Officer Not Charged In Arrest Incident

The Independent Investigation Unit’s investigation into injuries sustained by a woman while in the custody of Dauphin RCMP has finished.

The incident occurred on November 27^th, 2018 when RCMP officers arrested a woman in Pine River for breach of peace.

During the transport to, and at the Dauphin detachment the woman was aggressive, spat at officers and tried to kick them.

One of the officers, because of her resistance, swept the woman’s leg from under her to take her to the ground and complete the search of her.

The woman complained of a sore knee immediately after landing.

After being taken to the hospital it was determined the fall broke her left fibula.

During interviews by the investigators, the woman acknowledged she ingested drugs and alcohol prior to the incident with the police.

Three witness officers and two civilians provided information as well.

The IIU was shown a cell block video that contradicted information provided by the woman.

The video showed the officer didn’t use unreasonable or excessive force in his dealings with her.

The IIU concluded charges won’t be laid to the subject officer.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 1:12 pm

The governments of Canada and Manitoba announced today that they are investing $300,000 in Assiniboine Community College to support a new Food Processing Centre for Animal Proteins (FPC) as part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The new facility will be located at the college’s Brandon campus and will host an 11-month long Food Processing certificate program. Future use of the facility will lend itself to industry training and applied research.

Maple Leaf Foods, Hylife, Manitoba Pork, UFCW Local 832 have all contributed funding as well as the Brandon Hog and Livestock Show to amass a total of $640,000 towards the construction of the facility.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 12:43 pm

In the evening on April 24^th, Brandon Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle resulting in drugs and cash being seized.

There were two bags that had illicit drugs in them, the first bag had an estimated 100 thousand dollars worth of crystal meth.

The second bag had a mix of heroin and fentanyl with an estimated worth of 150 thousand dollars.

The accused also had possession of 2610 dollars cash.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 12:04 pm

A fire ban has been called in the RM of Lakeshore.

Effective immediately any kind of fires are not allowed. Those include grass, leaves, crop residue, bushes, open pit fires, burning barrels, and the lighting of fireworks.

No new fire permits are going to be issued until further notice and all current permits are being suspended.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 10:26 am

The provincial government announced today the details of Manitoba’s Guns and Gangs Suppression Strategy. The new initiative was made possible by more than $2.3 million in federal government funding. All part of the Government of Canada’s Initiative to Take Action against Gun and Gang Violence.

The funding will be used to equip Manitoba police agencies with the tools, equipment and capacity to suppress gun and gang activity in Manitoba including:

• $1.3 million to support the Winnipeg Police Service’s Guns and Gangs initiatives, which will focus on the identification, arrest and dismantling of gangs, criminal organizations or violent crime groups, especially those involved with illegal firearms and illicit drugs;
• more than $704,000 to develop a new database that will enhance the collection and dissemination of illicit firearm and gang intelligence, and improve intelligence sharing in Manitoba;
• $172,000 for specialized equipment for the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, and gang intelligence and awareness training for other police agencies outside of Winnipeg;
• more than $80,000 to support the expansion of community mobilization programs;
• $20,000 to support gang exiting efforts; and
• more than $12,000 to support specialized training for Crown attorneys for the prosecution of organized crime and firearms offences.

In 2018, the Winnipeg Police Service’s Street Crime Unit alone arrested 411 people, seized more than $2.4 million worth of illicit drugs, more than $1 million in cash and 144 weapons including knives, firearms and explosives. Of the 411 people arrested, 161 of them were known gang members or associates. Year-to-date statistics for 2019 show Winnipeg is on par for similar results.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 10:16 am

Fusion Credit Union had a successful amalgamation according to CEO Ron Hedley.

In their financial report to members, Fusion announced a $500,000 patronage allocation to all members.

They also reported financial strength including positive asset growth at 4.66%; with a net income in 9 months of over 4 million dollars and a strong preferred dividend rate of 4.25%.

In nine months, Fusion contributed almost $180,000 to projects and community organizations through donations, sponsorships and scholarships. The staff counted 35,322 acts of green (environmental responsibility); they have undertaken thousands of volunteer hours and have made event support resources available 30 times for community groups.

"We're thrilled with these financial indicators," said Guy Huberdeau, Board Chair. "But if you want to see where an organization is headed, look at the culture and the commitment of the people who make these successes possible. We have recognized the passion our staff feel for this work, for the members they serve and for our towns."

They held their annual general meeting last night. Fusion is the result of the official amalgamation of Catalyst and Vanguard Credit Unions that took place on April 1, 2018.

During the amalgamation, staff was required to take on new roles and develop new skills. The 2018 Annual report highlights the work that was undertaken behind the scenes to keep everything moving seamlessly for members.

