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The annual State of the City Address took place today at the Aspen Lodge in the Parkland Rec Complex.

Mayor Allen Dowhan spoke about the successes over the past year for Dauphin, and what things look like for the future. The event is always highly attended and looked forward to.

Several CKDM staff were there to cover the event. For ticket availability for future chamber luncheon events, call the Dauphin Chamber at 204-622-3140, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

As the summer approaches and temperatures climb more and more bugs become prevalent. One of those bugs is ticks, which are spreading and now pose risks to six provinces, say some experts.

Ticks used to be a small problem in our country due to our cold climate, but as Canada gets warmer, the tick problem grows. Ticks survive for longer and spread farther than they used to. Six provinces now have tick problems, including Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and BC.

Southern Canada has warmed in recent decades, making it a suitable place for ticks to set up shop. That’s why the southern areas of those six provinces will see more and more ticks. Cities like Winnipeg, Brandon, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, and Toronto, among others are at risk. The ticks that are in BC are of a different species but are still concerning.

Lyme disease poses the biggest risk when it comes to ticks. In the past decade, Lyme disease cases have grown substantially. In 2009, there were 144 reported cases of Lyme disease as opposed to the 2025 cases in 2017.

Lyme is a disease that is spread once ticks attach themselves to the body. Ticks ideally want to latch on for 72 hours before falling off.

Symptoms of Lyme disease include a bullseye-shaped rash, fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, as well as swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, it can cause more severe problems like heart problems, facial paralysis, and arthritis.

The most effective way of preventing Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten. Wearing long sleeves and pants and using bug sprays with DEET are helpful methods to prevent tick bites.

UPDATE:

Dauphin's Raelene Parenteau has been safely located.

The RCMP thank the public and media for their assistance.

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Winnipegosis RCMP were notified of a missing female around 5 pm on April 14th.

22-year-old Raelene Parenteau, from Dauphin, was last seen by family members in Duck Bay on April 5th.

It’s believed she was heading to Winnipeg.

Raelene is described as Indigenous, 5' 4", 160 lbs, with brown eyes, light brown hair and a "Ceaira" tattoo on her right arm.

Police and her family are concerned for her well-being.

If you have any information in regards to her whereabouts, contact the Winnipegosis RCMP at 204-656-7003, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Brandon University now has a new leader. Dr. David Docherty is the new President and Vice-Chancellor at BU. 

"It means an awful lot to me and it's an incredible honour to do so," said Dr. Docherty. "I think BU is a great university with a fantastic past and a wonderful future and it's a real treat to be leading it. My wife and I look forward to spending the next number of years in Manitoba."

Dr. Docherty started his new role last Wednesday and BU is the third university he's been at. He was the President at Mount Royal University from 2011 up until he accepted the position at BU. Prior to that, he was at Wilfrid Laurier University. 

He holds a PhD in political science. Despite being in Brandon for a very short period of time, Dr. Docherty has immersed himself right into the community.

"I had a couple of meetings and I spent the first afternoon at the bar on campus and I let everyone know I was going to be there," added Dr. Docherty. "I was able to open up my computer once but I didn't have the chance to check my emails because there was a constant stream of people coming to visit and introduce themselves. It was a very, very warm welcome."

With a couple of days now under his belt, Dr. Docherty is ready to get things going.

"BU is a very mature university in terms of its research profile and it's course offerings," added Dr. Docherty. "I certainly welcome the opportunity to engage and increase our offerings and I look forward to leading the university in some exciting directions,"

Spending time at the university and leading BU isn't the only thing Dr. Docherty will enjoy doing during his time in Brandon. His wife and he have two 75-85 pound dogs that they walk every single morning.

"That's something that I certainly enjoy doing every single morning, it's a fantastic way to start the day," said Dr. Docherty. "We are also avid sports fans so I think the community can expect us to be at a lot of Bobcat games. I also like to curl up with a good book, so that's a few of the things we enjoy doing during our free time."

David takes over for Dr. Gervan Fearon after he left BU in 2017. Dr. Steve Robinson has been the Interim President since that time.

The Brandon Police scored their third drug bust in a week on Saturday night.

They were notified of a vehicle belonging to a woman who is banned from the city.

During an investigation of the car, 30 grams of meth was seized.

The 36-year-old woman from Woodworth was in court Sunday morning facing multiple charges.

The devastating Bond Building fire in February caused the Dauphin HERO Club to lose the space they had been in for many years.

HERO Club navigator Jim Price says one of the great things about their new spot, the Youth Centre, is that it’s central.

“It’s a really bright, spacious location with lots of amenities, and it’s an integral part of the community. I think in keeping with the spirit of the HERO Club, which stands for helping everyone reach out, our new location will help us be seamlessly integrated with the community.”

Price says they’ll be holding a grand re-opening event in their new space at the Youth Centre at 10 in the morning this Thursday.

