From book bans to basement makeovers: 10 win I Love My Librarian Award for making a difference

CMU instructor uses camper audio studio to capture stories of human connection in a time of isolation, alienation

GRUNTHAL — Last Sunday, David Balzer parked his vintage 1978 Triple E Surfside camper trailer on a church lot in town and, like an itinerant priest with a mobile confessional, prepared to hear people’s stories.

It was a crisp sunny morning. Inside the trailer were a pair of yellow mugs that matched the trailer’s egg yolk trim. On a table were two microphones.

Outside the trailer stood a sandwich board with an invitation: “Step in.”

Balzer doesn’t actually hear confessions, but he does perform what some might consider a priestly duty: helping people share their stories.

Klein has burned bridges with PM, Gillingham says

One mayoral candidate accused another of writing a column so critical it could compromise his ability to work with the federal government.

U.S. expats in city prepare to cast their ballots

American expats are making their voices heard from north of the border for the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.

Jean Dunmire sported a button emblazoned with the word “VOTE” and an American and Canadian flag as she walked out of the Bill and Helen Norrie Library Sunday afternoon. She had just registered to vote in the midterms from afar for the first time.

“I think it’s really important this time around because a lot of the senators and representatives in the House of Representatives are being reelected and I definitely want to see some changes. Things have gone way off the rails with (U.S. President Donald) Trump and he’s just destroying the country,” Dunmire said.

The 76-year-old moved to Lethbridge, Alta., from California in 1969 before settling in Manitoba in 1973. She’s voted in the last two presidential elections but felt it important to cast a ballot in the midterms owing to ongoing conflict in her home country.

American Hostage stars recall warmth of Winnipeggers during brutal winter

TORONTO — When you stream the eight-part series American Hostage, a sense of familiarity may strike.

That’s because the show was shot in Winnipeg — especially in the Exchange District — from November of last year to the beginning of February, with Winnipeg portraying Indianapolis circa 1977.

The whole world seemed to be watching that midwest American city that year as a hostage crisis unfolded involving one Tony Kiritsis, an angry man who goes ballistic when a mortgage brokerage was poised to foreclose on property he had dreamed of developing into a shopping centre.

Kiritsis kidnapped his mortgage broker, Richard Hall, wiring a shotgun to the back of his head, and demanded a public airing of his grievances, with the reluctant help of popular radio broadcaster Fred Heckman.

Jets up against the clock

Time has often been on the side of the Winnipeg Jets, with Cole Perfetti’s famous “Manitoba Miracle” buzzer-beater serving as Exhibit A.

But that won’t necessarily be the case this coming season, when the clock threatens to become a stubborn and, at times, confusing opponent.

Premier Wab Kinew’s decision to adopt permanent daylight time will have a significant impact on the hockey club, both as hosts and visitors, head coach Scott Arniel told the Free Press on Sunday.

Athletes are creatures of habit, and their regular routines are going to be challenged during the period from Nov. 1 to March 14, which covers the majority of the 84-game campaign.