Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On August 28, 2021, police responded to a request to conduct a wellbeing check on a family with small children. Officers located two children, a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old, in the residence alone. Witnesses report seeing adults leave the residence 5-6 hours prior to police arrival. The children were placed into the care of Child and Family Services. The two adults responsible for the children were located and arrested on September 2, 2021. The 36-year-old male and 26-year-old female were later released and will appear in court on October 14, 2021 on charges of Fail to Provide Necessaries X2, Child Abandonment X2, and Criminal Negligence X2.

 In response to the September 2nd Public Health Act Orders released by the Province of Manitoba, public access to Brandon’s Community Sportsplex is restricted to the following: Persons who produce proof that they are fully immunized; Persons who produce proof from the government of Manitoba that there is a medical reason for the person not to receive a vaccine for COVID-19; or Persons under 18 years of age. Other updates at Brandon’s Community Sportsplex include the removal of capacity limits for participants in the arena and racquetball courts, and spectators in the facility. As a reminder, everyone entering the Sportsplex is still required to wear a mask. Spectators and people not actively participating in the sporting activity will be required to wear their mask. Active participants are not required to wear a mask during active play. Brandon Youth Centre Brandon Youth Centre welcomes all youth aged 8-17. Proof of vaccination is not required for any youth attending the Youth Centre. Registration forms are required to attend and be found at brandon.ca/youth-centre. Registered Recreation Programs  Parks & Recreation Services has several programs available for registration. Proof of vaccination requirements will differ for these programs. All registered individuals will be sent updates on requirements for their specific programs. For more information on programs, visit mycommunity.brandon.ca. Live Music In the Parks  Live Music In the Parks will take place as scheduled on Tuesday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m., weather dependent. This outdoor, non-ticketed event does not require proof of vaccination to attend. More details can be found online at brandon.ca/events/music-in-the-park . The City of Brandon is committed to protecting the health and safety of our residents and employees. Individuals visiting any civic facility are asked to respect the principles of social distancing, hand sanitizing, physical barriers, wearing masks and self-assessment criteria that have been put in place for the safety of all. Any member of the public that is feeling unwell or are exhibiting ANY COVID-19-related health symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat) SHOULD NOT attend to any City of Brandon facility and should, instead, visit sharedhealthmb.ca/covid19/screening-tool or contact Health Links at 204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257 for advice.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On August 31, 2021, police responded to a report of an assault of a Correctional Officer at BCC by a 33-year-old male inmate.  The officer received minor injuries that did not require medical attention.  The inmate was arrested and remains in custody at BCC.  He will appear in court today on the charge.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On August 30, 2021, police responded to a report of a break and enter to a construction site on Plateau Drive.  Suspects entered a trailer between August 27 and August 30 by forcing the door.  Stolen were a number of power tools estimated to be worth over $10,000.  Anyone with information regarding this B&E and Theft is encouraged to contact Brandon Police Service at 204-729-2345 or https://www.brandon.ca/police-contact/police-contact.

Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture is welcoming a $500,000 donation from a Westman-born agricultural staple, Mazergroup. "Mazergroup continues to have a long history of cooperation with the college for training our people, so this funding commitment just feels right,” said Bob Mazer, president and CEO of Mazergroup. “Assiniboine is a great school with great staff and facilities, and we are proud to be partners in working toward a better future in agriculture.” The Prairie Innovation Centre will enable more unique work-integrated learning opportunities, applied research projects and industry innovation. The Centre is Assiniboine’s vision for the future of agriculture in Manitoba, and will address industry and economic needs in this important sector. “Our college has a critical role in ensuring there are people trained and ready to step into careers in the growing agriculture sector. The Prairie Innovation Centre will answer the call, arming agriculture in Manitoba with a skilled labour force,” said Mark Frison, president of Assiniboine. "Industry support and partnership is key to advancing a project like this. Mazergroup is an important part of the agriculture industry and of the Westman community. I look forward to continuing to work with them toward common goals, and I thank them for this strong show of support." In Manitoba, it’s projected that one in five jobs in agriculture will go unfilled by 2025. For Mazergroup, the largest New Holland dealer group in North America, this is notable. The Prairie Innovation Centre is Assiniboine’s made-in-Manitoba solution. “Human resources are the most difficult piece, but also the backbone of a business like ours,” said Mazer, who is an honorary co-chair of the Prairie Innovation Centre campaign. "Most Mazergroup employees have some link to Assiniboine, and that’s a big reason why we decided to contribute to the Prairie Innovation Centre project. Dozens of our staff have made better lives for themselves and their families because of the training and education they received at Assiniboine." Mazer, a past chair of the college’s Board of Governors and recipient of an honorary diploma has a history of supporting college students and programs. Mazergroup provides an entrance award each year to students in both the Agriculture Equipment Technician and Heavy Duty Technician programs, and has loaned agricultural equipment to these programs for hands-on learning opportunities. “Agriculture is a crucial contributor to the Manitoba economy,” said Frison. "Working with local industry is key to ensuring this sector can reach its full potential." The Prairie Innovation Centre, which aims to expand seats in agriculture-related programming from 300 to more than 800, will be located at Assiniboine’s North Hill campus in Brandon. (ACC Media Release)