WestCentral

Almost one in four Canadians were directly affected by extreme weather events over the past year, a new poll suggests.

The Leger poll — released as Canada copes with its second-worst wildfire season on record — says 23 per cent of Canadians who responded said they were personally affected by extreme weather events like heat waves, floods, fires and tornadoes over the last 12 months.

The Saskatchewan government is shining a spotlight on one of the province’s most precious and endangered landscapes as it marks Native Prairie Appreciation Week from June 15 to 21.

The week recognizes the vital environmental, economic and cultural importance of native prairie ecosystems across the province. This year’s observance includes a major milestone — the completion of the Prairie Landscape Inventory, a comprehensive mapping of native grasslands in Saskatchewan’s Prairie Ecozone.

After a pair of losses to start the Fertile Valley Baseball League season, the Rosetown Angels are on a three-game win streak, putting it on the line Wednesday night at home against the undefeated Oyen Eagles at 7:00 PM behind the rink.

Macklin RCMP responded to a range of calls from June 10 to 16, including incidents involving theft, harassment and impaired driving.

Officers received a complaint of theft from a motor vehicle, but were unable to proceed due to insufficient evidence. Another file involved a report of harassing communications, where members spoke to the subject and issued a verbal warning.

A complaint of assault was also received. Police interviewed both the complainant and the individual involved, but no charges were laid after the complainant chose not to proceed.

A local rural municipality saw the most notable calls looking inside the June 16 Biggar RCMP report. Of 27 total occurrences, the RM of Eagle Creek seemed to steal the show according to local Staff Sgt. Dereck Crozier.

"Our volunteer First Responders were kept busy with a single vehicle rollover on Hwy 376 through the area, when a 15-year-old from Asquith practicing driving with her mother panicked at the wheel and ended up in the ditch." shared Crozier to start the report.

A special opportunity to focus in on what the Town of Kerrobert has to offer took place back at the start of June.

Shortly after their official launch as a group, the Kerrobert Growth Investment Cooperative invited residents in for a chance to hear from their Board of Directors, and also a special guest speaker in business commentator and analyst Paul Martin on June 5.

The Sun West School Division shared some of the individual accomplishments of their athletes representing the West Central Athletics Association at track and field provincials in Moose Jaw June 6-7.

Nearly a week after a pipe bomb was found and safely dismantled in a Lloydminster backyard, RCMP continue to investigate the incident.

The device was discovered on the morning of June 12 in the backyard of a home on 41st Street near 49th Avenue. Police quickly secured the area and called in the Alberta RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit, which confirmed it was a functioning pipe bomb and rendered it safe.

Rats... I'm Cooper Douglas, and I'm wallowing in the Oilers defeat.

For a second straight year the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions, and also in a repeat of last year, they took down the Edmonton Oilers on home ice in Sunrise, Florida to finish the job.

It's a tough day for Oilers fans, and anyone who thought the cup was coming north.

It's also a great day for people cheering against the Oilers. 

Residents near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border are being urged to keep an eye on the skies Tuesday, as conditions continue to build for severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, damaging wind gusts, and even a tornado or two.

A cold front and warm-sector trough are pushing southward through the Prairie provinces, drawing moisture into southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The result? A recipe for strong storms, particularly in areas from Medicine Hat east through Maple Creek, Hannah, and Oyen.

Forecasters expect thunderstorms to develop late in the afternoon.