Portage

Deputy Opposition Leader Jeff Bereza says he was alarmed to learn that James Hilton, the man accused in the death of Portage resident Kellie Verwey, had been released to an unsupervised treatment facility before disappearing. Bereza says he was notified of Hilton’s release late last week and was surprised that tighter monitoring was not in place given Hilton’s history.

Harvest is well underway across the province, and while cold weather may still be a little way off, now is the time to start planning for fall soil testing, which is a key step in setting up next season’s success.

The camping season is winding down at Portage la Prairie’s Island Park Campgrounds, with officials reflecting on a year significantly impacted by poor weather and widespread wildfires in Manitoba.

Heather Greenlay, General Manager of the Portage Industrial Exhibition Campgrounds, which operates the site, says it has been a different season marked by a noticeable drop in bookings compared to recent years.

A new survey conducted by Probe Research for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) and the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) shows overwhelming support for federal funding to help communities build and upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure.

Eighty-three per cent of Manitobans strongly agree or somewhat agree that Ottawa must step in to support projects such as treatment plants, sewer pipes, and sewage lagoons.

AMM president Kathy Valentino says the findings confirm what municipalities have been saying for years.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH

MJHL EXHIBITION
Virden 8 Portage 1 
Niverville 3 Selkirk 2 

MLB
Toronto 4 Houston 3

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH

MJHL EXHIBITION
Portage at Virden, 7:30 PM
Winnipeg Blues at Niverville, 7:30 PM

Tariffs and trade were among the key topics of discussion for the country's agriculture ministers during their annual conference this week in Manitoba.

Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers reaffirming their commitment for a resilient, sustainable, and competitive agriculture and agri-food sector.

The Manitoba government is providing more than $2 million to increase security efforts at the province's largest hospital, including funding police officers to man the facility 24 hours a day. 

Two police officers will be deployed to the emergency department at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg due to rising safety concerns in and around the hospital. 

"There's important work that's happening to make sure that we're involving law enforcement in the security solution at the (Health Sciences Centre)," Justice Minister Matt Wiebe told reporters on Tuesday. 

There’s a misconception that 4-H is agriculture-exclusive. 

“We often hear that people have heard of 4-H, but they’ve maybe thought it was just for farm kids. That’s absolutely not true,” says Shannon Carvey. “We do have members involved in livestock and other ag programs, but we have a really wide variety of projects, from cooking, sewing and crafts to business development, woodworking and healthy living.” 

Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox says she is deeply frustrated following news that James Hilton, accused in the January crash that killed Portage resident Kellie Verwey, breached his release conditions this past Saturday after being sent to an unsupervised treatment facility. RCMP issued a warrant for his arrest and then located the accused late Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m incredibly frustrated with this situation and hearing this news in the last few days. My heart just goes out to the family who I feel just continues to be victimized in this situation,” says Knox.

North Memorial School in Portage la Prairie has started the year with fresh energy, welcoming new students, new staff, and new programs. Principal Valerie Smith says enthusiasm is high among students, parents, and teachers as the school heads into the fall.

Enrollment has grown by about 25 students, raising the population while still leaving space for more. Smith says the newcomers are already becoming part of the school community as “honorary Grizzly Bears.”

“We are really welcoming a lot of new people to our school,” notes Smith.