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The Crown Prosecution office in Manitoba has decided that no charges will be laid in relation to last year's fatal bus crash near Carberry.

Speaking at a news conference that was live-streamed by CBC, Crown Attorney Chris Vanderhooft said while the bus carrying 24 seniors from the Dauphin area did proceed into the intersection when it was unsafe to do so, there were three blindspots on the bus that would have made it difficult for the driver to see the oncoming eastbound semi-truck. 

Vanderhooft, along with RCMP officials, both stated that they have been unable to speak with the bus driver due to severe head and brain injuries that he suffered as a result of the crash. 

They add that they do not anticipate being able to speak to him in the future. 

Today's announcement wraps up an investigation launched by RCMp - specifically their Major Crimes Unit - which began shortly after the June 15th accident near Carberry that killed 17 people and injured eight others. 

RCMP and Crown Prosecutor officials were in Dauphin on Tuesday to meet with family members of those on the bus that day to provide them with an update on the investigation.  

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After 18 years as an Animal Control Officer, Todd Tarrant no longer holds the position.

As of July 1, the City of Dauphin announced that Barkland in the Parkland Pet Resort & Crematorium will take on the role of the City's Animal Services team. Dave McInnes, who owns Barkland alongside his wife, is eager to take on the role alongside their great team.

"In all honesty, there are so many animals that are being mistreated throughout the region," said McInnes. "With the team that we have here, we hope that we can help provide some education, direction, and some structure so that people are more comfortable in owning a domestic pet and providing adequate care for them."

As a part of their new role, there will also be a new Animal Retention Centre (ARC) opening at Barkland. This will replace the former City Pound and will provide dogs and cats that are lost or found with care and a comfortable place while they wait to be reunited with their people.

"We want to have a safe space for the pets that are lost or confused, we have that safe space for them," offered McInnes. 

Dave and his crew also recently celebrated a milestone. One year and three days ago, they welcomed their first guest into the facility. While David admits there has been a learning curve, he has loved every second of owning Barkland in the Parkland Pet Resort & Crematorium.

"There is a lot to learn when you're providing care for that many animals, it's about keeping them safe, and us as well," ended McInnes. "We have been very blessed. Our team members are so knowledgeable, they're so caring. We have met so many amazing animals and their humans as well."

In closing, the City of Dauphin wanted to thank Mr. Tarrant for all of his hard work and dedication over the years.

"We extend our gratitude to Todd Tarrant for his 18 years of service as our Animal Control Officer and wish him the best in the next chapter of his career," said the City of Dauphin. "He has touched the lives of countless animals in our community and made friends with many pet owners along the way."

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The seeding season has wrapped up for the year.

Many of the extended seeding periods have now come to a close, and as much seeding has been completed as possible, with some areas left unseeded due to the lingering moisture.

Severe storms and isolated heavy rains hit much of the province, with the Central, Interlake, and Southwest regions getting the most rain. 

Precipitation has been in no short supply, as even the dryest location has seen up to 111% of its expected rainfall.

Warmer temperatures are desired now though, as much of the province is short on the average amount of growing degree days for this time of year.

Speaking of growth, the crops that have been planted are moving along well. winter crops have seen some rapid advancement, and early-planted spring crops are emerging well.

Fall rye stands are at the soft dough stage, and winter wheat heads have fully emerged and flowered with fungicide applications for Fusarium head blight being completed.

Spring wheat and oats are averaging between the 3-leaf and stem elongation stage, and barley ranging from, 3 leaves to awns emerging. Corn is also in the V4-V6 Stages.

Canola growth stage ranges from the rosette stage to bolting stages, but the earliest fields began flowering early last week in the Central region. Growth stages ranging from cotyledon to rosette/cabbaging have been reported in the Interlake and Eastern regions.

Sunflowers are at the V6 to V8 growth stage. Flax crops ranged from growth stage 4 to 5.

Pulses and Soybeans are moving along well, but soy fields are hurting from warming weather for some critical growth.

Field peas are at the 8 to 10-node stage, with some flowering in the Central region, and Dry beans are in the first to second trifoliate stage. 

The soybean growth stage ranges from cotyledon to the second trifoliate stage, and Iron deficiency chlorosis has started to show in some fields.

Forage crops are seeing some success so far Roughly 60% of dairy producers in the Eastern region have completed first-cut harvest of alfalfa fields. Beef producers are hoping to follow suit as soon as the weather allows. Hay stands are maturing quickly, however daily rain showers are making field access difficult and do not allow for sufficient drying time of cut forages.

There may be a significant amount of feed harvested as round bale silage this year given that weather conditions are making it difficult to put up good quality dry hay. Several producers in the Eastern region are concerned about the quantity and quality of harvested feed that will be available for the upcoming winter

Silage has been a good option for producers to shorten the period needed for drying hay, and some producers have switched from hay production to silage.

Cattle are quite happy in the pastures, as the growth therein has been excellent. there is some concern in low-lying areas however that excess traffic could damage the soft, wet soil.

Despite flies and foot rot, cow-calf are in good health, and bulls are being introduced to the herds. dugouts are well full, with some standing water left in ditches as well.

a bit closer to home in the northwest region, we had a generally better week of weather conditions. The weekend brought precipitation to most of the region, with some localized amounts being quite heavy. Areas receiving the most precipitation were already saturated.

The highest precipitation was at the Ashville and Keld stations at 45mm, and no precipitation was reported at The Pas station.

The challenges of all this water include unseeded acres, standing water in crops, and the inability to apply pesticides. Frequent high winds have also hampered pesticide applications.

Field peas are continuing in the vegetative stage and are looking good for the most part. The majority of spring wheat is in the tillering stage and is looking good so far.

