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Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Route-and-branch transit overhaul maps city's devolution
Opinion 10 Wolseley. 11 Portage. 12 William. 14 Ellice. 15 Mountain. 16 Osborne. 17 MacGregor. 18 Corydon. 19 Notre Dame. 20 Academy… Until this week, I hadn't realized I could recite just about the full set of Winnipeg Transit routes and numbers by memory. Alas, this newly discovered party trick is destined to go unused as we bury these routes with the streetcar tracks they were originally designed to follow, the veins through a city that are remnants of a time when a much more closely-packed citizenry all needed the same things, and all of which were available in the heart of the city. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES The revamped routes seek to deliver better commute times and less waiting to transfer in an effort to draw more users, but the Transit overhaul fails to give dedicated car users reason to get out of their vehicles. I have mixed feelings about this evolution. Obviously, changes are needed to transit. Declining ridership and rising safety issues are clear indicators that it's not fulfilling its role of getting us where we need to go. But the days of jumping on the bus for all of our needs are behind us. Even if we wanted to go shopping downtown, we largely couldn't, as there's nowhere left to shop. A short walk down Portage or Graham will yield empty shopfront after empty shopfront. The mammoth department stores of two generations ago are gone, and many of the destinations that would have drawn us are now parking lots haunted by the ghosts of Winnipeggers past and the cars of Winnipeg present. I'm worried our transit overhaul reflects our devolution, instead of our evolution, as a city. It seems to be a reflection and acceptance of our problematic sprawl. With nothing to bump into on the outside margins of our town, we have nothing stopping us from expanding ever outward, trenching new sewer lines and paving new roads while the older ones rot and crumble, building new houses while addresses in older neighbourhoods are left as burnt skeletons or piles of rubble for months on end. Transit has been slow to extend service into newer areas, and inhabitants have been slow to adopt transit as a way to get around. While in some ways this redesign feels like an admission of defeat, a commitment to a future of further sprawl, it does give hope that somewhere in Winnipeg, someone involved in planning is acknowledging we cannot go on just waiting for our boomtown days to come back while more and more of our citizenry are making homes along river banks. Transit has been slow to extend service into newer areas, and inhabitants have been slow to adopt transit as a way to get around. In a rare example of cross-sector co-ordination, there are a few examples of this novel forward-thinking mindset. The city is looking at adding housing along the new 'spine' routes, even incorporating residential units into transit infrastructure. The lofty plans for Graham Avenue — a pedestrian mall and shopping district — promise to bring people downtown to socialize, shop and dine. The new routes promise quicker commutes, better coverage and short waits for transfers — all good reasons to pull someone onto the bus who hasn't considered it in some time. All in all, it's a noble effort to make a rare and radical change to Winnipeg's public services in an effort to actually serve the needs of the citizenry. But it's not going to work. These noble 'pull' reasons to take the bus will fail if there aren't balanced and co-ordinated 'push' incentives to get people out of their cars. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. We cannot simply emphasize the perks of taking the bus without also making driving more unattractive, and we are a woefully car-committed city. We cannot simply emphasize the perks of taking the bus without also making driving more unattractive, and we are a woefully car-committed city. The fact we're still entertaining the thought of widening Kenaston Boulevard is clear communication from the city itself that we don't believe in public transit to move people. No, we must make way for more cars instead. It's cars that move people in Winnipeg. And it's cars that occupy the ever-expanding network of surface parking lots in our downtown: cheap, plentiful spaces have made driving to work easy and comfortable. Why would anyone take the bus where there is very little advantage? Transit is not just failing because the product itself isn't working well. It's failing because our city has planned for it to fail. There is no outcome for transit, in the current design of this city, that will strengthen its utility and usage, because we haven't considered factors beyond the service itself. It's clear the reliability and safety of transit must be improved, and some of that will be addressed by the changes that go into effect tomorrow, but until the infrastructure surrounding car use makes it preferable, I can't imagine I'll be memorizing many new route numbers. Rebecca Chambers Rebecca explores what it means to be a Winnipegger by layering experiences and reactions to current events upon our unique and sometimes contentious history and culture. Her column appears alternating Saturdays. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Chicago Tribune
21 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Former Portage firefighter accused of $93,000 in pay fraud
A former Portage firefighter faces felony charges that accuse him of using a cellphone payroll app to falsely claim $93,001.11 in pay he didn't earn over four years. William Thomas Lundy III, 25, of Michigan City, was charged Thursday with two Level 5 felonies of fraud and theft. He was booked into Porter County Jail late Thursday night and has since bonded out, according to jail records. Lundy left the Portage Fire Department in April, city records show. He is the son of Bill Lundy, a retired Portage Fire Department employee who served as chief from 2006 to 2009. A probable cause statement filed in Porter Superior Court outlines how Lundy's former supervisors at the Portage Fire Department and the Portage Police Department discovered the fraudulent scheme. One of Lundy's former colleagues in January happened to be perusing the Indiana Gateway website to see the pay of various city employees. The website is an online portal for municipal finances, including salaries. When he happened to see that Lundy's pay was comparable to other firefighters, suspicions were raised because he knew as a fellow paramedic, that Lundy hadn't worked a significant amount of overtime. A check of the master work schedule confirmed that Lundy had worked 72 overtime hours in 2024. The man expressed his concern to Lundy, who allowed him to look at the Automatic Data Payroll (ADP) app on his phone, according to court records. The colleague then compared the department's timecard to three or four ADP pay documents and noticed the overtime hours claimed didn't match the Portage Fire Department schedule. It was estimated that Lundy had earned between $25,000 and $30,000 more than what he was entitled. When confronted about the overpayment, Lundy replied that the pay seemed normal to him. Lundy then approached Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Himan and asked if he was in trouble. Himan stated