RWB apologizes to students victimized by ex-instructor who took, sold intimate photos

Possibility of Hellebuyck’s return grows each day as pay slips away

CHICAGO — Buckle up, folks. The next plot twist in the ongoing soap opera between the Winnipeg Jets and Connor Hellebuyck could be a doozy.

Let’s start with a few cold, hard facts. Or, if you prefer: “Previously on As the Hellebuyck Turns…”

The franchise goaltender, with five years remaining on a contract extension he willingly signed with Winnipeg in 2023, refused to report to training camp last month as he awaits word on a trade request made at the end of last season. He’s the first NHL player in more than a quarter century to essentially go on strike.

The Jets are under no obligation to move Hellebuyck, but have indicated they would try to accommodate him if another team meets their needs. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made it clear he needs to “get this right” and wants a haul for a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and one-time Hart Trophy recipient.

RWB apologizes to students victimized by ex-instructor who took, sold intimate photos

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has apologized to students who were victims of a former dance instructor taking intimate photos of them.

The RWB, in a one-page apology released Friday, said it acknowledges the photo sessions “were traumatizing for many students.

The photographer, former faculty member Bruce Monk, posted and sold some of the images online.

“As an internationally recognized centre for dance education, we were and are responsible for providing a safe and supportive environment for the training, housing, nurturing, and mentoring of these former students,” the statement read.

Convicted harasser accused of targeting old, new victims, including judge

Agnieszka Ciochon-Newton, who was sentenced to six years in prison for mercilessly harassing two people she believed had wronged her, as well as other crimes, wasted no time when her sentence ended to launch fresh attacks on victims new and old, including the judge who convicted her, court documents allege.

The 58-year-old former nurse was arrested last month after Winnipeg police “became aware that (Ciochon-Newton) was engaging in aggressive and harassing behaviours again, starting almost immediately upon the expiry of her parole conditions” on May 13, Det. Sgt Kylie Case wrote in search warrant documents obtained by the Free Press.

Ciochon-Newton is charged with seven counts of criminal harassment, two counts of uttering threats and one count each of fraud, breaking and entering, attempting to obstruct justice, intimidation of a justice official, mischief and defamatory libel. She remains in custody.

Search warrant documents say provincial court Judge Keith Eyrikson learned in late August that Ciochon-Newton had emailed CBC Manitoba days earlier and threatened him.

Proposed design for Carberry-area intersection includes overpass, roundabouts

The province has released a proposed design for an intersection near Carberry where a crash killed 17 seniors in 2023.

The project proposes an overpass and two roundabouts at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway. Details and renderings of the design were released on the province’s website.

The overpass was announced in November’s throne speech and pegged at $100 million to construct. The province initially floated the idea of a restricted crossing U-turn, or RCUT, but the design was met with intense scrutiny from the public.

Residents said at the time the RCUT would be confusing for drivers and difficult to navigate.

Jets salvage point in Chicago

CHICAGO — Ever have one of those days where you should have just stayed in bed? That pretty much sums up how Thursday went for the Winnipeg Jets here in the Windy City.

It began with the bad news that top defenceman Josh Morrissey’s wrist issue is more serious than feared, and he likely won’t be back in the lineup any time soon. Then, veteran forward Vlad Namestnikov, coming off his best game of the young season, crashed into the boards at the end of morning skate, suffering an upper-body injury that sent him to the sidelines.

Off to the game itself, which began with Dylan DeMelo hitting the post on the first shift, a parade of Winnipeg penalties helping the home team build a healthy early lead and, last and certainly least, an eventual 4-3 overtime loss at United Center.

It actually could have been worse.

Serial arsonist gets more jail time, community ban

A serial arsonist who believes controlled burning is his “calling” was sentenced to nine months in jail and barred for two years from a southwestern Manitoba community after he deliberately set multiple grass fires during a fire ban in May.