Stolen Vehicle Recovered – Suspect Arrested On May 11, 2022 at approximately 11:30 pm, police responded to information that there was a 46-year-old male wanted on outstanding charges, possibly driving a stolen vehicle near the 1800 block of Brandon Ave. Police located the suspect inside a business in the 1000 block of 18th street; he was in possession of the stolen vehicle keys, and the wallet of the vehicle owner.  The suspect was arrested and lodged at Brandon Police Service.  He will appear in court today on new charges of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, And Fail to Comply with Release Order, as well as outstanding charges of Fail to Comply with Released Order X3.  The stolen vehicle and utility trailer were recovered. A 31-year-old female was also arrested for Possession of Property Obtained by Crime in connection to the stolen vehicle.  She was later released and will appear in court on July 14, 2022. Stolen Vehicle/U-Haul Recovered- Suspect Arrested On May 11, 2022, shortly after 2:00 pm, police observed the stolen U-Haul and stopped it in the 1800 block of 17th street E.  The driver, the 48-year-old female driver was arrested.  She was later released and will appear in court on June 27, 2022 on a charge of Theft of Motor Vehicle.

Stino Scaletta of Brandon is the winner of the 2022 Sunrise Credit Union, Our Manitoba Photo Contest. A panel of Sunrise staff selected Scaletta's photo from the 2019 Manitoba Summer Fair as one of the 40 finalists from approximately 400 entries for this year's contest. In April, a week-long public vote on the 40 finalists was held through the ourmanitoba.org website. Scaletta’s photo earned the most nods to be declared the winner. "I like to go to the Manitoba Summer Fair during the fireworks. This allows me to enhance my long exposure shots of the rides with the fireworks." said Scaletta when describing his winning shot, "For this particular image, I wanted to capture the Ferris Wheel and other rides in motion with the fireworks in the background. So, I set my shutter speed at six seconds, and I was firing away (every six seconds) hoping to capture the motion of the rides with the firework explosions." Scaletta has been entering the Our Manitoba Photo Contest from the outset. While Scaletta has been a finalist previously, this is the first time one of his entries has emerged as the winner. "I enter the Sunrise Credit Union's Our Manitoba Photo Contest to see how my pictures compare to the many submissions you get.' said Scaletta, "This contest has hundreds of amazing entries, and being shortlisted is an achievement for me. However, to be voted into your calendar is the cherry on top." Scaletta has reveled in photography for many years and has won other photo contests. He shared some of the keys to achieving quality photos. "I find photography similar to golf. You can't master it, but you can have fun trying. There are 'rules' you can follow to help compose an image. You can learn them in various ways (YouTube, books, or join a photography club – I've done all three)." said Scaletta, "An image with a nice composition will give you a decent chance of getting selected for a calendar. A second tip, for landscapes, get low. A lower perspective will enhance foreground elements which will take your images up a notch." All 13 finalists will receive a canvas print of the winning photograph, be featured in the 2023 Sunrise Credit Union calendar, and have appeared on Sunrise Credit Union's branch TVs and social media channels. In addition, Stino earned the Grant Prize of a $500 One-Year Term Deposit from Sunrise Credit Union. 2022 marked the tenth edition of the Our Manitoba Photo Contest. The unveiling of the grand prize winner on Thursday (May 12) coincided with Manitoba Day.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On May 10th, 2022, at approximately 9:40 am, members of the Crime Division and Patrol Section executed a Controlled Drug and Substances Search Warrant at a residence located in the 100 block of 12th Street.  A 32-year-old male, a 25-year-old female, and another male age 48 were located within the residence. They were all arrested and taken into custody.  Search of the residence yielded a .22 caliber zip-gun, a small quantity of cocaine, and drug trafficking paraphernalia. The arrested individuals are facing several criminal charges including, Possession of a Scheduled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of a Prohibited Firearm, Possession of Proceeds Obtained by Crime, Fail to Comply with Release Order, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of Firearm/Ammo Contrary to a Prohibition Order. All were held in custody at the Brandon Police Service to appear in court

