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TODAY I AM ANGRY……………………….

Today I am angry…..

Because this insidious disease called cancer,

has taken another life, long before it was okay to do so.

Today I am angry…….

Because my very good friend will have to wake up alone,

like so many others have, and sadly, will have to do.

Today I am angry……

Because my friend’s heart ache’s,

and I can’t make it better.

Today I am angry……

Because thousands more will feel like I do.

TODAY I AM ANGRY………

EFF U CANCER !!!!

We love you Joe……

She will not be forgotten……….

Kath

City police are investigating a case where a 19 year old woman was allegedly grabbed from behind and carried by 3 men to a porch where she was sexually assaulted.  Investigators say the incident happened when the woman was walking Friday night near Aberdeen avenue and McGregor street.  When the suspects finally took off, they took the woman’s jacket and purse.  As a result of the assault, the victim did sustain multiple upper and lower body injuries.

A roadside bomb has claimed another Canadian soldier in Afghanistan.  24 year old Corporal Yannick Scherrer was killed by an I.E.D. while on foot patrol yesterday.  His death brings to 155 the number of Canadian military members who’ve died so far on this Afghan mission.

Tributes are streaming in following the death of Canadian comic actor, Roger Abbott.  A founding father of “The Royal Canadian Airfarce,” Abbot died this weekend at the age of 64 after battling leukemia for 14 years. 

And the fight is on !  Prime Minister Harper insists that Canadians must elect a majority Conservative government when they go to the polls on May 2^nd.  Campaigning in B.C. yesterday, Harper said it is the only way to avoid what he claims would be a reckless coalition involving the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois.  In Montreal however, Liberal boss Michael Ignatieff said a coalition government would be out of the question. 

More tense moments Sunday in northeast Japan where a strong earthquake prompted another tsunami warning for a part of the Japanese coast.  The warning was soon lifted though, with no signs of major damage or injuries from either a wave or the quake.  Meantime, at the nuclear plant crippled by the catastrophic March 11^th quake, workers continue their struggle to restart the cooling systems, and get the plant under control.

On the campaign trail…..Prime Minister Harper says if Canadians vote for a majority Tory government, taxes will stay low.  In Montreal yesterday, Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff said their government would be more responsible than the Tories in handling the country’s finances.  And today, NDP leader, Jack Layton, will be out looking for votes in the Regina area.  A reminder in case you didn’t hear on the weekend, all Canadians will go the polls to cast their ballot, on May 2^nd.

If you live in a rural area, you know that finding a doctor can be a tough task.  Well now, you may have to add lawyers to that list as well.  At a event organized by the Manitoba Bar Association this weekend, the crowd was told that the country is facing a generation of lawyers who are on the verge of retiring.  And that, there are fewer and fewer new lawyers who want or will go to rural areas.

Want to tick the paparazzi off?  Throw a party and don’t invite them.  A British newspaper is reporting this morning that Prince William’s bachelor party has already happened…without a single camera in sight.  Apparently the prince and about 20 friends attended the weekend party thrown by William’s brother, Harry, a country estate in eastern England.  If true, it’ll disappoint the paparazzi who had hoped to capture the celebrations. 

A Winnipeg lawyer will be the subject of a disciplinary hearing today on accusations he pressured a man to have sex with his wife, who later became a family court judge.  Jack King will appear before the Law Society of Manitoba on a charge of professional misconduct.  King is accused by former client, Alexander Chapman, of giving him naked photos of his wife, Lori Douglas, in 2003.  Douglas was named a judge 2 years later.

One woman was sent to hospital yesterday after a carbon monoxide leak at the Windsor Hotel.  About 50 people were forced out of the building, as emergency crews taped off the area, blocking traffic on a number of streets for nearly 2 hours.  The cause of the leak was a gas heater on the roof of the extension of the hotel.  The repair was made and the hotel and roads re-opened.

A city man has been slapped with 12 years behind bars for kidnapping a 6 year old girl from a playground and then sexually assaulting her.  The court said the actions of 34 year old Greg Hope were despicable. 

