http://www.102clearfm.com

School boards shouldn’t have to raise their taxes this year.  That message from the provincial government, who says, it’ll increase its portion of funding by nearly 3 per cent.  The province funds about 63 per cent of school operating costs. 

Wanting to avoid a repeat of last spring’s ice jam, the province has bought more ice breaking equipment.  2 new Bobcat machines, equipped with a circular saw on the front, have been purchased at a cost of 240 grand each.  The province says the strategy to limit the ice jam threat is already in full swing, as radar and satellite technology is being used to measure the thickness of the ice on the Red River.

We first told you about this story yesterday.  Police have now charged a 16 year old boy with attempted murder, following a shooting over a dispute about dirty shoes….not an X-Box game, as was reported yesterday.  The 27 year old victim says he was shot after he asked his younger brother to remove his dirty shoes while inside their grandmothers home.  The older brother who was shot by the way, was treated in hospital and is now doing okay.

There’s mixed news from Toyota on the problem that triggered a massive recall earlier this week.  The world’s biggest automaker says it has started shipping parts to repair the faulty gas pedals.  However, Toyota won’t predict when the affected customers would get their vehicles fixed.  In this country alone, 270 thousand vehicles are affected, while the recall in the U.S. and Europe totals in the millions.

The name of the Canadian athlete who’ll carry the flag at the opening ceremonies in Vancouver will be announced today.  Among the 200 candidates is speedskater, Clara Hughes as well as Scott Niedermayer—captain of the men’s hockey team.  The games by the way begin in exactly 2 weeks.

A privacy expert says people’s personal information could be floating around the globe from one computer server to another….and in far away places.  David Loukidelis says the information is never at rest.  He says a generation ago, the information was being stored in filing cabinets, but now it’s often outsourced to data collection and storage firms in other countries.

Doctors and aid workers say Haiti’s devastated hospitals are being severely taxed as they treat tens of thousands of people injured by the earthquake 17 days ago now.  They say basic medical supplies are running dangerously low at some hospitals and clinics.  One U.N. official in fact, says there is a grave need for medicine all over Haiti.

Former Winnipegger and WWE star, Chris Jericho, in a bit of trouble with the law.  He and another wrestler, Greg Hurricane Helms, were arrested in Cincinnati early Wednesday morning.  Apparently the two, along with a few others got into some sort of altercation at a gas station around 4 a.m.  The 39 year old Jericho was charged with public drunkenness….but managed to come up with the 120 dollars needed for bail.  He’ll now appear in court next month.

An autopsy has revealed a 47 year old woman rushed to hospital a week in Portage la Prairie, appears to have been choked.  Justina McDougall died several days later in hospital.  Her husband, 54 year old Kenneth McDougall has now been charged with first degree murder. 

Brothers, and an apparent fight over a video game has landed one in hospital and one in police custody.  Police say a 27 year old was critically shot yesterday, after apparently getting into a fight over an X-Box game with a younger brother.  The 16 year old younger brother is now custody…the older brother is at HSC.

It’s ugly news for fans of “Ugly Betty.”  ABC announced yesterday the Emmy and Golden Globe winning series will be cancelled after this season’s final 8 episodes.  A critical and popular success with its 2006 premier, the show has struggled keeping an audience in the last couple of years.  ABC vows the show will end in a fashion that will satisfy its fans.

The same week it announced its halting sales and production of 8 models, due to sticky accelerators, Toyota has now announced another recall of 1.8 million vehicles because of floor mat problems.  There’s apparently a risk of gas pedals becoming stuck in the floor mats.  Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by mail.

Over in Haiti, food remains scarce for many of the neediest earthquake survivors.  And, what little is available is often the prize in a fight for survival among the hungry and homeless.  But, on the 15^th day after the quake, a miracle occurred when French rescuers yesterday pulled a 17 year old girl from the rubble of a home.  She was severely dehydrated but alive.

A new study says runners might be a little kinder to their feet by throwing away those expensive running shoes.  The study found that running barefoot…as man did back in the stone ages….puts far less stress on the feet.  That’s because barefoot runners tend to land mostly on the front or middle part of the foot, instead of the heel.

New poll out today says, Canada’s swift response to the Haitian earthquake tragedy, hasn’t boosted the Harper government’s popularity any.  The latest survey, done last week, has found both the Conservatives and Liberals are in a dead heat, with 32 per cent supporting the Tories, and 31 per cent supporting the Liberals.  The NDP is sitting well back at just 15 per cent support.

