News briefs for Thursday, December 8, 2022

Mike O’Shea has signed a three-year contract extension to remain as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Bombers have gone 82-58 since O’Shea first took the job back in 2014. O’Shea has been named the CFL’s coach of the year the past two seasons and has helped the Bombers reach three straight Grey Cup games, winning two of them.

O’Shea is the CFL’s longest-serving head coach.

An arrest has been made nearly four months after a man was found dead in a Cathedral Avenue home.

Pajo “Paul” Radocaj, 83, was found in the 600 block of Cathedral Avenue on Aug. 16. Roman Demczyszak, a 60-year-old man from Winnipeg, was arrested and charged with second degree murder Tuesday.

Police believe the victim and suspect met through acquaintances before Radocaj was assaulted, but they did not know each other prior.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, along with Long Plain First Nation’s chief, has called for Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth to resign following the decision to not search Prairie Green landfill for the remains of victims of an alleged serial killer.

Police believe the remains of two of Jeremy Skibicki’s alleged victims, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, are in that landfill, but said they will not carry out a search, citing feasibility and safety concerns.

“With the obvious directed violence against these Indigenous women, the message that Danny Smyth sends to the greater community is, ‘Indigenous women do not matter,'” a statement from Long Plain First Nation said. “With his quick dismissal and lack of support, he is further perpetuating violence against Indigenous women.”

Long Plain Chief Kyra Wilson is calling for the resignation of the Winnipeg Police Chief, Danny Smyth, for not carrying out the search.

Wilson and the AMC are currently in Ottawa, where they spoke with federal leadership on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).

“First Nations, organizations, and leaders across Canada are demanding a thorough search of the Prairie Green landfill,” a statement from AMC said. “The chief of police has a mandate and obligation to protect and serve the community to the fullest capacity. Knowing human remains reside in the landfill, but doing nothing further to locate the remains, is not efficient nor effective public safety measures for the community. Therefore, Smyth must step down immediately, so action can be taken to bring our women home.”

Winnipeg police are warning of phone fraudsters impersonating officers.

The Winnipeg Police Service said Thursday it has received “a few reports” of scammers using caller ID spoofing to call from what looks like a police phone number — often the general line at 204-986-6313.

The fraudster claims to be an officer and relies on components of existing confidence scams, like Canada Revenue Agency frauds or the grandparent scam, to obtain personal information, credit card details, gift cards or cash.

Police said people should take reasonable steps to confirm the identities of people who call them.

Firefighters battled two house fires in the span of four hours early Thursday.

A house fire in the 0-100 block of Lansdowne Avenue at 1:33 a.m. caused significant structural damage. Crews had to fight the fire from outside the building because it was unsafe to enter. The building will be demolished.

A firefighter received a minor injury at the scene, but no other injuries were reported. Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service crews remained on scene Thursday morning.

A two-storey house in the 400 block of Stella Avenue will be demolished after a fire at 5:11 a.m. caused heavy structural damage. The same house was damaged by fire earlier this year and in August 2021.

WFPS crews were on scene Thursday morning.

A man was tased by police after an attempted convenience store robbery in the 500 block of Selkirk Avenue Wednesday.

At around 1:45 p.m., police were called to the store after a man armed with a knife threatened the two employees. One escaped and called police, but the other was held at knifepoint in the store with the door barricaded shut.

Officers tried to de-escalate the situation outside of the store and distracted him long enough for the second employee to escape. Police entered the store, and when the suspect refused to drop the knife, he was tased and taken into custody.

A 26-year-old man from Winnipeg faces charges of robbery, weapon possession, forcible confinement and resisting a peace officer. He remains in custody.

The Rennie Hotel and an adjoining Canada Post outlet were destroyed in a fire overnight.

RM of Reynolds Coun. Blaine Webster said on Thursday that fire crews have put out the blaze and are in the process of knocking down the last bits standing.

“It has been completely destroyed,” Webster said. “Only a brand new building could be put up there now.”

Webster said the hotel, which was built in 1939, has been shut down for about a month, along with the community’s gas station, run by the same owners as the hotel.

He said the provincial fire commissioner’s office has been there, but no cause for what sparked the blaze is known yet.

 

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating after a CP Rail engine caught fire near Rennie on Wednesday night.

A TSB spokesman said on Thursday they are currently gathering information on the incident.

Lac du Bonnet RCMP said CP Rail called their officers about the fire at about 11:30 p.m.

RCMP said the fire to the locomotive engine was “mechanical in nature” and officers didn’t have to respond.

The fire happened on the rail line about five kilometres west of Rennie and there were no injuries.

RCMP said the train fire was not related to a fire in Rennie itself about four hours later which destroyed the local hotel and Canada Post outlet.

AEW Dynamite, a professional wrestling television show that features former Winnipeggers Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, will bring its body-slams, headlocks and power-bombs to Canada Life Centre on March 14.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster and aewtix.com, which says prices begin at $45 plus fees.

Premier Heather Stefanson will meet with Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham this afternoon to discuss the issue involving a landfill north of Winnipeg where the remains of slain women are believed to have been disposed.

Stefanson told reporters about the meeting following her State of the Province address to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce today.
She wouldn’t share details of what she and the mayor plan to discuss or say whether or not she supported such a search.

Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said this week that it’s believed the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran are in a landfill outside the city, but too much time has passed and too much garbage has been disposed of to make the search feasible.

ST. LOUIS — The Winnipeg Jets are waiting to see whether or not Dylan DeMelo will be available tonight in their game against the St. Louis Blues, with head coach Rick Bowness calling the veteran defenceman a game-time decision.

If DeMelo can’t go, it looks like a return to the line-up for Logan Stanley, who was activated from injured reserve Thursday afternoon. Stanley hasn’t played since a game against the Blues on Oct. 24 after sustaining a broken bone in his foot.