A national trash collection company with some pretty big operations here in Winnipeg has been slapped with fines for safety related violations with its trucks.  BFI plead guilty recently to 2 highway traffic act charges concerning overweight trucks and was ordered to pay more than 10 grand in fines.  The company and Manitoba justice, came to a plea deal that saw 19 other charges dropped in exchange for the admission of guilt.

And yet another setback in the efforts to regain control of that damaged nuclear plant in Japan.  Officials report a suspected breach in the reactor core of unit one, raising concern about more serious radioactive contamination. 

Another shark attack in the waters off the beach in Cancun, Mexico.  A lifeguard says a woman decided she was going to swim in the ocean, despite being told not to by the lifeguard.  She was then attacked on her foot by a shark.  A Canadian woman was seriously injured in a shark attack in Cancun at the end of January.

Well the collapse of the Harper government is believed to be just hours away.  The opposition parties are expected to join forces today to defeat the Tories in a confidence vote.  That would mean then, the country’s 40^th parliament would be officially dissolved tomorrow, and an election would be called.  Most pundits say the date will either be May 2^nd or May 9^th.

There are more grim numbers to tell ya about from Japan.  The national police agency says the official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago, is now over 10 thousand.  More than 17 thousand others however are still listed as missing.  The latest numbers have been released as officials raise more concerns about damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant.  They say one of the reactor cores may have breached, raising the possibility that more severe radiation has and will be released.

Military life is tough on kids.  A new study has found that teenage children with parents in the Canadian Forces suffer stress, isolation and depression linked to the deployment of their parents overseas. 

Elizabeth Taylor has been laid to rest in a simple ceremony.  There was no procession to the cemetery in Los Angeles, just limousines carrying family members.  The service started after a 15 minute delay….and that was apparently because the screen legend wanted to be late to her own funeral.  Taylor died Wednesday of congestive heart failure.

Manitoba was supposed to release an updated flood forecast yesterday….but a huge dump of snow south of the border means it needs to be readjusted.  North Dakota got over 40 centimeters of the white stuff in the last few days.  And Manitoba officials say they need to factor that in to figure out the impact it could have on flooding in our province.

New Flyer Industries has cut its Winnipeg workforce by about 100 jobs, this after bus sales took a steep decline in the 4^th quarter last year.  And the Winnipeg based company’s prospects for 2011 are also not lookin good….the company says its expecting a 13 per cent decline in North American bus purchases this year. 

Well you might want to start brushing up on your federal candidates because it looks like we’re about to head into yet another election campaign.  The Harper government is set to fall tomorrow thanks to a Liberal non confidence motion.  Once that happens an election would be triggered and so far most expect it’ll happen in early May.

The government’s days are numbered to just two.  Prime Minister Harper’s Tory government is set to fall tomorrow….thanks to a Liberal non confidence motion that the NDP says it’ll support.  So now, Canadians it would appear will be off to the polls for the 5^th time in 10 years.

Japan’s ongoing nuclear crisis is causing more and more concern about radiation levels in food and water supplies.  In fact, yesterday the Canadian Food Inspection Agency decided to tighten up their controls on Japanese food imports.  Milk products, fruits and vegetables from areas near that nuclear plant, will no longer be allowed into the country without documents showing they are free from radiation.

Explosions have been heard in Libya’s capital and anti aircraft fire lit up the sky for a 5^th straight night.  Canadian CF-18’s managed to bomb an ammunition depot, in one of two separate runs conducted by our fighter jets.  Also the Canadian frigate, HMCS Charlottetown is among 6 NATO warships now on patrol off the Libyan coast helping to enforce a U.N. arms embargo.

Actress Lindsay Lohan is saying “no” to a judge’s offer to put an early end to the felony grand theft case against her in exchange for going back to jail.  Lohan’s lawyer says she has a strong defence and he’s confident she’ll beat this wrap.  Lohan is accused of walking out of a California jewelry store without paying for a 2500 dollar necklace.