Closing arguments have been heard in the first degree murder trial of a Winnipeg man accused of stabbing a woman 51 times.  Daniel Johnson has admitted to killing 19 year old Jaylene Crane, but his defence team has argued his mind was too clouded by drugs and booze to form the necessary intent to prove murder.  They say he should be convicted of manslaughter.  A jury will begin deciding Johnson’s fate today.

Some big automotive news to tell ya about this morning.  Toyota has announced its suspending sales of 8 of its models, that are currently being recalled in this country and the U.S.  The recall affects about 270 thousand Canadian late model Camry’s, Corolla’s and RAV-4’s.  It’s all because of a sticky gas pedal problem.  One expert says this problem could be huge, if a solution isn’t found quickly.

There was free beef being handed out at Leg yesterday.  A rancher from Langruth, gave away 800 kilos of ground beef, to call attention to what he says is government neglect of the cattle industry.  Kerry Arksey says both the feds and the province have failed to help cattle producers, who’ve been financially reeling since the mad cow crisis in 2003.  The 4^th generation producer says he’s been forced to sell off virtually all of his cattle.

Mayor Sam Katz delivered his state of the City address yesterday.  And, he didn’t pull any punches.  Katz took shots at the provincial government, school divisions and political parties who he says are looking to get more involved in civic politics.  The speech did have some bright notes however.  Katz promised to try and freeze property taxes again this year.  And give tax cuts to business owners.

Prime Minister Harper is in Switzerland today for the Davos World Economic Forum.  He’ll spend the next day and half mingling with other world leaders, business executives and academics.  He’ll give a keynote speech tomorrow, where it’s expected he’ll talk about the world’s role in rebuilding Haiti.

The Winnipeg Police Association says there satisfied with the 10 year sentence given to a 31 eyar old man who opened fire on city cops outside a downtown bar.  Neither officer was injured in the July 2007 incident, but the gunman, Rene Barrios-Lopez, was struck in the abdomen with a police bullet. 

A U of M professor wants to see improvements to the country’s food safety system.  Richard Holley says most cases of food borne illnesses happen sporadically and aren’t monitored at all.  He estimates there are 11 million cases of food poisoning annually in Canada.  Holley says there should be a better system for recording and analyzing cases of food borne illnesses.

That sweet smell in the air during next month’s Olympic Games in Vancouver might not necessarily be success.  It could be marijuana.  Longtime pot activist Marc Emery expects tourists coming to the Games to try their hand with B.C.’s best known export.  While Vancouver police say they expect to exercise their usual relaxed discretion around pot smoking, they’ll also make sure people realize that it’s still against the law.

Another earthquake survivor has been pulled from the rubble in Port au Prince.  A 35 year old man is being treated for a broken leg and severe dehydration.  The U.S. military says the man was trapped for 12 days by an aftershock, rather than the initial quake which happened 2 weeks ago yesterday.

The world’s longest surviving octuplets are celebrating their 1^st birthday at their California home.  The 8 babies were born a year ago yesterday.  Mother, Nadya Suleman apparently marked the day with a quiet celebration with immediate family and friends.

Elizabeth Buhler’s secret to a long life is simple….exercise and good solid food.  The Manitoba woman, who is the oldest Canadian now, is just days away from celebrating her 111^th birthday.  Buhler plans a quiet party on Monday, Feb. 8^th, the actual day of her birthday.

Well the blizzard that blew through the province yesterday has made some people happy.  People with the Festival du Voyageur say they were worried about not having enough snow for their famous sculptures.  Now, there’s no problems.  The storm yesterday dumped up to 30 cm of snow on some parts of the province….Winnipeg got a total of 20 cm.

Mounties have arrested 2 people wanted by U.S. authorities for their alleged role in an international crime syndicate.  Police picked up the two, along with 7 relatives on a Manitoba highway as they tried to sneak into the country.  All are residents of Guatemala with no legal status in North America. 

Haiti’s president is asking for donations of hundreds of thousands of tents to help shelter earthquake survivors.  An estimated one million people have been left homeless by the January 12^th earthquake. 

Actor John Travolta has arrived in Haiti, on his own jet.  Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, carried about 4 thousand kilograms of ready to eat military rations and medical supplies for Haiti’s earthquake victims on their Boeing 7-0-7.  The Travolta’s also brought with them doctors and Scientology ministers.

New report this morning says Vancouver was the world’s least affordable housing market last year.  A group looked at nearly 300 metropolitan housing markets in this country, the U.S., Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.  Toronto by the way, was branded severely unaffordable, while Montreal and Calgary were classified as seriously unaffordable.

The Liberals and the NDP are joining forces to make sure the Prime Minister doesn’t shut down Parliament again.  Yesterday, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced his party’s proposal for changing the parliamentary rules on proroguing.  Harper recently shut down Parliament until March 3^rd, a move the opposition says was made so he could avoid getting grilled in the House on various issues.

