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There’s a bit of a population boom in the province these days.  Figures from Statscan show nearly 16 thousand people came to Manitoba over the past year.  As of July 1^st, there are exactly one million, 222 thousand people living in the province.  Officials say immigration has been driving much of the growth.

The major crimes unit will investigate the tasering of a man who, remains in hospital in critical condition.  It happened Monday night, when the man got into an altercation with city police. 

Those 2 city teens who plotted to randomly gun down people at 2 high schools, a university and a church, will be sentenced as adults.  A 17 year old male and his 18 year old girlfriend, have both pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder.  A sentencing hearing is expected to take place in the next few weeks.

The Blue Bombers have come up with a policy on what to do about members of the team’s Hall of Fame, who run into serious trouble with the law.  From now on, anyone convicted of an indictable offence, will be immediately removed from the hall.  The decision comes on the heels of Dr. Ross Brown’s recent conviction of possessing child pornography. 

Billionaire, Guy Laliberte has rocketed his way into becoming this country’s first ever space tourist.  The founder of Cirque du Soleil, blasted into space this morning about a Russian Soyuz rocket.  Laliberte paid 35 million U.S. for his 12 day voyage to the international space station and back.

The CRTC is trying to put an end to an e-mail that’s circulating around North America these days.  The e-mail says telemarketers will be given access to everyone’s cellphone numbers next month.  A CRTC spokesperson says there is some info in the e-mail which is accurate, but the part about cell numbers being released?  Well, that’s totally false. 

Signs of devastation are everywhere on the Pacific Islands of Samoa and American Samoa.  At least 100 people are dead, after a tsunami swamped the islands.  A powerful underwater earthquake hurled the massive waves at the islands shores, flattening villages and sweeping cars and people away.

A Winnipeg cop is in stable condition in hospital this morning, this after being run over by a vehicle while trying to subdue a suspect.  Police say they were chasing a stolen vehicle last night when the suspect dumped the car at a gas station.  The suspect took off on foot, and an officer gave chase.  The officer tackled the suspect and while the 2 were struggling on the ground, a vehicle ran over the officer.

A KLM 747 Jumbo Jet, made an unscheduled stop in the city yesterday afternoon.  The Airport Authority says the plane was en route from Amsterdam to Los Angeles.  It landed in Winnipeg around 2:30 yesterday afternoon though, because of a medical emergency.  The passenger was taken to hospital, and the plane took off about an hour later.

Well known city lawyer, Greg Brodsky is in a little hot water himself these days.  He’s been fined 39 thousand bucks for mishandling a former client’s account.  The Law Society of Manitoba charged Brodsky with failing to act with integrity, amongst other things.  The sanctions will remain on Brodsky’s permanent record.  It’s the first time in his 46 year career that he’s been called on the carpet by the society.

The governor of the Bank of Canada is urging businesses to increase their efforts to help the country emerge from the recession.  Mark Carney says governments and bankers have pretty much done all they can to help out.  He says recovery efforts could fizzle out unless businesses now step up to the plate.

A lawyer representing Roman Polanski filed a motion today to try and get the film maker’s release from a Swiss jail.  As we told you yesterday, Polanski was arrested on a 31 year old U.S. warrant on the weekend, as he arrived in Zurich for a film festival.  The U.S. has been seeking his extradition for having sex with a 13 year old girl back in 1977.

How would you like 400 pages worth of the inner thoughts of Sarah Palin?  The former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate has just finished her memoir , 4 months after the book deal was announced.  The book is called, “Going Rouge: An American Life,” and it goes on sale November 17^th.

The evidence was eaten, but a Massachusetts judge has sentenced a man to 18 months in jail for ripping off a hot dog.  Police say Antonio Judd grabbed a dog from another man sitting under a tree in a park, this after flashing what appeared to be a gun. 

Those 2 Canadian men we told you about yesterday, gunned down in Mexico….well they were known to police in this country.  RCMP say the pair were involved in the drug trade.  The men were shot at point blank range outside a condo in Puerto Vallarta.  So far, no arrests have been made.

