We should have great weather for holiday gatherings this week. Temperatures are to remain several degrees above normal through the weekend. The daytime high for Christmas Day will be near zero. The normal high for this time of year is around minus 11.
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Manitoba Public Insurance has released its ‘Top 5 Frauds’ for 2024. One of the stranger ones involved an alleged sniper. A claimant says they were shot at before their car was set ablaze. Investigators say there was no hitman, the claimant had actually set the fire – and the car couldn’t be driven anyway as it was missing parts. MPI investigators saved ratepayers a total of $15-million this year.
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A 10-year-old boy was killed in a snowmobile crash on Sunday near Rosebank southwest of Carman. RCMP say he was driving the machine with a group of family members when he side-swiped a fence, lost control, and hit a tree. Police say he was wearing a helmet and other safety equipment at the time.
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There’s a bit of delay in getting us our new plastic health cards, partly because of the postal strike – apparently existing paper health cards, that were to be mailed out, were piling up. We won’t be able to apply for the new cards until mid-January.
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While premier Wab Kinew has carried through on a host of election promises his year, political analyst Paul Thomas says he’s yet to show a plan to control spending in order to balance the budget by 2027. He says Kinew did accomplish hiring more health-care workers, expanding school meal programs, and finding extra money for police and the arts.
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Federally, all signs point to spring election, now that the NDP has vowed to vote down the government early next year whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stays on or not. Insiders predict the government will fall by late March with a general election in April or May.
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NORAD is tracking Santa’s trip around the world again today. North American Aerospace Defense Command, which began tracking Santa in 1955, uses satellites, radar, and CF-18 aircraft to follow his journey…and they also get some help from Rudolph. His red nose radiates a ton of heat which is easily tracked. You can follow Saint Nick online at Official NORAD Tracks Santa
