First Bivalent Booster For Children Approved

Health Canada has approved a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster for children ages five to eleven. It's the first bivalent shot to be approved for use in kids and will target the original strain of COVID-19 as well as more recent variants.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that children with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions should be offered a dose of the vaccine at least six months after they receive their first two COVID-19 shots.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 9, 2022 - 1:36 pm

An inmate at the Brandon Correctional Centre briefly escaped custody on Monday while being transported for medical services.

Ryan Joseph Roulette, 28, was taken to the Brandon Regional Health Centre for care, and when being transported back to the Correctional vehicle, he slipped one hand out of his handcuffs. He then assaulted the correctional officers transporting him before fleeing the scene.

Roulette hopped over a nearby fence and unsuccessfully tried to break into a car. He then got into the passenger seat of a stopped car nearby, but when the driver refused to drive, he pushed him out of the car and stole it.

Brandon Police Services responded to the scene and after a short chase, officers were able to stop Roulette. Roulette hit multiple parked cars, and nearly hit a number of pedestrians during the chase.

In total, Roulette was at large for 17 minutes, and has now been charged with the following:

Resist Arrest x2
Escape Lawful Custody
Assault PO with a Weapon x3
Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Fail to Stop at the Scene of the Accident x3
Flight While Pursued by PO
Attempted theft of a Motor Vehicle
Theft of a Motor Vehicle
Robbery with Violence

As a result of the assaults on Correctional Officers, two of the officers suffered swelling and bruising and the third suffered a large contusion with abrasions to his head and neck.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 9, 2022 - 11:41 am

Update: The 18th St. Daly Bridge has been cleared and is now open according to Brandon Police.

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If you are in Brandon or are planning on heading to the Wheat City, be aware that the 18th Street Daly Bridge is closed to all modes of transportation right now.

Brandon Police are investigating a collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. Traffic is being redirected to 26th Street.

The bridge is expected to be closed for at least a few hours.

Details: Contributed by Alec Woolston; Published: Dec 9, 2022 - 9:27 am

According to Farm Credit Canad, the farm equipment market will remain strong in 2023. The country's largest ag lender released its 2023 Outlook for the Farm Equipment Market.

FCC's Chief Economist JP Gervais says several factors contribute to their predictions, and farm revenue is the first thing they look at.

"Gross revenues are going to be good, positive in 2022, and the Outlook for 2023 is positive as well. We've got commodity prices at much higher than a five-year average, they're also in some cases higher than last year's. We think that from a revenue standpoint things are going to be ok and positive, and so that drives the demand for equipment, it drives a number of different things that happen at the farm level."

However, Gervais says there are factors that could negatively affect the market.

"We're looking, as well, at a year where we're going to see inflationary efforts on farm inputs, and that's going to put a little bit of pressure on profit margins, so that might lead farm businesses to look at different things in terms of investment. Those are the two things that I'd be looking at first and foremost, farm revenues and commodity prices, versus the inflationary pressures of farm inputs."

Factors like interest rates and how the supply chain rebounds from last year need to be accounted for as well says, Gervais. Don Tarrant from Reit Syd Equipment in Dauphin says there will be much better availability this year.

Tarrant says that while Canadian manufacturers were able to supply to normal levels in 2022, they've reduced promised orders but up to 50% this year to ensure units are delivered on time, and not after the use season.

"Tractors availability will be much improved and on time in 2023, and Combine availability will be similar to 2022, the improvement is that combines will arrive on promised dates unlike 2022 late arrivals."

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 9, 2022 - 5:30 am

The RCMP is investigating after a robbery took place at a business on Main Street in Swan River.

Officers got a call about a disturbance in the area, and when they arrived, they discovered that a male suspect entered the business, threw items at the employee, and then assaulted him. The employee ran to a nearby business for help and the suspect fled the scene.

Officers located the suspect, 22-year-old Noah Bercier of Swan River nearby and he was arrested without incident. Bercier has been charged with Robbery and Mischief and was remanded into custody.

The victim, a 34-year-old male suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 8, 2022 - 1:27 pm

UPDATE: The Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP are reporting that David Shaun Sinclair has been safely located. Sinclair was first reported missing in late October from O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation.

