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Well it’s apparently getting a little crowded in Manitoba jails these days….and guards are now beginning to fear for their safety.  There are apparently 500 more people behind bars than the jails were built to handle.  And union officials worry that a crackdown on gangs will mean even more prisoners in the next few weeks. 

Friends and family marked the 1 year anniversary of the murder of Tim McLean with a vigil at the Leg last night.  McLean was of course killed on that Greyhound bus last summer.  Jessica Kehler, Tim’s girlfriend said she still hasn’t quite accepted the fact that he’s gone.  Vince Li as we’ve told you was found not criminally responsible for the killing and is now serving time in a mental institution.

Canadian Julie Payette and 6 other astronauts aboard Endeavour, are now puttin away their gear, in preparation for their return to terra ferma today.  Touchdown in Florida is set for 9:48 a.m. Winnipeg time this morning. 

Aaaahhh….you just gotta love science !  An underwear experiment is being conducted by a Japanese astronaut who’s returning to earth on Endeavour after 4 and a half months on the international space station.  For the past 30 days, Koichi Wakata has been wearing the same underwear.  It’s made of special material that’s anti bacterial, flame retardant, and here’s the big one….eliminates odour.  Wakata says the experiment must have been a success since none of his crewmates have ever complained.

It appears relief is on the way for residents of Vancouver, which hit 2 all time record high temperatures in 2 days.  Yesterday it got up to 34.4 in that city, the day before 33.8.  According to the forecast, the high today will only be a mere 30 degrees celcius.

Search warrants show that authorities investigating Michael Jackson’s death, referred to him as an “addict.”  The documents show investigators are now looking for evidence related to the powerful anaesthetic propofol.  That’s the drug that Jackson used to sleep, which is only supposed to be used in a hospital setting.  The drug however was not only prescribed by Dr. Conrad Murray, the man who was with Jackson the day he died….but apparently 12 other doctors as well.

A vigil to mark the one year anniversary of the beheading of a Winnipeg man on a Greyhound bus, will be held tonight at the Leg.  The death of Tim McLean still haunts passengers who were aboard the bus where Vince Li attacked McLean with a machete.  Li by the way was found not criminally responsible for his actions at a short trial in March.

Well the town of Gimli will become a Viking settlement for the next several days.  Some 50 thousand people are expected to pour into the area for the 120th Icelandic festival, which kicks off tomorrow and runs til Monday. 

Get set for a lot of flyers jammin up your mail box……

The political flyer wars are now on in Winnipeg.  The federal Liberals are papering Tory held ridings in the city with taxpayer funded flyers to constituents.  The move comes after the Liberals didn’t get anywhere with complaints about the Conservatives dong the same thing in Liberal ridings.

City police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing 13 year old girl.  Jaylynn McIvor is apparently at high risk of being exploited or victimized.  She was last seen on Main street near Royal Avenue last weekend.  Cops say McIvor does have gang affiliations and investigators are concerned for her well being.

There’ve been 12 new cases of the swine flu in Manitoba this week.  The latest figures bring our total number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus to 867………with 7 deaths being reported so far.

Well that heat wave which is baking the U.S. Pacific Northwest to the Yukon, continues.  Yesterday, Seattle got up to 39 celcius, while Port Alberni on Vancouver Island hit 40.  The blazing heat is even being felt as far north as Whitehorse, where yesterday they actually got up to 33 !

Hey…..no one had the winning ticket for last night’s 6-49 draw.  That means the jackpot which was at 15 million, will now jump to 23 million this weekend.

For those who think taking a shopping trip down south will save ya money…..we’ve got news for ya.  The Bank of Montreal says the gap is closing between what Canadians and Americans pay for the same goods….including cars, books and lattes.  Analysts say that’s thanks in part to the high loonie.

A Manitoba teen has launched a lawsuit claiming he went through hell at a summer camp a couple of years ago.  The youth claims he suffered hazing and abuse by almost 3 dozen others at a track and field camp at the International Peace Garden.  The lawyer involved says police on both sides of the border are now investigating the case. 

Lots of people try to get out of parking tickets….but, biting an officer…probably not gonna help ya out.  A 35 year old man is facing several charges after doing just that.  He apparently got a little too irate and aggressive when got the ticket…and decided to bite the cop writing it on the shoulder.  Fortunately for the officer the bite didn’t wound him too much…and now, the man is facing numerous charges.

