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This article was published 04/01/2024 (727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEEPAWA

The Town of Neepawa has received some unexpected inflation relief from the Province of Manitoba.

In early December, town administration received a letter from the office of Ian Bushie, the minister of Municipal and Northern Relations, saying that the community will receive $435,875 in infrastructure funding.

That amount is Neepawa’s per capita share of a $39.9 million funding announcement that was made earlier this year.

Colleen Synchyshyn, the Town of Neepawa’s chief administrative officer, said that the letter stated that the money must be spent before 2026.

» The Neepawa Banner & Press

GLADSTONE

The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame, a museum near Hobbs, New Mexico, recently announced their 2023 inductees, including one from Gladstone.

Stewart Kinley won the 2023 Silver Concho Award. From an early age, growing up on the family farm near Gladstone, Kinley was enamoured with anything dealing with horses, cattle, rodeo and sports.

His parents, Don and Lorna Kinley, and brother Dwight, would help him chase his dreams once he started junior rodeoing, riding steers and then junior bulls.

By the time Kinley was in high school, he was riding bulls, bareback, and saddle bronc. He was the Canadian High School All Around Champion in his senior year, and roped cattle too.

He attended South Plains College, a community college in Levelland, Texas, in 2006 on a rodeo scholarship where he rodeoed for Josh Crow and Clay Hardin.

Completing his diesel technician certificates and moving to Lovington, Texas, Kinley decided to pursue an associate degree from NM Junior College and rodeo for coach Philip Berry.

In 2010, Kinley moved to Portales, New Mexico, to get his Bachelor of Applied Science from Eastern New Mexico University, minoring in general agriculture.

He eventually moved back to Canada to be close to family, rodeo and work on his uncle’s cattle and grain farm.

» The Neepawa Banner & Press

SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION

Valley View Co-op has donated $10,000 to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation for the purchase of a new Kioti K9 2440 side-by-side all-terrain vehicle for their community garden program.

Greg Mill, general manager of Valleyview Co-op, said the company was honoured to donate to the First Nation and contribute to the well-being and development of the community.

“Valleyview Co-op recognizes the rich cultural heritage and resilience of Indigenous peoples, and we are committed to supporting initiatives that empower and uplift their communities,” he said.

The funding came from Co-op’s Community Spaces program. Sioux Valley’s garden co-ordinator, Jennifer McIvor, said the ATV will be an essential addition to the community garden.

“With the hard work and dedication of the community garden team, the goal was to expand to provide enough produce to make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of all community members,” she said. “With the addition of an all-terrain vehicle, we are one giant step closer to making that wish a reality.”

The team will use the side-by-side to transport equipment and supplies more efficiently.

» Discover Westman

MINNEDOSA

The first set of acts for the 2024 edition of Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa has been announced.

The 20th anniversary edition of the festival is set for the weekend of Aug. 2-4.

On Aug .2, Prism returns to the music festival with Molly Hatchet and Kim Mitchell. Aug. 3 kicks off with Econoline Crush on the main stage, along with JJ Wilde and Theory of a Deadman. Aug. 4 will feature Toque, who is going to hit both the main and Hilltop stages this year, as well as Colin James and Amanda Marshall, who will headline that night together.

Tickets are available at rockinthefields.ca.

» 730 CKDM

VIRDEN

Valleyview Co-op in Virden is looking at different ways to lessen their carbon footprint, including partnering with local farmers to supply their patrons with home-grown vegetables.

General Manager Gregg Gill says the co-op has partnered with a local Westman farmer who grows lettuce using hydroponics.

While hydroponics is relatively new to Canada, and is used more in Europe and Asia, Gill says it does use hydro but reduces the carbon footprint when transport of produce from other parts of North America is taken into account.

» Discover Westman

CFB SHILO

The entire Shilo community is invited to attend a town hall meeting hosted by the CFB Shilo Base Command Team at General Strange Hall on Jan. 24 from 2-4 p.m.

The town hall will focus on the community as a whole, family support, and morale and welfare activities available in the area.

Service members, Department of National Defence employees, and all residents of the community are encouraged to attend.

Base Commander Lt.-Col. David Cronk said the town hall will include short briefings from a variety of agencies on services and opportunities in the community, including the City of Brandon, Brandon Salutes, CFB Shilo, Canadian Forces Morale & Welfare Services, the Shilo Military Family Resource Centre and the Canadian Forces Housing Agency.

A question-and-answer session will follow the briefings.

» The Shilo Stag

KILLARNEY

A four-storey apartment building on Broadway in Killarney is in the full swing of construction.

Killarney-Turtle Mountain Mayor Janice Smith says the apartment complex fits with the provincial government’s priority to address a housing shortage, and will boost the local economy as it will draw professionals in need of a place to live.

“It will also free up some houses for our aging population who may consider that as an absolute wonderful location if they want to give up a car, or just decide to move closer to all the amenities of downtown,” Smith said.

The apartments will be close to stores and the mall, and the town’s optometrist and dentist in downtown.

“We really feel strongly that it definitely was the right thing to do, to allow housing to be built in our community,” she said.

» Discover Westman