Crews continue to work around the weather as they assess and attempt to recover a cargo ship that ran aground last weekend near Lark Harbour. Bruce English, senior response officer with the Marine Environmental and Hazards section of the Canadian Coast Guard, said a leak was found in the MSC Baltic III.

RCMP in Bay St. George have issued an arrest warrant for a 54-year-old man.

Paul Torraville is wanted on charges of assault, assault by choking and four counts of failing to comply with release orders.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Paul Torraville is asked to call Bay St. George RCMP at 709-643-2118 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

An iron ore mine in western Labrador is inching closer to becoming a reality, but the project's general manager says the lack of infrastructure and housing in the region may stymie the opportunity altogether.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for the eastern portion of the Avalon Peninsula, however the snowfall should start tapering off this evening.

However, Environment Canada meteorologist David Neil says winds will remain on the gusty side through to tonight.

“So some of that fresh snow may continue to kick around a little bit through a good part of tonight as well.”

By late afternoon, a good 10-15 cm had fallen on the metro region.

He says the metro region is still on track for total accumulations in the range of 15 cm – or more – by the time all is said and done, with greater amounts possible in some areas.

In the meantime, the system will move out overnight and the rest of the weekend is looking tame in comparison, with the possibility of sunshine tomorrow afternoon.

The Royal St. John’s Regatta is adding a new category that will allow non-binary and mixed-gender teams to compete. St. John’s Pride representative Eddy St. Coeur says it’s a move that was needed.

A winter storm shut down much of the Avalon Peninsula Friday afternoon, prompting  early closures organizations and business.

Heavy snow began on the southern Avalon early this morning and by noon it hit the metro region.

Reduced visibility led Memorial University to close its St. John’s campuses for the afternoon. Provincial government offices in metro also closed, as well as St. John’s courts and Sheriff’s Office. K-12 schools were already closed Friday for the winter break.

Visibility was reduced due to a combination of snowfall and strong winds this afternoon, forcing Metrobus off the roads at 3 p.m.

The RCMP on the Avalon continue to advise drivers to avoid all unessential travel on the Trans-Canada Highway due to extremely poor driving conditions.

Upwards of 20 centimetres is expected to fall, ending this evening.

A favourite of radio-listeners for years, the VOCM Mad Dash for the Cash, is coming back to the Avalon Mall.

Qualifiers are given the opportunity to grab up as much “cash” as possible for the chance to win as much as $5,000 in buying power at the mall.

Listeners are encouraged to register online, and starting this Monday, February 24th if you hear your name weekday mornings at 7:20, or weekday afternoons at 3:20, you have five minutes to call to qualify.

The Mad Dash for the Cash takes place March 15th at the Avalon Mall.

The numbers to call are 709-273-5211 or 1-888-590-8626.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Fred Hutton says 32 acres of Crown land recently sold to the Crosbie Group Limited is land-locked and was of no use to government.

The Opposition raised questions about the sale which showed up in a recent Order in Council. The 32 acres of Crown land in question was expropriated from Bernard Parsons in 1982 for trunk sewer work and development of the Outer Ring Road.

Bernard Parsons was the maternal grandfather of the Crosbies.

Minister Hutton says the land is of no use to government because it cannot be accessed by the Outer Ring Road, while half of the property is protected wetland.

He says of the 32 acres, 16 acres is protected wetland which cannot be developed, while the other 16 acres is land-locked. He says they will not allow access from the Outer Ring Road to the property, and it’s similarly land-locked on Logy Bay Road and Snow’s Lane.”

He says the family approached government in 2018 or 2019, in hopes of buying the land back.

“The grandson of that person is the head of the company that bought the land back,” says Hutton. A third-party assessment was done at that time which arrived at a price for the land, “which was actually lower, but we added 2 per cent for inflation for each year to bring us up to the point where we are now.”

It’s that time of year when driveways are shovelled out, the ground is salted, and the cycle repeats itself to no end. St. John’s residents are familiar with the routine. But it’s not so easy for people like Anne Malone, who has a visual impairment.

Efforts to remove a massive cargo ship from the rocks at Lark Harbour continue, but the scope of the operation is becoming clearer.

The salvage team called in to assess the Baltic III, which ran aground near Lark Harbour on the weekend has confirmed oily water in the cargo ship’s engine room, and water in some cargo holds.

