Arson Bust
Brandon police have charged two 19 year old females with arson after an early morning fire.
Police and fire officials were called to the 300 block of 13th street after someone saw two suspects were trying to start a fire.
The suspects were tracked a block away using the canine unit.
The investigation continues
Girl Charged
A 14 year old female student at Vincent Massey High school has been charged with mischief.
The school was evacuated Tuesday after a bomb threat was found in a washroom..
The girl will appear in court June 24th
Fatal Accident At Home Depot
A 35-year old Brandon man was killed in an industrial accident at the Home Depot on Thursday morning.
Brandon police sergeant Rod Koscielny says the victim was working on a forklift around 11:00 when a piece of equipment fell.
"Staff at the store freed him from underneath the equipment and performed CPR," he says. "The victim was subsequenly transported to the Brandon Regional Health Centre where he succumbed to his injuries."
Home Depot P-R rep Dina Vieira says the victim was a contract worker from Toromont Cat.
She notes Manitoba Workplace Health and Safety are looking into the accident.
"We're trying to find the root or cause of the incident," she says. "Clearly, our heartfelt sentiments go out to the family of the affected individual."
The man's name has not been released.
Doer speaks to Brandon businesses.
The Premier remains optimistic in Brandon's continued rate of growth. During his state of the provinmce sppeech to the Brandon Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Gary Doer says leaders must work together to ensure the communities development remains strong.
Doer also says the province remains committed to lowering corporate taxes over the next year and eliminating the small business tax.
The Premier also noted that he expects to make an announcement on Assiniboine Community College's trades program before the end of the summer.
Doer says a presentation to the treasury board should be made within the next 6 weeks.
CompStat open house.
Brandon Police are showing off the CompStat program and just how it works.
The system is designed to track emerging crime patterns in the city.
Police held an open door meeting on the program Thursday for media and city councilors and Inspector Ian Grant says the initial feedback has been positive.
The CompStat system has been running in Brandon since the start of the year.
More Grassfires
Two grassfires with suspicious origins were put out by Brandon firefighters yesterday.
One was along the riverbank and the other in the 19 hundred block of Patricia Avenue.
Fire captain Kevin Groff says the potential to cause serious damage was there
Groff says other recent grassfires have also had suspicious origins
New Visitor Signage Being Considered
The city is considering the purchase and installation of several new tourism signs.
Economic Development officer Sandi Trudell says the top priority is a 'Welcome' billboard along the Trans-Canada Highway.
She says it's essential that Brandon remain proactive in its approch to visitor signage.
Trudell says the price-tag for a comprehensive signage overhaul would be just shy of 144-thousand dollars.
Another Taxicab Twist
Brandon could end up regulating the local cab industry, whether it likes it or not.
After the latest attempt to get a bylaw in place, council decided to contact the Manitoba Taxicab Board to ask it to take over control.
However, an official with the Board says their mandate is strictly for Winnipeg and that the provincial government would have to change that.
Mayor Dave Burgess says he'll still approach the government
Burgess says he's fed up with trying to come up with a bylaw in what he calls a merry-go-round process.