Schools evacuated as magnitude 5.6 quake hits eastern Turkey

Province officially recognizes arboriculture as a trade

Arboriculture has officially been recognized as a trade in Manitoba, which industry experts say will help address the increased demand for tree experts across the province.

Paralyzed foster girl has system under a microscope

An internal investigation by Manitoba’s Families Department is nearly complete in the case of a six-year-old girl who is paralyzed after being assaulted by her foster mother in Winnipeg.

The review by child-welfare officials is intended to prevent similar incidents, but it’s unlikely the public will learn the findings or recommendations.

“We’re working closely with the (child and family services) authority to make sure that every recommendation is taken seriously and implemented,” Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said Monday.

“They’re important (investigations) because they help us identify what went wrong so we can make those changes to ensure something like this tragedy never happens again.”

Shelters overwhelmed as rising vet costs forcing some owners to surrender pets

In the fall of 2022, Tara Miller was faced with a difficult decision: keep her car or sell it to pay for a second knee surgery for her dog.

Ultimately, she needed her car to commute during the winter and decided to manage her dog Corby’s arthritis with medication and home therapy.

“Mentally it probably broke me,” said the 54-year-old.

While insurance covered two-thirds of the dog’s initial $6,000 surgery, Miller had to pay the remaining $2,000. That was on top of the $500 checkup before the surgery and the monthly $175 pet insurance premium.

Rural Manitoba homeowner charged with shooting at accused thieves

A homeowner in southern Manitoba has been charged after he fired shots at a group of people accused of stealing from his property, police say.

Officers were sent to the Rural Municipality of Dufferin Saturday after a report of a theft in progress. RCMP said four people went to the property, located about 95 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, and returned later the same day driving two vehicles stolen from Watrous, Sask.

The owner of the property, a 66-year-old man, saw the suspects on a motion-activated camera and saw someone transferring fuel from a portable container into one of the stolen vehicles. The man confronted the group and fired shots towards the vehicles, police said.

Three people stayed at the scene until officers arrived and took them into custody, RCMP said. Various items believed to have been stolen from the property were found in the back of a truck. A fourth suspect fled in the other vehicle.