source: BPS News Release Catfish are people who prey on lonely victims online, usually meeting through dating websites or social media platforms.  The catfish will go to extreme measures to keep up a false identity, and they spend hours of time conversing with the victim to gain their trust. Catfish often display images of other people as a part of their façade.  They may also create a community of fake friends to legitimize their identity. The Catfish will often come up with elaborate stories to get their victim to send large amounts of money without ever meeting in person. A new trend that investigators are seeing in these types of romance scams, is that the Catfish will convince their victim to invest in cryptocurrency – or Bitcoin. While it is not impossible for authorities to track these fraudsters, it is often very difficult, as they are skilled at leaving a complicated trail behind them in multiple jurisdictions. If you know of a friend or loved one who may be involved in such a romance, where they have never met the other individual in person, yet are still sending them money, they may be a victim of a Catfish scam.  Please have a conversation with them about the signs you are seeing. People who fall victim to a romance scam are often too embarrassed to report what they have been through to authorities.  Other victims might not even realize that they are being conned.  Victims of these types of frauds are from all demographics.   Things to watch out for: They declare their love even though they’ve never met you They want to move quickly to a private mode of communication They always have an excuse why they can’t meet in person They say they live close to you but are working overseas They guilt you in to sending money by acting distressed or angry They discourage their victim from speaking with family

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On February 21, 2022, at approximately 9:00 am, police responded to a report of an intoxicated male who left a business, then proceeded to drive a vehicle.  Police located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop in the 200 block of 18th street N after police observed the vehicle make an illegal U-turn, and drive on a sidewalk. The 22-year-old male driver was arrested.  He provided samples of his breath more than three times the legal limit.  The male was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will be released on charges of Driving While Ability Impaired and Driving with More Than 80 mgs of Alcohol in Blood once sober.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At 5:20 a.m. today officers conducted a vehicle stop in the 3600 block of Richmond Avenue. As the investigation proceeded the officers located a small amount of meth, cocaine, and fentanyl. One of the occupants was a 41 year old male from rural Manitoba who acknowledged possession of the drugs. He was released to appear in court in May, and faces three counts of possession of the listed drugs.

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastrucute (MTI) has initiated construction work for the Daly Overpass Project. Construction is now beginning and will last until Summer 2024. Two lanes of traffic over the Daly Overpass (one in each direction) will be maintained throughout the project period, with a few minor exceptions for brief periods. Please note the following as it relates to construction activities on McDonald Avenue and Stickney Avenue between 17th St N and 19th St N (see map below): From February 22, 2022 – July 1, 2022, McDonald Avenue and Stickney Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic between 17th St N and 19th St N • Construction, including piling activity, in this area is expected to begin in March 2022 and will last for up to a month; noise and vibration can be expected generally between 7 AM and 7 PM daily • Sewer work will take place during the same period. While sewer and water service will continue uninterrupted, residents and business owners may occasionally experience discoloured water. Discolouration of water occurs due to changes in flow, but does not impact safety or potability of the water • Detours will be in place as illustrated on the map on reverse; local access will be provided at all times • The vacant land immediately west of Livingstone Landscaping will serve as a construction staging area for the duration of the construction project; a second staging area is located south of the CP rail line on the site of the former Kullberg’s warehouse building Project updates will be provided at the following link: https://www.gov.mb.ca/mit/wms/structures/daly_overpass/index.html

The Brandon Area Community Foundation distributed community support of over $964,000 throughout Brandon and Southwestern Manitoba in 2021. The foundation supports all aspects of life in the region making grants to a wide variety of worthy causes. The Brandon Area Community Foundation has given support to several projects across Southwestern Manitoba. These grants covered areas of arts & culture, environment, education, health & wellness, and community activities throughout the Westman region. In addition to the generous donations received from individuals, organizations, and businesses, BACF was the recipient of the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign in 2021. All Smile Cookies were sold for $1 with the full $1 from each generously donated to the foundation. The weeklong campaign raised over $39,000 including a one-day cookie sales fund matching by the Cardinal Foundation. Michelle Hood, Grant Chair for BACF said, “Despite the ongoing challenges we faced in the pandemic, individuals and businesses continued to step up and support the Brandon Area Community Foundation. Thanks to this generosity the foundation was able to continue making a difference in groups and organizations across Westman.” Last year also included the launch of two new high school scholarship programs through BACF. The first combined resources from the United Way of Brandon and the Brandon Area Community Foundation presenting three Youth in Philanthropy scholarships. The second program was the Irv Powers Memorial Baseball Scholarships that will be awarded annually to graduating students who are current members of Brandon Minor Baseball or Westman Softball and demonstrate academic achievement, community involvement and leadership skills 2021 BACF Highlights Grant to ACC Prairie Innovation Centre $500,000 combined donation with Gord & Diane Peters Grant to Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op $10,000 for their Technology Access Program for Seniors Crane Steel $10,000 donation to celebrate their 40th Anniversary in business. Grant to Keystone Agriculture and Recreation Centre Inc. $25,000 towards a new multi-use facility. Anonymous grant to Prairie Oasis Senior Centre for $45,000 Grant to Souris River Recreation Commission $60,000 towards the Wawanesa Arena Ice Plant Replacement. Grant to Valley Life Recreation $22,500 towards Squirrel Hills Trail Park. Grant to Virden Skate Park $25,000 to build a 6,500 square foot skate park. The grants provided by BACF are possible thanks to generous gifts from local donors from all walks of life. Community foundations pool and endow (permanently invest) all gifts and the income earned supports a variety of projects within the foundation’s catchment area. The original contributions are never spent, ensuring a lasting legacy for donors and a permanent source of support for the community. For a full listing of all grants distributed, please visit our website at bacf.ca.