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After Saskatchewan became the latest province to ban cell phones in classrooms, could Manitoba be next?
By the start of the school year, Manitoba could be the only prairie province with out such rules, as B.C., Alberta, and Ontario and Quebec already have such measures.
Cell phones are often seen as a distraction in classrooms, and worse, an avenue for cheating on tests, but still offer value in emergencies, and as a tool for online research outside of tests.
Currently under Saskatchewan’s guidelines, teachers will be able to allow phones in class for instructional or research purposes, and students who require phones for medical or specific learning needs will be allowed to have them.
Manitoba's ruling could look similar if some are formed before the new school year begins.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
A recent vote in the Manitoba's Teacher Association has ratified some very positive changes.
Teachers in the 37 anglophone divisions in the province will be receiving a 12.25% wage increase over a 4 year period.
this will act retroactively from July 1st of 2022 to 2026, and will bring a few other changes as well.
Accompanying this change, teachers will see more prep time, paid leave for inclement weather days, and a new salary schedule for the 2026-2027 year.
The Manitoba School Boards Association said this has been a process that started two years ago, and will help improve the day to day experiences of teachers.
Nathan Martindale, the president of the society stated in a news release that "This agreement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teachers".
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
An employee from Manitoba Hydro died Thursday morning at one of the corporation's work sites in the Interlake region.
The employee, who will not be named, was performing work related to a power outage when the incident happened. Authorities are investigating how the worker died, but the Crown Utilities Corporation said no other employee was injured and there is no risk to public safety.
In a release, Manitoba Hydro said.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the individual's loved ones, friends and coworkers," Manitoba Hydro said in a news release Thursday. "We are devastated to lose a member of our Manitoba Hydro family."
Manitoba Hydro is fully cooperating with the investigation.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Grandview Kinsmen Club and Grandview Recreation are combining forces to hold a full weekend of activities surrounding their 8th annual mud bog races.
Organizing committee member Dennis Lukey says the fun begins on Friday.
"It starts with a barbecue at noon and the parade at 3. There is a party in the park from 4 until 1 am down at the park here. The chainsaw carving began last year and it has caught on really well. We had 4 carvers last year, and this year we have 6 from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. So I am excited to see what works and items they will carve up. They will all be on auction here and there will be other items for sale as well."
There will also be quad pulls, tire burnouts, and a dance Friday night, as well as the first of two fireworks displays over the course of the weekend.
The mud bog itself begins Saturday at noon at Wilson Park.
"We have been working on the pit and getting it ready. We are hoping to have a lot of entries this year. The word is that there are a few new groups of guys coming with some bigger trucks. So we are hoping to bring those guys in. We have all kinds of money raised through sponsoirships. We probably have 50-60 different businesses and individuals that sponsor this so it really helps out with the prize money at the end of it all."
Lukey adds competitors come from all across Manitoba and into Saskatchewan.
He says an event like this does not happen without great support from volunteers.
"It takes a lot of sponsors to bring the mud bog and for the prize money, but it takes a tone of volunteers to come out and do their part. And not just for a day or two but for a few weeks and a few months. Including the weekend, it probably covers around 300-400 volunteers. Without them, it would not happen."
Day passes for Friday and Saturday are $30 for adults and $15 for students, with children 12 and under admitted for free.
A weekend pass for those two days is $50 for adults and $25 for students, while there is no admission cost to attend any of the events planned for Sunday.
A full list of events can be found online at www.grandviewmudbog.com
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is on the hunt for a new General Manager.
According to an article in the Brandon Sun, the non-profit organization has been without a G-M since Mark Humphries moved on from the organization back in June.
He had previously held the position for around 2 years.
The organization oversees a number of yearly festivals in Brandon, including Ag-Ex, the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, and the Summer Fair.
Information on the job posting can be found on the Provincial Exhibition's website.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A pair of cases from Ebb & Flow were back in the courts this week.
One of three people arrested in connection with a New Year's Eve armed robbery in that community had a new court date set.
27-year-old Braden Moar of the Ebb and Flow First Nation was in Roblin Court on Tuesday, where he had his matter adjourned to August 27 in Dauphin.
And a new court date has been set for a man arrested in connection with an April assault and firearm complaint in that community.
38-year-old Travis Malcolm will return to Dauphin Court on August 13.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A grand opening celebration will be taking place to cut the ribbon at MEDOcare Pharmacy in the Northwest Metis Council building on Main Street.
