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All schools in the Swan Valley School Division are closed today because of an anonymous email threat.
The email was sent Monday afternoon to the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School. The writer threatened to cause harm to students and staff at the school.
RCMP were called and the school was put into hold-and-secure protocol, which means that classes continued as normal, but no one was allowed to enter the school.
CEO of the school division, Jon Zilkey, stated in a notice that other schools were notified of the threat.
Zilkey added that at no time did any incident occur at the schools that put students and staff in danger.
After consulting with the RCMP, the division decided to close all seven schools today, including the division office, and bus garage.
The nature of the threat has not been shared as the investigation is ongoing, but the school division will update everyone about planning for Wednesday.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The Government of Manitoba announced yesterday that it will be investing nearly $3 million to enhance mental health and addiction education programs for children and youth.
The investment is part of the province’s comprehensive approach to improving mental health and addictions programming.
The announcement includes three new initiatives from the province, totalling an investment of $2.94 million over three years, which includes:
- $823,000 to the NorWest Youth Hub to increase mental health and addictions counselling, Indigenous cultural supports, primary health care, as well as recreation and training opportunities for youth aged 14 to 24;
- $621,000 to Project 11, which provides virtual and in-person lessons and activities designed to improve mental health awareness and positive coping strategies for students in Kindergarten to Grade 8;
- $1.5 million to expand the distribution of Thrival Kits to Grades 4 to 6 students across the province.
In Manitoba, 1 in 4 people aged 10 and older have a diagnosed mood or anxiety disorder. 75 percent of mental health onsets happen before the age of 24.
The province invested $566 million last year towards mental health and addictions.
Over 100 mental health and addictions initiatives have been implemented across all governments since 2016.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Ceto, the Manitoba First Nation Police Service’s police dog continues her hot streak.
MFNPS responded to a call on the Waywayseecappo First Nation, about the possible sighting of a wanted man.
After finding the man, he fled through the basement window of a home. Ceto tracked the man for 200 metres until he gave himself up.
34-year-old Gary Shingoose, from Waywayseecappo, faces 23 charges, including assault with a weapon, failing to comply with sex offender registry, breaking and entering, and uttering threats.
He is due in Brandon court to face the charges.
Since starting her career in the spring, Ceto has been involved in over 30 arrests.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The amount you have to pay to drive could be going down come March.
Manitoba Public Insurance is asking the Public Utilities Board for an average reduction of 0.6 percent.
"We have a commitment to reduce operating costs and that's one reason why we're hoping this will happen," said Brian Smiley with Manitoba Public Insurance.
The rate decrease for more than 800,000 private passenger vehicles would be an average of 0.9 percent if MPI's proposal is accepted.
On the negative, motorcycle premiums would increase an average of 5.1 percent.
If accepted, the new rates would take effect on March 1, 2020.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Love and Persson Group is hosting a fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society this week.
Make Your Coffee Count takes place from 8:30 am to 5 pm on Thursday and Friday.
The goal of the event is to bring awareness to the number of people affected by Alzheimer’s in the Parkland.
Love and Persson will be serving coffee and cookies, and will also have a donation box.
Love and Persson is located at 101 Main Street North in Dauphin.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
We’ve already seen some snow and freezing temperatures this fall as we get closer to the Winter season.
We recently spoke with Kelly Sonnenburg from the Weather Network who says December is going to be the biggest wild card of the season. It could be similar to December 2018 where people were wondering where the snow was, until January came around and lived up to winter expectations.
The coldest air will likely be in central Canada, and in the Parkland, temperatures will likely be below normal.
The second half of winter around January and February is when the coldest temperatures will be in the Parkland.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
RCMP were called Wednesday, after a group of hunters found, what they believe are, human bones.
The eight bones were found at Cauchon Lake, southeast of Thompson.
Thompson RCMP, along with the major crime service, forensic identification unit, and chief medical examiner, are investigating.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Driving by Whitmore School, you may have noticed a garden and mural out front.
A few years ago, the staff at Whitmore School had an idea that since they planned to plant trees, they should plant apple trees so the students and community could come by and enjoy the fruit.
The idea blossomed when Whitmore principal, Lesia Jensen moved to the school, heard about the idea, loved it, and kick-started the project by ordering boxes, and dirt.
The community played a big role in contributing seedlings, and Neighbourhood Renewal contributed some flowers and helped fund the mural.
The mural features Whitmore’s slogan, working together to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. The 7 teachings, love, wisdom, courage, humility, honesty, truth and respect, are also featured on the mural’s tree.
Since the kids take time out of their day after school to do the planting, the kids get to decide what they plant next spring.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
As part of the month, Cancer Care Manitoba’s mobile mammography clinic is visiting the Parkland. The clinic will be in Ste. Rose, McCreary, and Grandview.
The clinic offers mammograms for women ages 50 to 74, the ages where breast cancer is most common.
Laryssa Sawchuk, a health educator with Cancer Care Manitoba says having the mobile clinic has improved accessibility for women in northern communities, and helped detect more early cases of breast cancer.
A mammogram can detect breast cancer 2-3 years before it would become noticeable by a patient or doctor.
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer for women in Manitoba. It is projected that in 2019, 850 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, 180 of whom won’t survive.
Women interested in booking an appointment at either the mobile clinic or at Cancer Care’s permanent locations in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson, or Winkler, can call 1-855-95C-HECK.
For more information on the Breastcheck program, and the mobile mammography clinic go to the Cancer Care Manitoba website.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The Ste. Rose Hospital is celebrating 80 years in the community today.
The day will start with a mass at the Ste. Rose De Lima Church at 11 am. Then the festivities move over to the Ste. Rose Community Hall for a formal program.
The formal program will include an unveiling of a plaque that celebrates the 80th anniversary, a video presentation, and displays of medical equipment that used to be in the hospital.
Michelle Quennelle, the Executive Director of the Ste. Rose Health Centre says the hospital means a lot to the community.
“The hospital here has been a pillar in the Ste. Rose community, serving not only the community of Ste. Rose, but all of the surrounding areas including several First Nations communities to the East and North of Ste. Rose,” said Quennelle “It has been here for the community when there has been a need for health care. It is just so important to this community here in Ste. Rose.”
The formal event at the Community Hall starts at 1:30 pm.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Brian Pallister has announced the start of the Manitoba Works plan, with the goal of creating new private-sector job opportunities.
To create the 40,000 jobs, the province will focus on improving investment in the province so existing companies can expand, attracting new investment, fast-tracking the development of Manitoba’s skills, talent, and knowledge strategy to accelerate talent acquisition and business expansion, and using a targeted new trade strategy to expand export markets.
In a press release, Pallister says Manitoba led the country in private sector investment growth.
“We’re going to build on this momentum by opening up new markets, creating more opportunities and expanding economic prosperity in our province.”
Pallister adds the province will build on their success building a better environment for economic growth and job creation, which includes lowering the PST to seven per cent from eight per cent, moving toward balanced budgets through responsible deficit reduction and reducing the total number of regulatory requirements across government by almost 80,000 since 2016.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
