Candace Derksen

The Municipality of Rhineland's proposed expanded Special Services bylaw for the L.U.D. of Gretna is back up for debate, two years after Council put it on the backburner.

Recommended by the L.U.D. committee in 2019, Council tabled the proposal in early 2020 following a plea from Mennonite Collegiate Institute to hold off on any changes for two years, citing the private Christian school wasn't prepared to absorb the financial hardships the levy would impose.

The public is being asked to help fill a 4-day gap in the timeline of the Patel family's travels from Toronto to Emerson in January of this year.

The bodies of the four family members were discovered about 12 metres from the Canada/U.S. border on January 19th after investigators believe they succumbed to the frigid elements while attempting to cross into the U.S. on foot.

Since January, RCMP officers have travelled extensively across Canada and the United States to conduct interviews and follow-up on tips. 

The Superintendent for Garden Valley School Division (GVSD) is outlining the Division's response to what is being referred to as a vague threat made against Emerado Centennial School last Thursday. The message, found written on school property, specifically mentioned yesterday's date, October 17th.
    
The threat prompted a police presence at the school on Monday with officers posted to the facility out of an abundance of caution, explained Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt. 
    

Editor's Note - a correction has been made to the following story indicating the funding received by the companies mentioned is a repayable term loan. The initial story omitted that point. We apologize for the error.

PrairiesCan Minister and MP for Saint Boniface-St.Vital, Dan Vandal, announced over $11,796,593 in federal funding for 24 projects in communities across rural Manitoba on Tuesday. The funding is intended to support economic growth, development of community spaces, and tourism initiatives in Manitoba. 

The incoming Reeve for the R.M. of Morris is looking forward to his new responsibilities.
    
Scott Siemens was the only person to submit their name as a candidate for Reeve in the upcoming municipal election and therefore, has been acclaimed to the role. He starts at the end of October. 

"I enjoyed my first term here on Council and felt ready to step into a different role and learn those responsibilities," he explained when asked what prompted him to seek the job. 

It's been two weeks since Siemens was acclaimed. 

Lauren Stone says there needs to be fresh voice and new energy standing up for families at the Manitoba Legislature, and that is why she is seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in the constituency of Midland.

Stone lives in La Salle with her husband and their two children. 

The incoming Reeve for the R.M. of Morris is looking forward to his new responsibilities.
    
Scott Siemens was the only person to submit their name as a candidate for Reeve in upcoming municipal election and therefore, has been acclaimed to the role. He starts at the end of October. 

"I enjoyed my first term here on Council and felt ready to step in to a different role and learn those responsibilities," he explained when asked what prompted him to seek the job. 

It's been two weeks since Siemens was acclaimed. 

Motorists should soon be able to resume driving on 2nd St. NE in Altona. The road from 4th Ave NE, north to the south property line of 6th Ave. was torn up earlier this summer, and crews have been rebuilding it. 
    
"The second lane was poured on Friday from end-to-end," explained Public Works Manager, Clint Derksen. 

Now, crews have to hand-pour in a few spots.

"We want to get drainage right," said Derksen. "The slip-form machine is accurate, but not in such small areas where there's numerous different curvatures to the concrete."

Dave Carlson says he had a mixed reaction to hearing he'd been acclaimed to a second term as Reeve for the Municipality of Emerson-Franklin. Carlson was declared Reeve after no other candidates stepped forward during the nomination process for the October 26th municipal elections.

Crews have arrived and are working on the Town of Altona's Southwest Drainage Project. 
    
"It's finally a go," said Public Works Manager, Clint Derksen.

The plan is to dig out the ditch along Highway 201 from Buffalo Creek, east to Road 5W this week. 

Should weather and time allow, Derksen says crews could dig all the way to 4th Street SW, noting there are enough culverts on hand to make it happen. 

With a deeper ditch and new culverts, the intent is that this project will lead to improved drainage in the southwest corner of town.