Conan O’Brien is back at work on the “Tonight Show,” and joking about the accident which left him with a slight concussion.  He hit his head while doing a stunt for the show on Friday, and had to be taken to hospital.  In his monologue last night, O’Brien told the audience that he hit his head so hard that for 5 seconds, he actually understood the plot of the T.V. show, “Lost.”

The province will try to clean the mess up.  New regulations, along with increased enforcement, will be announced today for septic fields.  In West St. Paul, near the Red River, inspectors found 35 per cent of septic systems on 167 properties were non compliant. 

3 people suffered minor injuries after a house party in the city was crashed early yesterday.  Partygoers told police the trouble started when uninvited guests got a little rowdy and were asked to leave.  A 19 year old man was stabbed, another 19 year old woman was assaulted and a 16 year old suffered injuries to her leg.  All 3 will be okay………

A Mexican news website is reporting today that 2 Canadian men have been killed in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta this weekend.  Reports say the 2 were shot to death at close range yesterday morning.  It happened at a condominium, but, there are few other details available.

Officials in the Philippines say the death toll from massive flooding that hit the country this weekend is now well over 100…..with many more people missing.  The army, police and volunteers continue their search and rescue effort as the waters left by a tropical storm recede. 

France’s foreign minister says the arrest of film maker Roman Polanski this weekend was a bit sinister.  Polanski was busted on a 31 year old U.S. warrant as he arrived in Switzerland for the Zurich film festival.  He had fled the U.S. to France in 1978, after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13 year old girl.

Canadians will be listening to hear what Stephen Harper has to say today.  The prime minister is set to deliver an economic update this afternoon.  Analysts says they expect the P.M. will say that while the economy appears to be recovering, there are still some uncertainties and risks.

Movie fans are lining up for a 2^nd helping of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”  The animated tale took in more than 24 million U.S. to remain number one at the box office for the 2^nd week in a row.  Bruce Willis’ action thriller, “Surrogates,” debuted this weekend at number 2….and, opening in 3^rd place was “Fame,” a new take on the 80’s music and dance hit about students at a school for performing arts.

City police will be expected to take on a much stronger role under a new anti gang strategy.  Under Project Restore, unveiled yesterday, police will aggressively pursue top gang members and also get parents to help stop gang recruitment.  Chief Keith McCaskill says officers will focus as much as they can on violent offenders.

A Winnipeg teen who mimics animal sounds says he’s enjoying his newfound fame.  14 year old Michael Moloney, is back in the city from an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.”  And, this afternoon, he’ll be at the zoo talking to the animals for a crew from the t.v. show “Inside Edition.”  Michael was “discovered” at the Brandon Folk Festival in July, when he climbed up a tree and started entertaining small kids with his animal sounds.

Susan Atkins, one of Charles Manson’s followers, has died of cancer in a California jail at the age of 61.  Atkins admitted to killing actress Sharon Tate in Los Angeles 40 years ago, as part of the notorious Tate-LaBianca murders.  Earlier this month, Atkinds lost her 13^th and final bid for parole.

After dropping 8 per cent in the past 2 days, the price of oil has stabilized.  It’s up in trading this morning to just over 66 dollars U.S. a barrel.  But, also this morning, gas prices dropped 2.5 cents in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, and right here in Winnipeg.  By the way the cheapest regular gas in the country right now is in Ottawa…..at 85 cents a litre.

Doctors in Indonesia say a new mother is in good condition after giving birth to that nation’s biggest ever baby.  Her son, born by C-section, came into the world at a whopping 19.2 pounds.  But as heavy as he is, there have been bigger babies.  According to Guinness, the heaviest baby ever born was 23.75 pounds in the U.S.

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife, have been released on bail after spending several hours in jail in a west Texas town.  The Quaids are accused of skipping out on a 10 thousand dollar hotel bill in Santa Barbara, California.  An arrest warrant accuses the 2 of defrauding an innkeeper, burglary and conspiracy.

