Lacombe

Police say they've charged a 31-year-old Ottawa man with several offences following an incident that placed an area of Parliament Hill under lockdown on Saturday.

Ottawa police said in a media statement Sunday that a man entered East Block in downtown Ottawa at 2:40 p.m. Saturday and started issuing threats to those inside.

Security officials isolated the man in a security screening area while police evacuated the building, which mostly houses offices for senators and their staff.

Police said the man surrendered peacefully after hours of negotiations.

Before the leaves return to your trees, now may be a good time to look for Black Knot Disease. 

According to the Government of Alberta, this has become a significant and widespread problem across our province. 

"Black Knot, caused by the fungus Apiosporina morbosa, is a very common disease of plants in the genus Prunus."

"This disease reduces the aesthetic value of affected specimens, as infections spread rapidly; high levels may result in the eventual death of the plant."

Here is a list of plant species affected by Black Knot:

A new mental health program is helping patients receive the care they need in their communities.   

The Sundre Myron Thompson Health Centre has opened a ketamine infusion clinic for treatment-resistant depression.  

The clinic was started by Dr. Jon Somerville who saw the potential to introduce a new treatment building that added to the skills and resources already found in rural emergency departments.  

Students and staff at École Olds High School (EOHS) are getting ready to host the national UNESCO student conference. The conference, set for May 6-8, 2025, will bring about 70 students together from across Canada.

In preparation for the conference, recently, students who are on the organizing committee have been working with an “upcycling artist”.

The artist, Greisha Fathoullin, brought materials like unused clothing, household goods, jewellery and furniture to the school, and showed the students how he changed or added to the item to make it reusable.

Red Deer RCMP say a missing 17-year-old has been found safe

The youth was last seen in Red Deer on April 4, 2025.

There was concern for her well-being.

Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon. 

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@centralalbertaonline.com.

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) has nominated St. Joseph High School humanities/CTS teacher Jillian Klevyer for the Edwin Parr Award.  

Klevyer said she is grateful for the nomination.   

Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS) has announced the appointment of Ryan Birch as the new Principal of Alix M.A.C. School for the 2025/2026 school year. 

Birch has been with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools since 2002, serving in a variety of teaching and administrative positions. 

Since 2016, he has held leadership roles at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School, École Secondaire Notre Dame High School, and most recently, St. Teresa of Avila School. 

A sentencing hearing for a Calgary couple in the death of their badly burned and emaciated toddler has been rescheduled for next month.

Sonya Pasqua and Michael Sinclair pleaded guilty in December to manslaughter.

Gabriel Sinclair-Pasqua, who was 18 months old, died in 2021 after suffering major burns to a third of his body.

An agreed statement of facts says the parents didn’t seek medical treatment and tried to treat the burns with honey before the child died from an infection and head trauma.

Update:

On April 7, the Red Deer RCMP advised that a missing 14-year-old was found safe.

The teen was reported missing on April 4.

Click here for the update. 

Original Story:

The Red Deer RCMP were seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing 14-year-old.

The youth was last seen on April 3 in Red Deer.

There was concern for her well-being. 

Olds College students, faculty, and staff’s projects were recently displayed during the institutions inaugural research showcase.  

During the event about 49 presenters explained their research projects, ranging from using microbes to break down contaminants from crude oil, employing drones to estimate hail damage in crops, to surveying producers on the expected impact of autonomous farming.