Strathmore

The Crown will not appeal the acquittals of five former world junior hockey players after their high-profile sexual assault trial, one of the defence lawyers in the case said Thursday.

Daniel Brown, who represented Alex Formenton, said he has been informed of the prosecutors' decision. The Ministry of the Attorney General did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Formenton, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote were all acquitted of sexual assault, and McLeod of a separate charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

Air Canada says it expects to be operating close to its full network schedule by Friday. 

The airline says it is continuing to ramp up its operations in a press release Thursday. 

This comes after the airline reached a tentative deal with the union representing its flight attendants on Tuesday to end a strike that began on Saturday. 

The strike disrupted the airline's operations, resulting in the cancellation of flights. 

Mark Nasr, Air Canada's chief operations officer, said in the release that the airline is restoring operations ahead of its plan. 

Farmers in Brooks and the surrounding area are now focused on recovery after a severe thunderstorm. 

The storm roared through Brooks, Newell County and nearby communities Wednesday (Aug. 20) evening, leaving behind widespread destruction. Multiple farms, including White Barn Fun Farm, are now facing significant losses. 

Amid road closures, downed power lines, and damaged vehicles, families and farmers are also dealing with personal property losses. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) provided further details about the supercell storm that affected the Brooks area.

The storm developed on Wednesday (Aug. 20) near High River before travelling through southern Alberta and into Saskatchewan at around 85 km/h. 

According to meteorologist Matt Loney, gusts of wind were reported at around 113 km/h in Brooks.

A memorial was created to honour the young man who passed away following a car crash on Highway 1.

The crash was on Monday (Aug. 18) afternoon between a semi truck and an SUV. The driver of the semi truck, a 24-year-old man from Brampton, Ont., was stuck inside as the truck caught fire. 

An Alberta taxpayers advocate is applauding the provincial government's latest expense disclosure policy.

Premier Danielle Smith's government says it's reverting to its previous rules after critics from across the political spectrum accused it of dodging responsibility.

It's also promising to re-post eight years' worth of expense receipts that were deleted from its website.

Brooks RCMP are investigating human remains that were found. 

Police received a report around 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 20) that a dead person had been discovered in an alley near Southshore Drive in Brooks. 

An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday to determine the cause of death. 

RCMP say more information will be released as it becomes available. 

The Brooks area is cleaning up after a major storm brought strong winds, hail, and rain to the area last night.

Power lines were downed, and roads in the area were closed down as clean-up efforts began.

Power outages currently affect areas in Newell County.

According to Fortis Alberta, crews are working on restoring power to hundreds of customers by 6 p.m. on Thursday.

A long-awaited playground reopening has finally taken place. 

The Langdon Community Association announced the reopening of the playground in Langdon Park on Aug. 20.

The playground had been closed since early June for upgrades, including the installation of a new asphalt surface. It was initially expected to reopen by June 25, but frequent rain throughout the summer caused construction delays.

The Langdon Community Association thanked residents for their patience during the extended closure.

Strathmore's Domino's Pizza is launching a back-to-school initiative for students and pizza lovers alike. 

In addition to a chance to win a free pizza, Domino's is giving away 24 free backpacks to local schoolchildren in need ahead of the new school year. 

"The start of the school year can be rough for many families. The cost of getting your kids ready for school can be overwhelming," Domino's wrote in a Facebook post.