After training in deep snow and bitter cold, ex-reality show star seeks to win the Iditarod again

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Riches and paid appearances haven’t followed Jessie Holmes since he won the world’s most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, last year.

He doesn't mind.

A carpenter and a former cast member of National Geographic's reality show “Life Below Zero,” Holmes has instead been content to return to his austere, hand-built homestead in the wilderness near the continent's tallest mountain. His life is solitary and frugal. His closest neighbors are 30 miles (50 kilometers) away.

“There’s a lot of things that can happen in your life once you win the Iditarod,” Holmes told The Associated Press in an interview before this year's race. “You could become a real big deal, or you could just go back out in the bush and get right back to work, you know? And that’s what I did.”

RWB presents reimagined version of Tchaikovsky classic The Sleeping Beauty

The classics tend to be the classics for a reason, and The Sleeping Beauty, the classical fairy-tale ballet choreographed by French-Russian master Marius Petipa to Tchaikovsky’s masterwork score, is no exception.

But that doesn’t mean they have to be done the way they’ve always been done.

The version the Royal Winnipeg Ballet will perform at the Centennial Concert Hall this week is an adaptation by the company’s new artistic director, Christopher Stowell, which was created for the Oregon Theatre Ballet in 2010 and is now part of three other companies’ repertoires.

“Part of my mission, I think, in keeping this art form that I love relevant, alive and on people’s minds and appealing to people, is to take a work that has been part of the repertoire for a long time, like Sleeping Beauty,” he says. “It’s 100-and-something years old, and I love it, and I value it, and it has an important place in our history.

Muslim community breaks fast at Grand Iftar to raise funds for people in Sudan, Gaza

Almost 300 people from the Winnipeg Muslim community assembled Sunday evening for a Grand Iftar to break their fast and to donate to those who are suffering in Sudan and Gaza.

The iftar — the evening meal served at sunset to break the daily fast during the month of Ramadan, which began Feb. 17 and continues until March 19 — was sponsored by the Manitoba office of Islamic Relief Canada, an international organization that provides humanitarian aid around the world.

A total of $71,000 was raised at the iftar, which will be used to provide food, vouchers, medicine, water and hygiene kits for people in Sudan, which is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises due to conflict. Food and water will also be supplied to people in Gaza.

This is the fifth time Islamic Relief Canada has held a Grand Iftar during Ramadan in Winnipeg. About $100,000 was raised last year.

Volunteering at aviation museum sparks love of learning, sharing knowledge for former Air Force pilot

Gary Hook was a fighter pilot, commanding officer and senior flight instructor during his 43-year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Hook, 72, piloted more than 15 types of aircraft across Canada and Europe.

These days, the aviation buff volunteers as a tour guide and gallery interpreter at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, at 2088 Wellington Ave.

“There’s no shortage of good stories to tell about the aircraft, the people and the eras of aviation they flew in,” Hook says.

Newcomer school to close amid immigration clampdown

English-language teachers are warning the consequences will be far-reaching when a school for newcomers — called “a beacon of hope”— closes its doors.

Winnipeg’s Enhanced English Skills for Employment is shutting down March 31.

“It’s sad for the students. It’s sad for the teachers, but it’s also sad for the community, Manitoba at large,” said Allyn Franc, a longtime teacher at the school that rents space on the Canadian Mennonite University campus at 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.

For more than 20 years, the school has been running free intermediate-level language classes on literacy and workplace etiquette.

Transfer program adds to Manitoba First Nation’s bison population

The herd of bison that calls Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park in Manitoba home just grew a little larger.

‘Free advertising for Winnipeg:’ stars put spotlight on city

Movie stars' unsolicited endorsements are among the most effective ways to build the reputation of Manitoba, which is increasingly becoming a destination for the film and travel industries.

Seedy Saturday

Seedy Saturday is set to sprout today at the Millennium Library.

Organized in partnership with the Spence Neighbourhood Association, the event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the downtown library located at 251 Donald St.

“We have a really great mix of vendors for this year’s event,” says Stephen Kirk, environment and open spaces co-ordinator for the SNA.

“This year’s event is shaping up to be our largest one to date at Millennium Library,” says Laura Rawluk who has been involved in organizing Winnipeg Seedy Saturday events for more than 25 years.