Canola crops continue to be quite varied. While some reseeded/late-seeded canola is just emerging, the earliest-seeded canola is in the pre-bolt stage.

Flea beetle pressure continues and requires multiple insecticide applications.

Herbicide applications are ongoing as stages are reached however, wind and wet conditions continue to challenge timely applications.

Soybean crops are mostly in the first trifoliate stage. Winter wheat and fall rye crops are advancing and headed out.

With Seeding all but wrapped up for the year, and ample moisture in the soil, what we need now is a week-long stretch of warm, sunny days to bolster crop growth, and allow the other work in the fields to be completed.

Until next week, here's wishing you a safe, productive year, and some optimal weather to come.

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The City of Dauphin has recently announced a new and improved Animal Services Program, after closures at the City pound.

Starting July 1st, The City's animal service needs will be addressed by Barkland in the Parkland, pet resort, and crematorium.

Barkland will be the location of the city's new Animal Retention Center, replacing the city pound.

The goal is to provide a safe and comfortable space for pets as they wait to be reunited with their people.

The City also thanks Todd Tarrant for his 18 years of service as our Animal Control Officer.

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An Ethelbert man charged with arson is due back in court on July 11th.

54-year-old Marc Dorais was charged after a report of a suspect lighting a house on fire in Ethelbert on June 1st of this year. 

Dorais remains in custody. 

Meanwhile, it was another court appearance for a Dauphin man charged in relation to a serious assault from November of 2022.

40-year-old Wayne Becks faces several charges including aggravated assault and uttering threats, and is due back in court this Thursday.

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A 63-year-old man from the Sandy Bay First Nation faces multiple charges following an incident and subsequent search of a residence on Lake Road. 

According to the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, officers were notified about a domestic assault and eventually requested and obtained a search warrant for the home. 

They seized 13 firearms, several types of ammunition, around 35.1 pounds of Cannabis, 6.2 grams of suspected cocaine, other drug paraphernalia, and close to 24 grand in cash.

The accused, who can not be named in order to protect the identity of the victim, faces charges that include assault, uttering threats, possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling and distribution, as well as nine counts of careless storage of a firearm. 

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A recent study on impaired driving has shown a shifting trend over the past 6 years.

A six-year analysis of more than 10,000 Canadian drivers involved in motor vehicle collisions suggests cannabis has edged out alcohol as the most common impairing substance detected through after-crash blood testing.

The National Drug Driving Study 2024, produced by the University of British Columbia took samples from across the nation and found that 16.6 percent had cannabis in their bloodstream while 16 percent had alcohol.

A quote from the study did note that while this statistic is significant, the real goal of this study was to " to warn people of the risks of driving while impaired, of the risks of combining alcohol and cannabis" as mixing substances increases the risk of an accident a great deal.

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Progress is about to get underway at the Watson Art Center, as the replacement of the auditorium floor boards gets underway this week.

The fresh floor boards are already on location, adjust to the climate before installation kicks into action this week.

According to Cam Bennet with the Allied Arts Council, ripping up the original floor starts tomorrow, Tuesday, June 25th, and could take a few weeks.

Bennet notes that a few creative projects are planned for these recycled floorboards.

"Picture frames is one, some signage for the Watson itself, fire hall, auditorium, that type of thing. Yeah, we've got a few ideas. We've got plenty plenty of wood, or we will. There's no real rush to to do something with it, so if something comes up in the next couple of monthes, we can look a that as well."

The Watson Art Centre will be closed to the public from June 25th - July 9th for the installation of this new flooring.

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A convicted sex offender who was released from prison last week is expected to live in Sandy Bay First Nation.

Bryon Starr, who is also known as Clayton Starr, Chad Crate, and Richard Starr, was released from a maximum-security prison in Ontario late last week. Now, he is expected to relocate to Sandy Bay First Nation.

After being convicted of sexual assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, forcible confinement, fleeing a police officer, and failing to comply with a probation order in 2013, Starr served just more than a decade behind bars. Starr was originally sentenced to 13 years. 

Between September 2010 and June 2011, Starr stole a stranger's running vehicle with a female inside, who he forcibly confined, threatened, and sexually assaulted. 

Star is considered a high risk to re-offend in a sexually violent manner. He is under a lifetime weapon prohibition order and other conditions. 

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Assiniboine Community College is removing the "Community" from their name.

It is the third time in the 63-year history of the college that it has changed its name.

Parkland Campus Director Carol Stewart says the name change has been years in the making.

"Our connection to community has never been because of our name, and that will remain strong as we move forward as Assiniboine College.  So community-based education, and supporting community initiatives and events, and building a strong college community are always going to be foundational as to who we are.  And we are actually Canada's national leader in community-based education."

Stewart adds the name change also comes with a logo change for the college. 

"The college logo now features a geometric "A", and it signifies Assiniboine.  And its shape is also inspired by the rich heritage of Manitoba's First Nations and the teepee, symbolizing the beginning of life and the nurturing community of a home.  And of course our commitment to the prosperity of our First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people.  Artistically we have retained the purple and red hues that has become known as part of our brand.  These are inspired by Manitoba's essence."

Stewart says the purple represents the Prairie Crocus, while the red represents the energy, strength, and passion of Manitobans. 

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Neepawa Tigers high school hockey team recently made a generous donation to that community's chemotherapy unit. 

With money raised through their "Tigers Fight Cancer" campaign in January, the team was able to purchase a new wheelchair, neck pillows, and thermometers. 

Money was also used to purchase gift cards to Dairy Queen and Tim Horton's to be given to patients, and for Co-op gift cards to purchase items not available from the hospital kitchen. 

Prairie Mountain Health and Neepawa Health Centre staff sincerely appreciate the generous donation from the hockey team, and also thank everyone who assisted in making this contribution possible.

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