Joy to the world of Pemberley

Garrison Smith

Festival celebrates all facets of African artistic culture

Nosa Guobadia saw something missing in Winnipeg’s vibrant arts scene — an absence that struck him deeply.

“As an artist myself, I saw a huge gap and felt there should be a space for African artists in Winnipeg,” says the Nigerian-born Guobadia, who performs as Cozymannos.

The realization dawned on him at last year’s Soca Reggae Festival when he noticed that the audience was predominantly African, despite the event’s Caribbean focus.

“It hit me then. It made me think that we need a festival that truly celebrates African artists — not just as performers, but as the heartbeat of the event,” he says.

Wildfires in Brazil’s Amazonas state worsen air quality in Manaus

SAO PAULO (AP) — Smoke from wildfires disrupted daily life in Brazil's largest Amazon region city of Manaus on Friday as the country's dry season approached its peak.

The city, the capital of Amazonas state, suspended in-person work at municipal administrative offices, citing worsening air quality. Public school classes were canceled, and residents were urged to wear face masks.

The city said in a statement that the concentration of pollutants averaged 196 micrograms per cubic meter, which is considered an unhealthy level way above the normal range of about 3 to 9.

“For several days, Manaus has been affected by heavy smoke from fires in municipalities elsewhere in Amazonas state and in other states,” the city said. “The serious situation extends beyond the capital and threatens the health and quality of life of thousands of families.”

Waters remain murky in unchartered Hellebuyck trade request territory

ST. LOUIS — The thing about being in unchartered waters is that the answer to the next question isn’t always readily apparent either above or below the surface.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been doing his best to ensure the upcoming two-game road trip against Central Division opponents doesn’t include a three-ring circus. But with news coming over the weekend that the suspension for goalie Connor Hellebuyck is set to expire on Friday, the club has to prepare for the next step in that process.

The problem, as Arniel conceded during his session on Monday afternoon before the team departed for Missouri, is that some of the hypotheticals need to be eliminated from the equation before the proper response can be determined.

“When it comes to Helly’s scenario, honestly I don’t really have a lot of information,” said Arniel. “I know everybody knows (about) Friday. That’s all we know.”

Bullet to the face nets 7.5 years behind bars

Calling it “intimate partner terror,” a judge sentenced a Winnipeg man to seven-and-a-half years in prison for firing a loaded handgun held to his partner’s head causing her life-altering injuries.

The woman, who the Free Press is only identifying as A.W., watched as Machuor Akau sat silently and stared at the ground as Manitoba Judge Sidney Lerner read his ruling Monday.

Akau, 28, who pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited weapon, pointing a firearm and criminal negligence causing bodily harm, didn’t speak during the sentencing or look at his victim or her family members as court progressed.

At a previous proceeding, Crown prosecutor Ari Millo had requested a sentence of eight years, while defence counsel Saul Simmonds argued for between five and six.

Campaign blunder: Klein features wrong city in election video

A paid ad from mayoral candidate Kevin Klein on his commitment to Winnipeg has been pulled after commenters noticed one small error: the footage used in the ad was actually of Edmonton.

The 55-second video is rife with Edmonton landmarks, including one shot that appears to feature the Alberta legislature’s visitor centre, and another with the 100 Street Funicular, a popular tourist attraction in Edmonton.

The ad, which was published to Meta users last week including those on Facebook and Instagram, focuses on safety concerns in Winnipeg and bureaucratic red tape impacting local businesses, with Klein appearing at the end.

It has since been deleted by Klein’s campaign, but archival data from Meta shows it was online starting Oct. 15 and cost around $1,000.