Candace Derksen

"Awards like this make you pause." 

That's the initial thought shared by Valley Fiber in a statement submitted to PembinaValleyOnline after it was announced that the company would be receiving one of the Future Champion awards being handed out by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce this year. 

We've got a few more details on Wednesday afternoon's crash west of Plum Coulee.
    
According to information from Pembina Valley RCMP, officers were alerted to the situation by a cellphone crash notification.

Altona police officers have been responding to an increase in mental health calls in recent years.

Just this past week, noted Police Chief Dan Defer, members spent around 70 hours on three such calls for service. 
    
He believes the reason for the increase is two-fold.

"A lot of it will have to do, of course, with the increase in substance abuse. But I think it's (also) becoming less stigmatized, so maybe people are a little more comfortable is coming out with issues and problems that they're dealing with.

Altona/Rhineland Emergency Services were called to a grass fire late Wednesday afternoon.
    
According to Fire Chief Greg Zimmerman, the incident occurred at a rural home in Neubergthal. No structures were damaged.
    
Three trucks and 18 members responded to the incident

Four people were brought to hospital following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 14, west of Plum Coulee, Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency crews, including the Plum Coulee Fire Department, were called to the scene, at Road 15W, around 5:50 p.m. STARS Air Ambulance was also called in, landing on the highway. 

The results are in, and 68% of the people who responded to the Town of Altona's Big Easel Restoration survey believe the towering steel structure should remain a landmark in the community.

46% of those believe it is very important the towering steel structure should remain a landmark in the community, and 22% feel it is somewhat important. 

Authorities have identified two persons of interest in connection to last month's fire at Grace St. John's Anglican Lutheran Church in Carman.
    
It didn't take long for Pembina Valley RCMP to declare the devastating early-morning March 13th blaze as suspicious, and appealed to the public for any video surveillance footage that could help in the investigation.
    

One driver is being charged after a two-vehicle crash east of Winkler on Highway 14 Monday morning.

According to Pembina Valley RCMP, a vehicle turning west onto the highway from Reinfeld Street in Reinfeld collided with a vehicle heading east on the highway. Both drivers were taken to hospital in stable condition.
    
The driver of the vehicle that turned is being charged under the Highway Traffic Act for proceeding when unsafe to do so. 
    
RCMP say the highway is open to traffic in both directions.

If you've got a pad mount transformer in your yard, Manitoba Hydro wants you to keep one thing in mind this spring.
    
As sump pumps start gurgling to life, homeowners are being reminded to direct those hoses away from the green electrical boxes sometimes found in yards.
    
According to the Crown utility, Hydro crews have spotted several transformers with puddles around them and, while the units are designed to be safe even when wet, it says standing water can corrode the equipment requiring costly repairs and causing power outages. 
    

It's something Altona Police Chief Dan Defer says his department deals with every election.
    
On Thursday, the office received a report of two election signs being damaged, rather, noted Defer, they were driven over.

"There are those individuals out there that tend to go out and either remove or destroy election signs," he explained.

Defer noted, destroying, tampering or damaging election signs is an offence under the Federal Elections Act and says these incidents will be investigated by police.