Well the global auto slump……pretty evident this morning with the release of financial results from Japan’s top 3 automakers.  Nissan, who is number 3, lost 175 million dollars in the 2^nd quarter of this year.  Honda’s profits are down 80 million….a 96 per cent plunge over last year.  And Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, is also reporting losses today.

This should mean some good new for drivers.  The price of oil has gone into a bit of slump.  After losing over a dollar barrel yesterday, it’s down almost 2 dollars this morning, and is trading at 65.63 cents a barrel.  Analysts say demand is down and that’s affecting the price.

People in Toronto are crossing their fingers today.  Some 24 thousand striking garbage collectors and other city workers will vote on a tentative agreement.  The walkout is now into its 6^th week. 

Bernie Madoff is speaking out from the North Carolina jail where he’s serving that 150 year sentence for robbing investors of billions of dollars.  Madoff talked for almost 5 hours yesterday with a lawyer representing some of his victims.  He apparently revealed how he ran his Ponzi scheme and how he didn’t get caught. 

Well it’s gonna be another cool wet day around Manitoba….but out west…different story.  In fact, it’s gonna be another day of blistering heat in parts of B.C.  On Vancouver Island yesterday, temps soared to 40 degrees celcius yesterday, while Kamloops in the B.C. interior, hit 38.  Forecasters also say there’s no relief from the heat until early next week.

Well thanks to the story we told you about yesterday, involving that shootout at a wedding reception on Main street this weekend…..Manitoba’s Attorney General is promising a swift crackdown on violent street gangs.  Police say the deadly incident may have been gang related.  The province is now promising to step up supervision of top gang members by putting them in jail for any violation and making it difficult for them to operate.

There is one big advantage to the cool, wet weather we’ve had this year….a big drop in forest fires.  There’ve only been 130 so far this year, the lowest number in recent memory and less than half the average amount over the last 20 years.

People in Toronto are pretty happy today.  It looks like a tentative deal has been struck with city workers.  Now, all that’s left is for the union to vote, which will happen tomorrow.  The 36 day strike in T.O. halted garbage pick-up, closed daycares, pools and summer recreation programs.

The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour is getting ready to head back to terra-ferma.  Canada’s Julie Payette and her 6 crewmates, will undock from the international space station today, and should land in Florida tomorrow.

Well not quite sure why a study was needed for this but…….Virginia Tech researchers have found that texting while driving, increases the risk of a crash far more than previous studies have shown.  The researchers used cameras to continuously observe drivers.  And they found the risk of having an accident while texting was 23 times greater than when not texting.

A law enforcement official says Michael Jackson regularly received a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep.  Officials say the drug, propofol, is what indeed killed the singer and that it was administered by Jackson’s doctor on the day he died.  However, the lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray says he has no comment….but, most are now predicting Murray will face at a minimum, involuntary manslaughter charges over this.

It was quite the violent weekend in the city.  Police are still trying to figure out whether gangs are behind the murder of a 50 year old woman at a crowded wedding reception on Main street.  A gunman burst into the hall where the reception was behind held, sprayed bullets, and killed Cheryl Robert.  Several others were injured as well.  Cops say there were known gang members at the event, but, it’s too early to say whether or not that was a factor.

A new attendance record has been set at Winnipeg’s Fringe Festival.  More than 80 thousand people passed through the turnstiles as of last night.  Last year, ticket sales for the festival were around 73 thousand.

A 33 year old man and 5 year old boy are dead, after a car was found submerged in a gravel pit west of Balmoral.  The area is popular with 4 wheel drives and ATV’s, but the Mounties are still not sure what happened here.  The investigation continues.

Via Rail says it’ll be business as usual today now that the strike by its locomotive engineers is over.  The strike ended yesterday, 2 days after it began, when the 2 sides agreed to binding arbitration.  Via riders inconvenienced by the strike will be eligible for some form of compensation.

The 5^th and final spacewalk by the crew of Endeavour is set to go this morning.  Plans call for the shuttle to undock from the international space station tomorrow and head home.  The bird should land in Florida on Friday with Canadian Julie Payette and 6 others on board.

Sarah Palin is taking her political battles to a bigger stage now that she’s stepped down as Alaska’s governor.  Palin held a Sunday afternoon farewell picnic in Fairbanks yesterday.  She’s still not saying whether or not she’ll make a presidential bid for 2012….but she does say she will stay involved in the political game.

Plane lovers, listen up !  The aircraft that helped the Allies win the 2^nd world war, will land at Winnipeg’s airport on August 3^rd.  It’s one of the only 2 Lancaster bombers still flying. 

