Latest news with #Thiessen
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
RCMP hunt for thieves tilting at windmill
It's an item that's not easily pinched. RCMP are on the lookout for a windmill that was stolen from a southwest Manitoba property. 'I've got almost 25 years of policing, and this is the first time I've ever investigated a stolen windmill,' said Sgt. Darcy Thiessen. SUPPLIED The windmill was stolen from the Rural Municipality of Grey in early July. He expects the thieves would have needed a trailer to take it away. 'It definitely would be hard to hide, and you're not just going to transport it on the back of a pickup truck,' he said. The theft, which happened more than six kilometres southwest of Elm Creek in the Rural Municipality of Grey, was reported to police on the morning of July 7. The windmill, which is worth $3,500, is believed to have been stolen between July 4 and July 6. It's nearly 7 metres tall and weighs roughly 113 kilograms. Thiessen said it's used to aerate ponds so fish and other wildlife have enough oxygen. So far, no leads have turned up. 'If you'd see this windmill strapped on the back of a trailer, a lot of people wouldn't think anything of it because a lot of people can purchase these at auctions and other places,' he said. 'It's not like it would like stick out or look out of the ordinary.' Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Thiessen said that while it might be 'kind of neat' to have, there's not much value in it. It's not easy to pawn and it's not worth selling as scrap metal because there's not much steel on the structure, he said. Julia Webber, owner of Ontario-based Fish Farm Supply Co., which sells windmills across Canada, said this is first time she's heard about a windmill being stolen. She said it's common for the windmills to be reinforced by pounding spikes nearly one metre into the ground — making the theft even more baffling. RCMP asked anyone with information about the theft to call Carman RCMP at 204-745-6760 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Los Angeles Times
26-06-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Cargo ship carrying new vehicles to Mexico sinks in the North Pacific weeks after catching fire
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A cargo ship that had been delivering new vehicles to Mexico sank in the North Pacific Ocean, weeks after crew members abandoned ship when they couldn't extinguish an onboard fire that left the carrier dead in the water. The Morning Midas sank Monday in international water off Alaska's Aleutian Islands chain, the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, said in a statement. 'There is no visible pollution,' said Petty Officer Cameron Snell, an Alaska-based U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson. 'Right now we also have vessels on scene to respond to any pollution.' Fire damage compounded by bad weather and water seepage caused the carrier to sink in waters about 16,404 feet deep and about 415 miles from land, the statement said. The ship was loaded with about 3,000 new vehicles intended for a major Pacific port in Mexico. It was not immediately clear if any of the cars were removed before it sank, and Zodiac Maritime did not immediately respond to messages Tuesday. A salvage crew arrived days after the fire disabled the vehicle. Two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment will remain on scene to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris, the company said. The crew members of those two ships were not injured when the Morning Midas sank. Zodiac Maritime said it is also sending another specialized pollution response vessel to the location as an added precaution. The Coast Guard said it received a distress alert June 3 about a fire aboard the Morning Midas, which then was roughly 300 miles southwest of Adak Island. There were 22 crew members onboard the Morning Midas. All evacuated to a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby merchant marine vessel. There were no injuries. Among the cars were about 70 fully electric and about 680 hybrid vehicles. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles, the Coast Guard and Zodiac Maritime said at the time. Adak is about 1,200 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The 600-foot Morning Midas was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The car and truck carrier left Yantai, China, on May 26 en route to Mexico, according to the industry site A Dutch safety board in a recent report called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire aboard a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. One person was killed and others injured in the fire, which burned out of control for a week. That ship was eventually towed to a Netherlands port for salvage. Thiessen writes for the Associated Press.
Global News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
The Calgary Party proposes ‘no rough sleeping' zone around Stephen Avenue
One of Calgary's main political parties running a slate of candidates in the upcoming municipal election is proposing rules prohibiting overnight camping or rough sleeping near Stephen Avenue. The policy is part of an overall safety platform unveiled this week by The Calgary Party, led by mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen. The platform suggests the party would create 'no overnight sleeping zones,' and 'enforce rules prohibiting overnight camping or rough sleeping within a two to three block radius of Stephen Avenue.' 'These are human beings who feel unsafe, and so they sleep in public places so that they will feel safe from an overdose, from theft,' Thissen said Friday. 'That's overlapping with business owners and the public who want to enjoy these public spaces.' The rules around rough sleeping are limited in Calgary, with a section of the city's Parks and Pathways Bylaw that deals with camping/erecting camping tents in a park. Story continues below advertisement According to a city spokesperson, their Vulnerable Persons Team works with partner agencies to help people experiencing homelessness in finding a safe space to transition and out of the elements. In an interview with Global News, Thiessen said the party's platform focuses on providing housing first to address homelessness. 'You've housed people, you're treating them for mental health and addiction issues, and then you can get to the part which a lot of people start with, which is we want to get people off the streets,' he said. The party's downtown policy also includes measures to increase police presence downtown, crackdown on open drug use, panhandling near roadways, loitering in transit areas, and an expansion of mental health and addictions support. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's always tricky because you don't want to layer on tickets and fines to the unhoused and make it impossible for them to dig their way out,' Thiessen said. 'That discussion about bylaws has to happen in conjunction with community courts.' Wendy Irvine, who runs the Unicorn Pub on Stephen Avenue, told Global News her staff experiences social disorder issues daily. When asked about The Calgary Party's proposal, Irvine said she is supportive of cleaning up Stephen Avenue, but wonders about the impact. Story continues below advertisement 'Totally enforce it, but where are they moving into? For us at the Unicorn, we have the back alley, and that's where they all go,' she said. Global News reached out to several local homelessness advocates but did not hear back. The proposal echoes a letter, obtained by Global News, from 18 downtown business and property owners sent to the mayor, premier, city council, the province as well as municipal election candidates. View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen Previous Image Next Image Close Modal Gallery 'When will we take action to address what those who live here already know — that Calgary is no longer the clean, safe and welcoming city of which we have always been so proud,' the letter said. Story continues below advertisement The letter recommends several proposals to expand permanent day and night shelter for the unhoused, improve safety in the downtown core and along Stephen Avenue, and reform of municipal bylaws to make it easier to enforce expectations of behaviour in public spaces. A 'no rough sleeping' zone around Stephen Avenue is also amongst the proposals. 'The amount of damages and things that we have been seeing and witnessing comes on the burden of obviously the building owners, but that gets transferred down to the tenants,' said Mark Garner with the Calgary Downtown Association. 'We can't just replace windows in one of the businesses down here and two weeks later it's broken. We've got to do something different.' According to the most recent citizen satisfaction survey, 94 per cent of respondents agree that the city should be doing more to address safety issues in Calgary's downtown. In its latest State of the Downtown report, the city noted calls for downtown safety response by peace officers, security guards and community partners are down 12 per cent since last April. Calgarians head to the polls in the next municipal election on Oct. 20.
