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September 2012: Year in review

A collection of the top stories from this month last year.
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Two Pacific Coastal Grumman Goose aircraft perform an in-formation flyby over the crowd assembled for the Battle of Britain ceremony at Carrot Park.

A Port Hardy teen faces a charge of murder in the death of Cinday Scow, a 28-year-old Port Hardy woman.

Dakota Dillon Johnny, 19, was charged with one count of murder in the beating death of Scow, RCMP announced.

Johnny was arrested and taken into custody after police were called to a vacant house at 115 Tsulquate Road, on the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Reserve, on a report of a woman needing medical assistance.

Scow, the victim of an apparent physical assault, was transported to Port Hardy Hospital, where she was declared dead.

North Island communities got the 2012 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock off to a rousing start, contributing more than $22,000 to research and treatment of pediatric cancer in events held in Port Alice, Port Hardy and Port McNeill.

The nearly 900-kilometre bike ride the length of Vancouver Island started the day after Port Alice commenced proceedings with a seafood dinner and auction that netted more than $8,000.

The Hornsby "Mammoth" Steam Chain Crawler returned to the North Island. The 100-year-old machine has been the subject of some controversy in recent years after being transported to Alberta in 2005, but a court hearing saw the historic tractor bound for the North Island again.

The Hornsby was trucked to Lemare Lake Logging's work yard just south of Port McNeill, where night shop foreman Brian Nurmi and his crew offloaded it.

The Mammoth will now remain at Lemare's yard until the North Island Heritage Society can meet to recommend a permanent home to the Regional District of Mount Waddington.

A fishing vessel hauling a load of lumber was kept from capsizing thanks to the quick response of BC Ferries and several other responders in the waters off Port McNeill.

The PC Raider, a 36-foot, aluminum gillnetter was traveling just off Ledge Point en route from Port McNeill to Sointula when its load apparently shifted, threatening to capsize the vessel and prompting a call that was picked up by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria.

The BC Ferries vessel Quadra Queen II, en route from Sointula to Port McNeill, was closest to the scene and launched its rescue inflatable.

It was supported minutes later by the fishing vessel Sea Harvester, which was equipped with a crane and winch. Working together with crew aboard the PC Raider, the Sea Harvester was able to stabilize the boat until crews from the Port Hardy Coast Guard station and the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Unit 50 in Port McNeill arrived with pumps.

Once enough water was removed to allow the PC Raider to float level again, it was towed on to Sointula by the tugboat Grapple, which was performing contract work for BC Ferries at its Sointula dock.