Source:Brandon Police Service Media Release On Saturday afternoon, police received a call of a break and enter to an apartment complex in the 1400 block of 22nd St.  The incident occurred at approx. 1:00 AM Saturday morning, where two individuals pried a door to gain entry to the common areas of the building.  The matter is still under investigation.

The Manitoba government is lifting the one-month supply limit on prescription drugs, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen announced today. Effective May 11, Manitobans who have prescriptions for long-term medications will be able to fill them as per their prescriber’s directions up to a three-month supply, if the drug is not affected by shortages. In March, the government moved to restrict prescription fills to one month in response to global drug shortages. This move was consistent with all provinces and territories, and was in response to advice received from the Canadian Pharmacists Association and Canadian Association for Pharmaceutical Distributors and Management. In Manitoba, these limits were imposed on March 19. This was done to minimize potential distribution shortages and prevent people from stockpiling medication due in part to messaging from the federal government to Canadians. Another contributing factor is the typically high volume of dispensing that occurs at the end of Manitoba’s Pharmacare Program year, which is in late March. “While this decision to restrict prescription fills to one month was necessary, we have been monitoring carefully the consequences and recognize the impact this has had on many Manitobans,” said Friesen. “As a result, our government is pleased to be removing the one-month limit now that the global and domestic drug supply is showing to be more stable.” Friesen noted today’s announcement builds on other measures the government has taken to minimize the financial pressure caused as a result of the policy. “Our government acted early and announced shortly after placing the limit on prescription fills, pharmacare rates would be frozen at last year’s level, and users would see no increase to their pharmacare deductible,” said Friesen. The minister also announced the immediate establishment of a time-limited, COVID-19 drug shortage working group which will be comprised of provincial officials, as well as representatives from Pharmacists Manitoba and the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba. This working group will be responsible for ongoing surveillance and monitoring of drug availability in the province. This work will allow the group to make evidence-based decisions as to what drugs should continue to only be dispensed in one-month allotments. The work of the group will be guided by Health Canada’s list of drugs in short supply that can be found at www.drugshortagescanada.ca. The working group will also solicit for proposals from industry, stakeholder groups and health-related associations to make evidence-based decisions in a collaborative format. To ensure Manitobans can benefit from this financial relief, while also allowing the working group to begin their work, only drugs currently listed in short supply on the federal government’s drug shortages website will be subject to the one-month fill limit. Pharmacists will be able to advise their clients about which specific drugs are in short supply and might be subject to dispensing limits. Further to the announcement, the minister noted Manitobans who have experienced a significant change in their income can have their Manitoba Pharmacare Program deductible reviewed. Individuals can estimate their income for the current year, which in turn will set a new deductible for that same year. Following the filing of the individual’s income taxes for the current year, the projected income is then compared to the actual income and the difference is reconciled. To have a Manitoba pharmacare deductible reviewed, call 204-786-7141 or (toll-free) at 1-800-297-8099, or by emailing pharmacare@gov.mb.ca. Pharmacists Manitoba is asking their clients to appropriately refill their medications, such as not refilling more than 10 days before their next scheduled refill, and not requesting quantities in excess of 100 days’ supply, to help maintain the drug supply going forward. To help ease the financial burden on seniors, the Manitoba government also announced May 5, the Seniors Economic Recovery Credit which will provide every Manitoban aged 65 and older with a one-time, refundable tax credit of $200. For more information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19. A comprehensive list of Manitoba government COVID-19 measures can be found at: https://manitoba.ca/bg/2020/04/covid19.html. (Province of MB News Release)

36-year-old Brandon female has been charged with nine counts of unauthorized use of a credit card. An ongoing investigation has revealed that she used a stolen credit card at nine times at various local businesses for purchases exceeding $4000. She was released from custody to appear in court on October 1st.

BRANDON – In difficult times, as everyone’s lives are affected by COVID-19, your voice can help highlight the sweeping impact of this pandemic. Researchers at Brandon University are starting a new Manitoba-wide project to understand how students, their parents or guardians, and educators are faring during this unprecedented learning climate. “We would like to hear from you about youth learning concerns and about mental health,” said Dr. Breanna Lawrence, who is leading the project. “By doing this research during the pandemic, we will gain valuable insight into how families are responding to stressors like suspensions of face-to-face classes and how families are accessing educational resources. We want to know more about how youth are participating in activities that promote well-being.” Dr. Lawrence teaches child and adolescent development to preservice teachers and also teaches in the graduate guidance and counselling program in the Faculty of Education at Brandon University. She also has a four-year-old and a seven-year-old child at home. “I know first-hand some of the challenges that families are facing,” she said. “Now is the time for us to put our heads together, to learn from one another, and to share the strategies that we are using to manage these unprecedented challenges. That’s what this study is all about.” She says the main goal of the project is to understand how youth with learning and mental health concerns are impacted, and how families and educators are working together to support student well-being. “As a teacher educator, my focus is on helping the next generation of teachers learn about working effectively with families,” she said. “This is a strengths-based study to find out what’s working— and to pass on this information to future educators.” The research team is looking for youth aged 12 to 18 years old and their parents or guardians from across the province to discuss their experiences with learning and mental health amidst the COVID-19 health pandemic. Separate interviews will be conducted by telephone or video conference and will be audio-recorded. For each interview, participants will be thanked with a $20 gift card. Findings from this research will inform educational practices and provincial policies to better support the learning and mental health needs of youth. ABOUT THE RESEARCH: This study is part of a larger study funded through Research Manitoba, with research collaborators at University of Saskatchewan and University of Manitoba that also will include analyzing Statistics Canada survey data. The overarching project goal is to advance understandings of positive youth development. Children’s emotional and behavioral health and their learning and achievement are strongly linked. A pressing concern is the increasing rates of mental health concerns among children and youth. There is not a lot of current research that captures multiple perspectives on youth mental health in educational contexts. Ultimately, the findings from this research will be invaluable in understanding the numerous influences and strategies used as families and educators’ collaborate to support the well-being of students during the COVID-19 health pandemic. Anyone interested can contact Dr. Breanna Lawrence, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education. Brandon University at LawrenceB@BrandonU.ca, or call or text her at 204-819-4322. The research project also has a Facebook page at Prairie Youth Resilience Research Team, at facebook.com/PYRresearch.   Success is built at Brandon University. Our growing, progressive campus welcomes a diverse and inclusive community that combines proud tradition with shared ambition. Through our excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, we educate students to make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders. Join us at BrandonU.ca  (Brandon University News)

Shortly before 3:00 on Wednesday afternoon, Brandon Fire & Emergency Services and Brandon Police Service responded to the 2300 block of 10th St. for reports of a side-by-side on fire. Upon arrival it was realized that much more than just a side-by-side was on fire. It appeared that a side-by-side, shed, garage, industrial-type trailer, and multiple tall trees were on fire, with flames quickly spreading towards the house on the property. Firefighting efforts were hampered due to a downed live powerline and reports of propane/explosive material canisters in the fire area. Manitoba Hydro attended the scene to help shut down power, which allowed crews to move in and finish extinguishing the fire. No reports of injuries, and as of 5:45pm most of the fire units had cleared the scene.