News briefs for October 27, 2021

CALGARY — Conor Geekie converted Mikey Milne’s goalmouth pass with 3:54 left in third period to lift the Winnipeg Ice to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen in WHL action at Scotiabank Saddledome Wednesday might.

It was Winnipeg’s 11th consecutive victory to begin the season, which is believed to be one short of the league record of 12 set by the 1988-89 Swift Current Broncos.

Geekie’s goal was his fourth of the season and ended a six-game goal drought for the 17-year-old centre.

Owen Pederson, with his sixth, and Milne, with his eighth, also scored for the Ice.

Blake Heward and Sean Tschigerl had goals for the hosts, who fell to 4-4-0-0 overall.

Winnipeg police say officers responded to a serious assault at Seven Oaks General Hospital on Leila Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

An individual was transported for treatment in unstable condition, a news release said.

No further details were immediately available.

Cruiser cars were seen parked outside the main entrance of the hospital, which was closed to visitors.

The urgent care department remains open.

A former Manitoba Moose captain is being inducted into the American Hockey League’s hall of fame.

Nolan Baumgartner, who patrolled the blue line in 385 games with the Moose, joins Keith Aucoin, Dave Creighton and Bill Torrey in the AHL’s Class of 2022.

Baumgartner played 878 AHL games — ranked sixth in league history among defencemen — over 16 seasons in the AHL with Manitoba (2002-05, 2007-11), Portland, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Iowa and Chicago.

He registered 185 points (41G, 144A) with Manitoba.

Baumgartner, now 45, moved behind the bench following his playing career. He spent five seasons as an assistant coach in the AHL with Chicago (2012-13) and Utica (2013-17), and has been an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks since 2017.

ANAHEIM — Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler has been cleared from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and was back on the ice with his teammates for practice Wednesday. 

Wheeler entered the league’s protocol on Oct. 18 after testing positive for the coronavirus and showing symptoms, forcing him to stay in Minneapolis for a mandatory 10 days. The Jets were at the end of a three-game road trip, which concluded with a game against the Minnesota Wild.

It’s unclear if Wheeler will be in the lineup Thursday when the Jets take on the L.A. Kings. Wheeler spent extra time after practice working on his conditioning.

There are 130 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths caused by the virus in Manitoba.

As of Wednesday morning, there were 83 COVID-19 patients in hospital; 59 of them have active COVID-19 infections.

The provincial test positivity rate is 4.2 per cent.

Manitobans’ faith in the management of the healthcare system is in free fall, according to recurring polling by the Angus-Reid Institute.

Just 20 per cent of polled Manitobans say they feel their province is doing a good job handling the healthcare system, in a poll concluded earlier this month.

That’s down from 25 per cent in June and 29 per cent last December. Each survey included roughly 500 Manitobans, who are the second least-impressed in the country with their health-care system, after Albertans.

Doctors Manitoba reported this month that the province failed to effectively catch up on surgery and testing backlogs. The province recently formed a steering committee to address the issue.

Third doses of COVID-19 vaccines will soon be offered to seniors in assisted living facilities in Manitoba.

The provincial vaccine taskforce announced Wednesday it is now recommending the third dose for seniors who reside in congregate living facilities. Previously, third doses were offered to all Manitoba residents of personal care homes.

There are about 500 congregate living facilities where third doses will be administered in the coming weeks, task force medical lead Dr. Joss Reimer said.

Manitoba’s Independent Investigation Unit will lay charges against a Winkler Police Service officer accused of assault in September.

In a release Wednesday, the IIU said the officer, who was off-duty at the time of the alleged assault on Sept. 11, will be charged with assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats. 

The IIU previously reported RCMP were called to the scene of an assault, and determined the victim — who was taken to Minnedosa hospital with unspecified injuries — had been assaulted by an off-duty police officer. 

The officer was released from custody on Oct. 13 with a promise to appear in Minnedosa provincial court on Dec. 7.

The IIU is asking for the individuals who assisted the injured victim at a residence in Ditch Lake, Man. to contact the IIU toll-free at 1-844-667-6060.

