Lacombe

Former premier Rachel Notley, after almost a decade at the helm of Alberta’s NDP, is stepping down from the top job.

Notley, the official Opposition leader, said a leadership race will be called and she will stay on as leader until a replacement is chosen.

That means she will remain on the front bench during the upcoming spring sitting.

The potential for another dry year is a growing concern across the Prairies. 

 El Niño has produced a warm, dry winter with more than 70 per cent of the country experiencing drought conditions. 

Alberta has contracted WaterSMART Solutions to enhance drought modeling and explore ways to make the best use of Alberta’s water. 

The Red Deer Rebels are entering a three-game week on a winning streak. 

On Wednesday (Jan. 17) the Rebels are playing the Saskatoon Blades in Red Deer at the Peavey Mart Centrium and will visit the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday (Jan. 19). 

Early this morning (January 16, 2024), the Bentley District Fire Department responded to a fire at the Monkey Top Saloon in Bentley. 

According to information from the Bentley Museum, the Monkey Top Saloon is a historical building that was rebuilt after a fire in the 1930’s. It was used as the Bentley Mercantile and came to be known as the Holmes grocery building before it became the Monkey Top Saloon. 

The current owners of the business have stated that they will be closed as they work to rebuild. 

The City of Red Deer is beginning work in the forested areas of Pines east and north of Piper Drive this week.  

City workers will be removing dead trees and brush to reduce the risk of potential fires in those areas. Crews may or may not be chipping fallen trees depending on their role in the forest ecology.  

Edmonton's Capital Power Corp. and Ontario Power Generation are joining together to assess the feasibility of developing small modular nuclear reactors to help power Alberta's electricity grid.

At an announcement Monday in Edmonton, the two companies said small modular reactors, or SMRs, will be critical in the years to come if Canada and Alberta are to meet growing demand for clean electricity.

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) released its second and highly anticipated National Beef Sustainability Assessment (NBSA) and Strategy report. The assessment reflects three years of in-depth scientific analysis and highlights the Canadian beef sector’s progress between 2014 and 2021 on sustainability indicators like greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, carbon storage, people’s health and safety, animal care, economic contributions and more. The report also includes accompanying sustainability strategies that identify areas for continuous improvement.

A 2023 research trial looking at 'Hybrid Brown Mustard and Composite Yellow Mustard response to Soil Test Fertility Recommendations' was done across three locations in Saskatchewan last year Swift Current, Indian Head, and Redvers.

Amber Wall,  the Assistant Manager with Wheatland Conservation Area, says the ADOPT trial focused on AC Yellow 80 and AC Brown 18 and the addition of zinc and boron based on the soil test recommendations.

The City of Lacombe is celebrating after receiving the Minister’s Award for Municipal and Public Library Excellence in the Service Delivery Enhancement category for the Heart of Lacombe Project.  

Research out of the University of Alberta shows faba beans pack a high protein punch opening the potential for use as an alternative to meat and dairy options. 

Brasathe Jeganathan conducted the work to earn a PhD in food science and technology from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences. 

She says the chemical-free method uses less energy, making the process more sustainable, called dry and wet fractionation, the separation methods are crucial in eventually making the bean more of a worldwide 'dietary staple'.