And for those wondering what ya get the couple who has everything…..fans of royal weddings won’t be the only ones to benefit from the next month’s vows of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Endangered Asian elephants will too.  The soon to be wed couple is requesting that charitable donations in lieu of wedding gifts be given to the London Zoological Society, among some other charities.  The group by the way works in Thailand with the Elephant Conservation Network.

Check this story out.  U.S. federal aviation officials are reviewing air traffic controller staffing at airports around the entire country, this after 2 airliners landed in Washington without the help of controllers.  An aviation official says only one controller was on duty at the time early yesterday, and that person had actually fallen asleep !

2 workers at Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant have been hospitalized for radiation injuries.  More than 2 dozen people actually have been injured trying to bring the plant under control since it was damaged by March 11^th’s earthquake and tsunami.  Anxiety over food and water remains high, especially after Tokyo officials reported higher radioactive iodine in the city’s tap water. 

City police are searching for a man after shots were fired at the scene of an alleged dometic dispute.  Police say the suspect was armed with a gun and a tactical support team member is believed to have fired at the suspect who was fleeing in a truck in a back lane.  Officers later found that truck in the Maples….but no sign of the suspect.

Inmates at a jail north of the city are making sanbags to help hold back spring flooding in southern Manitoba.  65 inmates at the Rockwood Institute are filling bags for the RM’s of Cartier, St. Francois Xavier and Headingly.  The goal is to make 100 thousand sandbags over the next two weeks. 

Premier Greg Selinger says he likes some of the support payment increases in this federal budget.  But he says he was hoping to see more help for winter roads and clean water on reserves.  Selinger says he doesn’t think people want an election right now….and both Saskatchewan’s Premier, and Alberta’s Premier agree.

Signs on the lawns and boulevards, flyers in the mail and knocks at the door….get ready for all of it folks cause it looks like we’re heading to the polls.  The Harper government is set to fall within days, now that all 3 opposition parties plan to vote against the federal budget.  A vote on the budget is expected by Friday, and if the government is brought….more likely will be casting ballots in early May.

Tokyo’s utility company says more smoke is coming from Unit 3 of that crippled nuclear power plant, prompting a new evacuation.  Operators of the power station have been trying to cool reactors and spent fuel pods that were damaged by this month’s tsunami.  But so far, are not having much luck.

Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi says he’ll beat international forces imposing a no fly zone over his country.  He told Libyans on state t.v. yesterday that, “this is a time of glory.”  Meantime, the international air campaign continued for a 4^th night.  As of yesterday, the U.S. and European coalition had fired at least 162 Tomahawk cruise missiles on the country.  And more bombing runs are expected today.

The Japanese government expects the bill from this month’s massive earthquake and tsunami, could hit well over 300 billion dollars.  Meantime, the U.S. is halting imports of dairy products and produce from the area of the country where radiation is leaking from that damaged nuclear reactor.  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it’s closely monitoring the situation too, but no one should be worried as there are very strict controls in place for all imported food.

Well it’s not set in stone….but Canadians are all but certain to be facing another federal election in early May.  All 3 opposition parties say they plan to vote against yesterday’s budget….bringing the government down….and triggering this country’s 4^th election in just 7 years.

Retired t.v. game show host, Bob Barker says he’ll pony up 100 grand so that an elephant at the Edmonton Zoo can get a 2^nd medical opinion.  “Lucy” has long been the focus of a battle between the city and animal rights activists who say she’s sick and lonely and should be moved to a warmer climate to live with other elephants.  A vet hired by the city says Lucy’s health is improving, but that continued breathing problems making it too dangerous to move her.

The federal budget wasn’t the only one that was brought down yesterday.  Councillor’s approved the city’s 2011 operation budget.  The vote?  10 to 6 in favor.  The nearly 850 million dollar spending blueprint, will see increases in your frontage levy’s, as well as recreational fees…meaning it’s gonna cost ya more to go for that swim or skate.

The town of Morris is bracing for the spring flood and hopes a spring storm won’t make problems worse.  Mayor Gavin van der Linde says he’s already expecting highway 75, which leads to the U.S. , to be shut down.  The question is though, for how long?  In Brandon meantime, sandbags are already being put up along the Assiniboine River. 