"From the beginning, we had strong support and buy-in from the staff, who created new teams that came together well and quickly, which in turn has delivered results that have exceeded our expectations," said Hedley.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 9:08 am

The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba has started nominating candidates for the next provincial election, and Brad Michaleski has been selected for Dauphin.

In a press release, Manitoba PC Party Leader Brian Pallister had lots of praise for Michaleski, saying "Brad has been a wonderful representative for his constituents in Dauphin. His record of public service makes him the best choice to represent the new constituency of Dauphin".

Michaleski became MLA for the City of Sunshine after the 2016 election where he won with 53.4% of the vote. The next closest was NDP representative Darcy Scheller with 25.6%.

See the full press release below.

"The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is pleased to announce Brad Michaleski as the nominated candidate for the next provincial election after securing the party’s nomination in the new constituency of Dauphin.

“Brad has been a wonderful representative for his constituents in Dauphin,” said PC Party Leader Brian Pallister. “His record of public service makes him the best choice to represent the new constituency of Dauphin. I look forward to working with him as we build a winning team that will continue to earn the trust of Manitobans in the next provincial election.”

Brad Michaleski has been the Progressive Conservative MLA for Dauphin since 2016. Prior to his election as an MLA, Brad brought a strong record of management and leadership, municipal government experience, and community involvement. Brad is also a grain and oilseeds producer with experience in many specialty crops, livestock production and commodity markets. Brad and his wife Lori continue to live on the family farm where they raised their two children.

In preparation for the next provincial election, the PC Party of Manitoba has begun the process of nominating candidates across the province. The December 2018 report of the independent Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission made significant changes to the existing electoral boundaries. As a result, founding meetings for new or redrawn constituencies may be required prior to or in conjunction with the nomination meetings. We look forward to building a winning team that reflects the values of Manitobans and our vision for a stronger, more prosperous Manitoba. Additional founding and nomination meetings will be held in the coming weeks."

Details: Contributed by Alec Woolston; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 5:31 am

This weekend will be cooler than seasonal norms with the potential of snow falling.

Ernie Sirski, a producer west of Dauphin, says the cool weather won’t slow people down if they are ready to go.

“If we’re going to stick with seeding cereals, cause that’s what we’re going to be putting in, the wheat and barley type of thing, maybe the odd guy will grow peas this year. But that won’t have an impact, it may delay germination a bit. The reality is I think a lot of farmers would welcome some moisture.”

Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist with the weather network says overnight lows will drop below 0 this weekend.

“We can’t rule out a centimetre of snow Sunday and Monday.”

Sirski says a little cold won’t hurt the seeding process.

There isn’t necessarily a right time to seed, different times have different risks and rewards.

Hamilton says farmers and producers will know how to best prepare for frost and colder weather.

Despite the cold weather, it won’t have a major effect on seeding.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 5:04 am

This weekend is your chance to experience the new Uptown Pet Clinic.

They are holding their Grand Opening this Saturday.

Owner Sonia Pensaert is excited to show off their new space. They recently made some major renovations which included bringing in an entirely new building to connect to their old one.

“It’s a little bit of a different concept in that we added an old building to an older building and that we put it on an angle and had a little bit of a different design.”

She says everything happened fast. “It actually happened all pretty quickly. We came up with the idea in the fall, and the grade beam was dug by November, and the building was moved in December. Then the crew has been working tirelessly for the last few months to get it all up and going. And it is all functional now.”

The clinic is offering the same services, only now a whole lot more.

“We are able to house a few more animals because we have a bigger kennel space. We have a larger surgery room. And I’ve been able to hire another technician, just because we have more space to get more help.”

The grand opening takes place tomorrow between 11 am to 2 pm, at 519 Main Street North.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Apr 26, 2019 - 5:00 am

The two missing children from Waywayseeccapo were found safe, but now police are searching for the father who is wanted for a number of criminal charges.

33-year old Robert Fluery is wanted after a pedestrian Hit and Run that took place yesterday.

Police say they were called to a home in Waywayseeccapo and found a 24-year-old female victim who had been struck by a vehicle.

The victim was transported to hospital and remains in stable condition with undetermined injuries.

Fluery, from Gambler First Nation, is wanted for Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle Causing Bodily Harm; Failure to Stop after Accident Resulting in Bodily Harm; Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle; Assault with a Weapon; Failure to Provide the Necessaries; Uttering Threats against a person x3 and Failure to Comply with Probation Order.

Police are actively searching for Fluery, who might be driving a white 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 with the licence plate KBZ 701.

Manitoba First Nations Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating the noted suspect and vehicle.

If you have information on the whereabouts of this suspect are asked to please call MFNP Waywayseeccapo Police Detachment at (204) 859-5071 or Crime Stoppers at 1-(800)-222-TIPS (8477)

Earlier today the police issued a release asking for help in locating a three and four-year-old. Police confirmed later today that both young children have been located and are safe with a family member.