Shannon Dueck

Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says the RCMP vacancy rate in our province has become an increasingly serious concern. So much so, that Goertzen has sent a letter to the federal Minister of Public Safety asking for immediate action.

Municipal politicians are applauding the provincial government for Wednesday's announcement concerning Highway 75.

Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk has promised that the southbound lanes of Highway 75 from Ste. Agathe to Morris will be rebuilt next year at a cost of more than $61 million. Work will include 27.7 kilometres of surface reconstruction, as well as shoulder, drainage and intersection improvements. The surface will be reconstructed using concrete pavement.

A woman from Ste. Agathe is applauding the Manitoba government for expanding coverage for the cystic fibrosis medication Trikafta to patients aged six and older. 

A spokesperson for Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District is calling it gratifying, after a decade-long investment of time. 

Interim Manager Joey Pankiw is referring to the completion of their Roseau River Integrated Watershed Management Plan. According to Pankiw, this plan outlines actions to address land and water priorities for the Manitoba portion of the Roseau River Watershed. 

Both Steinbach Credit Union (SCU) and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) would like to inform the public about separate frauds circulating in our province.

According to SCU, members are reporting receiving fraudulent calls claiming to be from SCU, or in some cases, Microsoft on behalf of SCU. The scammer informs the member that there has been fraudulent transaction activity on their account and in order to fix the transaction, they need to come into a branch and withdraw large sums of cash and deposit the funds into a Bitcoin ATM.

Bill 9 came into effect Monday to curb the theft of catalytic converters in our province.

Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says Bill 9, or the Scrap Metal Act and its corresponding Scrap Metal Regulation, are part of his government's comprehensive plan to address the increasing problem of metal theft, particularly of catalytic converters. 

It is shaping up to be a hot and muggy weekend for southern Manitoba. 

Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says we are currently under the influence of a ridge, which is well defined by hot conditions. As a result, Friday will be sunny with a high of 30 degrees and a humidex of 36. 

Saturday will then be mainly cloudy and Hasell says that cloud cover could prevent us from reaching 30 degrees. The forecast high for Saturday is 29 degrees and a humidex of 36. Hasell says there is a chance of rain for Saturday and even thunderstorms. 

It is shaping up to be a hot and muggy weekend for southern Manitoba. 

Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says we are currently under the influence of a ridge, which is well defined by hot conditions. As a result, Friday will be sunny with a high of 30 degrees and a humidex of 36. 

Saturday will then be mainly cloudy and Hasell says that cloud cover could prevent us from reaching 30 degrees. The forecast high for Saturday is 29 degrees and a humidex of 36. Hasell says there is a chance of rain for Saturday and even thunderstorms. 

Floodwaters have long dissipated in the Rural Municipality of Morris, but the cleanup is still far from over.

In fact, Reeve Ralph Groening says only about five to ten percent of that work has been completed. He notes though all roads are passable once again in the municipality, Riverside Road remains open to local traffic only. The municipality is waiting for a thorough inspection of the bridge over the Morris River, before reopening that road to all traffic.

Manitoba Parks has announced some additional reopenings in the Whiteshell.

Provincial Road (PR) 307 in Whiteshell Provincial Park is now fully open through the north Whiteshell area from Seven Sisters Falls to Rennie. Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure is continuing ongoing repairs of PR 307 and floodwaters remain on the road in some areas. Expect delays when traveling in the park, use caution and drive slowly when coming up to or passing work crews.