News briefs for November 17, 2020

RCMP in Dauphin have charged two people with drug offences after officers seized cocaine and meth from a home while executing a search warrant Saturday.

Caitlin Richard, 22, has been charged with possession of meth for the purpose of trafficking. The accused, who was wanted on outstanding warrants, was kept in custody.

A 30-year-old Dauphin man was charged with possession of meth and is expected to appear in court Feb. 9.

Police say they found 12 grams of meth, 15 grams of cocaine, a large quantity of unknown pills, marijuana, cash, a machete and drug paraphernalia.

Two adults were released without charge.

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Provincial public health officials are reporting seven more deaths due to COVID-19 and 270 new cases.

The province says four of the deaths were in the Winnipeg health region, two in the Southern Health region, and one in Interlake-Eastern health region.

There have now been 179 deaths since the pandemic began and there are 7,105 active cases.

University of Winnipeg Wesmen basketball legend Sandra Carroll is the latest inductee into the Canada West Hall of Fame.

Carroll was a three-time national champion and player of the year (1993, ’94, ’95) during her time with the Wesmen’s women’s basketball squad. She also played a key role in the team’s record 88-game unbeaten streak.

A block of COVID-19 test appointments are being reserved for police, paramedics and front-line health care providers.

The provincial government announced it will offer a limited number of COVID-19 test slots exclusively for health-care workers and first responders in Winnipeg at 2735 Pembina Hwy. and 604 St. Mary’s Rd. 

In addition, the province is opening a drive-up testing site Friday in the parking lot of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service training academy at 2546 McPhillips St. The site will be staffed by licensed WFPS paramedics not currently working in the field and is expected to handle 40 to 60 tests per day. 

Testing at this site will be offered to police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency communications personnel and a limited number of health-care workers. Appointments will be available Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Health-care workers and first responders can book an appointment by calling 1-855-268-4318 (toll-free). Individuals need to show their professional identification at the testing site to access their pre-booked appointment.

The provincial government is now contracting private security guards to enforce public health orders, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister announced Tuesday.

The province signed a contract with G4S Security to provide 90 more security personnel to enforce the orders, and are working on training the contracted and provincial employees through a Commissionaires virtual training program.

A team of enforcement officers handed out 32 tickets across the province over the past week and had 225 interactions with individuals and businesses.

Pallister said more than 2,200 businesses have applied to receive $5,000 in provincial funding via a grant program the province announced Monday for businesses and organizations that have been forced to shut down.

Eight Manitobans have been fined and 42 given a verbal warning by RCMP for violating public health orders related to COVID-19 in recent days.

The RCMP said on Tuesday that the eight fines were for different violations including not isolating as directed, a Winnipegger travelling to northern Manitoba during the travel restriction, and having more than five people at a residence.

RCMP said between Nov. 2 to 13, they received 253 complaints owing to COVID-19, and since April 9, they have issued 50 fines and 119 warnings.

RCMP ask Manitobans who see a possible COVID-19 violation not to call 911, but instead phone the provincial government’s inquiry line at 1-866-626-4862.

Winnipeg police are asking for the public’s help in finding a motorcyclist whose passenger died in a collision last year.

Jean-Pierre Oliviero, 34, is wanted on a warrant for operating a motor vehicle while impaired causing death.

Police said on Tuesday that a motorcycle with two people on it crashed on the Midtown Bridge on July 31, 2019, at about 11:45 p.m. Both the driver and his 28-year-old female passenger were rushed to hospital, but she died of her injuries.

Oliviero is described as Caucasian, six feet in height, 176 lbs., with a medium build, short brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).

The victim in a fatal shooting on Isabel Street on Monday has been identified.

Winnipeg police said on Tuesday that Wade Darryl Donkey, 18, was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries.

Police said Donkey was shot in the 100 block of Isabel Street at about 1:50 p.m.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).

Premier Brian Pallister will be talking about enforcement of COVID-19 public health orders today.

Pallister is scheduled to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m.

The premier’s remarks come after a weekend when, while virus case numbers go up daily in the hundreds, the province experiences double-digit COVID-19 deaths, and hospitals fill with patients, many stores were crowded with shoppers, parking lots were full and tickets were handed out at an anti-mask rally in Steinbach.

Arlington Street will be closed to northbound traffic between Ellice and Sargent avenues for water-main repair work starting at 9 a.m.

The work will continue until about noon on Nov. 24, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release.