One man has been arrested after Dauphin RCMP seized drugs and guns from his residence.

In a release Wednesday, Dauphin RCMP said the 29-year-old Dauphin man was arrested after officers searched his 7th Avenue NE home on Friday as part of an ongoing investigation.

The search revealed cocaine, methamphetamine, anabolic steroids, illicit pills, guns and drug paraphernalia, which RCMP seized.

The suspect, who has been released from custody with a court date set in December, faces several charges, including possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a controlled substance, weapon possession and three charges related to breaches of a court orders. 

Manitoba’s chief medical examiner has called an inquest into the death of an inmate at the Women’s Correctional Centre in Headingley. 

In a notice, chief medical examiner Dr. John K. Younes said the inquest will determine the circumstances relating to the death of Amanda Lee Zygarlski and determine what can be done to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.

Zygarlski, 40, died on May 15 at the jail. According to the medical examiner’s office, the cause of death was determined to be choking on food and the manner of death was accidental.

Information about the date, time and location of the inquest will be determined by the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba and released at a later date, the notice said.

One man has been arrested after his roommate was stabbed in the South Osborne area. 

Winnipeg police said officers responded to an assault call in the 500 block of Hethrington Avenue around 4 a.m. Wednesday and found a man in his 30s who had been stabbed, according to a release later that same morning.

Police said the victim — who lived in a shared residence with the accused — woke up that morning when the suspect was alleged to be damaging property. He confronted the suspect, who then allegedly assaulted him with a weapon and fled, damaging a car outside on the way, police said. 

The victim was taken into the hospital in unstable condition, but has since been upgraded to stable condition.

The suspect, a 35-year-old Winnipeg man, was arrested a short distance away after pursuit from Winnipeg police dogs. He has been charged with aggravated assault, mischief under $5,000 and a breach of court orders, and has been detained in custody. 

Country music star Dierks Bentley has booked Jan. 13, 2022 at Canada Life Centre for a stop on his Beers on Me Tour.

Tickets go on sale Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased through his website, dierks.com or Ticketmaster.

Bentley, 45, has amassed 17 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s country charts, including songs such as What Was I Thinkin’ and Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do. 

Opening the show will be Saskatchewan singer Tenille Arts and Louisiana’s Jordan Davis.

A 30-year-old man is facing drug trafficking charges after RCMP seized about an ounce of cocaine and 20 grams of crack cocaine after responding to a fight in The Pas.

RCMP said officers were called to a melee on Dufferin Street around 5 p.m. on Oct. 23.

It was reported that someone might have been stabbed and a description of a suspect was provided.

On arrival, Mounties found and arrested the suspect, who allegedly had about 28 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of crack cocaine on him in addition to a Manitoba Warriors gang patch.

A male victim, 26, was found near the scene and treated and released by medical personnel. RCMP said the victim was not stabbed and did not provide a statement.

Tyler Ballantyne, 30, of Moose Lake was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and failing to comply.

Winnipeg police are investigating after a man was seriously assaulted in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood on Tuesday. 

Police said a man was assaulted in the area of Austin Street North and Lisgar Avenue shortly before 2 p.m.

The scene was cordoned off by police tape as of Wednesday morning. 

Police provided no further details.

The Manitoba government has established an endowment fund to ensure the sustainability of the historic Upper Fort Garry Provincial Park in downtown Winnipeg.

The fund will be managed by the Winnipeg Foundation as part of Manitoba’s broader Provincial Parks Endowment Fund, which was launched this spring with an initial provincial investment of $20 million.

"Upper Fort Garry is one of the most significant historic sites in our nation, known as the ‘birthplace’ of the province of Manitoba in 1870," Goertzen said.

The family of a man who was shot by an RCMP officer in Thompson on Monday afternoon is holding a news conference online this afternoon.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak vice-chief Shirley Ducharme will also be speaking.

The family will give an “update,” make a statement and answer questions live on Facebook, an MKO media advisory states.

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