The swine flu has claimed a 7^th victim in the province.  Health officials aren’t saying much about the case other than the patient did have an underlying medical condition.  Manitoba continues to see more people fall ill with the H1-N1 virus.

Well when it comes to the take from lotto tickets, VLT’s, and casinos, Manitoba is more than hooked on gambling.  A new Statscan report shows that the province’s reliance on gambling revenues has doubled since 1992.  And, when it comes to placing bets, Manitoba had the highest number of households, 56 per cent, who said they bought lotto, played bingo, went to casinos or played VLT’s.

There will be no jail time for a Winnipeg woman who killed one of her 3 month old triplet sons, when she slammed him into his bassinet to stop his crying.  Michelle Camire has rather been given an 18 month conditional sentence.  Her son Michael was pronounced dead in hospital in late 2004, after suffering a fractured skull and severe brain injury.

It’s been a long, long day and night for aboriginal chiefs and elders gathered in Calgary to select a new Assembly of First Nations grand chief.  They started casting their votes yesterday, and 20 hours and 5 ballots later….a clear winner still hasn’t emerged.  A 6^th ballot will be held this morning.

The last surviving Canadian who wore a uniform in the First World War, turns 109 today.  Kingston, Ontario native John Babcock intends to celebrate with lunch at his favourite restaurant in Spokane, Washington where he now lives. 

Well for those hoping we were done with hearing about Michael Jackson for awhile……guess again.  The case of the pop star’s death is about to ramp up.  This after the doctor treating Michael the day he died was served with a search warrant yesterday.  On that warrant by the way….the word “manslaughter” was used…the first time police have acknowledged that foul play was probably involved in the star’s death.

The province is promising to crackdown on crime.  Justice Minister Dave Chomiak says they’ll fund more police officers and increase monitoring of gang members with devices like those ankle bracelets.  A new report from Statscan says Manitoba’s rates of homicide, robbery, and stolen vehicles have all dropped, but, are still the highest in the country.

The verdict came down yesterday for Daniell Anderson.  He’s the man accused of shooting and wounding 2 city cops in a surprise drug raid at his Jubiless home in December of 2006.  Anderson was slapped with 14 years behind bars.  That’s double the time of what the defence wanted…but, still less than the 20 years the Crown was seeking.

Well hundreds of travelers with trips booked on Via Rail, might want to make other arrangements as a Friday strike deadline looms.  Via’s 340 engineers, are set to walk off the job at noon Friday.  Via has already started canceling long haul trains to make sure passengers don’t get stranded.  A federal mediator has been sent in, in hopes of getting this thing settled before the deadline.

It’s election day for delegates attending the Assembly of First Nations meeting in Calgary.  About 640 chiefs are eligible to vote for 1 of 5 candidates vying to replace the retiring Phil Fontaine, as the country’s next national chief.

Golfers are gonna love this story.  An Ohio man who says by the way, he’s not really much of a golfer, has now got 2 holes in one.  But the even more unusual part is that one was right-handed about 15 years ago, while his latest one last month was a left handed gem.  The U.S. Golf Register says that definitely is a first and one for the record books.

What’s the saying?  What goes around comes around?  Barry Shell of Brampton, Ontario didn’t plan to celebrate his big lottery win quite like this.  Shell picked up his 4.4 million dollar cheque at Ontario lotto headquarters in Toronto on Monday, posed for a photo, but then was arrested as soon as he walked outside.  He was apparently wanted for outstanding warrants, including theft under 5 thousand dollars and possession of stolen property.

Yesterday, we told you about a report of a baby being thrown off a city bridge….today…..the woman who claimed to have seen it happen, is now under investigation.  Police say there was nothing to her claim and they’re now trying to figure out whether it was an innocent mistake or something more malicious.

The federal government grow-op in Flin Flon has shut down.  Prairie Plant Systems, the company contracted to produce a supply of medical marijuana for Health Canada, pulled out of that city at the end of last month.  Although the company is not commenting, one report says PPS moved to another location because they needed more room.

It’s decision day for Daniell Anderson.  He’ll find out how long he’ll be in prison for, for wounding 2 city cops in a shootout on Jubiless back in December of 2006.  The Crown says Anderson should be slapped with 20 years behind bars, but defense lawyers say 7 years is long enough. 