“We’re like a phoenix, we’re rising from the ashes.”

At the event, they are planning some opening remarks, a cake cutting ceremony, and Price asks that anyone with pictures from the past 25 years of the HERO Club bring them for a memory book.

The HERO Club is still working to get back to where they were before the fire, items wise.

With a permanent location, they are open to receiving non-monetary donations as long as they will be able to put them to good use.

Price is thankful to the people in the community who extended phone calls, offered to bring in snacks, the friendship centre for allowing them to use their board room for a couple of months, as well as the Dauphin and Gilbert Plains Fire Departments, RCMP and PMH.

This Wednesday, May 8th at 1:55 in the afternoon, an Alert Ready public awareness text message is scheduled to take place.

The test alerts will be sent out as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.  

Not all Manitobans will receive a test alert for a few different reasons, including device compatibility, connection to an LTE network, cell tower coverage, and individual device software and settings.

It is asked that Manitobans who receive the alert while operating a vehicle should remain calm and safely pull over at the earliest opportunity to view the alert.

By testing the Alert Ready system regularly, it builds awareness of what the alerts look and sound like.

Manitobans don’t have the option to opt-out of the service.

The choice of either a brand new John Deere Gator or $10,000 is up to Larry and Debbie Fischer of Plumas. They are the winners of the early bird draw for the Neepawa and District Medical Committee's Farm & Leisure Lotto.

Next up are the final draws which will take place on Sunday, June 2nd. Tickets are $100 each, and 50-50 tickets are $20, or you can get 5 for $50. 

To order tickets, call 1-877-876-8555. You can also purchase them from their website, where you can see a full list of prizes.

 

UPDATE:

After a lengthy search, the RCMP have arrested two people involved in the fatal stabbing in Gilbert Plains yesterday. 

A 39-year-old man and a 25-year-old female are in custody as the homicide investigation continues.

No names will be released at this point as no charges have been laid.

The RCMP would like to thank the media and public for their assistance.

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Police are looking for two suspects after a stabbing in Gilbert Plains.

Just before 10 pm on May 4th, Dauphin RCMP responded to a report of a stabbing at a residence. 

In the residence, officers located a 36-year-old man who had been stabbed.

EMS personnel provided medical care but the man succumbed to his injuries, dying on scene. 

Dauphin RCMP, Major Crime Services and Forensic Identification Services are continuing the investigation.

It is believed that two suspects are at large and actively evading police. The suspects have attempted to steal vehicles in an effort to flee the area. Additional police resources have been sent in an effort to locate and safely arrest the suspects. 

The suspects are believed to be travelling together. The first suspect is described as a male, Indigenous in appearance, approximately 40 years old, Medium build, brown hair, brown eyes, tall in appearance, approximately 5'11, wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and black framed prescription glasses. The second suspect is described as a female, Indigenous in appearance with brown hair. They are considered dangerous and should not be approached.

Residents in the Gilbert Plains and Dauphin area are advised to immediately contact police should they see anything or anyone suspicious. 

You can call Dauphin RCMP at 204-622-5020 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

22 motorcyclist deaths and 700 injuries over the past 5 years, has lead MPI to name May, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

This is an extension of MPI’s Save The 100 campaign.

A key to reducing deaths and injuries to motorcyclists is mutual respect because a high number of the deaths were preventable and directly attributed to high-risk driving behaviour between the motorist and motorcyclist.

Safety tips for motorcyclists are, wear the right gear, try to be highly visible, and ride with your headlight on and in a position on the roadway where you’re visible and aren’t in a blind spot.

For drivers, MPI’s safety tips are always look twice when changing lanes and at intersections, watch for signals, because it can be hard to see a motorcycle’s turning signal pay attention to if they are shoulder checking because that can indicate they are planning to change lanes or turn, and keep your distance, motorcycles may stop faster than other vehicles.

Indigenous role models were brought to Whitmore School for Red Shirt Day.

Rainbow Chartrand feels honoured to have been asked to go.

“I’m always honoured and humbled to do it, it’s always nerve-racking because I never know what to expect. I’m honoured to be able to do this kind of work.”

Her message to the students is that things can get tough, but you can get through it.

Desiree Dorion shares her message to the kids.

“Whatever it is that’s happening in your life, at the moment, it’s just a moment and the moment will pass. If you work hard, really apply yourself, sticking to going to school and staying in school, this moment will pass and you will be able to empower yourself to do whatever it is that you want to do and be whoever you want to be.”

She also performed a song, called Pretty Poor Pretty Proud, that will be on her upcoming album for the very first time.

Dorion wants to shout out the Whitmore staff.

“The community is buzzing about the work that they’re doing and it’s really important work. So kudos to them.”

Ashley Blaise was the third woman to talk to the Whitmore School students.