Candace Derksen

There's been a delay in the Altona Aquatic Centre's start to the season.
    
Originally slated to open this Saturday, the Town says unexpected mechanical issues have changed those plans.
    
During preparations, staff discovered that several pipes had cracked over the winter and, while repairs are nearly finished, more time is needed to finish filling the pool, balance the chemicals and conduct water quality testing.
    
The Town thanks the public for patience and understanding as it works to open the pool as soon as possible.
    

Staying safe was the focus during the annual Progressive Agriculture Safety Day in Altona on Friday.
    
About 150 grade 5 students from the area participated in the trade show style event, moving from booth to booth learning the many ways to stay safe this summer and in life. Topics ranged from drug, pet, lawn equipment and electricity safety, to name a few. 

The Town of Altona is embarking on a project that seeks to uncover and exhibit key themes and moments in the community's history.

The aim, explained Mayor Harv Schroeder, is to celebrate Altona's past by highlighting specific moments that have contributed to the existing fabric of community and place.

The project will focus on themes of land, Indigenous history, immigration, religion, economics and recreation and culture, and tell the story of how Altona has evolved from the 1870s to the present day.

A new measles exposure site has been named in the area. 

In an update sent Friday afternoon, Manitoba Public Health listed Prairie Dale School in Schanzenfeld. According to officials, the exposure happened May 12th from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the school. 

Public health is asking individuals who think they may have been exposed, but have not been directly, notified to contact Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or 1-888-315-9257 toll-free in Manitoba.

Two more flood-damaged sites are getting fixed in the Municipality of Rhineland. 
    
"Finally!" exclaimed Reeve Don Wiebe. "On Road 7 (West) and Road 9. I've talked about this project a number of times but now, I can say that we are going forward."

At its most recent regular meeting, Council approved the project tender to Tri-Core Projects Ltd.

"The project on Road 7 is just a simple repair. But on Road 9, it's a new three-span bridge. This crosses the South Buffalo (Drain)," explained Wiebe. 

"It's been an awesome year to contribute to something like this," said Levi Taylor, President of the Plum Coulee Community Foundation at the organization's annual general meeting this week. 

The occasion kicked off with a soup and pie fund raiser, one of two the Foundation hosts every year, which are always a success, noted Taylor, to the point where the soup pots sometimes run dry! 

Morden police officers doled out 13 speeding tickets this past week. 
    
According to Police Chief Brad Neduzak, one motorist was caught going 54 km/hr in a 30 km/hr zone during one of the department's speed zone enforcement checkstops. 
    
The rest of the tickets were handed out in various locations, like Route 100 where Neduzak says officers clocked speeds as high as 73 km/hr in a 50 km/hr zone, and on Highway 3 just east of Morden, with the highest speed coming in at 122 km/hr in a 100 km/hr zone.
    

Deer fawning season is just around the corner, and a provincial wildlife official is drawing attention to a frequent source of conflict that comes with it.
    
Janine Wilmot, a wildlife conflict biologist, says, often, people will see a deer fawn out on its own and, assuming it's been abandoned, they'll want to bring it to safety. 

"It's actually way better to leave it be," she explained, noting the doe will usually leave their fawns alone for hours while they go feed. "It could be six or even eight hours later when they come back."

Local fire departments continue to help battle the wildfires burning in Eastern Manitoba. 

The latest round of fire fighters to pack up and head out are from the Boyne River Mutual Aid District and includes five members from Carman-Dufferin with two apparatus, two members each from Elm Creek and Ste. Claude, five fire fighters from Miami along with a tanker truck, and a crew from the Rosenort Fire Department along with a side-by-side vehicle. 

Altona's giant Van Gogh painting is getting replaced.