Portage

What should have been the happiest time in 22-year-old Bethany Bachalo-Doyle’s life has taken a devastating turn. Just two weeks after giving birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl, the young mother from Portage la Prairie now lies in critical condition in a Winnipeg intensive care unit.

The sudden health crisis has shocked her family, friends, and community, and spurred an outpouring of support that continues to grow each day.

With cooler nights settling in, gardeners are being reminded to take precautions to protect tender plants from frost.

Saturday is expected to be clear, with overnight temperatures dropping to around 2 C. Gardeners could see frost forming, especially on tender plants, and are being advised to take precautions to protect flowers, vegetables, and other sensitive greenery.

Carla Hrycyna, host of the Lawn and Garden Journal on Golden West Radio and of St. Mary’s Nursery and Garden Centre, says some plants are more at risk than others.

Two 17-year-old students were arrested Friday morning after police say threats were made toward a Portage la Prairie school.

RCMP say staff reported a student had posted messages in a group chat the night before, threatening to bring firearms to school and harm teachers.

Around 8 a.m., officers went to the school, where they found the student in the parking lot and arrested him. No weapons were found on him or in his vehicle.

A short time later, another 17-year-old boy connected to the threats was also taken into custody at the school.

Firearms crimes reported to the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS) ended in multiple arrests and several charges.

On August 22, shortly before 3:00 p.m., MFNPS officers were called out about a man armed with a sawed-off shotgun outside a Sandy Bay First Nation home. According to a police report, the man fled the scene riding an orange UTV.

For Notre Dame area farmer Mitch Chanel, the land he works on is steeped in family history.

He represents the fourth generation on the farm.

“I've lived on the farm my entire life. I went to school after secondary school, went into agribusiness and continued to go into ag research, always stayed with agriculture,” says Chanel. “Then the opportunity came up to jump into the family farm with my brother. I decided to jump in on that and go all in.”

The farm itself produces a diverse mix of crops.

As the Portage Terriers gear up for another Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) season, third-year defenseman Owen Witt is stepping into a new role, veteran leader, and reflecting on one of the most critical aspects of junior hockey life, billeting.

The 20-year-old from West Fargo, North Dakota is returning for his third season with the Terriers, bringing with him not only experience on the ice but also a deep appreciation for the people who support players off it.

"I've kind of just been waiting my whole summer to get back up here," said Witt. "It's good to be back."

The third annual Developers Day rolled out last week, and with it came renewed enthusiasm for the future of Portage la Prairie and the surrounding region.

Hosted at Southport’s brand-new Peggy May Legacy Centre, the day brought together local leaders, developers, business owners, and guests from across the province to explore the exciting developments already underway and the possibilities just over the horizon.

The 66-year-old man who was reported missing on August 2 has been located safe, according to the Gimli RCMP.

Ralph Osterwald had last been seen on the evening of August 1, leaving a residence in Gimli around 7 p.m. on a greenish-gray mountain bike.

He told family he was going for a bike ride but did not return, prompting concern and a coordinated search effort.

Police and family had launched an appeal to the public for help locating Osterwald, describing him as about six feet tall with a thin build, thinning grey hair, and a beard.

The Canadian economy lost jobs for the second month in a row as the unemployment rate climbed to its highest level since May 2016, excluding the pandemic period.

Statistics Canada said Friday the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.1 per cent in August, its highest level since August 2021, as the economy lost 66,000 jobs for the month.

The report follows the July labour force survey that showed a loss of 41,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent.

The first widespread rainfall in several weeks dropped a welcome swath of precipitation across Southern Manitoba on Thursday.