The Wrap: Ex-teacher sentenced, highway spending and hoops championship headed to Winnipeg

Over the course of eight months, ex-teacher Kevin Braun, 31, exchanged more than 8,000 text and Instagram messages with a girl, then 14, whom he coached.

The messages included evidence of the two sharing lunch together at Braun’s home, watching a movie at the girl’s home when her parents were away, time together in a hotel room during a school sports trip, secret meetings to share hugs and warnings from Braun that the girl be careful no one find out about their relationship and “get the wrong impression.”

Court reporter Dean Pritchard reports on Braun’s sentencing for child luring, and reviews several other recent cases in which Manitoba teachers were charged with sexual offences against students.

The 2024 Manitoba budget allocates $500 million for highway infrastructure, down from $557 million under the Progressive Conservatives last year.

But the NDP government insists it’s not a cut, arguing the previous Tory administration underspent by millions in the 2023-24 fiscal year and made cuts to the infrastructure budget during their two terms in government.

Chris Kitching digs into the details.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears will host the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s championship weekend in August 2025 at the downtown arena.

The hoops extravaganza will be staged a few months before the 2025 Grey Cup, also in Winnipeg.

In other sports spectacle news: The Winnipeg Jets will announce their plans for Whiteout playoff street parties on Wednesday morning.