A Canada wide warrant has been issued for a Winnipeg area man, found with more than 900 thousand bootleg cigarettes.  Last week, Carl Fontaine failed to appear in court…and now, the hunt is on.

A Winnipeg woman’s curiosity about child pornography has proven very costly.  The 29 year old has now been sentenced to 2 weeks in jail, she’s lost custody of her 10 year old son, and her long time common law relationship ended.  Prosecutors say the woman told police she didn’t think there was anything wrong with accessing the pornography, and was curious to see if she really could get it.

A city man is off to jail for 18 months, this after he took pictures of a 6 year old girl as she showered in his house.  Apparently, the girl had been playing outside with the man’s daughter, and asked to use the shower to clean up.  While taking that shower, the man came into the bathroom and took several digital pictures of the girl. 

If Steve Ashton becomes the next premier of Manitoba, he says replacement workers hired by companies during strikes or lockouts, may become a thing of the past.  Ashton, one of 3 people in the NDP leadership race, says he’d be willing to consider a law that would forbid companies fomr hiring temporary workers during a strike.

On the first full day of fall, parts of the Prairies were basking in a summer heat wave.  Temps pushed past 30 degrees in Alberta and Saskatchewan, shattering all kinds of records.  Yesterday in Edmonton it was 34 C., in Calgary it was 33, and Regina hit 30.  Here in the city, we hit a very nice 27 C.  Temps however are expected to cool off to the mid teens right across the Prairies this weekend. 

Nerves could be rattled today with news that Canadians who had a flu shot last year, could possibly have an increased risk of getting swine flu this year.  That’s the finding of a new study out this morning.  It suggests getting the seasonal flu shot, seems to double the person’s chances of getting H1-N1.

Researchers are reporting a breakthrough this morning in the search for an AIDS vaccine.  U.S. military and Thai health officials say an experimental vaccine cut the risk of HIV infection by more than 30 per cent.  Doctors say this the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine.

Prime Minister Harper and other leaders from the world’s major industrialized nations, will head to Pittsburgh today for the G-20 summit.  Harper is hoping to talk a lot of trade, while U.S. President Barack Obama will look for further solution’s to the global recession.

The top selling video game around the world, is about to have a smaller price tag.  Nintendo is announcing it’ll slash the price of its very popular Wii gaming console by 50 bucks this Sunday to 200 dollars.  The move follows price cuts last month by game system rivals, Sony and Microsoft.

The first human case of the West Nile virus this year, has now been reported.  Health officials say the victim is a man in his 80’s from the Brandon area.  Fortunately, the man is expected to make a full recovery.

3 Winnipeg firefighters are recovering from injuries they suffered while trying to put out a blaze at a 4 storey warehouse in Point Douglas yesterday.  One of the 3 had to be treated in hospital.  The fire broke out as workers were applying tar to repair the building’s roof. 

A city man, set on fire outside his home yesterday, fears there may be further attacks.  Derek Sanderson says he thinks he was targeted by the same group who attacked him and his father a week earlier.  Sanderson suffered 2^nd and 3^rd degree burns from his stomach down to his legs, when someone splashed paint thinner on him and ignited it.  The incident happened around 4:30 in the morning in the Wolsley area.

Ask pretty much anyone in southern Manitoba about this summer….and they’ll tell ya it was pretty darn crappy.  But, the month of September is now turning out to be record breaking.  Even though the official start of fall happened yesterday afternoon, stats show that September will be the warmest month of the entire year.  That’s something which has never happened before.

Prosecutors plan to increase the number of charges today against Anna Nicole Smith’s lawyer-boyfriend, Howard K. Stern.  Defence lawyers in Smith’s drug overdose death case, say some new evidence has come to light in the case.  So far though, no word on what that is.