Workers in 3 rural Manitoba health regions have voted in favor of going on strike.  The Manitoba government and General Employees Union says the mandate covers the Central, Interlake and Northeast regions.  The union represents about 1500 paramedics, lab techs, pharmacists and other workers in 5 rural health care authorities. 

Little bit of good news to tell ya regarding the weather and this approaching storm….good news that is…if you live in the city of Winnipeg.  It looks like this major low will only sideswipe the city, but, will be a big problem to the south and west of us.  Already winter storm warnings are up in areas like Brandon, Souris, Morris, Emerson and Carberry areas.  Those regions could get slammed with up to 20 to 25 centimeters of snow, and blizzard like conditions.

On the lighter side this morning……a new survey suggests most Canadians are flushing things down the toilet that they really shouldn’t be.  This new survey found that out of 2 thousand adult Canadians, almost three-quarters admit to flushing items that could go in a garbage can or composter….things like leftover food, hair, bugs and cigarette butts. 

The House of Commons has approved a motion that allows the Canadian military to go to “war” in Libya.  Passed last night after hours of debate, the motion gives the air force 3 months to help coalition forces enforce the U.N.’s no fly zone. 

Well once the markets close this afternoon, Canadians will hear the contents of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s 6^th federal budget.  Government sources say it’ll contain some goodies the NDP requested in exchange for possible support in a confidence vote.  The minority Tory government needs the support of only one opposition party to survive a confidence vote on the budget and avert a spring election.

Canadian rock star Bryan Adams now has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Adams says he remembers visiting Hollywood boulevard when he was 16 and marveling at the stars….and now he’s humbled to have his own.  Adams has had more than a dozen number singles and has topped the charts in more than 40 countries.

Well it’s budget day in this country.  And Federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty could have some extra money to play with today.  Economists estimate that Ottawa’s taking in an additional 3 billion dollars in taxes this year because the economy is doing better than expected.  Government sources say this budget will contain some goodies the NDP demanded, in the hopes they’ll support the government and stop a spring election.

A Japanese nuclear safety official says a pool for storing spent fuel at that crippled plant, is heating up and could hit the boiling point.  He says high temperatures in the pool are believed to be the cause of steam that has been coming out of Unit 2 since yesterday.  The hot storage pool is just another complication in bringing the Fukushima plant under control, and ending a nuclear crisis that followed Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. 

Well this news is a little scary.  8 months after 2 Manitoba women’s biopsies were accidentally switched, health officials say they still aren’t sure how it happened.  One had unnecessary breast surgery, while another woman’s treatment for breast cancer was delayed by 10 weeks.  Their tissue samples somehow got mixed up at a lab at St. Boniface hospital. 

MPI makes drives pay their deductibles even if their vehicles are hit by stolen cars…or even if suspects are arrested.  Spokesperson Brian Smiley says the reason for that is, the culprits aren’t thieves until they are convicted.  And the insurer says if that happens, people do get their deductible back. 

A city man is heading to jail for violently assaulting his 2 month old son because he was angry with his wife following an argument.  The baby suffered 8 broken ribs in the 2009 attack inside a North Kildonan apartment block.  The 30 year old father plead guilty yesterday to numerous charges and was sentenced to 2 years behind bars and 3 years of supervised probation.  His conditions also include having no contact with his son, and taking anger management classes.

Things are definitely heating up in Libya.  Europe’s air traffic control agency says Libya has closed its airspace to all traffic.  The move came a day after the U.N. Security Council voted to impose a no fly zone over Libya.  That would have allowed western nations to launch air strikes against Moammar Gadhafi’s warplanes, which had been attacking rebels trying to bring the dictator down.  Also new reports this morning say Canada will be sending a fleet of CF-18’s to be part of squadron to enforce the no fly zone.

In a move that’s gotta a lot people scared…..Japan’s nuclear safety agency is boosting the rating of the country’s nuclear crisis from 4 to 5 on a 7 point scale.  4 means an incident has local consequences, 5 means a much wider and bigger problem.  For a 2^nd straight day, water is being poured on overheating reactors at the Fukushima plant north of Tokyo.  The head of the U.N.’s nuclear agency says Japan is racing against time to prevent the crisis from getting worse.

