Source:  Brandon Police Service Media Release At 12:45 AM hour, a 911 call was received of a structure fire at 752-6th Street, a multi-family dwelling. The fire was believed to have started in the basement; however, flames were seen in the roof as well. Brandon Fire & Emergency Services attended to the fire and extinguished it. Neighbors were temporarily evacuated until the fire could be contained and streets were blocked off during the action. Office of the Fire Commissioner personnel attended to the scene to assess and investigate the cause. At this time, it is believed to be accidental in nature and may be related to smoking material.

Local real estate agent Tyler Plante and former teammate Matt Calvert of the Colorado Avalanche had way too much time on their hands when they crafted up a TV Commercial for Pizza Express that has gone “viral” over the last week with over 10,000 views over various outlets.  The original commercial from the movie Happy Gimore can be see here. Play their version below. According to Plante, he is shocked to some degree with the feedback.   “When you deal with a guy like Matty who is well known and something like this will turn heads” said Plante.    “Good to see people handle the lighter side of this by being a low budget operation...we had so much fun and laughs with this” he added.

Source:  Brandon Police Service Media Release At 7:06 p.m. Police received a call from a pizza delivery driver from a business in Brandon indicating his vehicle, a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero had just been stolen from the 400 Block of 8th street. A description of the female suspect was provided and Police were able to locate the vehicle and the suspect still in the vehicle just outside of Alexander, Manitoba. A 26-year-old female from Sioux Valley First Nation Reserve, Manitoba was arrested for Theft of Motor Vehicle and later released to appear in Court in September.

Virden RCMP are treating the death of a 31-year-old man as a homicide.  On July 21, Virden RCMP responded to a call of a male in medical distress at a residence in the community at approximately 1:15 p.m.  Upon arrival Officers noticed the victim had injuries consistent with being in an altercation and there were several people at the scene.  The victim was transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Virden RCMP, RCMP Major Crime Services, and RCMP Forensic Identification Services are assisting with the ongoing investigation.

The Manitoba government has issued a request for pre-qualifications (RFPQ) to expand opportunities for retail cannabis stores in the province, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today. “To help eliminate the black market, our goal within two years of legalization is for 90 per cent of Manitobans to be able to access legal cannabis within a 30-minute drive or less,” said Pedersen.  “Ensuring public health and safety remains our top priority.  We believe cannabis sourced from federally licensed producers and sold by provincially licensed and regulated retailers will better protect the health and safety of Manitobans.” Following an initial public tender that concluded earlier this year, the province selected four proponents that will operate over 30 retail cannabis locations.  The minister noted this next RFPQ will help expand the initial number of retail cannabis stores to more communities in Manitoba. “In proceeding with phase two of our retail strategy, we are keeping our promise to establish a competitive retail environment that creates new economic opportunities for all Manitobans,” said Pedersen. The RFPQ seeks to establish a pre-qualification list of respondents capable of operating a retail cannabis store in a community that may be under-serviced after the first phase of the retail market is established.  Retailers who submitted proposals to the initial public tender will be eligible for consideration on this list. Pedersen noted Indigenous business participation is encouraged in the RFPQ. “Unlike other jurisdictions in Canada, Manitoba’s hybrid model promotes opportunities for Indigenous participation in the retail of recreational cannabis,” said Pedersen.  “With Indigenous partnerships in all four of our initial retail groups, this next phase is another positive opportunity for Indigenous economic development and success in Manitoba.” The RFPQ will be available on www.merx.com and submissions will be accepted until Aug. 31.