Portage

With extreme wildfire danger threatening much of the province, the Manitoba government has declared a provincial state of emergency and implemented Level 3 fire and travel restrictions across all designated burn permit areas as of 8 a.m., Thursday, May 30.

The restrictions will remain in place until at least June 26.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has released its third Farmers and Food Price Report.

The report shows that while food prices remain high, the share of the food dollar reaching Saskatchewan farmers continues to decline.

One of the contributors to wind is the Coriolis force. The Coriolis force arises from the fact that the Earth rotates. | Photo: File
Last issue, we talked about how the pressure gradient force is the main driving force of wind in our atmosphere and that it exists due to the unequal heating of the Earth’s surface.

Now, if we were to take a simple look at the Earth, this would mean that the polar regions would have high pressure because they are cold and the equatorial regions would be areas of low pressure because they are warm.

India takes the plunge, but some crop sectors remain hesitant.

May 4, 2025, could be a significant day in the history of agriculture.

On that day, Indian agriculture minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the release of two gene-edited rice varieties.

The announcement signals to the world that India — a country of nearly 1.5 billion people — is committed to gene edited technologies and modern tools to improve crop production.

The Austin Fire Department is reminding residents that fires can start from almost anything, following a grass fire Thursday afternoon just north of Road 70N along Highway 34.

Crews were dispatched around 12:31 p.m. on May 29 to reports of a fire in a field where cattle had been wintered.

Portage la Prairie firefighters were kept extremely busy Thursday, responding to a series of emergency calls throughout the day, including multiple fires and a highway crash, all within just a few hours.

Morning basement fire in RM of Portage

The first call came in around 10:15 a.m. for a basement fire in the Rural Municipality of Portage. Crews responded quickly, managing to bring the fire under control before it could spread further. The situation was contained without injury or significant escalation.

THURSDAY, MAY 29TH

NHL
Playoffs - Best of 7
Western Conference Finals
Game 5
Edmonton 6 Dallas 3
Edmonton wins series 4-1

American Association Baseball
Kane Country Cougars 2 Winnipeg Goldeyes 1

MLB
Blue Jays 12 Athletics 0

FRIDAY, MAY 30TH

Cobbe’s Plumbing & Heating has been a trusted name in Portage la Prairie for 70 years — and according to General Manager Andy Taylor, their secret isn’t so secret: it’s all about people, service, and staying rooted in the community.

“We’ve still got the same owners, and they’re still involved. Our staff are the heart of the company,” says Taylor. “Providing good service and getting that repeat business — that’s what’s kept us going. We’re part of the community, part of what goes on here. We support everything from community events to kids’ sports.”

The Portage la Prairie Soup Kitchen has a new name. Now operating as the Highway Community Kitchen, the local non-profit continues to serve full meals to those in need three days a week out of Highway Pentecostal Church. Co-coordinator Carol Lang explains that the changes were made in December when a new team took over for the year-old operation.

"There was a change-up with who was coordinating the kitchen. When we took over, we changed the name.