A rural fire department in Winnipeg (Canada) is getting creative in its efforts to raise money to replace two fire apparatus that have reached the end of the line – and it could mean a big win for one lucky person, winnipeg.ctvnews.ca reported.

The Winnipeg Beach Fire Department says it needs to retire its 1993 pumper and 1979 tanker, the report said.

“Help us spread the word,” Winnipeg Beach Firefighters said in a Facebook post. “This is a provincial wide lottery. Anyone in Manitoba can buy tickets. $100 a ticket for your chance to win $1,000 a week for a year. Only 2,000 tickets printed.”

Tickets can be purchased online at http://Rafflebox.ca/raffle/wbfd.

Replacing the apparatus will be around $800,000 per vehicle, the report said. The department secured a provincial grant to cover the cost of one rig, but is on the hook for the rest, according to the report. It’s a cost that would typically be covered through a tax hike, but the department wanted to avoid that.

“Winnipeg Beach Fire Department is excited to announce our Take-A-Year-Off Lottery,” the department said in a Facebook post. “Tickets are limited and proceeds will be used for the purchase of new fire trucks and other departmental equipment and supplies. It’s a great way to give back to your community with the added chance of giving back to your wallet. Thank you for supporting this event.”

The Manitoba-wide lottery comes with a grand prize of $52,000 or $1,000 a week for an entire year.

The lottery launched in mid-September, with the final draw set for Nov. 2.

The department hopes to have the new apparatus up and running by fall of 2026.

Ethan Colbert
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(TNS)

ST. CHARLES — Trouble for Jimmie Bates III started Monday morning when Bridgeton police reported finding him in a stolen truck. Within hours, he was in another — this one, investigators said, belonging to a St. Charles firefighter out on a call.

The 28-year-old was first arrested around 9:30 a.m. that day after officers spotted him in the driver’s seat of a truck that had been stolen from a Bridgeton business. Bates was taken to the St. Charles city jail on an outstanding warrant, said St. Charles City Police Detective Gage Gruenenfelder.

He was released shortly thereafter pending new charges, but Gruenenfelder said before Bates left the area trouble called to him again: Within about an hour he had walked less than 400 meters and found himself at the St. Charles City Firehouse 5 on Hawks Nest Drive.

“I don’t believe he was staking it out,” Gruenenfelder said. “I believe he was in the area of the fire department and observed that there wasn’t a fire truck there. He said he went there to get help and realized that nobody was there, so he just helped himself.”

That help, Gruenenfelder said, included stealing a St. Charles City handheld radio and several items belonging to firefighters: a GMC Sierra pickup truck, a firefighter’s jacket, AirPods, a backpack and a pair of Crocs.

Gruenenfelder said the fire station was hit while firefighters were out responding to a traffic crash.

The plainclothes detective told the Post-Dispatch he was called to investigate the firehouse burglary Monday. Instead of heading to the station, Gruenenfelder said he set out on a hunt for the suspect as the fire captain tracked his AirPods on his phone and gave the location to detectives in real-time.

The left earbud was pinging at Boone’s Colonial Inn, Gruenenfelder said. But a security guard there told him the GMC truck had left about 15 minutes ago.

The right earbud had pinged about 8 miles from its counterpart near the Northwest Airport Inn in St. Ann in the 3700 block of North Lindbergh.

Police reportedly found the stolen truck parked behind bushes and trees in the area in “an attempt to conceal it.” Gruenenfelder said they watched the car for about five minutes before they saw Bates walk to the truck and get in.

“I would like to say from the time I received the phone call to handcuffs being on Jimmie, it was about an hour and a half,” Gruenenfelder said. “Using AirPods — that was a first. It was a weird one.”

Bates was arrested shortly before midnight wearing the firefighter’s jacket and both AirPods. Bates later told Gruenenfelder that he had heard police talking about tracking him on the stolen St. Charles City handheld radio and knew they were headed his way.

Everything taken from the fire station was recovered undamaged inside the truck.

Bates told police that he knew it was wrong to take the items, and that he was only borrowing the truck, investigators said in court documents.

Bates, of St. Charles, was charged Tuesday with one count of second-degree burglary, one count of stealing a motor vehicle, and one count of stealing items valued at more than $750, related to the St. Charles thefts.

All the charges are felonies.

Police in Bridgeton are also expected to seek criminal charges against him for car theft and property damage.

Bates, who has previous convictions in Minnesota for aggravated robbery, fleeing police, and drug-related crimes, is being held at the St. Charles County Jail. St. Charles County

Associate Court Judge Dwayne Johnson has set Bates’ bond as $10,000 cash-only.

Bates has

PRESS RELEASE

SolarCraft, a premier solar energy provider with over 40 years of experience serving Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties, has successfully completed solar power installation at the Schell-Vista Fire District in Sonoma, California. The station now harnesses clean, renewable energy to reduce its carbon footprint and lower operational costs, saving close to $13,000 in annual utility bills.

Installed on the station’s standing seam roof, the newly installed solar photovoltaic system at Schell-Vista is designed to generate 49,381 kWh of clean energy annually. This system will offset nearly 85% of the station’s electricity usage, greatly reducing its dependence on expensive utility power.

This move reflects a growing shift among public entities toward renewable energy, as they adopt solar to decrease reliance on traditional power sources. By going solar, Schell-Vista Fire is setting a strong example of environmental stewardship for other public organizations.

The newly installed solar panels are expected to offset 35 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) every year. This is equivalent to removing over 88,200 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle, saving 79 barrels of oil, or the carbon sequestered by 40 acres of trees in one year.

SolarCraft is 100% employee-owned and has been one of the largest green-tech employers based in the North Bay for more than40 years.

About Schell Vista Fire Protection District
The Schell-Vista Fire Protection District was started during World War II when five farmers got together and raised enough money to purchase their first Model-A fire engine. Those same five farmers also received donations and built a station located at 2300 Broadway in the unincorporated area of Sonoma Valley. Schell-Vista officially became a fire department in 1955. Today, Schell-Vista Fire Protection District is a combination department that consists of six career employees, a volunteer fire chief, volunteer assistant chief, and a robust group of volunteers. The department provides automatic and mutual aid to Napa County, Solano County, and many districts within Sonoma County.

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The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District made the following Facebook post Monday, Oct. 1:

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re bringing it … in the form of a 44,000-pound fire engine! We know early detection saves lives, so make sure you’re scheduling your annual physicals and diagnostics when appropriate … Don’t put it off!

“Thank you to the organizations that funded the pink and blue cancer awareness engine wrap through Pro Style Wraps in Rancho Cordova. Throughout the months of October and November, the engine will travel across all five Battalions as the frontline engine responding to service calls. Crews will have the opportunity to engage in community events within our local and regional jurisdiction, collaborating with our partnering organizations; the Sacramento Kings, the City of Citrus Heights, the City of Rancho Cordova, Local 522, and the SMFFA. These partnerships are crucial for enhancing the education and cancer awareness in our community.”

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