Candace Derksen

Members of Altona's new town council are settling into the new term. 
    
Council held its inaugural meeting this week under the leadership of new Mayor, Harv Schroeder.

"I'm very excited to be working with the next Council," said Schroeder, adding some great questions were asked during that meeting. 

Southern Health-Sante Sud is providing more information regarding ongoing human resource challenges within the Altona community medical group that continue to affect emergency department services at the local hospital.
    
The health region confirmed at the end of October that a plan to resume emergency services 12 hours a day, 7 days a week at the Altona Community Memorial Health Centre by October 31st would not be the case.

The Altona & District Chamber of Commerce and SEED are forming a new partnership, creating a one-stop-shop for businesses that is focused on attracting, growing, and retaining businesses within the Town of Altona and Municipality of Rhineland. 
    
The process has begun to reorganize the Chamber's structure and relocate it to the SEED office, where it will be overseen by SEED's economic development officer, Stephanie Harris. 

Kal Smith, President of the Altona and District Chamber of Commerce, said there was no trigger point that spawned the move. 

The R.M. of Dufferin's new Reeve says he was excited and ready to take on the challenge of the job upon hearing he'd been elected to the post in last week's municipal election. Earning 351 votes, Cor Lodder defeated incumbent George Gray who garnered 264 votes. 

"I was, first of all, humbled that the residents decided to give me an opportunity, and now I have to honour that call and work hard to provide good, positive results for the municipality and anybody else that's affected by it," said Lodder.

It will be Lauren Stone's name on the ballot representing the Progressive Conservatives in Midland in the 2023 provincial election. 
    
Stone won the party's nomination on Saturday, beating out two other candidates - Doug Dobrowolski and Shannon Martin. 

"I was just so excited and honoured for the members of Midland putting their trust in me to represent the party," said Stone following her win, adding she is excited to build on the momentum she gained during the nomination campaign.

The Municipality of Rhineland's proposed expanded Special Services bylaw for the L.U.D. of Gretna is back up for debate, two years after Council put it on the backburner.

Recommended by the L.U.D. committee in 2019, Council tabled the proposal in early 2020 following a plea from Mennonite Collegiate Institute to hold off on any changes for two years, citing the private Christian school wasn't prepared to absorb the financial hardships the levy would impose.

The public is being asked to help fill a 4-day gap in the timeline of the Patel family's travels from Toronto to Emerson in January of this year.

The bodies of the four family members were discovered about 12 metres from the Canada/U.S. border on January 19th after investigators believe they succumbed to the frigid elements while attempting to cross into the U.S. on foot.

Since January, RCMP officers have travelled extensively across Canada and the United States to conduct interviews and follow-up on tips. 

The Superintendent for Garden Valley School Division (GVSD) is outlining the Division's response to what is being referred to as a vague threat made against Emerado Centennial School last Thursday. The message, found written on school property, specifically mentioned yesterday's date, October 17th.
    
The threat prompted a police presence at the school on Monday with officers posted to the facility out of an abundance of caution, explained Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt. 
    

Editor's Note - a correction has been made to the following story indicating the funding received by the companies mentioned is a repayable term loan. The initial story omitted that point. We apologize for the error.

PrairiesCan Minister and MP for Saint Boniface-St.Vital, Dan Vandal, announced over $11,796,593 in federal funding for 24 projects in communities across rural Manitoba on Tuesday. The funding is intended to support economic growth, development of community spaces, and tourism initiatives in Manitoba. 

The incoming Reeve for the R.M. of Morris is looking forward to his new responsibilities.
    
Scott Siemens was the only person to submit their name as a candidate for Reeve in the upcoming municipal election and therefore, has been acclaimed to the role. He starts at the end of October. 

"I enjoyed my first term here on Council and felt ready to step into a different role and learn those responsibilities," he explained when asked what prompted him to seek the job. 

It's been two weeks since Siemens was acclaimed.