Sacred red thread around devotee’s wrist a source of protection for Hindus

In the Hindu faith, when the sacred red thread is tied around a devotee’s wrist, it is a symbol of divine protection and blessings.

Made from cotton yarn, with predominantly red and some yellow threads, the protective amulet is typically wrapped around the wrist either five or seven times with three knots. Its red colour signifies good fortune, vitality and positive energy, while its yellow hue signifies wisdom, purity and spiritual energy. The thread is approximately six to 10 inches in length. Varying traditions will determine which wrist, right or left, the thread is tied on for males and females.

Tied by a Hindu priest, while a mantra, or sacred hymn for protection is recited, the thread is referred to as raksha sutra, a Sanskrit word that means a thread of protection. Devotees also refer to it as mauli translated from Sanskrit to mean being “above all”, referring to the sanctity of the thread. With the purpose to ward off negative energy, whether bad habits, sickness or evil eyes, “the thread is used for protection from all dangers … people use it as a protection from regular problems of life”, says Pandit Venkat Machiraju, one of the Hindu Society of Manitoba’s priests. He further shares the red thread negates negative forces occupying space in your mind and thoughts as well as it removes any negative aura around you.

At the start of religious ceremonies, the thread is tied before rituals begin. Devotees wear the thread for the duration of all rituals, which for different ceremonies can be performed over many days. Machiraju says the thread reminds devotees of the auspiciousness of their duties, adding “it is a protection for the entire ritual process and ensures the rituals are completed successfully.” The raksha sutra is tied and worn during Hindu rituals for poojas/yajnas (holy offerings), festivals, weddings and temple visits.

What to know: Downtown Anchorage braces for a canine takeover as the Iditarod’s 54th run begins

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Hundreds of barking dogs took over downtown Anchorage as the ceremonial start of the world’s most famous sled dog race got underway Saturday. As snow fell, fans lined up near the starting line in frigid, 19 degree F (minus 7.2 degree C) weather to see and cheer their favorite mushers. The competitive start to the race begins Sunday.

Here’s what to know about the 54th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which features a new amateur category and financial support from a Norwegian billionaire.

What is the Iditarod?

The Iditarod was conceived by co-founders Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr. as a long-distance sled dog race to honor both Alaska’s mushing tradition and the Iditarod Trail. That was a 938-mile (1,510-kilometer) freight and mail route that ran from Seward on Alaska’s southern coast to Nome, on the Bering Sea on Alaska’s western coast.

Five examples of representation in recognition of International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day on Sunday, the Free Press is spotlighting five Manitobans doing impactful work in sports.

Alyssa White — para hockey athleteWhite was 14 when she made the Canadian women’s para hockey squad.

“It’s kind of wild still to me to think about because I had only started playing hockey a year prior to that,” said the now 20-year-old.

Students build confidence, businesses at JA Manitoba trade fair

Tasvee Jain has an entrepreneurial spirit and a sustainable product to sell — all before graduating high school.

The Grade 12 student at Morden Collegiate Institute is the president of Luxe Prep, a student-led business that has tapped a local cabinet company to turn its offcuts into kitchen staples.

She and her fellow students built the business from the ground up through the Junior Achievement Manitoba Company Program, which brings its annual Student Trade Fair to St. Vital Shopping Centre today in Winnipeg.

The after-school program, which teaches financial literacy education to youth, asks students to build a business from a concept, to selling shares to gather capital, to making and marketing their product. Pitching their product is also key: Tasvee’s team will be offering free recipes at their booth.

Children’s book on Ramadan put back on school shelves

A Ramadan-themed children’s book is returning to elementary school shelves in Winnipeg following public outcry.

The Louis Riel School Division announced on Friday afternoon that it was bringing Upside-Down Iftar back into circulation.

The newly released picture book by Palestinian author Maysa Odeh is about a girl and her grandmother preparing a traditional dish for their family to break their fast together after sunset.

It was temporarily pulled from schools last week following a complaint about an illustration of a map.

Gallery: A time-honoured tradition

While Manitobans primarily only worry about adjusting their clocks twice a year — including springing forward an hour this weekend — it’s often a daily routine for Ilya Goldman.

