Brandon’s downtown will see an increased police presence this summer. The Police Service plans to add more cadets and officers to grow its footprint in the city’s core. Last year, roughly 30% of calls for service were in the downtown.
———-
A search for a missing 78-year-old man from Carberry has ended tragically. Donald Paschke was last seen on April 10th, and on Sunday he was discovered deceased. An autopsy will be conducted.
———-
The Province is implementing universal ‘early reading’ screening in schools to identify students at risk of reading difficulties at a younger age. All students in kindergarten through Grade 4 will eventually undergo standardized
reading assessments twice a year. Ontario and BC have similar strategies.
———-
Now that it’s spring, the government is reminding us that provincial burning permits are required for outdoor fires. Most fires at this time of year are caused by human activity. Matted grass and dry, dead vegetation can be easily ignited and lead to fast moving wildfires, especially on windy days. Right now, there are no burn or travel restrictions in place.
———-
Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are both campaigning in Montreal today – NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will be in Toronto. All three will take part in the French-language debate on Wednesday and the English one on Thursday. We vote on April 28th.
———-
The federal Conservatives have narrowed the gap with the Liberals in the election race. A new poll shows 42% of Canadians would vote for the Liberals, down four points from last week – and the first time since the election began they’ve lost ground. The Conservatives are up two points to 36%. The NDP sit at 11%.
———-
Pop star Katy Perry, TV personality Gayle King and 4 others are safely back on earth after their trip into space this morning. They blasted off aboard a Jeff Bezos ‘Blue Origin’ rocket to the fringes of space, some 105-kilometres up. Most of Blue Origin’s passengers — 58 counting the latest launch — have been business or science types, TV hosts or YouTubers. Ticket prices are not disclosed.