Candace Derksen

A teenager from Winkler is facing several serious charges after fleeing from Altona police on Thursday.
    
According to the department's latest activities report, officers tried to stop a speeding car on Highway 201, but say the driver refused to stop and, instead, sped up. Eventually, the driver turned off of the highway and went down a municipal road, turning onto a rural yard before then fleeing on foot.
    
Police say the property owner was outside at the time and saw the whole thing, noting he'd never seen the vehicle for the driver before.
    

Hot weather and large crowds helped make Altona's 60th annual Manitoba Sunflower Festival this past weekend a huge success.

"It's been a great weekend," said Sandra Klassen, chair of the planning committee. 

Morden police arrested a 20-year-old man after officers were called to a home one Saturday morning earlier this month.
    
When they got there, officers found a woman, who had made the call to police, locked in the bathroom because of an argument with another occupant of the home.

Police did a further search and found the young man, who they say had a no contact order with the woman.
    
He was arrested for failing to comply with an undertaking condition and release.
    
An October court date has been set. 

A 40-year-old man was arrested after a July 14th traffic stop in Morden 
    
During the stop, police say an officer spotted a pack of unmarked tobacco in the vehicle. From there, a search was conducted and that's when officers found controlled substances on the driver.
    
He was arrested and is set to appear in court in October.
    
The driver was also ticketed for Possessing Not Manitoba Marked Tobacco which carries a fine of $2,542.
 

Tickets are going fast for the Furever Friends Cat Rescue Summer Raffle. 

A young man from Stuartburn has died following a two-vehicle crash in Western Manitoba Tuesday morning.
    
According to RCMP, a gravel truck was struck from behind by a water truck near the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Road 101 West, east of Brandon.
    
Authorities say the gravel truck was coming up to speed, heading east after turning on to the Trans Canada, when it was hit from behind by a large truck hauling a water tank.
    

Police were called after someone spotted a man walking in the northwest corner of Altona last Thursday carrying what appeared to be a firearm.
    
The witness offered up a description of the man and the clothes he was wearing and, from that information, police realized they'd seen him the day before, adding he is well known to them.
    
Officers found the man at his home wearing the clothes as described by the witness. After speaking with him, police determined the firearm was a toy and say the man voluntarily turned it over to them.

It's been decided. Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) is permanently closing its doors.
    
In June, the board of directors announced it was pausing operations of the private school in Gretna. That led to a meeting with the school's society church delegates earlier this month where a motion to permanently close the school and liquidate all assets passed with a majority vote of 26-21 with four abstentions.

This decision ends a 136-year legacy of developing young peoples’ God-given gifts in an Anabaptist Christian setting 

Local fire fighters have once again answered the call and have packed up and headed north to help in a new round of wildfire fighting efforts. 
    

The numbers are in, and the second annual hog roast in support of South Central Cancer Resource (SCCR) turned out bigger and better, just as organizers had hoped. 

Around 145 people crowded into the Commons Barn in Neubergthal for the June 21st event which featured a pulled pork dinner and all the fixings, live music courtesy The Pylons and the chance to go home with some big-ticket silent auction and raffle prizes.