Typically Canadian.  With all the buzz around yesterday’s 40^th anniversary of man’s first moon walk, a former agent for NASA is dumbfounded that Canada’s own “Goodwill Moon Rock” hasn’t been put out on display.  Our own piece of the moon is currently sitting in a warehouse in Quebec.  It’s been in storage for 30 years, with no plans to ever put it on display.

Things looking a whole lot better out west today.  6 thousand evacuees of the Kelowna are being given the all clear to head home this morning.  The announcement was made last night after word came that one of the forest fires buring in the area is now 60 per cent under control.  5 thousand others however, are still not allowed back home.

Michael Jackson’s father says he thinks his son’s doctor could be behind the star’s death.  Joe Jackson told CNN last night that “something is wrong” if a doctor gave his son a substance to help him “rest” and Michael never woke up. 

The Bank of Canada will give its latest take this morning on how the economy and economic recovery is progressing.  Analysts expect the central bank will stand pat on its trendsetting interest rate, which is currently at a quarter point.

A search of the Red River has been called off, after police and fire officials found no evidence to support an eyewitness report that a woman, had thrown a baby off a bridge and into the water.  At least a dozen emergency vehicles gathered at the site of the alleged incident.  Police poured over the river, and the riverbank until it became too dark to see….and came up with nothing.

City police have arrested one person after one of two speeding vehicles crashed into a city church.  Luckily there were no injuries and the church isn’t badly damaged either. 

About 11 thousand people have been forced from their homes by a raging wildfire in West Kelowna, B.C.  More than 6 thousand others have been told to be ready to run at a moment’s notice, as the fire keeps crews hopping.  RCMP say most area residents are obeying the evacuation orders.  But they say for those who don’t, they should definitely have their dental records in order for identification purposes.

It’s a big week for aboriginal chiefs as they gather in Calgary to choose the new head of the Assembly of First Nations.  More than 600 native leaders will vote Wednesday for 5 candidates running to replace the retiring Phil Fontaine.

Well no real surprise here…..Harry Potter continues to work box office magic.  The 6^th installment, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” took in 70 million U.S. at North American theatres this weekend, and 159 million since opening Wednesday.  That’s the fastest overall start in franchise history.  “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” and the new Transformer movie, finished 2^nd and 3^rd.

The country’s top investigator looking into last year’s deadly listeriosis outbreak, will hand in her long awaited report today.  Sheila Weatherill will assess how the Harper government responded to the crisis that saw 22 people die and hundreds of others across the country get sick, after eating contaminated deli meats.

Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins have reunited to mark today’s 40^th anniversary of the first manned moon landing. 

A man who shot 2 city cops at his Winnipeg home, will now have to wait until next week to learn his fate.  The Crown is asking that Daniell Anderson be slapped with 20 years behind bars, while the defense wants no more than 7.

Police were executing a drug search warrant on Jubilee Avenue back in December of 2006, when Anderson shot 2 officers through a bathroom door.

The Vatican says the Pope is in hospital in northern Italy.  Apparently, Benedict the 16^th slipped and fell during his vacation in the Alps.  A Vatican spokesperson says his injuries doesn’t appear to be serious though.

The global recession certainly doesn’t show up on Google’s bottom line.  In the 2^nd quarter of this year, profits for the internet company jumped to almost 1.5 billion dollars U.S.  That’s up a very nice 19 per cent over the same time period as last year.

Endeavour is set to dock with the international space station today.  While at the station, the shuttle’s 7 person crew, including Canadian Julie Payette, will install the front porch for the Japanese science lab.  Meanwhile, NASA is still trying to figure out why pieces of foam insulation broke off the external fuel tank during Wednesday’s liftoff.  NASA says for the moment, they’re not too concerned the foam did any major damage to the shuttle.

Defense Minister Peter McKay is extending condolences to the family of the 125^th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.  26 year old Private, Seabastien Courcy was killed just south of Kandahar City.  He’s now the 5^th Canadian soldier to die in the Afghan mission this month alone.

New poll out this morning says Canadians aren’t as frightened by the recession that’s already cost almost 400 thousand jobs.  A survey done last week suggests that although most Canadians believe the country is in a recession, few think their family’s main breadwinner will get hurt. 

Well as we told you yesterday, somebody in the Winnipeg area is a very rich individual thanks to a huge lotto 6/49 win on Wednesday.  One of the 3 winning tickets for the 32 million dollar draw, was purchased here. 

Meantime, we’ve got more lotto news for ya today.  Super 7, will soon be no more.  Lotto officials are replacing the game in late September with a new lotto called Lotto Max.  It’ll apparently have bigger jackpots than the old Super 7.