News briefs for Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Jets beat Wild 6-3

9:45 PM

The Winnipeg Jets quickly returned to the win column on Tuesday night, downing the Minnesota Wild 6-3.

Gabe Vilardi led the way with two goals and an assist, while Mason Appeton, Sean Monahan, Kyle Connor and Nino Niederreiter had singles.

Marco Rossi scored twice for the visitors, while Kirill Kaprizov had the others.

Laurent Brossoit made 36 saves.

The Jets, who fell 6-3 in Calgary on Monday, improve to 34-15-5. They return to action Friday night in Chicago against the Blackhawks.

Murder suspect arrested in Winnipeg

3:17 PM

A man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Pinaymootang First Nation was arrested in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Mounties announced Friday that they had charged Dredynn Kenneth Ducharme, 18, of Grand Rapids with second-degree murder in the Feb. 12 shooting.

A 23-year-old man was shot late that night and pronounced dead at the scene

Driver arrested in three-vehicle crash

3:08 PM

A woman who allegedly caused a three-vehicle crash that injured five people ran off into a nearby field and remains in hospital after being arrested. 

RCMP said a pickup truck driven by a 32-year-old Sanford woman was travelling southbound on Highway 3 about 4 km south of Oak Bluff when it hit the rear of another vehicle at about 7 p.m. Monday.

The second vehicle, driven by a 20-year-old Reinland man, was pushed into the northbound lane and collided with a vehicle driven by a 23-year-old Winnipeg man.

The Reinland man and the four women passengers in the northbound vehicle (ages 30, 27, 26 and 22) were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The 23-year-old male driver of the northbound vehicle was not hurt.

The Sanford woman’s truck went into a ditch, and she fled the scene on foot, RCMP said Tuesday. Mounties used a police dog to track the suspect to a nearby field, where she was arrested for impaired driving causing bodily harm. 

“As she was not dressed for the weather, and had been outdoors for over an hour and a half, she was transported to hospital, where she remains,” RCMP said in a news release.

Suspects sought after business robbed, employee assaulted

2:43 PM

RCMP are searching for two males who robbed a Portage la Prairie business and assaulted an employee.

The men, armed with a firearm and a knife, fled with stolen cash after the robbery at about 9:10 p.m. Friday.

The 31-year-old victim suffered minor injuries.

The suspects were wearing all dark clothing.

Mounties are asking anyone with information about the robbery suspects to call 204-857-4445 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

City to hold public meetings on budget

2:25 PM

The City of Winnipeg has announced a series of public committee meetings regarding its preliminary multi-year budget.

The first and last meetings are scheduled for March 1 and March 16, both before the public works committee.

Forms to register to appear as a delegation, submit written submissions or complete a public budget survey are available here. The full list of committee meetings is also available at that website.

Mountie charged under Highway Traffic Act after high-speed pursuit

2:20 PM

A Manitoba RCMP officer has been charged under the Highway Traffic Act after she allegedly pursued a speeding driver, who later caused a serious collision, at 200 kilometres per hour in a residential area.

The Mountie was doing traffic enforcement on Inkster Boulevard just outside Winnipeg at about 1:25 a.m. on Aug. 1 last year, police oversight agency the Independent Investigation Unit said. A vehicle sped away when the officer tried to pull it over, before it eventually collided with another vehicle at Keewatin Street.

The driver and two people in the other vehicle were taken to the Health Sciences Centre for treatment.

The IIU’s probe found that the officer pursued the driver, going at least 200 km/h, through a residential area. The Crown prosecutions office found that the speed and the fact the officer didn’t try to “mitigate the inherent risks of the pursuit,” contravened police policy.

RCMP Const. Laurie Krulicki has been charged with failure to drive with due regard to safety.

Vehicle sought in fatal suspected hit-and-run

12:48 PM

RCMP are searching for a vehicle in connection with a fatal suspected hit-and-run on the Trans-Canada Highway.

The body of a 59-year-old man was found in the median ditch near Road 20 West, in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie, on Monday.

Debris from a vehicle was strewn across the highway, RCMP said Tuesday, suggesting the pedestrian was the victim of a hit-and-run collision. An autopsy will be completed to confirm the cause of death.

Officers recovered debris indicating the vehicle is a glossy black Toyota.

“The vehicle will have significant damage to the driver-side mirror and front fender,” RCMP said.

The damage indicates the pedestrian, from Long Plain First Nation, was walking on the westbound roadway, Mounties said.

Portage la Prairie RCMP are asking anyone who has seen a vehicle with the described damage or has other information related to the incident to call 204-857-4445.

Ice-cutting begins on Red River

11:22 AM

The province began cutting ice along the Red River north of Winnipeg on Tuesday to reduce the risk of ice jams.

The cutting and breaking of ice from Netley Marsh to Selkirk is expected to be completed on March 15. About 28 kilometres of ice, at an approximate width of 100 metres, will be cut using remote-controlled units and three Amphibex icebreakers.

Notices will be posted in areas where the ice-cutting machines are operating.

Ice jams occur when floating ice causes water to back up and potentially overflow banks.

Ice-cutting work is not expected to be needed on the Icelandic River or at the outlet of the Portage Diversion this year, the Manitoba government said in a news release.