Coronavirus crisis
Lee Jin-man / The Associated PressEmployees of a department store prepare to sell face masks at a department store in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Countries take harsh containment steps as a new virus spreads. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Potential pandemic: With nearly 60 countries reporting cases of the new COVID-19 virus, the outbreak’s impact on the global economy is seen by some as a greater threat than its potential to sicken and kill. READ MORE
Plane passengers: A traveller was removed from a WestJet flight inbound from Vancouver by Winnipeg paramedics wearing protective gear Thursday afternoon. Around the same time, a health official said there are no confirmed cases of the virus in Manitoba. Carol Sanders reports. READ MORE
Weather
Highway 75 could be covered in water this spring with average weather conditions between now and the end of the melt, the province says. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)
Your forecast: Mainly sunny with increasing cloudiness this afternoon, a daytime low of -14 C and high of -5 C, wind from the south at 10 km/h increasing to 20 km/h, and wind chill as low as -20 this morning and -13 in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the province released its first spring thaw outlook of the year Thursday. Larry Kusch reports. READ MORE
What’s happening today
Patrik Laine has been set up often over the years by Blake Wheeler. (Dilip Vishwanat / The Associated Press files)
Injury update expected: An update on Jets winger Patrik Laine’s condition is expected after he left Thursday night’s game at Bell MTS Place early with an injury. Connor Hellebuyck got a shutout as the Jets went on to beat the Washington Capitals. The Jets are tied with the Nashville Predators for the conference’s final playoff spot. READ MORE
Klein on cuts: Coun. Kevin Klein will announce an “alternative solution” to proposed cuts in the city’s multi-year budget plan. On Thursday, Free Press reporters asked Klein about his dealings with former employer Peter Nygard, who is under investigation in the U.S. amid sex-crime allegations. Malak Abas reports. READ MORE
Set for second meeting: The Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs will meet again with cabinet ministers from the federal and British Columbia governments in a bid to end a pipeline dispute that has sparked blockades and protests across the country. Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett said Thursday’s meeting, which lasted about three hours, was a “very good start.” The Canadian Press reports. READ MORE
In case you missed it
The WFPS plan, unveiled to the public on Tuesday, calls for $154 million to consolidate 30 current fire-paramedic stations into 23 and build one new station in Waverley West. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files)
Union sounds alarm: The head of Winnipeg’s paramedic union says a plan to consolidate 30 fire-paramedic stations into 23 prioritizes fire responses over medical responses. “And yet, 90 per cent of Winnipeg calls that come into the 911 centre are for medical assessments and medical response,” Ryan Woiden told the Free Press. Solomon Israel reports. READ MORE
Judge considers case: The Crown argued in its closing arguments at a murder trial Thursday that the victim’s beating injuries, including multiple fractures to 23 of her 24 ribs, were so severe, her attacker had to know they could kill her. The defence said even if Jonathan Wood killed his wife, Kathleen Wood, he was too intoxicated to know what he was doing. Dean Pritchard reports.
On this date
On Feb. 28, 2008: The Free Press reported that the shooting death of a 13-year-old who was being pressured into joining a street gang sparked defences of the boy’s character from family and friends, as police investigated the circumstances around his death. Winnipeg cab drivers asserted that a taxi shortage in the city was a myth. Dozens of people rallied at the Manitoba Legislative Building to protest logging in provincial parks. READ MORE
Today’s front page
Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Winnipeg Free Press READ MORE
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