The Canadian Coast Guard says a dive team has also confirmed that 75 per cent of the vessel’s hull is resting on the seabed, and the hull is noticeably deformed.

Photo via Canadian Coast Guard

No pollution has been seen in the area.

The Coast Guard ship Jean Goodwill is on scene and heavy seas continue to hamper some operations – including the ability to deploy response equipment.

The salvage team is continuing its assessment of the vessel as sea conditions allow.

Cancellations are now coming in due to stormy weather on the Avalon Peninsula.

It began snowing on the southern Avalon this morning, and that has now spread to metro.

Close to 15 cm is forecast but that will be compounded by winds gusting to 80kmh, reducing visibility.

Provincial government offices in the metro region are closing at noon for the remainder of the day, except for those employees have otherwise been advised by their departments to report to work.

All cancellations and delays can be found under the VOCM Storm Watch page.

An unusual 911 call prompted an extensive search effort for a possible missing snowmobiler in the Victoria area last night, but in the end, no signs of a person in distress were found.

A 911 dispatcher received a call shortly after 8:00 p.m. indicating that a snowmobiler in distress was calling for help in a wooded area between Cole’s Place and Burnt Woods Road.

The Victoria Volunteer Fire Department, RCMP and paramedics responded and split up, searching known snowmobile trails, with special attention paid to the local brook and marsh.

A call was also placed to the Avalon North Wolverines, who with the use of a drone, helped to cover the area along with a Cormorant from the 103 Rescue Squadron.

The Victoria Fire Department says crews worked through the night, but found no signs of a person in distress.

All units cleared the scene around 4:00 this morning.

It’s a big weekend for Memorial University’s women’s volleyball program as they take aim at an Atlantic title. The club, which failed to make the playoffs over the past three seasons, has been the league’s most improved team this year.

The Sea-Hawks finished with an impressive 10-and-10 record during the regular season, beating some of the top teams in Atlantic Canada. They will now face the top-ranked Dalhousie Tigers in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) semifinals.

The Tigers finished with a 16-and-4 record this season. The best-of-three series begins tonight in Halifax with Game 2 slated for Saturday. Game 3, if necessary, will go Sunday.

Dalhousie has won 10 AUS titles since 2012. The Sea-Hawks’ last championship came in 2000, and they’re hoping to make history this year.

Three Sea-Hawks received awards this week. Courtney Hodder and Lydia Grawer were both named first-team all-stars, while Karen Green received a second team all-star nod. Olivia DeDecker was selected to the all-rookie team.

A local mental health advocate says she was overwhelmed with the difference between the new mental health facility compared to the old Waterford Hospital.

Kristi Allen, who has been advocating for improved mental health access and facilities for some time, got a recent tour of the new facility adjacent to the Health Sciences.

She says the difference between the two facilities was like night and day.

“It didn’t even feel real,” says Allen, “because if you have been into the Waterford, you know how dark it is, you know the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach, and to look up, and see this beautiful piece of art, and everything is clean and everything is bright, and just think…this is the new one.”

The new facility is on schedule to open to patients in April.

The SPLASH Centre in Harbour Grace is the latest recreational facility in the province to benefit from an AED, or Automated External Defibrillator.

AEDs are used to help shock a person who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest back into a normal heart rhythm and can provide patients with precious extra minutes to allow paramedics to arrive.

St. John Ambulance says having an AED in public places like the SPLASH Centre can mean the difference between life and death.

Director of Marketing with St. John Ambulance Roberta Hewitt says this week’s presentation actually stemmed from a recent social media campaign.

“Back in December, we ran a contest on our Facebook page where participants could nominate a deserving non-profit or community group to win a defibrillator, and the SPASH Centre was the lucky recipient of that device.”

This week’s presentation was made as part of Heart Month awareness activities and events.

Placentia RCMP have issued an arrest warrant for a man who they say is actively evading them.

Forty-three-year-old Scott Deering is wanted on three counts of uttering threats and six counts of failure to comply with a release order.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Scott Deering is asked to contact Placentia RCMP at 709-227-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Another winter storm is headed for portions of the Avalon Peninsula, starting Friday at noon. Environment Canada has issued winter storm and wind warnings.

The RCMP in Placentia is looking to arrest 43-year-old Scott Deering who is actively evading police.

Deering is wanted on three counts of uttering threats and six counts of failure to comply with a release order.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Scott Deering is asked to contact Placentia RCMP at 709-227-2000. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

The RNC has arrested a man wanted in connection with reported acts of violence in the capital city.