For the first time, Earth has got a spy orbiting Mercury.  After a 6 and a half year trip, a NASA spacecraft called Messenger is circling the smallest planet of our solar system.  So far, the craft has shown there are huge extremes on the planet…with temperature ranges from 600 degrees celcius to minus 185.

A moment of silence was observed today across Japan at 2:46 local time.  It was exactly a week ago that the northeastern part of the country was hit by that massive 9.0 earthquake which triggered a huge tsunami.  The twin disasters are so far blamed for over 6500 deaths…but thousands are still missing. 

Well if ya own a canoe, kayak, sailboat or boat…you wanna listen up.  Effective immediately you will no longer have to register it with Transport Canada.  Officials say the regulation was complicated, confusing and was originally meant to apply only to commercial vessels. 

A 22 year old man is dead, this after being stabbed downtown.  Cops say Abdul Jemei was confronted by an armed suspect at the corner of Portage and Vaughn around 9 p.m. Wednesday night.  Jemei and another 19 year old male were both stabbed.  Officers say as of right now they do have one person in custody, but their investigation continues.  The stabbing was the city’s 8^th homicide of the year.

It was just too big.  A flatbed truck carrying a large fertilizer container smashed into a bridge overpass on the Trans-Canada just west of Portage yesterday.  Luckily there were no injuries, but damage to the overpass has resulted in the westbound lanes of the highway being closed.  And a highway spokesperson says the lanes could be closed for at least a month.  Traffic is now currently being re-routed through the city of Portage.

The province says it’ll seek changes to insurance benefits paid to convicted car thieves when the spring legislative session begins in April.  Hard to believe but in the last 5 years, MPI paid 8 convicted car thieves more than 41 thousand bucks.  Something the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says sends a horrible message to taxpayers.

It’s another day of trying to prevent a complete nuclear meltdown in Japan.  Japanese military helicopters are now dumping seawater on the number 3 reactor in hopes of trying to cool it.  However, by tonight, workers are hoping to connect a power line to the plant, which would allow operators to re-start the reactors cooling systems.  Those systems were all knocked out, including the back up systems, by last Friday’s quake and tsunami.

Well there’s no damage from a very small earthquake that hit this country yesterday.  The magnitude 4.7 quake hit in the afternoon and rattled parts of western Quebec and eastern Ontario.  The shaking lasted about 10 seconds.

We knew there’d soon be a jump in airline costs, thanks to the high price of fuel….but….cutting routes too?  Yup, looks like it.  Air Canada has decided to do just that on some routes.  The airline is suspending 6 routes effective May 1^st, and will also use smaller planes on other routes.

Honda is recalling more than 3600 hundred Civics from the 2011 model year.  It’s to inspect and possibly replace a fuel pump module in the gas tank.  Honda says a valve in the pump may be damaged, allowing fuel to leak in a rollover crash.

Prime Minister Harper is making it clear his government won’t be funding a new hockey arena for Quebec City.  Harper says the feds have never been a major funder of sports stadiums, and he sees no desire among Canadians to change that. 

The Foreign Affairs Department is advising Canadians in Japan to stay at least 80 kilometers away from that damaged nuclear plant.  The department also says Canadians should even think about leaving Tokyo or other earthquake devastated areas of the country.  So far however, Ottawa is not planning to evacuate any Canadians from Japan.

2 former University of Manitoba students are facing terrorism charges.  RCMP say a 4 year investigation linked one of them to plotters who wanted to bomb the New York subway.  30 year old Ferid Imam, and 27 year old Maiwand Yar traveled to Pakistan in 2007 and never came home.  RCMP say they don’t know where the 2 Canadians currently are.  But police allege the pair have now been trained in the art of terror, including the use of guns, explosives, guerilla warfare and scouting.

