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The Manitoba Government will be updating its means to asses the province's wildlife populations with some new tech.
Surveys would generally be done by government staff in helicopters, but now these surveys will use long-ranged, solar-powered drones equipped with thermal cameras.
These upgrades will allow for both easier spotting, and the ability to track multiple populations and species at the same time.
These tracking methods are not only more efficient, they cover the same area with less overhead cost when compared to the labor and fuel involved in helicopter operation.
The government said population data is important to making decisions about wildlife conservation and management, especially with cases of Chronic Wasting Diseases appearing in the province.
To find information on the latest big game survey by the province, visit The Conservation Page on the Manitoba Government Website.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Dauphin Kinclub's Business expo has been running for over 3 decades, and it will be returning once again in April to the City of Dauphin.
"It's Been held for 33 years, and it's a huge event that brings a lot of people to Dauphin, and it provides an opportunity for businesses to make connections and connect with local people in the area."
That's Canadice Taylor, event coordinator, who's excited to have a big turnout this year a the business expo.
This expo has served as a great way to promote your business, make new connections, and increase client bases.
The event still has space for vendors, and to find the details on how to register, visit The Dauphin Kin Club Website.
This event is free for all visitors looking to learn more about the parkland's local businesses.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The weather is closing down a great deal today, and this winter storm rocked the weekend.
The Parkland area received up to 50 cm of snow in areas, and high winds have pushed into substantial drifts.
Mountain View School Division, Swan River School Division, Turtle River, Rolling River, and the Frontier School Division are expected to cancel busses and potentially have online classes today due to the extreme weather.
According to Manitoba 511, nearly every major highway in the parkland is closed for travel until the snow clears
Non-essential travel is not recommended.
The Dauphin and District Handy Van will be available for in-town medical trips only today, but all trips out of town are canceled.
We'll keep you updated on any of the major closures, cancellations, and postponements throughout the day.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of Southern Manitoba.
Senior climatologist David Phillips says a Montana low will bring a significant amount of precipitation.
"I think in Western Manitoba, it will be mainly a snow event. I think there is some issue in the Red River valley as to whether or not there will be some rain or maybe even freezing rain as part of this as well. And we are talking about 20 to 30 cm of snow."
Phillips says this is shaping up to be one of the biggest storms to hit our province this winter.
"Certainly for western parts of the province, it is going to start clouding over on Saturday morning, and as the system comes through there will be some flurries possible on Saturday evening. But it will principally be a Sunday event - an all-day snow event."
The snow is expected to start sometime late Saturday evening and could be accompanied by winds gusting at times as high as 80 km an hour on Sunday.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
April 9th will be the next court appearance for a Dauphin woman charged in connection with a pair of assaults in the south end of the city.
RCMP say last March, they found a 49-year-old woman from the Pine Creek First Nation suffering from life-threatening injuries.
A short distance away, they also found a 66-year-old Dauphin man suffering from serious injuries.
An investigation led to charges being laid against 50-year-old Kathleen Flatfoot.
She was one of three people arrested in the case.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A state funeral will be held later this month for former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who died Thursday, at 84.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there will be opportunities for Canadians to express their condolences to Mulroney's family as well.
Mulroney died in a Florida hospital after a fall at his home in Palm Beach.
The flag on the Peace Tower in Ottawa is flying at half-mast in his honour.
MPs agreed Friday morning to suspend Parliament for the day, and offer tributes to Mulroney on March 1st.
Mulroney was the leader of the Progressive Conservative party in the 1980s, and was prime minister for nearly nine years between 1984 and 1993.
with files from the Canadian Press
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Willowbrook Eye Care, formerly Ashcroft Vision Care has been taken up by new management, but her face will be familiar to most.
Kara Vanderhayden has been working with Dr. Ashcroft since 2017 and is confident that her ownership will keep the vision of this company as healthy as it's customers.
"We're always looking for ways to improve our services, expand our services. obviously, we're going to need to recruit new doctors to fill the role that Doctor Ashcroft played for so many years. That is going to be our main focus here, to try and recruit some more doctors and we'll go from there."
Overall, Vanderhayden is happy that the changes are going smoothly.
"It's been going really well, the transition has been going well. everyone in the community has been very supportive."
Willowbrook Eye Care can still be visited at the same time, 8 to 5 Monday to Friday.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Charges have been laid after a pair of armed robberies in Neepawa, and another one in Sprucewoods.
RCMP says the Neepawa armed robberies both took place on the evening of February 8th, including one at a business on Main Street.
In both instances, two male suspects wearing masks and carrying knives were able to make off with undisclosed amounts of cash.
Five days later, Mounties received a report of a break-and-enter at a business in Sprucewoods, where two masked suspects were caught on surveillance stealing over two thousand dollars of merchandise.
Search warrants were executed on homes in Neepawa and Brandon, where the stolen items were recovered.
Police eventually arrested two men, one on February 17th in the RM of Cornwallis and the other on February 20th in Brandon.
18-year-old Nicholas Genaille of Brandon and a 17-year-old male each face two counts of robbery and disguise with intent, as well as one count each of break and enter and possession of property obtained by crime.
Genaille also faces charges of uttering threats and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Both suspects are due in Minnedosa court on March 19th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The province has announced sweeping new changes to the Provincial Bail System, which it says will crack down on repeat offenders.
The five-point plan includes bolstering crown bail policies, which includes considering the impacts of bail on victims and the community, especially in cases of intimate partner violence and chronic violent offenders.
It also includes 500 thousand dollars towards implementing an enhanced Community Monitoring and Supervision program, which will provide supervision and expanded support to chronic offenders - including mental health and substance use supports.
The province also announced that it plans to hold a public safety summit this spring as part of the plan, which will see the sharing of priorities among law enforcement and community members, while also addressing the root causes of crime.
Funding has also been earmarked to allow for the hiring of 12 new officers in Winnipeg that will focus on offenders that breach release conditions imposed by the courts, particularly when it comes to cases of intimate partner violence.
And there is money to improve data collection and monitoring of people out on bail.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Keystone Centre in Brandon has become the latest facility in Canada to recognize and pay special assistance to people with sensory needs.
KultureCity, an American non-profit group, has trained staff to recognize people who are experiencing sensory overload.
They will also provide kits that include noise-canceling headphones, a fidget tool, verbal cue cards, and a weighted lap pad.
Before attending an event, families can download the free KultureCity App to view what sensory features are available and where they can access them.
A media release by the Keystone Centre said KultureCity’s flagship initiative, the Sensory Inclusive program, has been widely embraced by venues, stadiums, and cultural institutions around the world.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A Gilbert Plains man will be back in court next month following the recovery of a large amount of stolen property.
25-year-old Jordy Robertson was arrested in connection with the case and is due back in Dauphin court on April 9th.
Last October, RCMP seized approximately 375 thousand dollars worth of stolen items while executing a search warrant on a rural property near Gilbert Plains.
Among the items recovered were trucks, heavy machinery, off-road vehicles, trailers, and snowmobiles.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
