, July 15, 2022.

Musk ox is pick up only and can be picked up at the College of North Atlantic south end parking lot starting at 9am.

One meal per household will be provided.

For more information, you can contact the Deputy Minister of Education and Economic Development, Tim McNeil by calling 896-8582 or email him at tim.mcneil@nunatsiavut.com.

The Summer Projects for this year has started in the community of Postville.

Glenn Shepperd is the AngajukKâk for their Inuit Community Government.

He says the first one is the continuation of their guide railing and replacement of new and larger coverts.

They have 90% of it done and will have their crew to try and complete it this year.

Shepperd adds that another project that they have on the go is the use of the semi-dumps, which started on June 30th.

Click here to find out more on their projects.

Today is the second day of the 22nd annual Fun in the Sun Festival in Postville.

Jacqueline Harris is the Acting Recreation Director.

Yesterday, the community did some activities at the Fair playing some balloon darts, basket toss and other different activities from 1pm to 4pm.

There was supposed to be a community BBQ sponsored by Vale but it postponed to a later date due to weather issues.

Infants ages zero to five years of age had a dance at 7pm and children ages 6 to 11 years had their dance at 8pm.

Today, July 14, 2022, there was a Minute to Win it at 1pm for anyone 12 years of age and older.

At 5pm will be the community potluck.

The Department of Health and Social Development will be hosting a nutrition bingo starting at 6:30pm.

We’ll keep track of the schedule for the Fun in the Sun Festival to keep you all updated

Today is the fourth day of the 16th Annual Rhubarb Festival in the community of Hopedale.

Seniors had an Elders’ Social from 12 to 1pm.

There will be different activities for children ages 12 and under at the Centre between 2 to 4pm.

At 4:30pm, Vale will go ahead with the Community BBQ held at the Nanuk Centre.

The UjagaKutit Recreation Committee will be hosting a Giant Bingo at the Centre with early bird cards and other bingo cards available. Doors will open at 5pm, and bingo starting at 6pm.

We will have the schedule for day 5 of the Rhubarb Festival tomorrow.

The incidence of COVID-19 in Newfoundland & Labrador is expected to spike and with the emergence of the new BA-5 sub-variant of Omicron, Chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says hospitalizations are expected to increase as well.

Four new deaths were reported yesterday, with three hospitalizations and 68 new confirmed cases.

Fitzgerald says the new sub-variant is better at evading the protection provided by vaccines and the immunity provided by previous infections.

Masks remain an effective form of protection against the spread.

That said, Fitzgerald says vaccine remain the best protection against serious illness due to COVID-19 and with that in mind, the province will begin offering second booster doses of the COVID vaccine to anyone 50 plus starting next Wednesday.

Fitzgerald says people may wish to wait until the fall to get their second booster, as doses better designed to fight Omicron are expected to be available. She says people should weigh their own personal risk and make the decision accordingly.

Isolation guidelines of seven days are still in effect for anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Nain fish plant is doing good in getting their char landings.

Deidi Kohlmeister is the Supervisor of the plant.

She says three char licensed fishermen are now fishing.

A total of 2,213 lbs of char has been landed and the scallop fishery is not doing too good.

A total of 428 lbs of green scallops have been landed, and 24 lbs shucked meats.

Kohlmeister says there are 15 plant workers hired who clean char and shuck scallops.

The fish plant in Makkovik is busy with snow crabs landed.

Angel Chaulk is the Clerk of the plant.

She says a total of 44,841 lbs of snow crab has been landed.

Chaulk added there are 32 plant workers hired and 4 snow crab long liners fishing.

We will be getting the fish landings once a week on Thursdays, starting today.

Prices at the pumps went up slightly across Newfoundland and Labrador overnight Thursday, June 14.

The Public Utilities Board announced an increase of up to 6.1 cents per litre setting the cost of regular unleaded self-serve gasoline to $2.017 on the Avalon Peninsula.

Diesel increased by up to 1.0 cents per litre, while furnace oil increased by .82 cents per litre.

Stove heating oil increased by .82 cents.

Propane, however, decreased by 0.90 cents per litre.

The next scheduled price change is Thursday, July 21.

The Nunatsiavut Assembly Sitting was held in Hopedale on July 4th, 2022.

We spoke with Bryan Winters the speaker of Ordinary Member for the Constituency of Canada.

He says during the one day sitting, President Johannes Lampe appointed the new First Minister of Education and Economic Development and sworn-in George Gear of Postville.

Click here to find out more about the Nunatsiavut Assembly Sitting.

The Employment Readiness & Technology Development Program is on their third week of training with SmartICE.

Rex Holwell Jr. is the Northern Production lead.

He says there are four youth and two interns doing the training program.

So far, the youth have been taught first aid, siku training, learning skills like communication, resumes and job searching, along with online WHMIS and Hazardous & Awareness training.

Next week, they will be taught how to assemble the SmartBUOYS.

Holwell Jr. says at the end of the program, there will be an open house open to the public to see what the four trainees were doing in the six-week program.

Memorial University research is part of a National examine effectiveness to anti-vial medications on COVID-19.

Part of the aim of the research, which is funding by the Federal Government, is to improve long term outcomes, and to prevent death and serious illness including long COVID.

MUN Research Team Lead Dr. Peter Daley, said their project is focused on follow-up care with patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

He said the project will focus on out-patient therapy, that is, tablets that will be provided to patients with mild COVID-19 to prevent them from entering hospital.

The current therapy used in Canada for people with greater risk of serious disease or death is Paxlovid, but questions remain about the efficacy in people who are vaccinated. Molnupiravir is another therapy available, but there are multiple drug interactions involved. Dr. Daley said they will be looking at both drugs.

Both drugs are on the market, but at very early stage of their development because of the urgency created by the pandemic. He said more work is needed to collect good quality scientific evidence to be confident that they’re safe and effective, which is part of the work that his team will be exploring.