Forty-six-year-old Michael Pippy is charged with assault causing bodily harm, and choking among other charges in connection with an investigation launched by RNC in early February.

Pippy was located by patrol officers on Thursday afternoon at a LeMarchant Road business following a tip from the public.

He was held in custody pending a court appearance.

The RNC arrested Michael Pippy who was wanted on a number of charges.

Pippy was located on Thursday afternoon at a business on Lemarchant Road in St. John’s following a tip from the community.

Pippy is accused of assault causing bodily harm, choking, breach of a probation order, and failure to comply with a release order following an investigation launched in early February into reports of violent events in St. John’s.

The accused was taken into custody and held to appear in Provincial Court.

The pride of Marystown, Kaetlyn Osmond says she’s surprised and honoured to have been named to Skate Canada’s Hall of Fame.

The Olympic and world champion gold medalist has been added to Skate Canada’s Class of 2025 Hall of Fame alongside household names like Michael Chan and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

Osmond has retired from competition, but is coaching in Edmonton. She says being named to the Hall of Fame brings back many great memories.

“It feels like it’s been so long since my career that it’s just wild to be thinking that its still being recognized and that just makes me feel very nostalgic, and brings back a lot of amazing memories.”

One of the most popular sporting and social events on the St. John’s summer calendar is becoming gender blind, and creating a new category.

The Royal St. John’s Regatta will have a race labelled “Open Crew” which means gender will have no influence on the composition of the crew.

The Regatta Committee calls it an important moment in its history as it will be the first time there is a registration option for persons who identify as nonbinary.

Keith White, Vice-President of the Regatta, says Open Crews will compete in the short course. The category will be open to rowers who are registered in another category.

He says St. John’s Pride approached them last fall about the creation of such a category.

White says he has heard for a long time from people interested in entering mixed teams.

Derby Day this year falls on Wednesday, July 30 instead of the first Wednesday in August because of the Canada Summer Games.

Over the past week, Highway Enforcement Officers participated in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative.

To help raise awareness about human trafficking, officers passed out wallet cards to commercial drivers during inspections and traffic stops. These wallet cards include the warning signs to look for that may indicate someone is involved in or the victim of human trafficking and how to report a suspected case.

The annual five-day human trafficking awareness, outreach, identification and prevention initiative aims to educate the commercial motor vehicle industry, law enforcement and the public throughout North America about the crime of human trafficking.

Access to health care is the greatest concern of the newly-minted President and CEO of the unit which runs our health care system.

Pat Parfrey, who co-authored the Health Accord, says he hears concerns about access to emergency and other services, whether that be surgery or testing, every day.

Parfrey says Canada ranks ninth out of ten of the wealthiest countries in terms of access to health care, and Newfoundland and Labrador definitely has a problem with access. But he says things are improving, especially in terms of family practice.

The NLHS boss says at the peak on Family Connect, the government site where people sign up for a family doctor, 96,000 people had registered. That number, says Parfey, is down to less than 40,000.

He expects that number to decrease further over the next year. He says the number of diversions at emergency rooms are far fewer than they were a year ago at category B hospitals, and they’ve had improvements in high priority surgeries such as joint replacements, cardiac and other surgeries.

There is a new initiative to recruit and retain clinical psychologists in the province.

A $50,000 recruitment and retention incentive is available for clinical psychologists who are currently employed by Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services or who accept employment at the health authority with a three-year return-in-service commitment.

Eligibility criteria include health care professionals currently employed or accept employment as a clinical psychologist with NL Health Services, registered and licensed, or eligible to be registered and licensed, as a clinical psychologist with the Newfoundland and Labrador Psychologist Board, and who have not received the Come Home Incentive.  

Individual eligibility will be at the discretion of NL Health Services.

Traffic enforcement officers are joining with Service NL in participating in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative.

Today is the last day of the campaign.

Police and inspection officers across the province have been helping to raise awareness about human trafficking by passing out wallet cards to commercial truck drivers during inspections and traffic stops.

The wallet cards include what to watch for and warning signs that may indicate someone is involved in, or the victim of, human trafficking and how to report a suspected case.

The aim of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual five-day initiative is to raise awareness about human trafficking.

The Education Minister says proposed changes to the junior high school curriculum “have to be done right.”