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney says the country’s economy is beginning to pick up a little steam.  But, he also warns that it’s gonna be a long road to go before we’re completely out of this recession.  Carney says it’s unlikely there’ll be an immediate drop in unemployment.  Last month, the national jobless rate was 8.7 per cent….the highest in 11 years.

Looking to boost sales in fast growing Asia, Ford says it’ll soon manufacture a compact car in India…which it says will be a game changer.  The car will be called the “Figo” which is Italian slang for “cool.”  Production will start next year.

First it was transit agencies.  Now, the U.S. government has extended its terror alerts to stadiums, hotels and entertainment complexes, as it warns about a possible al-Qaida plot to set off hydrogen-peroxide bombs hidden in backpacks.  Homeland security got the tip about the bombs, after a recent arrest of an Afghan born man in Colorado.

Manitoba Lotteries says they’re really feeling the effects of a bad economy.  Gambling profits for the first quarter of this year, fell by nearly 3 million dollars. 

That 16 year old boy charged with 1^st degree murder, after another teen boy was stabbed and killed this weekend, will be in court today.  The stabbing happened Sunday in the RM of West St. Paul.  The name of the victim is not being released at the request of the family.  Police say both boys did know each other.

Prime Minister Harper will be in New York today and tomorrow for U.N. meetings on the environment and the economy, before heading to the G-20 gathering in Pittsburgh.  Also today in New York, President Barack Obama will host a crucial 3 way Mideast peace meeting.

Have you ever been told you looked like someone you worked with?  Well, that’s what happened to 2 furniture delivery guys in Waldoboro, Maine.  Randy Joubert says so many customers told him he looked like his co worker, Gary Nisbet, he did some research.  Well, it turns out they’re brothers….separated as babies 35 years ago, when they were given up for adoption. 

Former New York Giants Super Bowl star, Plaxico Burress will be sentenced today for accidentally shooting himself in the leg at a nightclub last November.  Burress pleaded guilty last month to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. 

He’s believed to be the world’s oldest man.  Walter Breuning celebrated his 113^th birthday at a retirement center in Great Falls, Montana yesterday.  Bruening says he thinks his longevity is due to a good diet and staying physically and mentally active.  He says he also takes one aspirin a day.

President Obama says he believes the American economy will eventually be stronger than before.  But, in an interview with David Letterman last night, on the “Late Show”…Obama said he also expects unemployment will still be a problem for at least another year. 

The Mounties are not saying much about a stabbing in the RM of West St. Paul, that took the life of a teenaged boy.  It happened yesterday, with neighbors saying the boy died of his injuries.  So far, police keeping pretty tight lipped, but, they have said that the victim and suspect were known to each other.

The president of the police association says, unless 25 officers are added to the organized crime unit, the province’s new gang strategy won’t have much of an effect.  Mike Sutherland charging gang members also means committing to lengthy investigations….and that requires people. 

Winnipeg is one of 2 cities on the Prairies that’ll take part in a project that  hopes to reduce the number of fires that are set by kids.  Fire department staff will ask retailers in the city to voluntarily refuse to sell matches and lighters to minors.  The project also looks to educate parents about the impact of kids playing with fire.

City police have charged a 23 year old man with stabbing his infant son.  The child is in critical condition, but stable, following the attack on Saturday.  The incident happened apparently during a domestic dispute between the man and his 29 year old common law wife.

In health news this morning, a new report says more than 35 million people around the world are living with Alzheimer’s disease, or other types of dementia.  The World Alzheimer Report says barring a medical breakthrough, dementia will nearly double every 20 years….meaning by 2050, it’ll affect a whopping 115 million people.

NBC’s “30 Rock” has taken its 3^rd straight comedy series trophy at the Emmy Awards.  AMC’s, “Mad Men” was also a repeat winner, for best drama series.  Top acting honors went to Alec Baldwin of “30 Rock,” Bryan Cranston for “Breaking Bad,” and Glenn Close for “Damages.”  Jeff Probst of “Suvivor” also won his 2^nd Emmy as best reality show host.

