WestCentral

A southwest man has begun a substantial jail sentence after his sentencing this past summer on charges of sexual interference and provoking fear in a justice system participant. 

Julian Lavallee pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge O'Hanlon on the pair of charges in Swift Current Provincial Court on June 4.

The 39-year-old received a three-year jail sentence on one count and a 60-day sentence to be served consecutively on the second count.

Some stubbornness at the gas pumps pushed the headline inflation rate a couple ticks higher to 1.9 per cent in August, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

Gasoline prices rose 1.4 per cent month-over-month in August as higher refining margins offset lower crude costs, StatCan said.

The price of gas was still down 12.7 per cent annually in August – the end of the consumer carbon price has deflated costs for motorists since the spring – but the decline fell short of July’s 16.1 per cent drop, pushing the headline inflation rate higher.

Drivers travelling along Highway 4 south of Rosetown should expect delays as construction work continues in the area.

The Saskatchewan Highway Hotline says crews began work on Sept. 12 about 17 kilometres south of Rosetown. Traffic is reduced to one lane with a width restriction of 4.3 metres and a speed limit of 60 km/h.

The province is reminding motorists to slow down and use caution when passing through the work zone.

Construction is scheduled to run daily until Sept. 20, with restrictions in place at all hours.

Health-care workers in Unity are calling on the public to support them as they push for fair wages, safe staffing levels and recognition of their contributions to the system.

Jessica Raycraft, a licensed practical nurse at the Unity Health Centre and member of SEIU-West, said employees will be holding an information picket on Sept. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Co-op service station in Unity.

Testimony in an ongoing human trafficking trial in Rosetown has centred on the use of Canada’s temporary foreign worker program and the experiences of a woman at the heart of the case.

Two men, identified in court as Haider and Masum, are charged with human trafficking, while Masum also faces an additional charge of sexual assault.

Much of the testimony last week focused on the hiring process for temporary foreign workers, work permits and Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) at a restaurant in rural Saskatchewan between 2017 and 2023.

Drivers in west-central Saskatchewan can support local Special Olympics athletes at the pump next week.

The Kindersley & District Co-op will host its annual Fuel Good Day on Sept. 16, donating 10 cents from every litre of fuel sold at the Kindersley Co-op C-Store and Eatonia Farm Supply.

The fundraiser runs from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Proceeds will go toward helping athletes in the Special Olympics program.

The Rosetown Central High School senior A girls volleyball team captured first place at the Kerrobert Rebels tournament, held over two days at Kerrobert.

The round-robin tournament, which ran Sept. 12 and 13, featured teams from Kerrobert, Luseland, Rosetown, and Plenty competing for the top spot. Rosetown Central emerged victorious, earning the championship trophy and recognition for strong team play.

The Kerrobert Rebels hosted the event, providing an opportunity for local and regional high school teams to compete in a spirited, multi-day competition.

After talking up the prospect of cross-party collaboration in the House of Commons, Liberal and Conservative MPs wasted little time after Parliament resumed Monday before reverting to partisan attacks over housing and the cost of living.

The tone was set early Monday afternoon, when the first-ever question period exchange between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre began cordially before turning belligerent.

Premier Scott Moe, back in Saskatchewan after a trip to China to try and resolve a trade dispute, said Monday he’s hopeful they can find a solution.

Moe told reporters he and Prime Minister Mark Carney's parliamentary secretary Kody Blois met last week with Chinese officials who oversee an agency responsible for imposing steep tariffs on Canadian canola products. 

They also met with Li Chenggang, the international trade negotiator with China's Ministry of Commerce, and other industry officials.