that the matter was being investigated, and there would be no issue unless he did something intentionally wrong regarding his overpayment. The investigation found that Lundy had used the unique personal employee number from his ADP payroll app, and some of his work hours submitted didn't match those authorized by Portage Fire Department personnel, charging documents state. Portage Police Detective Robert Shrader and Chief City Clerk Carrie Belt then compared records of the hours Lundy submitted on his ADP app with hours on the master schedule. As a result, it was found that starting in 2022, Lundy allegedly claimed 554 hours he didn't work for additional pay of $16,599.40. That amount grew to 1,182 hours fraudulently claimed in 2023, when he collected $36.404.45. Last year, Lundy was accused of claiming 1,072 additional hours that resulted in $39,018.87 collected. This year, Lundy had collected $978.39 in unauthorized pay. As an extra step, the work schedules were examined to see if Lundy had happened to trade shifts with a fellow firefighter. A check of the department logs found that he wasn't listed on calls of service for the days that he falsely claimed to be working on his payroll app.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stryker receives FDA clearance for Incompass Total Ankle System
Streamlining total ankle replacement with data-driven implants and surgical flexibility PORTAGE, Mich., June 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stryker (NYSE:SYK), a global leader in medical technologies, announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the Incompass® Total Ankle System, an implant intended for patients with ankle joints damaged by severe rheumatoid, post-traumatic, or degenerative arthritis. This new platform integrates the innovative technologies of Stryker's Inbone® and Infinity® systems into a single, comprehensive solution for total ankle replacement. "Incompass reflects our commitment to redefining what's possible in total ankle replacement," said Adam Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Stryker's Foot & Ankle business. "By building on decades of clinical experience and leveraging extensive data insights, we're setting a new standard—one that empowers surgeons to deliver more personalized care with greater efficiency and confidence." Incompass incorporates Adaptis® Boney Ingrowth Technology and redesigned instrumentation to support long-term fixation, surgical flexibility and streamlined workflow. Developed to address key challenges in total ankle replacement, including intraoperative adaptability and procedural efficiency, the system is informed by data from more than 85,000 CT scans¹ and 100,000 clinical cases.¹ It also offers a broad range of implant and instrumentation options to support patient-specific care. Built using the Stryker Orthopaedic Modeling & Analytics (SOMA) platform in combination with arthritic ankle scans from the company's Prophecy Surgical Planning System, Incompass provides a continuum of implant and instrument options designed to accommodate both surgeon preference and patient anatomy. System enhancements include a redesigned alignment system for greater control across multiple planes, updated implant holders and trial tools for improved handling, and instrumentation refinements designed to reduce surgical steps and set up time. About Stryker Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies and, together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. The company offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. More information is available at Copyright © 2025 StrykerContent ID: FA-INCO-PRESS-2016296 References:1. Based on internal data as of 5/1/2025. View source version on Contacts Media contact Sampson Public Relations GroupAndrea SampsonPresident/CEO asampson@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Portage High School ballfields could get names to honor coaches
Portage High School's football field and baseball diamond could be getting new names to honor longtime coaches. Frank Hobart asked the Portage Township School Board on Monday to rename the football field Les Klein Field. It was good timing. School Board President Andy Maletta had sent a message to Superintendent Amanda Alaniz a week prior suggesting it would mean a lot to rename that field for Klein while he's still alive. 'I think it would be a great honor for him,' Maletta said, along with others who attended PHS during Klein's tenure. Hobart, a member of the coaching staff and faculty and Portage, attended Michigan City's Elston High School, playing Portage teams twice. He called them tough and fair. 'You knew you were in for a battle,' he said. 'Go Big Red' on the football field represents the school color, but honoring Klein would be better, Hobart said. The ceremony could happen when Portage faces Hobart High School's Brickies, 'a longtime nemesis, longtime rival,' he said. PHS Indians from the past would want to attend. 'Hollywood, right, makes movies about this stuff,' Hobart said. In July, Alaniz said, she planned to ask the board to consider not only renaming the football field for Klein but also the baseball diamond for longtime coach Larry Casbon. In other business Monday, the School Board kept prices intact for adult meals at the district's schools. Breakfast will remain $2.85 and lunch $5. 'The increase is usually minor,' board Vice President Wilma Vazquez said, but she's pleased to see it unchanged. The school calendar for next year was tweaked, too, to move a scheduled day off to April 3 instead of April 17. 'Moving forward, it will always be whatever day Good Friday falls on,' Alaniz said. The board also made tweaks to the student/parent handbook. Vazquez asked about the grace period for parents to provide proof of residence. They have 45 days to provide those documents, Alaniz said, and get a 15-day notice when time is running short. Alananiz praised school secretaries, who 'play a very big role in helping us track that down.' The board also approved three of four new contracts for support personnel. The transportation workers are still negotiating terms of their contract. Food service workers gain a $100 clothing allowance to buy nonslip shoes, and custodians can get paid time off in hourly increments so they don't need to take an entire day off for issues like doctor appointments, Alaniz said. Support staff who serve as substitute teachers will get $25 for a half day and $50 for a full day. If they are posted outside to supervise students, either boarding or getting off a bus or overseeing recess, they will get $100 for weather gear. 'You are an integral part of the school system,' Maletta said. 'Without these groups, we cannot function,' Vazquez said. 'Our children would not be able to get the education they need.' Alaniz thanked the United Steelworkers teams who have been working since January on these contracts for negotiating in good faith. 'I want to encourage them to relax and recharge,' she said.
Washington Post
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Carson Hocevar living the dream back home in Michigan as aggressive, headline-grabbing NASCAR driver
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of last week's race at Nashville and his aggressive style has created a buzz in a sport that traditionally has young drivers trying to find the line between aggressive and reckless driving.
