Two-wave U.S. flu season is now the longest in a decade

Sottobraccio brings Harth’s Italian flavours to new location in Osborne Village

Sottobraccio is the answer to a common refrain at Harth Mozza & Wine Bar.

“The No. 1 thing we always hear from guests at Harth is, ‘We love coming here, but it’s such a drive,’” chef Brent Genyk says of his popular fine-dining restaurant in South St. Vital.

Harth’s new sister restaurant opened in the heart of Osborne Village in June, joining a raft of other eateries that have moved into the central Winnipeg neighbourhood in recent years.

Sottobraccio is located at 160 Osborne St. in the main floor of the Zü, a new retail and residential complex built on the former site of the Osborne Village Motor Inn and its well-known music venue, the Zoo.

$129-M segregation-lawsuit deal good for Manitoba: judge

A judge has said the $129-million class-action settlement that must be paid by the Manitoba government over the use of segregation in provincial jails is a good deal for taxpayers.

Court of King’s Bench Justice Theodor Bock approved the settlement — in which the province didn’t admit liability — in June, before issuing his full written decision July 22.

“Although Manitoba is responsible to fund a significant settlement, it benefits considerably from the certainty created by capping its total liability to the class, the release of all claims, costs saved or avoided altogether as a result of the appointment of Proactio as the claims administrator and the development of the agreed-upon claims process, and the discontinuance of all litigation concerning this matter,” he wrote.

The judge said class members “comprise a group of vulnerable and marginalized people who endured significant periods of segregation, some under very severe conditions.”

Manitoba Hydro’s energy plan set to be scrutinized

Manitoba Hydro is set to face questions and concerns over its plan for the province’s future energy needs, which includes proposed natural gas-powered turbines in Brandon and Indigenous-owned wind farms.

The Public Utilities Board, an arm’s-length regulator, will begin six weeks of hearings Monday into the 10-year blueprint and potential ways to satisfy electricity demand, while Hydro grapples with a projected energy shortfall, debt of $25 billion and aging infrastructure.

“The development plan reflects the best available information and analysis of how Manitoba Hydro can meet growing energy demand, while balancing factors we know are important to our customers, including cost, reliability and the environment,” Peter Chura, a spokesman for the Crown corporation, told the Free Press.

“We are confident in our analysis and that we’ve appropriately balanced reliability, affordability, safety and risk.”

Two-wave U.S. flu season is now the longest in a decade

NEW YORK - Three months ago, this flu season was shaping up to be short and mild in the U.S. But a surprising second viral wave has made it the longest in 10 years.

This flu season has been officially going for 21 weeks, according to reports collected through last week and released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That makes it among the longest seen since the government started tracking flu season duration more than 20 years ago.

Some experts likened the unusual double waves to having two different flu seasons compressed, back-to-back, into one.

"I don't remember a season like this," said Dr. Arnold Monto, a University of Michigan researcher who had been studying respiratory illnesses for more than 50 years.

Real-life heroes commended for bravery

In a situation where other people might freeze, Preston Houle took action.

He recalls being at Delta Beach on July 18, 2025 when he heard a cry for help from a mom in distress, her two-year-old son in the water unresponsive after going under while playing with friends.

“I leaped into action,” Houle said. “I grabbed the young man, took him back to the shore, performed CPR until he kind of came back, and waited until EMS got there.”

Houle’s wife, too shy to speak, agreed that her husband was the kind of man you could rely on.

Troubling photo worth a significant number of words for coach who refuses to speak

There’s nothing funny about violent hazing rituals in youth sport. Why then, you might ask, is Doug Kovacs laughing?