Earlier this week, despite saying changes to course delivery and requirements would be trialed in some schools this fall, Krista Lynn Howell announced that implementation is being paused in favour of more consultation.

Howell says they received a “massive” amount of feedback on the proposed changes, and extending the consultation process means schools wouldn’t have enough notice to prepare for it.

Despite the pause, Howell still believes that they need to move forward with a sense of urgency because the system as it stands is impacting kids currently in the system. She says they don’t want to take too long of a pause for any changes they want to bring it.

Howell would not nail down a new target date for implementation when speaking with reporters yesterday.

Roads across the Island are bare with the exception of the southeastern Avalon where roads are snow-covered. Across the Avalon, road conditions will deteriorate as snow moves in this afternoon.

Across Labrador, roads are partly snow-covered with icy and slushy patches.

Marine Atlantic has cancelled crossings for this morning. Both the MV Astron W and MV Flanders are operating on a load-and-go basis today.

At the St. John’s International Airport, Air Canada flights 692 and 697 are cancelled and Air Canada Flight 2257 is delayed. In Deer Lake, Provincial Airlines Flight 902 is delayed. Flights are on time in Gander.

Post 1 – 6:55 AM NST (6:25 AM AST)

The weather is starting off quite and chilly across much of the Province this morning. Temperatures on the Island range from -5º to near -15º and readings in Labrador area generally into the minus teens. Wind speeds are light, so overall it’s a pretty nice start to Friday.

The big weather story today will be snow and wind over eastern Newfoundland, specifically over the Avalon Peninsula. The area of low pressure that will bring the snow and wind is currently to our south. The snow is showing up nicely on radar south of the Avalon and east of Nova Scotia. Ahead of the incoming weather, the ECCC NL Weather Office in Gander has issued Blowing Snow Advisories for the Avalon Southwest, Avalon North and St. John’s. The Blowing Snow Advisory is in effect from mid morning into this evening. A WInter Storm Warning is in effect for the Avalon Peninsula Southeast. That is in effect from this morning into this evening.

The snow will arrive over the next few hours in south and will then spread north through the morning. In Metro, the snow will start around midday and will end this evening. It will start and end a little earlier to the south and southwest. Futurecast (below) gives you the hour by hour break down of what to expect today.

via GIPHY

Snowfall amounts will be highest over the eastern half of the Avalon, where 10 to 20 cm is likely. Snowfall amounts drop off to between 5 and 10 cm over the western half of the Avalon. To the west, very little snowfall is expected and what’s on the map may be a little… generous.

Outside of eastern Newfoundland, the weather across the Province today looks very quiet. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the day.

On Thursday evening, the RNC responded to a residence in the west end of St John’s to a report of a disturbance in progress.

Officers spoke with the complainant and several witnesses and as a result, a 60-year-old man was arrested and charged with threats.

The accused was held to appear in court.

Another winter blast is set to hit the Avalon Peninsula today, with accumulations in the 15 cm range in metro by the time it’s all over.

The storm system will move over the southern Avalon this morning, and spread to the northeast Avalon—picking up around noon or early afternoon in St. John’s and surrounding area.

A winter storm warning is in effect for the southeastern Avalon where the heaviest snowfall and highest winds are expected.

Environment Canada meteorologist Wanda Batten says the southern Avalon is expecting 15 – 20 cm of snow through today and into this evening with winds gusting to 100 km/h at times.

A blowing snow advisory is in effect for the rest of the Avalon including the metro region.

She says visibility is going to be poor for most of the Avalon throughout the afternoon and evening given the strong winds. She says the system is pretty much contained to the Avalon and snowfall amounts begin to drop off further west, with around 5 cm expected for the western Avalon.

The system will pass through fairly quick with the snow and high winds dying down overnight.

The Corner Brook Winter Carnival kicks off today.

The annual event, now in its 52nd year, is dedicated to the celebration of winter, fostering community spirit and pride, and encouragement of economic development and tourism.  

The Carnival runs until March 2 with events planned such as sports, recreation, entertainment and culture within a ‘snowfunland’ theme. 

“Leif the Lucky”, the Carnival Mascot will be at events all week reflecting Newfoundland’s heritage and the fun and games of carnival time.

People in their 40s are now eligible for breast cancer screening through self referrals.

The provincial government first announced they would be expanding screening criteria based on a change to national standards last spring.

Now, anyone between the ages of 40 and 74 can self-refer. Within the next few months an option to self-refer will be available on MyHealthNL.