Hamilton Spectator
03-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
PA Day Fun and Fire Safety: LaSalle Firefighters Invite You for Freezies and Family-Friendly Learning
Looking for a fun and free way to spend your PA Day? The LaSalle Fire Service is inviting families and community members to stop by for a cool treat and an important conversation about summer fire safety. On Friday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the LaSalle Fire Service headquarters, located at 1900 Normandy St., will open its doors to the public for a special community engagement event: Freezie with a Firefighter. Visitors of all ages are welcome to enjoy a freezie, tour the fire hall, explore a fire truck up close, and meet the firefighters who help keep the community safe year-round. 'Summer is a fun season, but it's important to ensure you and your family are safe while taking in all that the warm months have to offer,' said Fire Chief Ed Thiessen. 'Come on by, have a treat, and let's talk fire safety.' Firefighters will be on site to share tips and answer questions on a range of topics including: Children will also receive activity sheets and fire safety materials to take home, and families are encouraged to take photos during their visit. 'This event is a great opportunity to learn, ask questions, and become more familiar with our local emergency services,' Thiessen added. 'Building relationships with our community helps make LaSalle safer for everyone.' Whether you're stopping by for a freezie or a fire truck selfie, the LaSalle Fire Service looks forward to welcoming you. For more information, visit the LaSalle Fire Service website or follow them on social media for updates. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
03-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Gopher dynasty
Four years and three championships for Jackson Thiessen and the Garden City Gophers, who won yet another MHSAA Baseball Provincial Championship this past weekend. For the Grade 12 student, Thiessen has seen his team make it to at least the semifinals four years in a row, their only provincials loss coming last year against the Garden Valley Zodiacs in a tight 3-2 game. But the Gophers can't seem to stay away from gold for long, defeating the Steinbach Regional Sabres 13-1 at Stonewall Quarry Park on Saturday. Donnie Smith Photo Grade 12 Jackson Thiessen has three championships with the Garden City Gophers. 'I wanted to end it on a good note,' said Thiessen. 'Winning it all and to actually come out on top meant a lot more to me because it's my last year there, and it just makes the win so much more memorable.' Donnie Smith, who has been coaching with the Gophers for over 15 years, attributed the depth of his team to their success. 'We could juggle the lineup if I wanted to and feel comfortable with it,' said Smith. 'There's a threat at any hitting position. And then our pitching depth was probably a little stronger than most teams.' The bats were clearly hot, looking at their dominant 13-run win against Steinbach, but Smith also credited his team's defence — which was solid all weekend — as a key factor in their championship run. 'The confidence and ability to overcome obstacles and adversity with this group, and the leadership group has been awesome,' said Smith. 'We were down in the quarterfinal against (co-op) Birtle for a little bit, and there was really no panic that set in.' Donnie Smith Photo Garden City Gophers outfielder Jacob Chaytor For Smith, a big part of the season beyond capturing the championship was seeing the players grow closer as a group. 'For me, whether we won or lost, it was more about building a bit of friendship here, and having kids be involved with the program that have never played baseball before learn from our depth guys,' he said. Thiessen echoed that sentiment, saying team chemistry this year was off the charts. 'Everyone was super close,' said Thiessen. 'Even the guys that wouldn't get as much playing time were always loud on the bench… We were never down on ourselves, we were always picking each other up.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Thiessen played a big role in the 2023 provincials, delivering a walk-off grand slam to win it all for the Gophers in his Grade 10 year, a moment he called one of his favourites with the team. Cassidy Dankochik / THE CARILLON Lincoln Carriere pitched a complete game for Garden City, allowing only two hits from the Steinbach Regional Sabres. 'Overall, as a team, I'd say my favourite part was just being able to hang out with the guys and have fun,' he added. The centre fielder will head west in the fall, committed to Okanagan College in B.C., where he'll continue his baseball career. The Gophers, who had 10 Grade 11 players this year, will hope to follow in Thiessen's footsteps and win it all in their final year next season to keep the dynasty going. Donnie Smith Photo Garden City Gophers pitcher Brennan Veldkamp
