Candace Derksen

Altona police are investigating after a shopper walked out of a local grocery store without paying last week Monday.
    
According to the report made to police, the suspect spoke to staff at the store in a distracting manner before leaving with a bag full of items.

He was observed driving away in a dodge pickup truck. Check out the photo below.

***Updated June 25th, 2025***

In an update Wednesday morning, the Altona Police Service said the truck had since been recovered.

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The Altona Police Service is looking for the public's helping in recovering a truck that was stolen some time Monday night. 

It is a Grey Ford F350 crew cab with the license number CHH 294. It also has the business logo 'PGC' on the sides. 

Two youths were taken to hospital following a UTV/semi crash Monday morning on Highway 244 in the R.M. of Treherne. 

According to RCMP, when officers arrived on scene, they discovered a semi-truck on the shoulder of the highway, facing north, and the UTV laying in the ditch on the west side of the road.

It's an exciting for the 58 students graduating from Morris School today. 

Among the group is co-valedictorians Nic Leflar and Kathryn Friesen, who both say they are excited for graduation and ready for the next chapter. 

For Nic, that means playing volleyball at CMU while studying to become an engineer.

"I've always had a knack for math and science and, that's kind of what an engineer does - all math and physics. I like building things, so I believe it is the right career."

The sound of bouncing balls and squeaking runners can be heard as people of all ages break-in the newly completed multi-sport court in Morris, just in time for summer holidays.
    
Members of the Red River Wellness Committee were joined by local students and community members to cut the ribbon on the brand-new facility at a grand opening celebration on Friday.

After a few tough years, the Mennonite Collegiate Institute's (MCI) Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to pause operations of the private Christian school in Gretna, effective the end of June. 

CEO, Kris Harms, says the timing of the announcement is unfortunate, but is tied to the fact that the decision was not made lightly.

It was a celebration of growth and the small-town values Red River Mutual was founded on as the Altona-based company marked 150 years Thursday with a community party at the local park 

The day was filled with games and activities for the whole family, a lineup of local entertainment, free food and a few remarks from company officials like Brenda Gibson, the company's President and CEO. 

For Sarah Graff, becoming a nurse means giving back to the community and supporting people during some of their hardest moments. 
    
Graff, from Altona, is in her second year of the nursing program at Red River College - Winkler Campus and received a Dr. S.S. Toni scholarship award from the Altona and District Health Care Board. The award is given out each year to a resident of the Municipality of Rhineland, Town of Altona or R.M. of Montcalm who is pursuing a health-related career.

A man from Ontario was not injured in a single vehicle crash Wednesday evening in the R.M. of MacDonald.
    
RCMP Eastman Traffic Services was called to the scene on Highway 3 at Mandan Road, around 8:30 p.m. where a vehicle had struck a guard rail.
    
The 39-year-old driver was the only person in the vehicle.
    
RCMP say the driver failed the mandatory alcohol screening and received an immediate roadside suspension.

Some Hydro customers in the south end of Altona can expect to be without service for part of the day today.

In a notice posted to social media, the town says Manitoba Hydro has an outage planned from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Check out the map of the affected area to see if your home or business falls within it.