Government says an additional 34,000 people are eligible for screening, and a “significant expansion of infrastructure and resources” had to take place, including $800,000 for two new mammography units in St. John’s and Grand Falls-Windsor.

Gregory Doyle, the provincial manager of breast cancer screening and cancer registries, and Health Minister John Hogan (VOCM News)

In terms of what wait times could look like, Gregory Doyle, the provincial manager of breast cancer screening and cancer registries, says that is hard to nail down.

He says the concept of wait times “doesn’t make any sense” for cancer screening, because they are trying to confirm the absence of disease.

He says there are a set of openings and availabilities that they will need to monitor moving forward. Ultimately, people would be waiting a couple of months from the submission of an application and the actual screening.

Ryan Kirby and Mark Lane are bankrolling a rehab facility they hope will more than double the live-in treatment capacity in the province. And they're hoping the effort will help combat addiction and overdoses in their communities.

Two Ukrainians living in Newfoundland and Labrador say U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about their country are dangerous, harmful and show a lack of understanding.

There are fewer seabirds being observed in recent years, and for experts that’s a major cause for concern. Host Jane Adey tags along as seabird biologist Bill Montevecchi and his team venture out into the field.

Gov. Kathy Hochul decided against using executive power to remove NYC Mayor Eric Adams from office, believing voters should decide his fate. Instead, she plans to enhance state oversight over Adams' administration by appointing a deputy inspector general, pending legislature approval. (NPR)

Delta Air Lines plans to offer $30,000 to each passenger on a flight that crash-landed and overturned at Toronto Pearson Airport. The offer, made with "no strings attached," follows the incident involving Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air. Investigation into the crash is ongoing. (NBC News)

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted for the 10th time, showcasing lava fountains up to 50 feet high. The eruption at the Halema'uma'u volcano in a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park emitted high levels of volcanic gas, with past episodes lasting over 22 hours and restarting in December. (UPI)

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his retirement and will not seek re-election in 2026 after serving as one of the Senate's most influential figures. McConnell, R-Ky., declared his decision on his 83rd birthday, citing the honor of representing Kentucky for seven terms. (ABC News)

Mexico's President warned against any U.S. invasion of national sovereignty after the U.S. labeled Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Despite the designation, military action such as drone strikes or troop deployment across the border seems unlikely, but uncertainty remains. (CBS News)

February is Black History Month. Last we, a Grand Falls-Windsor man wanted to see more events marking the occasion. This year, he’s gotten a lot more response than he expected. NTV’s Colleen Lewis reports.

14 professors in Memorial University’s history department have penned a letter to the Department of Education outlining their concerns for junior high curriculum changes. 

NTV’s Bailey Howard tells us more. 

Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell spoke out today on why the province pressed pause on changes to the junior high curriculum.

As NTV’s Beth Penney tells us, it came after getting an overwhelming amount of feedback, opposing the changes. 

For every 1,000 breast screenings in this province, five of them will have a positive cancer result.

While those numbers are on par with the rest of Canada, this province is aligning itself with other provinces by reducing age restrictions for who can get a screening. NTV’s Jodi Cooke has more.

The Opposition is crying foul about the recent sale of crown lands near Snow’s Lane in St. John’s. 

The Tories say the 32 acres of crown lands were given away in a fire sale, but the province says that’s not the case. 

NTV’s Ben Cleary reports.

Another winter blast is forecast to hit the Avalon Peninsula tomorrow, with accumulations in the 15 cm range in metro by the time it’s all over.

The storm system will hit the southern Avalon tomorrow morning, and spread to the northeast Avalon – picking up around noon or early afternoon in St. John’s and surrounding area.

Environment Canada meteorologist David Neil says a winter storm warning is in effect for the southeastern Avalon where the heaviest snowfall and highest winds are expected.

He says the southern Avalon is expecting 15 – 20 cm of snow tomorrow through to tomorrow evening with winds gusting to 100 km/h at times.

A blowing snow advisory is in effect for the rest of the Avalon including the metro region.

“We’re not expecting quite as much snow over those regions” says Neil, “ranging anywhere from 5 cm over parts of the western Avalon up to possibly 15 cm for parts of the metro area and Southern Shore.”

Winds won’t be as strong he says, but strong enough to create some nasty conditions where snowfall amounts are more intense.

Newfoundland and Labrador's education minister is defending her decision to pause curriculum changes for junior high school students.