Bear spray discharged; 12-year-old struck by vehicle; female assaulted; beware of ‘grandchild’ scam

Bear spray incident at Keystone

Police in Saskatchewan looking for male suspect after alleged sex assault on girl

MAIDSTONE, Sask. - Police in Saskatchewan are looking for a male suspect after a reported sexual assault on a girl at a hockey rink.

Maidstone RCMP responded Sunday to the Sportsplex in nearby Lashburn.

The investigation determined a man sexually assaulted a female child under the age of 10 in a dressing room at the rink.

The girl reported the alleged assault to her parents, who called police.

Manitoba premier promotes four backbenchers in pre-election cabinet shuffle

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson promoted four backbenchers from suburban Winnipeg areas to her inner circle Monday in a cabinet shuffle eight months out from an election.

Janice Morley-Lecomte, elected in 2016, was named minister of mental health and community wellness. James Teistma, also elected in 2016, was named minister of government services and consumer protection.

The other two new ministers in the Progressive Conservative cabinet are rookies who were recently elected in byelections. Obby Khan is the new minister of sport, culture and heritage. Kevin Klein is the new minister for environment and climate change.

"Today we are gathered here to reflect on the importance of hope and renewal, which is vital in pretty much every aspect of our lives, but it's also vital in government," Stefanson said at the swearing-in ceremony at the legislature.

RIG students return to Westman

Following a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, University of Manitoba medical students representing the school’s Rural Interest Group (RIG) finally got to visit the Prairie Mountain Health region and learn from Westman physicians directly.

Garage fire under investigation by BFES

Local first responders were called to the 200 block of Princess Avenue East on Sunday around 6 a.m. after receiving a report that a garage had caught fire in the area.

Council approves 1.6 per cent tax hike

The owner of an average single-family residential home in Brandon will see a $30 increase in their property taxes after city council approved a budget with a 1.6 per cent property tax raise late Saturday afternoon.

Jones wins ninth provincial title

WINNIPEG — Jennifer Jones and her crew of twentysomething rock stars completed an unbeaten run at the provincial women’s curling championship Sunday afternoon.

Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull dead at 84; First NHLer to score more than 50 goals

WINNIPEG - Bobby Hull once proudly said that he played the way he lived — straightforward.

The Hockey Hall of Famer, who electrified fans through the 1960s and 70s, died on Monday at the age of 84. Hull played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks before a jump to the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, a move that led to lawsuits but ultimately higher salaries for hockey players.

Controversy often swirled around Hull off the ice, including allegations of spousal abuse and a 1986 criminal conviction for assaulting a police officer. A quote attributed to him in a Moscow Times article voiced support of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, although Hull denied making the comment and sued the English-language paper for libel.

Hull helped lead the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 23 years in 1961, and is 55th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 610 goals and 560 assists. He also had 303 goals and 335 assists in the WHA for combined total of 913 goals in both leagues in 1,474 games.

BFES investigating Princess Avenue fire

Local first responders were called to the 200 block of Princess Avenue East early Sunday morning, around 6 a.m., after receiving a report that a garage had caught fire in the area.

The detached garage was fully engulfed in flames by the time Brandon Fire and Emergency Services members arrived at the scene, although they managed to extinguish the blaze a short time later.

Brandon police reported no injuries following this incident.

When the Sun visited the residence around 11 a.m., a member of BFES’ Incident Command was securing the scene and waiting for investigators to arrive.

Teen arrested following bear spray incident at Keystone

A 17-year-old is facing weapons charges after he allegedly discharged a canister full of bear spray inside the Keystone Centre on Friday night.

Brandon police were called to the Keystone Centre around 6:45 p.m. after hearing reports of a disturbance at the facility’s Manitoba Room during Dakota Nation Winterfest festivities.

Once they arrived, officers managed to apprehend the 17-year-old and discovered that he was in possession of a bear spray can as well as a concealed knife.

The youth, who has an extensive history with police, was held in custody overnight to appear in court at a later date.

Council approves 1.6 per cent tax increase

The owner of an average single-family residential home in Brandon will see a $30 increase in their property taxes after city council approved a budget with a 1.6 per cent property tax raise late Saturday afternoon.

It took councillors nine hours on Saturday to propose and debate amendments to the initially proposed budget, which included a tax increase of 6.7 per cent.

The 2023 budget included $125.4 million in operating costs and $138.7 million for capital projects.

The single biggest contributor to lowering the tax rate was using $1.3 million in surplus funds received by the city last year to cover transit operating losses during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those funds were used to help pay for the operating budget.