The RCMP is thanking the public for their assistance in the search.

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Original article posted on November 2^nd, 2022 below:

Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP received a report of a missing male from the O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation (formerly known as the Crane River First Nation) on October 21^st at around 5:15 p.m.

Police say that 43-year-old David Shaun Sinclair was last heard from on July 24^th.

They also say that at that time, it was believed that Sinclair was in Winnipeg, but he hasn't made any contact with either his friends or family members since, and now they’re concerned for his safety.

According to the RCMP, all previous attempts to locate Sinclair have failed.

Sinclair is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, 195 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, and has various tattoos on his arms.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is being asked to call the Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP at 204-447-3082, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 8, 2022 - 9:36 am

Overby Stock Farm from Ste. Rose has been attending the Western Canadian Agribition for nearly 20 years, and for the first time, they're coming home with a win. Owner Neil Overby says it's a great feeling for all of their hard work to pay off.

"We actually ended up having National Champion Balancer Bull. For people that don't know, Balancer is a trademark used by the Canadian and American Gelbvieh Associations for registered hybrids between Gelbvieh and Red or Black Angus Cattle."

Overby says the bull needs to range from 25% to 75% Gelbvieh, with the other percentage being registered Angus.

"We had been mainly taking purebred Gelbvieh cattle, and we've branched off into the Balancer thing a little bit the last couple of years."

Agribition is the largest livestock show in all of Canada, with competitors from across North America traveling to Regina for the event. Agribition also sees visitors from across the globe, hosting over 1,250 international guests from over 86 countries.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 8, 2022 - 5:30 am

A robbery at a business in Ashern ended with a fight between an employee and the suspect.

Ashern RCMP was responding to a robbery in progress at a business on Highway 6 early Monday morning when they got another call saying the suspect was fighting one of the employees. When they arrived, it was discovered that the suspect had entered the business with a knife and a stick, and demanded cash and cigarettes.

As he was grabbing the items, another employee walked in which startled him, so he began punching the employee. Other employees intervened and held down the suspect until police arrived. One employee sustained minor injuries in the altercation.

22-year-old Braden McIvor from Ashern has been charged with two counts of Robbery, Assault With a Weapon, Assault, and two counts of Failing to Comply. He was remanded into custody.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 7, 2022 - 2:09 pm

The Federal riding of Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa is getting a name change. Starting April 1st, 2024, the riding will be known as Riding Mountain in all federal elections according to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission's final report for Manitoba.

By population, it's the second smallest riding in Manitoba at just under 91,000 citizens. There was a proposal on the table to move some boundaries in the northern part of the riding, which would've seen some residents become a part of the Churchill—Keewatinook Aski riding, which is currently the smallest in the province at just over 81,000.

After consultations, it was decided that proposal did not fit as the area didn't match the geography, economy, trading or communications patterns of Churchill—Keewatinook Aski.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 7, 2022 - 12:10 pm

The Yorkton Fire Department suspects arson in an apartment fire that caused widespread evacuations yesterday.

The department responded to two fires at the same building and reported that the first, which occurred late Monday Night, didn't appear suspicious, but the second, which was found in a different area early Tuesday morning, appeared to be set by hand. There was also an explosion that caused minor injuries to two firefighters.

Fire Cheif Trevor Morrissey says one of the walls coming down ruptured a natural gas line, which caused the evacuations in the area, but residents have since been able to return home. The building where the fires occurred, however, is a complete loss.

In the most recent update, Morrissey says crews are still working to secure the site, and investigators should be able to access it within the next day or two.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Dec 7, 2022 - 11:20 am

As we learned late last month, due to a severe staffing shortage, the Grandview Hospital will not be able to have in-patients for the month of December.

The hospital does have some services available, however. The Emergency Room will be open 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday. Lab services are also available from 8 am to 4:30 pm for emergency and clinic patients, and from 4:30 pm to 8 pm, but for emergency patients only.

The ambulance is also available as needed, and the Grandview Medical Clinic is open 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The update was sent out by Grandview Healthcare Solutions.