Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On July 3rd at approximately 2:40 a.m., Brandon Police patrol members responded to a gun call at a motel in the 1800 Block of 1st street. No firearms were located however the investigation turned when Police discovered a large duffle bag in the trunk of the male suspects’ vehicle. The contents of the bag contained approximately 20.5 pounds of Marihuana, carrying a street value of approximately $92,000. As a result a 63-year-old man from Calgary was charged with Possession of Marihuana for the Purpose of Trafficking and is scheduled to appear in Court in August.

Source:  Brandon Police Service Media Release At 5:09 p.m. Police stopped a vehicle in the Zero Hundred Block of College Avenue and a strong smell of marihuana was detected. The male driver was arrested and a search revealed he had a ziplock bag with approximately 30 grams of Marihuana on his person. The 52-year-old resident of Brandon was charged for Possession of Marihuana Equal to 30 grams and released to appear in Court in September.

In the latest health protection report several local businesses have been fined for health code violations.  Reasons for the fines include failing to ensure that a food contact surface is thoroughly washed and sanitized, fail to provide sanitary facilities, fail to maintain safe internal temperature of potentially hazardous food, and handling food under insanitary conditions. Public health inspections are conducted at the following regulated facilities: food service establishments swimming pools and water recreational facilities body modification establishments Click here for a full list of closures and fines.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Just before 12 p.m. on Monday afternoon Police responded to a residence after receiving a call from the female victim indicating that her ex-boyfriend had just choked her, made numerous threats and then stole her vehicle. The male suspect was not on scene when Police arrived however he was eventually located and after a brief foot pursuit was apprehended, charged and lodged at the Brandon Correctional Centre to appear in Court Tuesday. The stolen vehicle was also found abandoned in a residential area.

Brandon University News Release Dr. Heather Duncan has been re-appointed to a second term as Brandon University’s Dean of Education. The re-appointment was confirmed at the most recent meeting of BU’s Board of Governors. Dr. Heather Duncan “I am delighted by Dr. Duncan’s re-appointment,” said BU Interim President Dr. Steve Robinson. “She has been a devoted and inspiring leader as Dean of Education, bringing thoughtfulness and energy to the role. Both across the campus and in the community, she is a welcome presence and a tremendous positive force for education. I am very much looking forward to her next five years.” Dr. Duncan is a BU alumna whose entire career has been spent in education. She began her first term as Dean of Education at Brandon University in 2013, and has also taken on the roles of acting Vice-President Academic (2014-15) and Associate Vice-President Research (2016-18) during that time. Prior to that she was Associate Department Head of Professional Studies, a large graduate department at the University of Wyoming, and also served as a high school principal at Erickson Collegiate in Manitoba, and a high school chemistry teacher in Scotland. Dr. Duncan’s Ph.D. in educational administration is from the University of Saskatchewan, her master’s degree is from Brandon University, and her bachelor’s degree in pure science is from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She was editor of the Rural Educator Journal from 2009 to 2014. Her research interests include distance, rural and indigenous education, professional development, and leadership — areas in which she has published and presented widely. During the first five years of Dr. Duncan’s term as dean, the Faculty of Education has accomplished a lot, and she is quick to say that much of that credit goes to faculty and staff members. “I count myself very fortunate to continue to work with such a dedicated and professional team of educators and staff that has put in tremendous effort to make the Faculty of Education an excellent environment for student learning,” Dr. Duncan said. “Across all our programs, Physical Education, Joint Department of Music Education, the After-degree in Education, the Integrated, PENT, and Graduate programs, we have seen tremendous student and faculty success. I congratulate every member of the team, thank them very much for their support over the past five years, and am looking forward to the future.” Under Dr. Duncan’s leadership, the Faculty of Education has restructured the organization of departments so that faculty now has ownership and provides leadership in its curriculum areas. One priority has been enhancing the student experience. The faculty initiated its first Academic Plan for Education in 2015, with the mission statement “Your Learning is our Passion: We mentor educators to thrive as caring and engaged innovators in diverse communities.” This mission statement has guided their actions in revising the Integrated B.A./B.Ed. program to engage and support beginning students, in embracing new delivery modes for our master’s program to accommodate the needs of students in remote areas, and in building strong partnerships with school divisions and Indigenous communities. Dr. Duncan says that the Faculty of Education’s goals for the future are to continue to build relationships and partnerships with external community members; to continue to revise programs so that the teachers developed at BU are well equipped to meet diverse societal needs; and lastly to continue to develop graduate and postgraduate level programming. After a period of extensive hiring, the faculty’s research base has grown, several of its members hold tri-council grants, and the faculty sees itself well-positioned and highly equipped to deliver additional quality programs.