News briefs for Tuesday, April 28, 2026

RM of Gimli hit by cyber attack

6:48 PM

The Rural Municipality of Gimli advised residents Tuesday it has been forced to hire a security firm after being hit by a cyber security incident.

“Currently, we are still determining the scope of the impact and will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available,” the RM said in a social media post.

The RM’s council meeting on Wednesday has been cancelled as a result and residents are advised the RM is unable to process bill payments at its office. The RM advised residents to pay bills at a bank.

The Free Press has reached out to the RM for more information. Gimli councillors reached by phone Tuesday declined to comment.

Ransomware.live, a free, independent threat intelligence platform that tracks ransomware attacks and victims around the globe, has the Gimli cyber-security incident listed on its site, pointing to hacking group Payload as the party responsible for the incident.

Police search for missing woman and man

1:24 PM

Police are asking for help as they search for a woman and man who have been missing since last Thursday.

Asia Laforrest, 20, and Baron Morisette, 27, were last seen together around 5:30 p.m. in the Dufferin neighbourhood, said a news release from the Winnipeg Police Service Tuesday. Police are concerned for their well-being.

Laforrest is described as five-foot-five in height with a medium build, light brown hair and hazel eyes, said police. She was last seen wearing a baby-blue pullover hoodie.

Morisette is five-foot-10, with a thin build, short black hair and brown eyes. Police say was last seen wearing beige sweatpants.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.

Free Press reporters nominated for digital publishing awards

12:47 PM

Two Free Press writers are finalists for the National Media Awards Foundation’s 2026 Digital Publishing Awards.

Investigative reporter Marsha McLeod is nominated in the best long feature category for her story Why Did Conor Rae Have to Die?, which was an-in-depth examination of the RCMP’s fatal shooting of a Portage la Prairie teenager and the subsequent investigation by the province’s police watchdog.

Environment writer Julia-Simone Rutgers is nominated in the category for best topical reporting on climate change for her feature on how extreme weather is impacting the annual pond hockey tournament in Minnedosa.

Rutgers writes jointly for the Free Press and The Narwhal on environmental topics through a unique partnership funded by the Winnipeg Foundation.

The award winners will be announced on June 5.

Wanted man arrested in Pukatawagan

10:46 AM

Pukatawagan RCMP arrested a 23-year-old man on Monday who had been wanted for more than a week in connection to a violent home invasion in the northern community.

Mounties arrested Creedan Bighetty without incident at a home in Pukatawagan, also known as Mathias Colomb First Nation, RCMP said on Tuesday.

He was taken to the detachment and held in custody on several charges related to the home invasion and on two other arrest warrants.

Mounties allege Bighetty and two teens busted into a home in the First Nation at about 11 p.m. on April 17 while armed with guns.

The two teenage boys were arrested and charged with firearms offences and breaking and entering a short time later, but Bighetty remained outstanding.

The manhunt for him prompted a temporary lockdown last week in Pukatawagan, a remote reserve about 800 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg that’s only accessible by air or train.

Winnipeg firefighters douse two apartment fires early Tuesday

8:33 AM

Winnipeg firefighters were kept busy with two apartment fires early Tuesday morning.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were called to a three-storey apartment on the 300 block of Qu’Appelle Avenue downtown just after 5 a.m., where they found heavy smoke coming from the building. Firefighters got inside and got the blaze under control by just after 6 a.m.

Some of the building’s residents got on their own, while firefighters evacuated others. None were hurt, but some were displaced. City social workers are helping residents find a place to stay, the fire department said.

Then at about 6 a.m., other fire crews were called to a 12-storey apartment on the 100 block of Powers Street, where firefighters found a fire in one of the suites, which they quickly got under control.

Some occupants evacuated, while others sheltered in place in their suites. No one was hurt.