Beijing clamps down on drones: Sales banned citywide from May 1

Manitoba Hydro’s strategy: Deny, deny, deny

Here’s a good story…

A man walks into your office and says, “Have I got a deal for you! I want $3 billion (plus perhaps a bit more) to build you something that you might use three or even four times a year, for maybe 30-60 hours each time. Sign here.”

You might respond… “and I’ve got a lovely bridge for sale…”

That is exactly what Manitoba Hydro wants — $3 billion or more, plus the fossil fuel bonus for peak load events that happen a few times each year. They assure us that the gas turbines will only be used very occasionally. At the same time, they tell us that we are headed for a crisis of energy supply by 2030.

Frank Kriz was always willing to lend a hand to someone in need

Frank Kriz never wore a halo or wings, but talk to the many people he helped during his life and you would swear the man was a real-life angel.

For those who were fortunate enough to call him friend, he was always there to lend a hand, whether it was helping fix a wiring issue in someone’s house or organizing a group camping trip.

“He lived for other people, for helping other people,” says close friend Brian Turner.

“He was a very special guy that way. There’s no one like him that I know. Everyone has a little piece of him, in a sense, with how he fixed something for them or helped them out with something. That was his legacy.”

Catch the Devil follows serial con man preying on victims along the Gulf Coast — then repatedly duping law enforcement

The debut book from Pamela Colloff, a Texas-based investigative reporter for ProPublica and staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, complicates romantic notions of the scam artist and invites readers to reflect on the systems that enable them.

Summer Reading Challenge concludes with more musings from young readers

Another Free Press Summer Reading Challenge for Kids is in the books, but before we turn the page completely, there are a few more reviews written by our young readers to share.

Participating readers were tasked to write down their thoughts about any of the books on the Summer Reading Challenge’s three reading lists; with a range of formats (novels, graphic novels, books with pictures), themes and reading levels to choose from, budding reviewers of all ages were eager to share their opinion.

Those registered for the challenge received reading resources and activities throughout the summer, from word searches or puzzles based on the content of the books to a set of discussion questions and, in one instance, a special video from an author.

There were also more creative activities meant to engage readers’ critical thinking skills, all of which were free to access for anyone who signed up for the challenge.

Premier, mayor voice support for decision to end police officers’ OT retail-security shifts

Premier Wab Kinew and Mayor Scott Gillingham are backing the police chief’s decision to end the option for officers to work overtime shifts providing security at retail stores.