Ten Commandments monument returned to spot near longtime home in Assiniboine Park

Piece of magic history disappears

A piece of Winnipeg’s magic history has vanished, and internationally renowned escape artist Dean Gunnarson is offering a $500 reward to anyone who can make it reappear.

The plaque marked the birthplace of what has become the world’s largest organization of professional and amateur magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, which was founded in Winnipeg more than a century ago.

Gunnarson said fellow magician and local magic historian Bruce Thompson discovered the disappearance Tuesday while on his way to work.

Thompson returned to inspect the site and found what appeared to be evidence it had been forcibly removed.

‘People count on this place’: Pembina Hwy. Giant Tiger latest location slated to close

Another Giant Tiger store in Winnipeg will shutter next year, leaving some area residents concerned about a lack of affordable groceries in the neighbourhood.

Red papers taped to the front doors of the Canadian retail chain’s location at Pembina Highway and Southpark Drive indicate it will close Feb. 27.

Doreen Yanchuk, a self-described bargain hunter, shook her head when she saw the signs Monday. The 67-year-old said she’s a regular customer at the location because it’s a five-minute drive from her home.

“They have very good sales here, which draws people to the shop because everything is expensive,” Yanchuk said.

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Scorpio.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Tread carefully as it’s easy to get into an argument, especially with your kids or even a romantic partner. Very likely the dispute will be about mutual expenses, shared property or perhaps differing values. Do what you can to keep the peace.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Hurricane Simon pounds resorts and vulnerable towns along Mexico’s Pacific coast

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Simon pounded Mexico’s Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm on Sunday, its eye remaining just offshore as its most powerful winds and rain slammed people living between the Sierra Madre and the ocean.

The hurricane's center swirled parallel to the coast, closing in on the Puerto Vallarta area, where its most damaging winds and rain were expected to hit around midnight and continue through Monday morning. Its maximum sustained winds weakened late Sunday to 115 mph (185 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, but it was still expected to remain a dangerous hurricane.

That’s not good news for people in and around Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination in the state of Jalisco. Just inland and uphill from the resort areas, many Mexicans live in communities where housing might not stand up to the storm.

By late Sunday, Simon's eye was moving northwest about 45 miles (75 kilometers) south of Cabo Corrientes at about 5 mph (7 kph). A senior hurricane center specialist, Philippe Papin, said this westernmost tip of mainland Mexico is the area most likely to get a direct hit from the system. Cabo Corrientes is at the southern tip of Bahia de Banderas, the wide bay where Puerto Vallarta looks out to the Pacific.

Comparing the Iran and Vietnam Wars

The other day I asked my students in U.S. foreign policy to think about the relevance of the Vietnam War in relation to the ongoing war in Iran. More specifically, I wanted them to identify the similarities and differences between the two wars.

‘Unique’ crackdown leads to dozens of arrests, hundreds of referrals to outreach groups

More than 200 people were referred to support organizations and police made 55 arrests during a two-month crackdown on drug use and disorder on city streets.

The Winnipeg Police Service and community group leaders released the latest details Tuesday of a sweep focused on open drug use and trafficking that began in August. An earlier blitz, in June, drew rebuke from some community groups that led police to take an outreach-first approach when it was relaunched.

“I feel it’s something that’s very unique, we’ve looked across the country and from what I’m hearing, what we’re hearing, I think we’re definitely going in the right direction, if not leading the way in some of our initiatives,” said police Chief Gene Bowers of the service’s partnered approach to cracking down on open air drug use.

Between Aug. 7 and Oct. 6, community organizations participated in 14 joint outreach and enforcement efforts, police said on Tuesday. Ten people were helped into Main Street Project detox programs, 48 people were given access to support services and 553 naloxone opioid antidote kits were handed out. Outreach organizations engaged with a total of 3,758 people.