Candace Derksen

Warning: some details may be troubling to some.

One person is in custody following the discovery of five suspicious deaths in and around the Carman area, as well as the R.M. of Cartier, early Sunday morning.

In a late Sunday afternoon news conference, Manitoba RCMP detailed their preliminary investigation into three separate incidents they say are linked.

The Manitoba government is increasing operating funding for public schools by 3.4 per cent for the 24/25 year. This, noted Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare, is and amount higher than the provincial inflation rate.
    
“After years of feeling the pinch, schools and kids deserve a government that’s ready to fund them at the level they deserve,” said Altomare. 

It's being billed as the largest Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seizure of illegal narcotics to ever occur in the Canadian Prairies, and it happened right here in Southern Manitoba. 

At a news conference in Winnipeg on Wednesday morning, authorities announced officers at the Boissevain Port of Entry discovered and seized 406 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine following a search of a commercial truck on January 14th. According to SFC Ken MacGregor, that's about 4 million illicit doses with a street value of over $50 million. 

It's being billed as the largest Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seizure of illegal narcotics to ever occur in the Canadian Prairies, and it happened right here in Southern Manitoba. 

At a news conference in Winnipeg on Wednesday morning, authorities announced officers at the Boissevain Port of Entry discovered and seized 406 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine following a search of a commercial truck on January 14th. According to SFC Ken MacGregor, that's about 4 million illicit doses with a street value of over $50 million. 

The economic development officer for the Town of Altona and Municipality of Rhineland, Stephanie Harris, says it was great to see the growth that unfolded in the region last year.
    
In 2023, Harris met with over 80 new and existing entrepreneurs, resulting in 65 connections made and 36 new opportunities created. New opportunities include new business start-up, business expansions, business grant funding and hiring employees through the RNIP program.

Officials with the Municipality of Rhineland are reflecting on a recent meeting with the Province's water, engineering and operations department. 

The session allowed local officials to outline their ongoing concerns regarding the maintenance and reconstruction of provincial drains. 

"The two we focused on, to make the point was, of course, the South Buffalo and the Aux Marais," explained Reeve Don Wiebe.

After the addition of a pavilion, washroom facility and accessible garden beds, organizers of the Altona Community Garden are anticipating a more
relaxed year in 2024. 

Now that the main infrastructure is in place, spokesperson Jack Heppner expects 2024 to be a quieter year, allowing them to focus on the gardeners.

The Government of Manitoba has approved one of its Municipal Service Delivery Program grants to be used for a regional planning district evaluation, exploring the formalization of the PTH 75 Caucus.

Many people from southern Manitoba are aware of what happened in Altona on November 17th, 1990, but a new documentary is seeking to shed a more humanistic light on the events of that evening and poses the question - can you forgive what you'll never forget?

Premier Wab Kinew says the opening of a Southern Manitoba Cabinet Office is step one in a long-term plan of bringing more government support and services to the region, creating a good quality of life, and helping to grow the provincial economy.