WestCentral

Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has dismissed both the conviction appeal and a sentence appeal application from a man found guilty of impersonating a police officer and criminal harassment.

In a decision released following a May 14 hearing, a three-judge panel upheld the 2024 jury conviction of Travis Patron, who confronted a woman and her young daughter outside a Saskatoon hotel, claiming he was a peace officer investigating a possible abduction.

Almost a decade after 24 Sussex Drive was abandoned as the official residence of the Canadian prime minister, taxpayers are still shelling out tens of thousands of dollars a year to maintain the vacant property, and the new prime minister has signalled he's in no rush to deal with the crumbling building.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in May that it's up to the National Capital Commission to decide what to do with 24 Sussex.

The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) is encouraging residents to name a Trusted Contact Person (TCP) as part of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, recognized globally on June 15.

A TCP is someone a person authorizes their registered financial advisor to contact in specific situations, such as if there are concerns about financial exploitation or cognitive decline.

A 19-year-old man from Onion Lake Cree Nation has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the 2024 death of a man in the Rural Municipality of Britannia.

Trey Berland was arrested at the Edmonton Remand Centre and charged with one count of manslaughter under Section 236(b) of the Criminal Code, Saskatchewan RCMP announced Monday.

He is scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on June 23.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hit the road to face Hamilton this weekend, aiming to build on their 1-0 start after a strong 31-26 win over Ottawa in their season opener.

AAA goaltender with West Central roots Seth Gutenberg has had quite the ride since leaving his hometown.

The RCMP’s iconic Musical Ride will be touring Alberta this summer, bringing its celebrated display of precision, tradition and pageantry to 20 communities across the province.

Made up of up to 32 RCMP officers and their horses, the troop performs choreographed cavalry drills set to music, thrilling audiences with intricate formations that highlight the longstanding bond between horse and rider.

Stops on the tour include a few areas close to west central, including Lloydminster on July 26 and 27, and Medicine Hat, August 6 and 7.

The federal public service shed almost 10,000 people last year, with the Canada Revenue Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada losing the most employees.

The last time the public service contracted was in 2015, when the number of people employed dropped just slightly from 257,138 to 257,034.

The number of public servants employed by the federal government fell from 367,772 to 357,965 over the last year.

Canada's fentanyl czar says the fight against the deadly opioid would get a boost from proposed new tools for law enforcement in the Liberal government's recently tabled border bill.

Kevin Brosseau, the federal point person on fentanyl, welcomes provisions in the Strong Borders Act to increase inspection powers, give police easier access to information, crack down on money laundering and improve control of chemicals used to make the drug.

A series of severe thunderstorms moved through West Central Saskatchewan Friday evening, prompting tornado warnings and reports of damaging hail and lightning.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued two tornado warnings during the evening — one for the Coleville area shortly before 6 p.m., and another north of Luseland later in the evening. A rotating storm near Coleville raised concerns, though a tornado has not yet been confirmed picture were captured of the funnel.