The ceremony will take place at 1 pm tomorrow afternoon, with a week-long celebration following.
Tomorrow's festivities will include a free bbq, a ribbon cutting, and everyone in attendance being entered into a raffle.
Be sure to stop by Unit D-422 Main Street South location on Friday and throughout next week to learn more about the festivities!
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Ste. Rose RCMP responded to a rather odd report on August 5t at 11:25 pm, after reports from the Ebb and Flow First Nation claimed a man was striking large gas tanks with a pickaxe.
When officers got to the scene, they found a 32-year-old man walking down highway 278 carrying a pickaxe. a further search of the man found a razor blade hidden in his mouth.
He is facing charges of Possession of Weapons for a Dangerous Purpose and Mischief.
He has been released from custody.
luckily, the pickaxe blows caused no leaks or spills, as the targeted gas cans are a critical reservoir of fuel for the community.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
There are a pair of road closures today in Gilbert Plains Municipality.
Road 121 W - which is also known as Ashville Road - is closed from Highway 5 to Road 142N - which is also known as Russell Trail.
Also, Road 150N - or Boundary Road - is closed between Road 129W and Road 127W.
No word was given as to when these roads will be re-opened.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Another monument to commemorate the June 2023 bus crash near Carberry is set to be unveiled this weekend.
This memorial will be located in Day Lily Park in Carberry, with the unveiling ceremony taking place this Sunday at 3 pm.
Seventeen seniors from Dauphin and surrounding area died in the June 15th, 2023 crash when their bus collided with a semi-truck at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans Canada Highway near Carberry.
Eight others on the bus that day were injured.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Another hot, dry week made for excellent crop progression, according to the weekly Manitoba Crop Report.
Very little rain fell across the entire province, the most being seen in Sprague and The Pas, with 28.5mm and 21.8mm respectively.
Many locations saw no rain at all, with nothing in the logs for the Northwest, Southwest, and Interlake regions.
The week also finally brought the annual precipitation average down a bit, as Precipitation accumulation in most areas has exceeded 100% of normal precipitation since May 1, rather than more than 100%.
In Cereals, fall rye and winter wheat are drying down, with fields between the hard dough and physiological maturity. some fields have started to be harvested, but yeilds are unreported as of yet.
Early-seeded spring cereals range from hard dough to physiological maturity, and later planted fields are in the milk to soft dough stages.
Spring wheat quality is rated mostly fair to good with 5% of the crop being reported as poor in the Southwest, Northwest, Central, and Interlake regions
Corn is mostly between tasselling and silk, and barley is nearly ready to harvest.
Pulses and Soybeans benefitted from the heat, with field peas beginning to change color, and soybeans mostly in the R3 stage. soybeans are seeing a range from R2-R4 depending on the time of planting.
Forages are looking strong, as good progress has been made in haying. Hay yields are being reported in the 2.5-3 tonnes per acre range on tame hay stands.
The high humidity and heavy morning dew have made it difficult for hay to dry, which will lower quality. Some swaths have been flipped multiple times to improve drying. As a result, more producers have opted to use grass intended for hay as bale silage.
Pasture conditions have become overall dryer, but that has begun to slow down pasture growth noticeably in the northwest and southwest regions.
In the areas that are still damp, foot rot and pink eye are still a possible problem, and fly control is being attempted.
Dugouts are about 80% full on average, aside from the southwest, which is seeing overall dryer conditions.
Closer to home in the northwest region, the temperature hit a high of 33.7 c, which was logged at the Laurier station, and the lowest was recorded at Minitonas with a low of 5c overnight.
The high temperatures and dry conditions continue to deplete surface moisture.
Winter wheat and fall rye crops are in the hard dough stage and looking good in most areas.
Most spring wheat is in the soft dough stage while the remainder is in the milk stage.
Most field peas are in the R5 to R6 stage and the remainder of the crop is not far behind.
Some fields will be the appropriate stage for desiccation in the next week or so. A rain would benefit some crops in the last bit of pod development.
The majority of canola has completed flowering with the remainder of the crop continuing to flower and develop pods, though High temperatures have caused some pod abortion.
Soybean crops are in the R2 to R3 stage and looking good. The recent heat has helped advance the crops quickly. Rain would benefit the crops by helping fill pods.
Cooler, wetter conditions this week may cause issues, for crops that are drying down at this time, but there is some sunny weather in-store this weekend.
That's it for this week's crop report, here's wishing everyone a safe and successful summer.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
