RM of Dauphin Delays Road Work Waiting for Provincial Funding Approval
Dauphin's MLA says although there was a late intake for Municipal Road Impovement Program applications, municipalities can apply for road projects they've already started and get funding retroactively. But the RM of Dauphin will still be behind in its road work.
Brad Michaleski says the intake for the 2016 Municipal Road Impovement Program was done in August instead of April because of the provincial election. He says municipalities have until march 2018 to complete road projects and claim MRIP funding approved this year.
"This allows municipalities to complete projects started this year by the end of the 2017 construction season, and also municipalities were able to apply under MRIP programs for 2016 projects already in progress, provided that they otherwise met the program eligibility criteria."
The RM of Dauphin didn't start some projects this year because they were waiting for MRIP approval. Now, even if they get approved (which they anticipate they will be), it's too late in the season to start. So they may secure the funding, but they're backed up on the work.
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Churchill Set to Get Federal Funding Announcement
The northern Manitoba town of Churchill, which has been rattled by bad news with layoffs and the threat of their biggest employer shutting down, is about to get some good news.
The federal government is holding a news conference today to announce funding to support economic development.
A spokesperson for Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, stresses the funds will not be used to invest in the Port of Churchill.
Dozens of workers were laid off in July from the port, the town's largest employer. OmniTrax Rail says a slump in grain shipments has put a strain on the operation.
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Post-Mortem Tests Reveal West Nile in MB Woman
Health officials say a Manitoba woman in her 70's has tested positive for West Nile virus following her death.
Officials say the woman who lived in the southern health region had pre-existing health conditions.
They also say it's believed she was exposed to the virus in the area in mid-August.
No additional information about the woman is being released to protect the family's privacy.
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Cause of Deadly Train Crash in New Jersey Under Investigation
Federal investigators in the US are trying to determine what happened before a commuter train barreled through a busy station in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Yesterday's crash left a 34-year-old woman dead and more than 100 people injured.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are sifting through the wreckage, trying to answer many questions.
One of them is whether a long-delayed, automated safety system could have prevented the tragedy.
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Somebody's a Five-Millionaire
Out of Saskatchewan, there's an as-yet unclaimed five-million-dollar winning ticket on Lotto 649 in the August 31st draw.
Lottery spokeswoman Andrea Marantz says it was sold in Saskatoon.
She says it actually isn't that unusual for a winning ticket to go unclaimed for a period of time.
She says sometimes people stockpile their tickets and then check them all at once, or they're gone on vacation and don't check until they get home.