Spacecraft’s impact changed asteroid’s orbit around the sun in a save-the-Earth test, study finds

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An asteroid that NASA used for target practice a few years ago was nudged into a slightly different route around the sun, findings that could help divert a future incoming killer space rock, scientists reported Friday.

It’s the first time that a celestial body’s orbit around the sun was deliberately changed. The asteroid that NASA's Dart spacecraft slammed into was never a threat to Earth.

“This study marks a notable step forward in our ability to prevent future asteroid impacts on Earth,” the international research team wrote in Science Advances.

The changes were slight — reductions of just one-tenth of a second and one-half of a mile (720 meters) to a solar lap spanning two years and hundreds of millions of miles (kilometers), according to the scientists.

No chance asteroid will slam into the moon in 2032, NASA says

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA issued a welcomed all-clear Thursday, saying there's now zero chance that asteroid 2024 YR will crash into the moon in 2032.

The space agency had been predicting a 4.3% chance of a direct hit. But observations by the Webb Space Telescope in February helped scientists refine the asteroid’s orbit.

This new information indicates that the asteroid will miss the moon by 13,200 miles (21,200 kilometers) on Dec. 22, 2032.

Discovered at the end of 2024, the asteroid at first looked like it might threaten Earth. Scientists last year ruled out a collision with our planet anytime in the next century, but kept the moon as a possible target. The asteroid is about 200 feet (60 meters) across.

Spin Master sees loss, lower revenue in holiday quarter

TORONTO - Spin Master Corp.'s busiest time of year left the business with some holiday blues — a US$184.3 million loss.

The Toronto-based toy maker behind the Paw Patrol, Hatchimals and Melissa & Doug brands announced the fourth-quarter result Thursday, saying it compared with a profit of US$21.1 million or 20 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, blamed the loss on a US$229.1-million non-cash impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and said it came as Spin Master capped "a challenging year for our U.S. toy sales."

"We navigated a difficult tariff macro environment and while we achieved many of our goals, our results did not meet our expectations we set at the beginning of the year," conceded CEO Cristina Miller on a call with analysts.

Proposal to reduce Winnipeg’s default 50 km/h speed limit advances

A proposal in which Winnipeg drivers would be forced to slow down on residential streets is rolling forward.

On Wednesday, council’s public works committee voted to ask the provincial government to change the Highway Traffic Act, pending a final council vote. The change would give the city the power to alter the 50 km/h default speed limit for Winnipeg that applies to all areas, except where signs post a different speed limit.

Following that, city staff recommend that council reduce the default speed limit to 40 km/h for residential streets and “minor collector” streets.

Coun. Janice Lukes said she’d support the reduced speed limit in residential areas, which she expects would only create a minor delay for drivers.

Google settles with Epic Games with offer to lower its app store commissions

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google will lower the lucrative fees imposed on its Android app store and offer a way for rival options to gain its stamp of approval, ending a bruising legal battle that led to one of several rulings condemning its tactics as an illegal monopoly.

The proposed changes filed Wednesday with a federal court in San Francisco mark the latest twist in a case that began in August 2020 when video game maker Epic Games filed an antitrust case seeking to make it easier for alternative payment options to compete against Google's Play Store system, which charges 15% to 30% commissions on a wide variety of in-app transactions.

Google's concessions come five months after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the company's attempt to overturn a federal judge's order requiring a far more extensive overhaul of the Play Store following a 2023 trial that culminated in a jury declaring the setup an illegal monopoly.

Backed into a legal corner, Google is now prepared to decrease its baseline commissions for subscriptions and e-commerce transactions into the 10% to 20% range. It's also offering an optional 5% payment processing charge that would be applied in addition to the other service fees for apps that prefer to keep everything within the Play Store.

Ice-cold meeting has a warm, happy ending for firefighter and her new roommate

A firefighter’s chance meeting with some cold, lost dogs Sunday night is a story that ends on a heartwarming note.

A crew headed back to the downtown fire station on Ellen Street after a call spotted the canine quartet and stopped to investigate.

Nick Kasper, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, said the dogs got spooked and ran away. The firefighters were able to coax them out from behind a dumpster.

“They were very skittish and very afraid… but the guys used an old trick in the playbook,” Kasper said Tuesday. “Some of our guys carry around dog treats in their travel gear. They encounter dogs quite often on calls so it helps make friends early. They plied them with some dog treats and quickly became friends on the street.