Man who pleaded guilty to killing three cats dies before sentencing

A Winnipeg man awaiting sentencing after admitting he strangled three cats to death and dumped two of their carcasses under a city bridge, has died, the Free Press has learned.

Randy Jensen, 25, pleaded guilty on May 13 to one count of wilfully causing injury or suffering to animals in connection to the 2024 killings.

He was scheduled to be sentenced in January.

“That’s not something that anybody wanted,” said Kristy Zamonsky, founder of Project Artemis Animal Advocates. “We were all hoping for justice through the courts.”

History of pedestrian injuries prompts Osborne Street safety review

Traffic experts will put Osborne Street safety under the microscope to find ways to make the busy route safer for pedestrians.

The short-term study will take place “over the next year” with the aid of a consultant, to identify “low-cost improvements that can be installed quickly,” wrote David Patman, the city’s manager of transportation planning, in a new report.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, who represents the area and has long called for safety improvements on Osborne, said the study is long overdue.

“(This street is) … known for the absolute worst-case scenario, deaths and injuries from pedestrians … There have been calls for action for years,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

Minister tight-lipped about prosecutors’ grievance, but chatty about who’s to blame

The justice minister said Thursday he can’t discuss an arbitration case in which Crown attorneys blasted the government for trying to keep a report on excessive workload out of an upcoming grievance hearing.

Matt Wiebe wouldn’t say whether Manitoba’s justice system needs more Crown prosecutors, but was happy to discuss who he said is to blame for the Crown attorneys’ grievance.

The NDP minister noted the complaint was made by the Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys in 2023 when the Progressive Conservatives were in power.

The PCs “had not even acknowledged or begun the process of sitting down with the Crown attorneys to begin to deal with that grievance,” Wiebe said Thursday.

Klein put on defensive as mayoral run made official

Kevin Klein faced a barrage of attacks from the city’s incumbent mayor and largest union as he officially entered Winnipeg’s mayoral race Thursday.

While the former city councillor and Progressive Conservative cabinet minister was registering to run at city hall, Mayor Scott Gillingham’s team sent out a news release noting Klein was one of two councillors to vote against pursuing legal action against participants in the Winnipeg police headquarters scandal.

Shortly after, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500 accused Klein of blaming Canada for its ongoing trade war with the U.S. and called him an “unfit” candidate who would “bend a knee to American interests” in a news release of its own.

Klein defended himself outside city hall after putting in his papers.

Westwood standoff ends with two arrested

An hours-long standoff in Westwood came to an end Thursday with Winnipeg police arresting two men and seizing a gun.

Winnipeg Police Service officers were called to Byrd Avenue shortly before 9:30 a.m. after a man was seen walking with what appeared to be a firearm, said police spokesman Const. Claude Chancy.

Officers identified a home connected to the investigation, he said.

Two men were arrested but Chancy could not yet say what they will be charged with. It’s not clear whether either of the men arrested was the male spotted with a gun.

More residential units subject to rent control: minister

The province is expanding the number of residential units that are subject to rent control.

Starting next year, units with monthly rent as high as $2,000 will be regulated under the Residential Tenancies Act. Currently, the threshold is $1,670 per month.

“This is a good thing,” Right to Housing Coalition spokesperson Yutaka Dirks said Thursday. “For those people who weren’t covered but will now be covered, that’s certainly a positive. It’s something that we called for,” the advocate said.

The change is intended to protect affordable housing for more Manitobans by expanding the number of units subject to rent-regulation rules, a news release said Thursday.

Former Gilbert Plains CAO forged doc’s note to get out of court: RCMP

A former rural municipal official awaiting sentencing for stealing more than $500,000 from community coffers has been accused of forging a fake doctor’s note to get out of attending court.

Amber Fisher, the former chief administrative officer for the Rural Municipality of Gilbert Plains, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $5,000 last year.

Dauphin RCMP say investigators learned Fisher, 42, had submitted the note indicating she would be unable to attend court for her Sept. 2 sentencing, after she was seriously injured in a vehicle collision on July 22.

Fisher’s lawyer submitted the note to the court and the judge adjourned her sentencing to a later date.

Neighbours relieved after fire strikes Quickie Mart

As Janina McNaughton watched the Quickie Mart on River Avenue go up in flames on Tuesday, she felt relieved.

“The first thing I see is flames, like a fireball of flames inside,” McNaughton said about watching the blaze from her bedroom across the street.

On Wednesday, the bright green building, at 292 River Ave., was boarded up and charred on the outside.

Crews from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded at 8:13 p.m. Tuesday to battle the blaze, said the city in a news release. It was under control within the hour.

Climate groups urge mayoral candidates to go green

Winnipeg city council candidates are being urged to commit to several green initiatives, such as exploring a maximum heat bylaw for rental units.

A 10-point People’s Climate Mandate, created by the Climate Reality Project Canada, Green Action Centre, Manitoba Eco-Network and others, urges candidates in Winnipeg’s Oct. 28 election to take action to combat climate change.

“We know that climate action often fights for attention in election discourse, especially given the many other urgent immediate issues facing our city,” said Hannah Muhajarine, campaigns manager for Climate Reality Project Canada.

A call to better protect Winnipeggers from extreme heat was highlighted as among the most urgent requests. The group wants the city to explore a maximum heat bylaw, enhance funding for cooling centres and expand hours at libraries, public pools and spray pads.

Word test

TESTING

Premier Wab Kinew is an imported Manitoban, born in Kenora and raised on Onigaming First Nation in Treaty Three (in northwestern Ontario) before his family moved to Winnipeg. He’s the son of well-known Anishinaabe leader and traditional knowledge keeper Tobasonakwut Kinew and Kathi Kinew.

These are the words we provided feedback on: Boniface, Cockburn, Dauphin, Dene, Hellebuyck, Iafallo, Íslendingadagurinn, Kinew, Kildonan, Malak Abas, Métis, Newfoundland, Orlikow, Pembina, Portage la Prairie, Premier, Regina, St. Vital, Samyn, Schiefele, vínarterta, Wiebe, Generation Z.

Blue Bombers already excited about putting a dent in Rider Pride come Labour Day Classic

Jordan Younger was in the midst of breaking down the play of his defence when a question about how many times he’s participated in a Labour Day matchup was fired his way.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator started doing the math out loud and landed somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40 or slightly higher, counting his time as a player and a coach.

As the Bombers prepare for a pivotal home-and-home series with the Saskatchewan Roughriders — beginning Sunday in Regina — Younger is more than happy to discuss what makes the matchup special, even after all of these years.

“If you had to show somebody what a regular season game could be like in the CFL that never have any idea, you would want to show them the Labour Day Classic out in Saskatchewan and the Banjo Bowl rematch back here,” said Younger. “It would give (observers) a great idea of how impactful the CFL game can be. They’re definitely fun games to be a part of.”