Lacombe

The annual rate of inflation accelerated sharply to 2.6 per cent in February as the federal government’s temporary tax break came to an end mid-month, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

That marks a sizeable jump from the 1.9 per cent increase seen in January, when Canadians saw GST and HST taken off a variety of household staples, common gifts and restaurant bills for the entire month.

A note for residents of Rocky Mountain House that bulk water station will be shut down on Wednesday.

In order for the Town of Rocky Mountain House to complete essential infrastructure updates, the water treatment plant system will be temporarily shut off during the construction period, which is scheduled to last approximately six (6) hours. 

There will be no impact to residents and the water coming from your taps! Water will be supplied to the Town via the water reservoir during this time. 

School and division administrators have had an opportunity to hear from the division’s incoming Superintendent, Ryan Sawula, who came for a part of the regular meeting of administrators on March 12.

Current Superintendent, Kurt Sacher, told the gathering that he has been impressed with Sawula so far, and encouraged staff to “have a positive mindset around transition. I see our organization as continuing to do great work under Ryan’s leadership.”

The City of Lacombe is warning residents of a text/email scam involving fake bylaw tickets from "Alberta Municipal Ticketing." 

The City says it never informs residents of bylaw infractions through email or text messaging. 

Enforcement Services only issues tickets directly on vehicles or through traditional mail service.

If you receive a suspicious message, disregard the message and do not click any links or send any financial information. 

If you are unsure, contact the City by coming into City Hall or by calling 403-782-6666.

Silent auction bids are now open for the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre's (LPAC) Piece by Piece Fundraising Exhibition.

Twenty-two local artists of all skill levels contributed to the collection, now on display in the centre's main lobby.

Bids can be made in person or by calling the LPAC office at 403-588-4386.

The Wolf Creek Public Schools board of trustees reviewed the progress on implementing the new curriculum and received an update on the development of the 2025-2029 education plan, and Indigenous education initiatives during the March 13 meeting.   

Here are the meeting highlights:  

2025 Edwin Parr Award Nomination  

If you want something to do in Rocky Mountain House this weekend, check out the 4th annual First Responders Face-Off for Charity.

This annual event features the Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services vs The Rocky Mountain House RCMP Detachment.

Devin Russell with fire services says it's for a great cause. "We're raising money for the Alberta Hunter Education program. There's a group up by Alder Flats that puts on a lot of school-type events for children around the area. So we're we're looking to donate to them this year."

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) students, faculty, and staff shared innovative research projects during the Fourth Annual Research Showcase on March 12. 

A traffic stop has led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle and dozens of stolen power tools.

On March 12, the Maskwacis RCMP initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle that had a mismatched license plate.

The passenger of the vehicle was recognized by officers and arrested for breaching conditions of a release order.

During a search incidental to arrest, a key fob was located along with an imitation firearm and ammunition.

The key fob was a match to a reported stolen vehicle located shortly after at a residence in Ermineskin Cree Nation.

Highways in Central Alberta are snow-covered this morning with icy sections after the region received a few centimetres of snow overnight.

Visibility is also reduced in some areas.

Click here for current road conditions.

Flurries are expected to end this morning and then clearing. The high for Tuesday is plus 1.

Temperatures are expected to remain normal for the rest of the week with highs around plus three or four.