News briefs for February 13, 2022

Manitoba RCMP say the border crossing at Emerson is still blocked by an anti-COVID-19 mandate demonstration.

Police said as of mid afternoon Sunday, there were about 75 semi-trailers, pieces of farm equipment and passenger vehicles participating in the blockade. 

All four lanes of Highway 75 at Provincial Road 200 remain blocked. Police note drivers should expect "substantial delays" and should avoid the area. 

Emergency vehicles, including police vehicles, as well as some agriculture transports continue to have access through the blockade, but otherwise no traffic is getting through. 

To date, RCMP have issued no tickets and made no arrests.

Mike McEwen is heading to next month’s Brier in Lethbridge with the buffalo jacket.

After beating Ryan Wiebe 10-9 in the semifinal at the Selkirk Curling Club in the morning, McEwen dominated the final with an impressive 8-3 victory in eight ends over Colton Lott. 

This is McEwen’s fourth provincial championship overall and second since he started playing with Reid Carruthers, Derek Samagalski, and Colin Hodgson.

Police responded on Saturday night shortly before 10 p.m. to a report of a man swinging a metal object on a Winnipeg Transit bus in the area of Talbot Avenue and Watt Street.

While responding, police received another report that the man had threatened the driver of the bus with a knife. The suspect then exited the bus and threatened a transit supervisor, before fleeing. No one was injured.

The male suspect was located in the 400 block of Talbot Avenue at 10:15 p.m. The suspect, who was armed with a knife, attempted to flee but was quickly arrested.

Ethan Denver Tucker, 22, faces several charges including assault with a weapon. He was detained in custody.

Three people are dead following a house fire in Pimicikamak Cree Nation.

Cross Lake RCMP responded to the fire at about 4:50 a.m. on Saturday morning and found the residence was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters from the Cross Lake Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze. 

Four residents, a 36-year old male, a 36-year-old female, a 20-year-old female and a 4-year-old female escaped through a window and received medical attention for various fire-related injuries.

Inside the residence, firefighters and officers located the three deceased individuals. An autopsy has been scheduled to confirm their identities, police said.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner is assisting with the ongoing investigation.

A 39-year-old man missing from downtown Winnipeg has been found.

Dale Bighetty was last seen on Saturday evening near McDermot Avenue and Pearl Street.

Police said on Sunday afternoon that Bighetty has been safely located.

West St. Paul’s Mike McEwen outlasted Fort Rouge’s Ryan Wiebe 10-9 in the Viterra Championship semifinal on Sunday morning at the Selkirk Curling Club. 

McEwen will now play Winnipeg Beach’s Colton Lott at 2:30 p.m. for the provincial title and a trip to the Brier. 

A 21-year-old resident of South Indian Lake has been charged with second degree murder after the death of another man in the community last week.

On Feb. 8 around 2:30 a.m., South Indian Lake RCMP received multiple reports of an injured male.

A 46-year-old man was pronounced dead at the community’s nursing station.

Jeremiah Spence is in custody and will appear in Thompson Provincial Court on Feb. 25.