The war in Ukraine has caused a dramatic surge in the number of “social orphans,” according to a mission organization responding to an escalating crisis of child abandonment.

Ukrainian church leaders estimate there are as many as 50,000 “hidden” social orphans, children barely surviving under the radar who’ve been abandoned or severely neglected by their parents due to the ravages of war and fueled by addictions.

An annual tradition started up again Tuesday in southeastern Saskatchewan as we celebrate the producers in the region with Grain Rush.

We brought our first of 13 KFC lunch deliveries to Blaine and Chelsea Molstad's crew north of Macoun.

We have our next lunch visits scheduled for operations in Macoun, Storthoaks, and Lampman. There are still spots up for grabs.

Producers can enter here.

The Manitoba RCMP says that a man who was reported missing earlier has been located deceased.

On August 30, 2023, at 9:15 pm, Selkirk RCMP received a report of a missing 50-year-old male from a residence located in the City of Selkirk.

The man last spoke with a member of his family on August 29 at approximately 8:00 pm. He had not been seen or heard from since.

The RCMP sent out an update Thursday just after 10 p.m. reporting on the man's death.

Mounties say that no criminality is suspected in the death.

The City of Winnipeg is extending the spray pad season until September 11, 2023, offering families an extra week to beat the heat with some outdoor fun.

Spray pads were originally scheduled to close on September 4 but with a forecast of warm weather ahead of us, kids will still have a few chances to have some summer fun.

The City says in a release that all spray pads will remain open daily from 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. until September 11.

A senior citizen remains in police custody after police allege he attacked a man with bear spray and a chainsaw.

The Manitoba RCMP says in a release that on August 28, 2023, at approximately 1:25 p.m., Manitou RCMP responded to an assault at a residence in Somerset, Man. Somerset is approximately 105 KM southwest of Winnipeg.

It was reported that a suspect had broken into a home and used bear spray and a chainsaw to assault a male.

Smoke from forest fires is blanketing the City of Winnipeg Tuesday morning, prompting Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement.

From Environment Canada:

Smoke is currently producing poor air quality and visibility across parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  Smoke is expected to clear in a few hours.  

Wildfire smoke concentrations can fluctuate over short distances and vary considerably from hour to hour.

A group representing providers of counselling services went to Parliament Hill this week to lobby the Trudeau government to drop GST/HST tax obligations on their services, "aiming to address Canada's escalating mental health crisis in the lead-up to the 2025 election."

The City of Winnipeg could be in for a stormy night, with Environment Canada warning that high winds and large hail are a possibility.

From Environment Canada:

At 6:21 p.m. CDT, Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing very strong wind gusts, up to nickel size hail and heavy rain.

Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles. Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes.

Update: As of 4:30 p.m. all tornado warnings have ended.

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Earlier:

A tornado warning has been issued northwest of Portage la Prairie, for the R.M. of Alonsa including Ebb and Flow Res. and Sandy Bay Res., as well as a portion of Lake Manitoba.

Most of southern Manitoba is under a severe thunderstorm watch Thursday afternoon, as the potential for severe weather remains.

Time is ticking for you to take advantage of massive savings on all kinds of items in the DiscoverEstevan Online Auction.

More than 500 prizes are up for grabs, with items closing rapidly on Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 2:16 p.m.

Some items are available for 75 per cent off, including: