Rural Roundup -- July 11, 2012

• Justin Krantz is headed to the Western Canadian Midget and Youth Track and Field Championships in Medicine Hat, Alta from July 13-15.

Krantz will compete for Team Manitoba in the shot put event, after picking up a silver medal in the 4kg event at the provincial track and field meeting in Selkirk in June.

Krantz is ranked as one of the favourites to medal at the event.

» The Roblin Review

• Several Park West Schools received grades below the provincial average, according to a study performed by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.

Although some of the grades are startling, making matters more complicated is the lack of publicly available school level performance data. Something that is in stark contrast to every other province in the country, said Peter Houle, president of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

» Crossroads This Week

• The daughter of the man who drowned while tubing on the Shell River in Asessippi Provincial Park on June 26 says that the RCMP release claiming her father wasn’t wearing a life jacket is untrue.

“It’s important for me to share that I took many precautions and an accident still occurred,” said Patti Phillips, who added that her father had talked about tubing since last summer.

» Crossroads This Week

• Ouch! That’s what one Winnipeg driver was left saying, along with singing the blues, after being caught speeding near Minnedosa.

The driver was clocked going 146 km/h in a 100 km zone and along with a reminder from the officer that speeding is bad and to slow down next time, came a ticket in the amount of $634.50.

» Minnedosa Tribune

• While on a routine patrol, Russell RCMP noticed an older man standing in the middle of Main Street. As police drove closer the man began to walk away then decided to hide behind one of the arches on the road.

“Found you,” the police said and the man came out from his hiding spot. After the game of hide and seek, police directed the man, who said he was out looking for a friend, to his home.

» Russell Banner

• The Town of Neepawa has moved closer to buying the CN Railway property.

At their July 3 meeting, council approved a resolution authorizing the mayor and economic development officer to sign an offer to purchase.

The purchase price of the property, which is expected to be turned into a development, won’t be made available until after the final documents are completed.

» Neepawa Banner

• Scott Dunbar may want to think about becoming Tiger Woods’ next swing coach.

Dunbar aced the par-3 third hole at the Miniota Golf Course on June 22.

The hole-in-one was witnessed by his wife Sylvia.

» Virden Empire-Advance

• Zaine McConnell and Carter Jones made the most of their Mosquito Regional Baseball Tournament.

The two ballplayers were picked up by the Hamiota Red Sox. They helped the team win the regional tournament and punch their ticket to provincials, which is in Altona from July 20-22.

» Carberry News-Express

• Members of the Blue Hills RCMP Detachment are putting sticks in kids hands, for all the right reasons.

The detachment is trying to start a drop-in floor hockey night in Souris that will run every Wednesday at 6:30 pm. at Souris School. All youth in Grades 6-8 are invited to participate with the goal to help create a stronger and healthier community.

» Souris Plaindealer

• A strong will helped Master Seaman Jody Hartling earn a spot on CFB Shilo’s inaugural Nimengen marching team following a difficult tryout process.

“When I started out, my body was telling me after a 10-kilometre march there was no way I could do this,” she said. “Then when we started the 40-kilometre march, my body was telling me the same thing, that there was no way I could do this.”

Hartling will join teammates overseas in Holland from July 17-20 to complete the march.

» Shilo Stag

• Nellie Morris got an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane.

After going to school in Winnipeg in the late 1940s, Morris secured her first job at the Bank of Montreal in Reston. But the big city would come calling again and Morris would move back to Winnipeg to work at the Bank of Montreal, before leaving a short time later to be married in Reston.

On June 22, Morris was given a guided tour of the now historic building, including the vault that has two doors, each weighing about 50 tons.

» Reston Recorder

• Boissevain minor ball is facing a good and bad problem.

According to Marvin Mills of the Boissevain Minor Ball Association, the group is having trouble finding volunteers to help run the A Peewee Provincials July 20-22. And it isn’t because people don’t want to help out, but instead because Boissevain now has five teams that have qualified for provincials out of town, leaving few to volunteer for the host team.

» Boissevain Recorder

• The loud cracks of fireworks provided the perfect disguise for a home to be broken into during Canada Day celebrations in Killarney.

Fortunately the break-in was less than that and instead just the family’s German shepherd dog, which was spooked when the noisy celebrations began and dove through a basement window.

“I did wonder how the dog got in,” said the homeowner, who originally called the police after noticing the broken basement window and a trail of blood through the home.

» Killarney Guide

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition July 11, 2012