A new survey this morning suggests Canadians believe violent hits to the head are premeditated and avoidable in hockey.  The poll found that sentiment is strongest in Quebec with 80 per cent of people their agreeing.  Just a few days before the survey was conducted a Quebec junior hockey player elbowed an opposing player in the head, sending him into convulsions on the ice. 

A new study this morning suggests its never to late to start pumping iron.  University of B.C. researchers studied 155 elderly women, and they found that those assigned to a year of once or twice weekly weight training showed a sharp improvement in cognitive ability.  The study also found lifting weights improved their strength and mobility.

Thanks to yesterday’s storm, there’s now some major plowing underway.  The city will continue to clear snow on major streets as well as backlanes and sidewalks for the rest of the week.  And, until further notice, there’s a major snowfall parking ban in place, city wide.  That ban will stay in place until plowing is completed.

School Closures………….

Seine River division

Lord Selkirk

Red River Valley

Hanover

Sunrise

Pine Creek

Lakeshore

Borderland

Evergreen

Phoenix school in Headingly

Louis Riel division….schools open, buses not running

River East-Transcona….schools open, buses not running

A weekend traffic accident southeast of the city, has left 12 children orphaned.  The accident claimed the lives of 38 year old David Dik and his 35 year old wife, Elisabeth.  Their car smashed head on into an SUV on Saturday.  RCMP say slippery road conditions definitely played a role.  As well the couple were not wearing seat belts.

Well what a difference a couple of days can make.  After basking in above normal temperatures all of last week, winter is back with a blast today.  The weather office says blizzard conditions will be with us all day today.  That has caused call kinds of problems on many highways around southern Manitoba.  Highway one west is closed from Headingly to Portage, and will probably stay that way for quite some time, given the forecast.  The blizzard conditions should be gone by tomorrow.

Officials from around the world are meeting in Montreal today to get the ball rolling on a long term plan for rebuilding Haiti.  Foreign Ministers from 12 nations, including the U.S. and France, will attend the conference.  20 Canadians are now confirmed dead in the earthquake with more than 200 still unaccounted for.  Meantime, Canadian military personnel in Haiti say aid is slowly flowing to those who need it.

The Liberals and the NDP are hoping to ride the political momentum generated by weekend protests across the country, against the suspension of parliament.  The 2 opposition parties are returning to Parliament Hill today, even though the House of Commons will stay shut until early March.  Both groups say they want to put a spotlight on Prime Minister Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament.

A big Ooops !  A notable painting by Picasso is in need of repair after a visitor to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, lost her balance and struck it.  The museum says the accident caused a vertical tear in the lower right hand corner of “The Actor,” a painting done by the genius more than 100 years ago.  On a positive note though, museum officials say the damage didn’t affect the painting’s focal point.

Seems that no one’s safe from being summoned to do jury duty….not even President Barack Obama.  The U.S. President was summoned for jury duty at a Chicago courthouse.  The summons was sent to Obama’s home in Chicago.  White House officials say, the President is currently tied up with other issues and won’t be able to serve.

Some good news for expectant mothers today.  A 3^rd birthing center will open in the city by next year.  The new center in St. Vital will be able to handle up to 500 births annually when it opens by the middle of next year.  8 midwives will work out of the facility.

Yesterday, we told you about UFC Champ Brock Lesnar, and his beef with the quality of care he received at Brandon General Hospital last year.  Well today, Health Minister Theresa Oswald is comin out swingin.  She says both Brandon’s facility and its staff are first rate, and that Lesnar’s comments were way off.  She went on to say that if Lesnar is considered a celebrity, then the bar for fame is set pretty low.  Oswald says she takes every patient’s concerns seriously, but this one, she’ll take with a grain of salt.

Some people may like the warm January weather and lack of snow, but there are others who sure don’t.  Snowmobilers are having a tough time sledding these days, thanks to the lack of snow.  And dealers who sell the machine’s say sales are down almost 30 per cent.  That being said though, there is a Colorado Low coming for the weekend, which should dump at least 15 c.m.

If you turn on the t.v. tonight, chances are you’ll end up seeing George Clooney’s telethon for Haiti relief.  All 3 major Canadian networks will air the show, as well as every major network in the U.S.  The 2 hour event will start at 7 this evening, and will feature a full slate of musicians, actors and politicians.

Toyota is recalling more than 2.3 million vehicles in this country and the U.S.  It’s because a gas pedal mechanism wears down, and could cause the accelerator to become stuck. 

