Positive Case At Mackenzie Middle School

The Mountain View School Division is advising of another positive case of COVID019 at Mackenzie Middle School.

The case was at the school on May 17^th in Grade 8 when they may have been infectious.

The school is working with public health officials and following their recommendations.

Close contacts have been identified and advised to self-isolate along with their household members.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: May 22, 2021 - 6:23 am

At least one case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Barker School in Dauphin.

The confirmed case was in the school on May 10, 11, 13, 14, and 17.

The school is working with public health officials and following their recommendations.

Close contacts have been identified.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: May 21, 2021 - 9:00 pm

An emergency alert will be issued this afternoon to remind Manitobans to stay safe during the 3rd wave of the pandemic.

The alert will take place at 5:30 p.m., at the direction of Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, to remind Manitobans of the importance of staying home due to the critical situation the province is facing due to COVID-19.

This is just a reminder alert from the province.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: May 21, 2021 - 4:46 pm

The provincial minimum wage is being increased by five cents to $11.95 on October 1^st.

Manitoba’s minimum wage is tied to the Consumer Price Index. This adjustment is based on Manitoba’s 2020 inflation rate of 0.5 per cent, rounding up to the nearest five cents.

The last time minimum wage was increased in the province was on October 1^st 2020, from $11.65 to $11.90.

Details: Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson; Published: May 21, 2021 - 2:57 pm

The Fire Ban has been lifted for the R.M. Of Dauphin.

The ban was put into effect on May 13^th and prohibited all burning except for essential crop residue burning.

Regular burning may resume.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: May 21, 2021 - 1:59 pm

The Mountain View School Division has announced that Whitmore School will transition to full remote learning for two weeks.

Starting Tuesday, May 25^th, the school will be closed to in-person learning until June 4^th. This is due to an increased number of COVID-19 cases connected with the school.

Exceptions will be made for Kindergarten and Grade 5 students who are children of Critical Service Workers who cannot make alternative care arrangements, and children with special needs.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: May 21, 2021 - 11:30 am

Two tornadoes that touched down in Manitoba last week have been confirmed by Environment Canada.

A tornado was reported just outside Roblin on May 14^thand another one was seen near Sandy Bay on May 15^th.

Environment Canada has not received any reports of damage in either case, and both tornadoes were rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fuijita scale, the lowest rating.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: May 21, 2021 - 10:59 am

Indigenous people in Manitoba will be eligible to book appointments for their second-dose of the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Monday, May 24^th.

Dr. Marcia Anderson, public health lead of the First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team says First Nations people make up 40 to 60 per cent of all COVID-19 admissions to intensive care units.

“That is why it is so important to get our communities – both on and off-reserve – fully vaccinated as soon as possible. Getting fully vaccinated will not only provide a greater level of protection to the individual, but to their family members and loved ones too.”

Starting today at 11:45 a.m., people with certain medical conditions can also book their second-dose appointments. Eligibility information can be found here.

To book a second-dose appointment, individuals must have received a Pfizer vaccine 21 days before their second-dose appointment date, or received a Moderna vaccine 28 days before their second-dose appointment date.

People can get their second dose at a different clinic than where they received their first dose, as long as the clinic is offering the same type of vaccine.

Starting Monday at 11:45 a.m., Indigenous people in Manitoba who have received their first dose of the vaccine can call toll-free 1-844-626-8222, or book online to get their second dose.

Details: Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson; Published: May 21, 2021 - 9:27 am

Wildfires in the northern Interlake region have forced at least 750 people from their homes.

The biggest fire is burning over a massive area north of Lake Manitoba and is affecting several nearby communities.

As crews battle the flames, residents of five nearby First Nations have been forced to flee due to deteriorating conditions.

Heavy smoke has led to evacuations in the Lake St. Martin, Little Saskatchewan, Pinaymootang, Skownan and Dauphin River First Nations.

Evacuees are staying in Dauphin and Winnipeg.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: May 21, 2021 - 7:35 am

A boil water advisory that was put in place earlier this week for the Town of Swan River has now been lifted.

The cause of the advisory was a power outage leading to a loss in water pressure in the community's distribution system.

The lifting of the advisory means you no longer need to bring water to a rolling boil before drinking or using it.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: May 21, 2021 - 5:37 am

There was an overall increase of 46% in the number of calls for service that the RCMP received last month, compared with April 2020. In the West District which includes Dauphin and area, there was a 52% increase.

5,101 calls were received last month, compared with 3,355 last April. While this may seem alarming, Tara Seel with the RCMP says it really isn't.

"These numbers weren't unexpected because public health orders were less restrictive last month, compared with one year ago," said Seel. "These numbers are more in line with pre-pandemic statistics."

Common police activities which include well-being checks and missing persons reports decreased 12% with 587 calls received this April, compared with 670 last April.

There was a 1% increase in crimes against the person, which include robbery, extortion, harassment, and threat. When it comes to crime against property, there was an overall decrease of 9% with 487 calls received last month, compared to 538 in April of last year.

With the first day of summer less than a month away, Seel says the RCMP expects crime in certain areas to increase, as it usually does over the summer. One of the areas that always increases over the summer months is crimes against property and robbery.

"If you're walking at night, it's really important to look up, don't put your head down and look at your phone," said Seel. "Another thing is making sure you always lock your vehicle, even in your driveway."

It's also recommended that you keep the trees in front of your home trimmed, so it is noticeable from the street. Fraud occurrences also increased last month, with 56 calls for service compared to 45 in April last year.