News briefs for Friday, December 2, 2022

Chimwemwe Undi has been announced as Winnipeg’s poet laureate for 2023-24.

Undi is a Winnipeg poet, editor and lawyer whose writing has been featured in Border Crossings, the Walrus, CV2, Prairie Fire and other publications. In 2022 she was awarded the John Hirsch award for emerging writers at the Manitoba Book Awards.

The city’s poet laureate “creates work that reflects the life of the city, commemorates official functions, and develops their own body of writing and performance,” said the Winnipeg Arts Council in a press release.

“Winnipeg’s arts community has welcomed, encouraged, and inspired me since I began writing and performing poetry as a teenager,” said Undi in Winnipeg Arts Council press release. “In this position, I hope to amplify and advocate for that community, and to encourage more people to read and write themselves into those spaces.”

Duncan Mercredi has served as Winnipeg’s poet laureate since 2020; his term was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A man is facing charges after police seized a loaded handgun during a traffic stop early Friday.

Patrolling police officers pulled over a taxi at Arlington Street and Selkirk Avenue at about 12:30 a.m. There was an outstanding warrant for the arrest of the male passenger. A 40-calibre Sig Sauer was found while officers were arresting him, the Winnipeg Police Service said.

A 33-year-old Winnipeg man is facing several charges and remains in custody.

 

Flu cases are still on the rise in Manitoba, and children under the age of five account for 15 per cent of all confirmed cases, the latest provincial respiratory virus report shows.

Respiratory viruses continue to be a major cause of children’s hospital visits, and today’s report published by the provincial government shows influenza rates are increasing while rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) appear to be declining.

The influenza test positivity rate is 21.4 per cent and the test positivity rate for RSV is 2.2 per cent for the week of Nov. 20 to 26. The previous week, flu test positivity was at 15.6 per cent, and it has been steadily rising for more than a month. RSV test positivity the previous week was 5.6 per cent.

The province has recorded 19 hospital admissions due to the flu from Nov. 20 to 26, and so far this season seven Manitobans have died from the flu.

COVID-19 is still causing hospitalizations. There were 82 hospital admissions, including 19 ICU admissions, related to COVID-19 last week, the report shows.

The Winnipeg Jets are making a pair of lineup changes as they try to win a fourth straight game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

David Rittich will start in goal, giving No. 1 netminder Connor Hellebuyck some extra rest. It’s the fifth game of the year for the backup.

Forward Sam Gagner returns to action after two straight healthy scratches, taking the spot of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. Dominic Toninato and Kyle Capobianco are the other extras. Logan Stanley, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mason Appleton remain sidelined with injuries.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at Canada Life Centre.

A 61-year-old truck driver from Grand Rapids is dead after his vehicle went off Highway 6 and into a ditch.

The man was driving a tandem gravel truck about one kilometre south of the community when it ended up on its side in the ditch on Thursday at about 11:55 p.m., Grand Rapids RCMP said.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are continuing to investigate.

 

 

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have released Canadian defensive backs Patrice Rene and Malcolm Thompson.

Thompson, who spent 2021 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, had 23 defensive tackles and five special teams tackles in 10 games this season. Thompson started a few games at safety for an injured Brandon Alexander at the beginning of the year.

Rene dressed for one game.