While federal health officials are under pressure to fast track the country’s swine flu vaccination program, a number of infectious disease experts say “Hold On !”  They fear fast tracking the vaccine could undermine public confidence in it.  The country’s leading figure in the SARS crisis, Dr. Donald Low agrees, he says if a vaccine is rushed out and anything goes wrong…the PR damage would last a long time.

Dr. Ross Brown has saved the Bombers from making a tough decision.  He resigned yesterday from the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame.  Brown had been convicted of possessing child pornography.  The 72 year old was a former president of the Blue Bombers.

After lots of media coverage, Manitoba Housing says it’ll take care of the snake problem at a seniors complex near Narcisse.  Work should apparently begin next week to repair the foundation of the facility to stop slithering garter snakes from slipping inside.  The snakes by the way come from the world’s largest dens, about an hour’s drive northeast of the city.

Everyone in the province can be vaccinated for the swine flu this fall.  After yesterday’s meeting of federal and provincial health ministers, our minister Theresa Oswald says, Manitoba will offer the shots free to everyone and anyone who wants one.  Usually it’s just senior’s and children who get vaccination’s for free.

It’s been a rough week in Afghanistan for Canadian soldiers.  Yesterday a roadside bomb took yet another life.  Private Jonathan Couturier died when it exploded near his vehicle, southwest of Kandahar city.  That raises to 131 the number of Canadian soldiers who’ve died on this Afghan mission, which began in 2002.

If you’re looking for souvenirs from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, you could get less than you pay for.  Organizers of the games say there are lots and lots of phoney items like, pins and shirts on the market right now.  They say official souvenirs have specific tags and holograms, identifying them as the real thing.

A top Canadian auto analyst says a growing number of drivers are buying used vehicles for 2 key reasons….cost and quality.  Dennis DesRosiers says more cash strapped Canadians are finding the price of a new vehicle out of reach.  He also says there was a time when buying a used car meant you were saddled with someone else’s problems.  But, he says those days are long gone because the quality of used vehicles these days is extremely good.

Tonight is the final draw for Lotto Super 7.  The jackpot is 21 million.  Super 7 will be replaced by Lotto Max, whose first draw is a week from tonight.

Good news for those who ride Greyhound.  The bus company will continue to run until the end of next month at least, while they try to come up with solutions to their financial woes.  Greyhound had threatened to suspend service on October 2^nd, if they didn’t get millions of dollars in subsidies.  But, after a meeting with the government yesterday, the 2 sides said they would continue working on both short and long term solutions.

Hazing younger students has resulted in suspensions for 25 kids at River East Collegiate.  Apparently some grade 10 boys got paddled with hockey sticks, while grade 10 girls were sprayed with bleach, vinegar and pickle juice. 

The Tories are blaming a shortage of nurses for the increase in the number of patients leaving Winnipeg emergency rooms without being seen by doctor.  New stats show that about 59 people a day walk out of ER’s because they got frustrated with the long wait, or decided to head to another another ER where the line up wasn’t so long.

A shipment of body bags to some northern Manitoba reserves has got native leaders pretty upset this morning.  Chiefs say they were part of a shipment of supplies to help reserves prepare for an outbreak of the swine flu. 

Horror this morning at a high school in southern Germany, where police say a 19 year old armed with an axe went on a rampage.  9 students were wounded.  Police say the attacker, who was also injured, has now been arrested.

The Feds have released a priority list for which Canadians should get the swine flu vaccine first this fall.  The country’s chief public health officer, says pregnant women, health care workers, children, people in remote areas and adults with chronic conditions should be first in line.  Vaccinations are expected to start in November.

You know the saying….good things come in 3’s?  Well, Cape Breton’s Adam Sams would likely agree.  After 20 years of trying, the 34 year old golfer nailed a hole in one last Friday.  Then, he got another one on Sunday, and a 3^rd one this past Tuesday.  That’s 3 holes in one in just 5 days !  Mathematicians say the odds of that happening are 3 billion to one.