CMHR wins four innovation awards

Safety assessment planned following drownings

The Manitoba government will conduct an assessment of high-risk trails and areas in its parks system following the drownings of two siblings at Nutimik Lake in the Whiteshell.

Environment Minister Mike Moyes has ordered his department to identify high-risk areas after Maximo Au Ramirez, 10, slipped on rocks near Sturgeon Falls and fell in the lake Saturday. His brother, Aaron Au Ramirez, 13, went in to try to save him.

The body of Aaron was recovered Thursday evening, 24 hours after his brother’s body was found Wednesday.

“We have a lot of beautiful parks and spaces, but to flag any areas that could need greater improvements for safety, and so we’re going to take a really comprehensive approach to ensuring that Manitobans can enjoy nature, but do it in a way that’s safe,” Moyes said Thursday.

Selfie part of investigation into Grant Park football coach

A selfie of a high school football coach grinning beside a Free Press front-page story about the investigation into his professional conduct has become part of the case.

Doug Kovacs, a resource teacher at Grant Park High School who runs the Pirates football program, was put on leave in the spring.

The Winnipeg School Division employee is the subject of an investigation into allegations that athletes on his AAAA varsity team engaged in hazing that led to at least one player getting injured last year.

The Free Press has learned that on July 8 — the day it was revealed in print that Manitoba’s teacher commissioner had launched a third-party probe — a photo of Kovacs posing with a newspaper began circulating in the football community.

Bridgwater residents fed up with Manitoba Housing eyesore

A weed-covered plot of land in Bridgwater has been left to grow wild all summer, raising the ire of neighbours who say they were told the property is owned by Manitoba Housing and bylaw officers cannot intervene.

Letters, July 24

In all the recent letters and articles telling us what we already know about climate change and rising carbon dioxide levels related to our fossil fuel consumption, there is one aspect seldom mentioned — the magnitude of the contribution of the world’s militaries to fossil-fuel pollution and the accompanying destruction of our planet.

E-scooter knocks senior onto sidewalk as he gets off bus

A Winnipeg man was thrown onto the pavement and injured after being struck by an electric scooter after stepping off a Winnipeg Transit bus Monday afternoon, an incident he hopes will push the city to take a closer look at sidewalk safety.