News briefs for Wednesday, October 26, 2022

The polls for Winnipeg’s civic election are open.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. To find out where to vote, click here.

A record 41,895 advance votes were cast this year, a 5.1 per cent increase from the previous record (39,840), set in 2018.

A missing Thompson man who had been last been seen Oct. 14 has been found.

RCMP asked for the public’s help in finding George Patrick Fortin, 51, on Oct. 24. Fortin was reported missing to police the morning of Oct. 19.

Fortin has been found and is safe, RCMP said this morning.

Manitoba’s Independent Investigation Unit is investigating after a man died in an RCMP cell in Selkirk.

The man was taken into police custody under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday and taken to the local RCMP detachment, the IIU said.

Police still had the man in custody on Monday night after “other matters came to light,” the IIU said in a news release.

The man “was found unresponsive” in the cell at about 7:10 p.m. Monday. He was transported to Selkirk’s hospital and declared dead.

The IIU is asking anyone with information or video footage that might help their investigation to call 1-844-667-6060.

The IIU did not release the man’s age.

The CFL announced the team winners for the 2022 Most Outstanding Player Awards on Wednesday. The voting was conducted by members of the local chapter of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and the league’s head coaches.

The following Blue Bombers were recognized:

• Most Outstanding Player: quarterback Zach Collaros*
• Most Outstanding Defensive Player: defensive end Willie Jefferson
• Most Outstanding Canadian Player: receiver Nic Demski
• Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: left tackle Stanley Bryant
• Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: kick returner Janarion Grant
• Most Outstanding Rookie: receiver Dalton Schoen*

*Indicates unanimous selection

Winnipeg police are searching for a 16-year-old girl missing since early October.

Janessa Wood was last seen in the St. John’s neighbourhood on Oct. 10, the Winnipeg Police Service missing persons unit said Wednesday.

She is 5-3 in height, with long brown hair and brown eyes, police said.

Police ask anyone with information on the girl’s whereabouts to call the missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.

Winnipeg police have found a vehicle they believe was involved in a fatal hit-and-run on Notre Dame Avenue early Monday.

A 56-year-old man was struck at Notre Dame Avenue and Keewatin Street in a hit-and-run by a white or light-coloured SUV at about 2:45 a.m. Monday. He later died in hospital.

On Tuesday, police said, traffic investigators were called to the first 100 block of Scotwoods Drive in Charleswood about a damaged, abandoned white 2019 Hyundai Tucson, which they believe was the vehicle involved in the fatal hit-and-run. The Hyundai had also collided with a parked vehicle on the Charleswood street before it was abandoned, police believe.

Police are again asking for anyone who witnessed the collisions or might have seen the Hyundai to call investigators at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477. They’re also hoping for anyone with dash camera or home surveillance footage to come forward.

Portage la Prairie RCMP are searching for a 15-year-old boy reported missing Tuesday.

Stacey Gerald Houle was last seen on Oct. 21 at his home on Tupper Street N in Portage.

RCMP said he’s 6-0 tall and 140 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark hoodie, dark flannel pyjama pants and white shoes.

Mounties ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Portage detachment at 204-857-4445 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness will not join the team on its three-game road trip, associate coach Scott Arniel told reporters.

Bowness, who has been behind the bench for just one game to open his tenure with the Jets, suffered a “setback” in his bout with COVID, according to Arniel.

The bench boss’s next chance to join the team for a game is Nov. 3, when the Jets host the Montreal Canadiens.

Defenceman Logan Stanley was also missing from Wednesday morning’s skate while nursing an injury he sustained from blocking a shot last game. Stanley will join the team on the road trip, but his game status is in question.

Arniel said forward Nikolaj Ehlers will skate with the team on the trip but will not play.

A martial arts instructor is facing a sexual assault charge in connection with a teenage student.

The Winnipeg Police Service’s child abuse unit began investigating the matter in July.

Police said the sexual assaults happened between May and July.

The victim told police the instructor touched them in an unwanted and sexual manner before they entered the class. Another time, the instructor tried to kiss the student, police said.

Police said their investigation found that previous grooming incidents involving the same teen happened through electronic communication.

The WPS did not release the gender or age of the student, or the location of the incidents, “to protect the survivor’s identity.”

Noah James Beaton-Stokell, 23, of Winnipeg, is charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

He was released with Crown-imposed conditions.

The WPS said anyone who wants to speak to an investigator can call the child abuse unit at 204-986-3296.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs have elected a new grand chief.

Cathy Merrick, who has past been chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, was elected at the annual general assembly Wednesday with 37 votes.

The election came after the former grand chief, Arlen Dumas, was removed from his position in August following an independent investigation finding he had engaged in workplace sexual harassment, which he has denied.

Chiefs in the assembly voted on three rounds of ballots. Losing candidates included Eugene Eastman, Jennifer Flett, George Kemp, Cora Morgan, Sheila North and Darrell N. Shorting. Kemp was runner-up.