News briefs for Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Driedger latest PC veteran to call it quits

10:29 AM

After serving as a Progressive Conservative MLA for nearly 25 years, Myrna Driedger has announced she will not seek re-election.

“Today I am officially announcing that I will not be running for re-election in the 2023 provincial election in Manitoba,” the House Speaker and longtime Tory said on social media today. She joins seven of her PC caucus colleagues in announcing they will not run again.

“It has been an honour to serve as the MLA for Roblin and Charleswood Constituencies,” Driedger’s post said.

11 elective children’s surgeries postponed

12:17 PM

Eleven elective surgeries for children have been postponed since mid-December because of high patient volumes at Manitoba’s children’s hospital.

Shared Health announced the postponements Wednesday. Three of the 11 procedures were postponed last week.

Slightly fewer children are receiving intensive medical care due to respiratory viruses and infections, but patient volumes are still high in Manitoba.

There were 15 patients in the pediatric ICU at Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital as of midnight Wednesday morning, Shared Health announced. There were 21 patients in the unit last week. The pediatric ICU’s pre-pandemic baseline was nine staffed beds and it has been operating above capacity since the spring. The neonatal ICU had 46 patients and a capacity of 50 beds as of midnight Wednesday.

Most of the ICU patients are infants and toddlers with influenza or bronchiolitis from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). There were an average 130 patients per day visiting the children’s ER in December, and just under 40 per cent of them had the flu or flu symptoms.

Woman’s death following Sargent Avenue apartment fire first homicide of year

1:17 PM

Winnipeg police are investigating a woman’s death in hospital following a fire in a Sargent Avenue apartment as the first homicide of the year.

Winnipeg Police Service officers were called to the fire on the 700 block of Sargent Avenue at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responders had taken a woman to hospital, where she died of her injuries, police said.

Police have identified the victim as Star Alicia Thomas, 23 of Winnipeg. Due to the nature of her death, police said, homicide investigators have taken over the probe.

Police ask anyone with information on the fire or the victim to call the homicide unit at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Swan River RCMP search for missing man

2:03 PM

RCMP are searching for a Swan River man who has been missing for a week and a half.

Swan River RCMP received a missing person’s report for Thunder Gott, 28, on Dec. 29.

He had last been seen in the early morning hours in Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation on Dec. 26. The Indigenous community is about 53 kilometres north of Swan River.

Gott was last seen wearing a light green Columbia brand jacket, a grey hoodie, black pants and black boots.

Mounties ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Swan River detachment at 204-734-4686 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Valour signs Canadian midfielder

2:30 PM

Valour FC has added its fourth Canadian free agent of the offseason.

Winnipeg’s pro soccer club signed midfielder Marcello Polisi earlier today.

Polisi, a product of Coquitlam, British Columbia, has spent the past two seasons in Halifax with the Wanderers, totalling 2,352 minutes in 36 appearances.

Before the pros, the 25-year-old played U Sports soccer at Simon Fraser University, where he accumulated six goals, seven assists and 4,329 minutes in 51 appearances.