Manitoba Environment, Climate and Parks continues to advise all provincial park and campground visitors to carefully check and monitor conditions before heading to provincial parks this spring as some campgrounds and trails are closed to help protect the health and safety of Manitobans. Updated details on closures and advisories due to flooding and spring weather conditions are available at www.manitobaparks.com. Travel is not advised in Nopiming Provincial Park and all canoe routes are closed in Nopiming and Manigotagan River provincial parks. Some trails in Whiteshell Provincial Park are also closed. Openings originally scheduled for May 13 have been delayed at the following campgrounds: Nopiming and Manigotagan River provincial parks, all backcountry canoe routes and campsites are closed until further notice; Bird Lake, Beresford Lake, Black Lake, Shoe Lake and Tulabi Falls campgrounds in Nopiming Provincial Park are closed until at least June 2 due to overland flooding; St. Malo Provincial Park, campground opening is delayed until at least May 20 due to soft ground, wet conditions and no washrooms due to frozen water lines; Adam Lake, Max Lake and William Lake campgrounds in Turtle Mountain and William Lake provincial parks, opening is delayed until at least May 20 due to wet conditions and saturated ground; Brereton Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, closure of some seasonal sites due to flooding; Caddy Lake campground, including all nightly camping and some seasonal sites and Falcon-Toniata seasonal campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park, opening will be delayed until at least May 20 due to wet conditions and saturated ground; Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore seasonal sites and West Hawk Lake including West Hawk Trailer Village in Whiteshell Provincial Park have some site closures until at least May 20, including all full service sites and some sites in low lying areas; White Lake Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park is closed until at least June 2 due to high water levels and flooding; Rivers Provincial Park campground, partial closure of some sites in low lying areas until at least May 20, due to wet conditions; Stephenfield Provincial Park, some sites will be closed until at least May 20 due to water supply; and Lake St. George Provincial Park campground is closed until further notice due to flooded access roads. Manitoba Parks staff are closely monitoring this evolving situation and assessing conditions daily. Campgrounds slated for a May long weekend opening, especially those in higher elevations such as the Duck Mountains, Porcupine Hills and those in northern Manitoba, are still reporting a substantial amount of snow and may also experience further delays. Closures may be extended if flooding and high water conditions continue. Reservation holders and seasonal campers will be contacted and their fees refunded if their campsite is affected by a closure. Campers should not pre-emptively cancel reservations before being notified of a site closure, otherwise cancellation policies will apply. Services such as drinking water and washrooms may also be limited or reduced in some areas as a result of late spring conditions which are delaying the seasonal setup and operation of water lines. Campers are advised to plan accordingly for potential service reductions and pack adequate drinking water. An update will be issued next week for campgrounds scheduled to open May 20. Park visitors are asked to report any significant trail flooding or maintenance concerns to the local park district office. Park visitors should also check www.manitoba511.ca for road closures and potential detours before travelling to parks.

Glen Kirkland never imagined entering another war zone after being severely wounded in Afghanistan in 2008, but that’s just where he’s finding himself once again. When he heard about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he knew he needed to help, and within a day or two had a one-way ticket booked. Kirkland has many connections here in Westman after living in Shilo and Brandon while serving with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry from 2004-2014. After being seriously injured in Afghanistan, Glen was medically released from the military and found a new way to serve community as a real estate agent and was also a proud supporter of many great causes here in Westman. Glen later chose to relocate to British Columbia to be near family and enjoy a different pace of life. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Glen was enjoying working with his dad, Don, at their business leapcertified.com, training police cadets as they prepare for their careers. We caught up with Glen to ask him about his service in Ukraine. What made you want to go to Ukraine? I wouldn’t say anything made me want to go… I would more so say I knew I had to. Previously, I have been in positions where I’ve been able to help people, and when I heard the news of the invasion, I booked my flight within a day. Having been in a war zone in Afghanistan, I have seen first hand the suffering of innocent people. This was an opportunity to help again, in a place where the help was really needed. I am thankful I am in a place in my life where I am able to help. What are you doing there? When I arrived in Poland, I was able to get connected with a group of people who were collecting supplies and delivering them to Ukraine to those in need. The supplies we are delivering are very basic necessities…deliveries consist of food, medicine and essential medical equipment. So, I am based in Poland and spending many days doing these deliveries to Ukraine. I’ve also been helping women, children, and vulnerable people evacuate Ukraine. After I’ve delivered supplies, I drive evacuees back to Poland. From there, they typically go to Germany, Chzec, Canada, or some stay in Poland. How has the war impacted Ukrainians? What do you see happening? The war has impacted Ukrainians in many different ways. It has split families, and many lives have been lost. The destruction to their infrastructure is unimaginable. It’s also made farming incredibly difficult, so I imagine food shortages will be another challenge ahead. When I was in Afghanistan, I saw awful things that I hoped to never see again. Coming here, I have witnessed the worst humans can do to other humans. My heart feels truly broken from this experience, as the suffering I have seen is real and deep. I pray that Ukrainians will be victorious in protecting their borders and their people. What’s been the most rewarding? When I give people rides out of the country, it’s not lost on me that they are leaving their lives and homes behind. They may be separated from family. They’ve experienced significant trauma. The women and children have no reason to trust me. When they first hop in, many times it’s been a bit awkward. With the help of google translate, kinder eggs, and my questionable sense of humour, these rides end in hugs and a connection/bond I know will last a life time. I joke that I turn the van into a magic school bus. It’s rewarding to get these people to safety. The encouragement I have received keeps me going and I am in good spirits. Thanks very much to the people that are supporting me. To the people who have supported the gofundme, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have never been one to ask for a handout, but the financial support is helping me to stay as long as I can, and help as many people as possible. Once again, thank you! If you are able, please consider helping Glen in his efforts by donating to the gofundme.