The Olympic torch is into the home stretch from Alberta into B.C. at Kicking Horse Pass.  It was received yesterday by B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono, who said his stomach was knotted up like it was the Grey Cup game.  The torch heads through the B.C. interior before traveling by ferry to Vancouver.  That’s where the Winter Games open in exactly 3 weeks.

Well after all the battling for the past 10 days or so, tonight will be Conan O’Brien’s last night as host of the “Tonight Show.”  NBC is giving O’Brien a severance package of 45 million…..33 million for him, and 12 million to be divided among his staff of about 200.  The package also allows him to work for another network as soon as September.  On March 1^st, Jay Leno returns as “Tonight Show” host, a job he had for 17 years before O’Brien took over 8 months ago.

Would ya like a piece of aviation history?  Might be a little tough to get in the backyard but…..the jetliner which splash landed in the Hudson River in New York City a year ago, is on the auction block.  The insurance company says the U.S. Airways jet does have severe water damage, and impact damage to its belly.  Bidding on the A-320, minus its 2 engines, will end on March 27^th.

A spokesperson for city police says there’s been an increase in the number of assaults on officers involving bear spray.  In the latest incident, a 35 year old officer ended up in hospital after getting hit with the spray while trying to arrest a suspect.  The officer had to be taken to hospital for decontamination…but fortunately, his injuries are not believed to be serious.

Plans to extend the city’s river trail are now on hold.  That’s thanks to a new surface pond which stretches from Omand’s creek to Canora Street.  The pond was created because of a pressure point, where ice literally got popped out and water started running.

UFC champion Brock Lesnar has got a beef with our health care system.  During a conference call yesterday, Lesnar slammed the treatment, or lack of, that he got last November, after being rushed to hospital in Brandon.  He and his brother had apparently been hunting in the area when Brock fell ill.  He ended up at Brandon General Hospital, where his condition was diagnosed correctly…..diverticulitis…..but, Lesnar says he had to get out of there quickly since things like the hospital’s CT scan was not working.  Lesnar by the way is on the mend….and does expect to get back into the ring.

It’s time to look at “Plan B” when it comes to snow on Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain.  Officials say neither Mother Nature nor science is going to be able to provide enough snow in time for scheduled freestyle or snowboarding events on the mountain next month.  So, contingency plans are now being rolled out.  They include, using more straw and wood to build the base of the course, and using helicopters and trucks to bring in snow from elsewhere on the mountain.

It’s been nearly 2 months since the world’s top golfer was seen in public.  And even though reports have placed Tiger Woods from Arizona to Africa, no one has been able to come up with a photo to prove it.  But, celebrity website, “radar-online-dot-com” says the next issue of the National Enquirer will feature photos of Tiger at a sexual addiction rehab clinic in Mississippi.  The rag-mag, has 8 pictures of the troubled golfer…apparently.  If they’re authentic, they’d be the first photo’s of Woods since November 27^th, when he crashed his SUV outside of his Florida home.

Major stroller recall to tell ya about today.  About 1.5 million Graco strollers sold at places like Wal-Mart, are being recalled after some children’s fingertips were literally amputated by hinges on the products.  The strollers were sold between October of 2004 and December of last year.  If you have one the affected strollers, you’re asked to contact the company for a free repair kit.

More than a week after Haiti’s earthquake, international rescuers continue to search the ruins for survivors….and there’s good reason.  Yesterday, a severely dehydrated 5 year boy was found by relatives in the wreckage of his home…a full 8 days after the killer quake hit.  He’s now said to be recovering well.  Meantime, Ottawa says the confirmed Canadian death toll from the quake still stands at 13, with another 479 still unaccounted for.

Well one good thing about all this warm weather, and melting of snow….this year’s flood forecast is lookin pretty good.  Of course last year, Fargo and parts of southern Manitoba were hit by near record water levels in the spring.  But this year, analysts say the ground is much drier than it was last winter, and we have had, so far, less snow….so, that’s making things look pretty good and stable for the spring.

A U of M researcher wants to see VLT’s taken out of bars, restaurants, lounges and legions.  Tracie Afifi says she’s found VLT’s to be the biggest problem for Canadian women with a gambling addiction, ranking ahead of lotteries, bingo’s, instant scratch tickets or horse racing.  Afifi says the biggest benefit of gambling revenue is for the government…and as a result, her idea will probably never happen.

A 38 year old doctor from Pinawa is continuing to see patients even though he’s been charged with sexually assaulting a woman during an examination.  An official with the College of Physicians and Surgeons says that since he’s presumed innocent until proven otherwise, the doctor is continuing to practice, although a female attendant is required to be present at all times.