The news is not getting any better out of Japan.  The country is facing a worsening nuclear crisis after authorities ordered emergency workers to leave the power complex, damaged by last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.  Efforts to cool the plant’s overheating reactors have now been suspended because of a surge in radiation.  In fact, officials say south of the plant, radiation levels are about 300 times normal.

The Emperor of Japan has made a very rare t.v. address to his nation.  Emperor Akihito expressed his condolences to the victims of last week’s disaster, and also urged his people not to give up.  He also thanked those in involved in the relief operations, including foreign governments.

Prime Minister Harper is assuring Canadians that the nuclear crisis in Japan poses no threat to this country.  Some people out on the West Coast are concerned about radiation, but in Surrey B.C. yesterday, the P.M. said the experts don’t see any risk to this country.

Charlie Sheen has added 5 more dates for his live appearances next month.  The former star of “Two and a Half Men,” will take his “Violent Torpedo of Truth” tour to Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, as well as Boston and Wallingford, Connecticut.  He’ll also appear at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.  Tickets for Sheens first 2 shows in Detroit and Chicago sold out in less than 15 minutes.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says he expects victory in the fight against the rebels trying to overthrow his government.  In a new interview, the dictator says he won’t be like other leaders who fell after anti government protests. 

Police in Australia say a teen hijacked a girl’s Facebook page and posted an open invitation to her 16^th birthday party.  What happened?  Well more than 200 thousand people said they would attend.  The girl’s shocked parents had the page removed from the site to try and discourage the would be guests.  A 17 year old boy is now facing numerous charges.

Well if you park downtown a lot….get ready to pay more.  The Winnipeg Parking Authority has asked city council to hike the hourly cost of parking from 1 dollar on weekdays to 2 bucks an hour.  If council gives the green light to the plan, parking fees will be in effect from 8 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., instead of the current 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Also, the authority is wanting a boost in parking fines.  Council will vote on the plan next week.

A woman has died after the S.U.V. she was driving hit head on with a semi the R.M. of Fisher.  Police say the crash happened when conditions were particularly icy.  The 38 year old woman from Scanterbury was pronounced dead at the scene.  A 45 year old man who was a passenger in the S.U.V. was taken to hospital with undetermined injuries.

Some good news on the city labor front this morning.  The city and its largest union say they’ve reached a tentative agreement that will prevent a strike.  Both the city and CUPE say no details will be released until the deal is ratified. 

Winnipeg’s Victoria General Hospital is celebrating its 100^th birthday.  The original building opened on River avenue back on March 13^th, 1911.  It relocated to Pembina highway in 1971. 

The death toll continues to increase from Friday’s massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.  Officials now say at least 2800 people are dead.  The number was boosted this morning when about a thousand bodies were spotted washed up on the shore.  

Now a reminder, you can help with the relief efforts in Japan.  All Rogers and Fido cell phone customers just have to text to ASIA to 30333, and 5 dollars will be donated to the Red Cross efforts going on in the region.

Well the latest inductees will enter the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame tonight.  They include, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits and yes….Neil Diamond. 

Some good news on the oil front this morning.  After losing a buck and a half a barrel on Friday, it’s down over 2 dollars in trading this morning.  But again, don’t expect to see a drop at our pumps anytime soon.

The Canadian government says it’s offering a wide range of assistance to Japan as it recovers from the earthquake and tsunami.  Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon says we are ready to provide chemical, biological, and other nuclear expertise.  Cannon also says the Canadian military is ready to offer medical and engineering help.

Forces loyal to Libyan dictator, Moammar Gadhafi are said to have taken control of a strategic oil town.  They used tanks, artillery and warplanes to drive rebels out.  It’s another sign that Gadhafi is gaining the upper hand on the rebels, who began an uprising almost a month ago now, to try and oust the Libyan dictator.

Aid workers are facing a monumental humanitarian crisis in northeastern Japan after Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.  Millions of people have no food, water, housing or power.  In fact, well over a million people have gone without water since the quake hit. 

Meantime, another explosion has rocked the Fukushima nuclear power plant north of Tokyo, leaving 6 workers injured.  It was the second blast at the plant in three days, and officials are trying to prevent the reactors from melting down.