Leons Headlines Jan 5: Westman faces a warm, foggy week with freezing drizzle, reduced visibility & slippery roads, as daytime highs climb 10 degrees above normal until Sunday.
-Brandon fire crews responded to 2 weekend structure fires, destroying the Full Tilt Towing shop Saturday & damaging a vacant home Sunday on 6th with no injuries reported.
-PMH announced Brielle, born at 1:16 am Jan 1 to Virden parents Kendra Henry & Aaron Dayton, as BRHC’s 2026 New Year’s baby.
-7 new physicians have signed on for at least 4 years and will begin by fall in Killarney, Minnedosa, Ste. Rose, Russell, Rossburn & Shoal Lake, including a husband-and-wife team in Killarney.
-Brandon considers a 12-week pilot that would expand organic waste collection to 120 apartments & multi-unit homes.
-Manitobans should expect higher cabin & home insurance premiums in 2026 after a 2025 fire season that destroyed at least 130 properties in the province.
-Venezuelans in MB quietly celebrate capture of Maduro as others question if a US intervention was necessary.
-Canadian endocrinologists say generic Ozempic is nearing approval in Canada promising cheaper access to diabetes & weight-loss drugs.
-Czechs eliminate Canada for 3rd straight year at world juniors 6-4. Czech Republic to play Sweden in gold-medal final, Canadians face Finland for bronze.
BABIES and MORE BABIES! As the BRHC welcomes Virden’s Brielle Eva Dayton as 2026 New Year’s Baby, here are the top Baby Names in Manitoba. Manitoba’s most popular baby names for 2025 are out, and some longtime favourites are holding strong. A few surprise newcomers are also climbing fast—would you name your kid one of these?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/top-baby-names-for-manitoba-in-2025-released
Maduro Arrested… and Becomes a Fashion Icon?! After his arrest, images of Maduro have gone viral for all the wrong—and strangely stylish—reasons. Meanwhile, political instability is also disrupting travel across parts of the Caribbean.
Local Movie Heads to Festivals. A locally made film, Princess & the Dragon, is heading to the festival circuit. We’ve got a first look at the trailer, and it’s already turning heads. Local film maker Miles Crossman says it’s currently being submitted to festivals, and will go into wider release in April!
M&M Café in Benito Sold for $1. The M&M Café in Benito has reportedly sold for just one dollar. No, Costco didn’t buy it—but the real buyer and plan might surprise you.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/manitoba-business-on-the-market-for-1-has-been-sold
Stranger Things Dominated Holiday Screens. Big screens and small were taken over by Stranger Things this holiday season. Did you watch—and did it live up to the hype?
Keto Day — Is It Safe? Keto Day encourages people to go ultra-low carb for quick results. But is it actually healthy—or just another diet fad with risks?