So are ya an Air Miles collector?  If so, you might want to check into using your stored miles ASAP.  The company that runs the program announced yesterday that big changes are coming.  It’s now gonna cost you more miles to fly for free.  As of the middle of February, there will be an average increase of 8 per cent.  A spokesperson says the jump is a result in higher travel costs.

Here’s some good news for those flyin south.  After nearly a month of super tight restrictions, Ottawa is relaxing its rules concerning what U.S. bound travelers can take on the plane with them.  Passengers flying to the States will now be allowed to take one carry on bag onboard….along with a purse, or laptop, or briefcase.  The changes by the way take effect today at all Canadian airports.

More rescues in Haiti…..a full week after the magnitude 7 earthquake leveled much of the country.  A young woman was pulled from the rubble of collapsed building in Port Au Prince late last night.  And a 69 year old woman was also pulled out alive yesterday. 

In Haiti, global government and relief agencies continue to struggle to get help to the thousands of survivors.  Medical groups, like Doctors Without Borders, are expressing frustration about delays keeping them from getting desperately needed supplies. 

The Canadian death toll from last Tuesday’s earthquake is now believed to be 14, with 655 others still unaccounted for.  It’s risen with news that 2 Quebec women working for the U.N. have been found dead.  Meantime, authorities in Haiti say close to 100 survivors have been pulled from destroyed buildings by rescue teams since the quake. 

Huge election with huge results in the U.S. yesterday.  Ted Kennedy’s former U.S. Senate seat has gone to a Republican.  In a stunning loss for the Democrats, Republican Scott Brown came away with the win.  The Democratic loss leaves President Barack Obama scrambling to save his health care overhaul plan, now that Republicans have enough votes in the Senate to block it.

It’s a pound to podium dream for a dog from Manitoba who’s earned a trip to Vancouver for the Olympics.  Flash will sniff for explosives in Vancouver after a whirlwind 15 months that saw him go from a shelter near Steinbach to a job as a trained bomb hunter.  Trainer Cliff Samson and the former stray dog will be at the games for the next 6 weeks, providing security for global VIP’s.

The provincial Tories say Manitoba Hydro shouldn’t be allowed to increase its rates until the utility can explain why they want to.  Hydro will appear before the Public Utilities Board today, asking for an increase of almost 6 per cent over 2 years.  That by the way, would work out to about 50 cents extra a month for the average home owner.

Some are not gonna like this news.  The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the City should quit paying firefighters and paramedics for a career’s worth of unused sick days.  A federation spokesperson says the practice costs two million dollars a year.  But, the firefighters union says the sick day payout is really a form of early retirement money, paid to firefighters too sick or injured to keep working.

So we finally have some answers to what exactly happened yesterday with water and power around town.  Apparently, thanks to a minor car accident in St. Boniface which toppled a power line, the Goulet substation had what officials call a power bump.  That then set off a chain of events which ended with all 3 of the city’s water station’s not functioning and power out to a good chunk of old St. Boniface.  Both hydro and the city are now conducting investigations.

The scope of the Haitian earthquake catastrophe has certainly widened, but today comes with new potential for reinforcements to help with security and disaster relief.  The United Nations Security Council is expected to approve additional peacekeeping forces.  One thousand more Canadian soldiers are set to arrive this week, adding to the many other foreign troops, police and search experts already there.  Also, now that Canadian warships have arrived offshore, equipment and personnel can be unloaded, and its work can finally begin.

It seems nothing is immune to getting lost by an airline.  Not even hockey’s prized Stanley Cup !  The Cup is back where it belongs today, after it was shipped to the wrong city by an Air Canada employee on Sunday.  Hockey Hall of Fame employee, Mike Bolt, who accompanies the Cup on its travels, says he noticed there were 2 cities on the cup’s baggage tag, but thought all would be fine.  That is until he arrived in Vancouver, and the Cup went to Toronto.

Political pundits had said the federal cabinet was going to be “tweaked” today, as the feds kind of recalibrate themselves amid an improving economy.  But new reports this morning say, Prime Minister Harper is about to make more than just some minor changes in shuffling his inner circle.  Sources say 8 to 10 ministers will be on the move today.

Authorities now estimate the number of dead in Haiti from last week’s earthquake could be 200 thousand….double the previous best guess.  It’s also left almost 2 million others homeless.  12 Canadians have been confirmed dead from the quake, and Foreign Affairs says 849 are still unaccounted for.  Despite the arrival of foreign troops and aid, the unmet needs of hundreds of thousands grow by the hour.  Injured survivors are dying in the streets, doctors are begging for help, and looters are tearing at one another for basic necessities.