Lacombe

The Blackfalds RCMP Detachment received 117 calls for service between March 25 and March 31.  

The calls included one assault, five breach of peace, three break-and-enters, one criminal harassment, one mischief, one robbery, five thefts, one theft of a motor vehicle, and 13 motor vehicle collisions.  

Here are the calls:  

March 25:  

A new corridor that will connect Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC) and the Central Alberta Cancer Centre (CACC) is scheduled to open on Monday, April 7.

The corridor, which will be accessible from the hospital’s Lower Level, will give patients uninterrupted access to the CACC during construction of the new patient tower. The new tower’s footprint will encompass the existing ambulatory annex area that patients currently use to move between the hospital and CACC in addition to the public parking lots that are closed at site.

Lacombe's Daxon Rudolph is one of six nominees in the running for the WHL's Rookie of the Year award (Jim Piggot Memorial Trophy).

The 17-year-old scored seven goals and 34 assists for 41 points in 64 games with the Prince Albert Raiders.

Rudolph, the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, finished fourth in points among rookie defencemen and fifth among all rookies in assists.

Several fire departments in Central Alberta are benefitting from the Alberta government's Fire Services Training Program Grant.

More than $1 million is being distributed to more than 65 municipalities, Metis Settlements and First Nations across the province.

The funding will support fire departments in delivering a wide range of training for their firefighters, including ice water rescues, toxic material responses and more. 

With the weather warming up and the roads becoming clear, Alberta RCMP are reminding motorists of the dangers of speeding. 

Even as driving conditions improve, it’s important not to exceed posted speed limits. Unsafe speeds increase the risk of collision and serious injury for all road users in any conditions.

Last year, Alberta RCMP issued 48,600 speeding tickets in RCMP jurisdiction. In April alone, 4,283 speeding violations were handed out. Meanwhile, there were 9,419 charges for aggressive and dangerous driving. 

Red Deer building permit values increased in March, with 82 permits issued, valued at nearly $5 million, compared to 86 permits worth $4 million in March 2024.

Year-to-date values are also up, with 196 permits issued to the end of March 2025 worth $28.4 million compared with 225 issued in 2024 valued at $16.2 million.

Notable permits include:

Lacombe County is launching the Mirror Infrastructure Mapping Project today (April 4), to understand and document the condition and location of water and sewer systems within the Hamlet of Mirror.   

The initiative will run through the end of May.  

Lacombe County, along with specialized consultants and contractors, will conduct a thorough assessment and mapping of the existing underground systems.   

About 70 Chinook’s Edge students, in Grades 8 to 12, had the opportunity to participate in a French Immersion event recently. On March 27 they joined students from three other school divisions to learn more about French language and culture.

“The purpose of the event is to give French students the chance to engage in French language speaking, to learn more about French culture and language, and to get to know other French Speakers,” says Marie-Astrid Detharet, French Immersion Coordinator, Chinook’s Edge School Division.

Alberta's nurses union has signed a four-year contract with the province after months of bargaining and mediation.

The United Nurses of Alberta says the new deal will see over 30,000 nurses across the province receive pay increases of about 20 per cent by 2028.

The union says the agreement also includes job security protection, as Alberta overhauls its health-care system, as well as assurances for staffing levels.

It says the agreement signifies the value of nurses and brings a "difficult" round of bargaining to an end.

"Freedom Convoy" organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber have been found guilty of mischief for their roles in the 2022 mass protest in Ottawa.

Lich and Barber were key figures and organizers in the protest that saw hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people occupy downtown Ottawa and insist they would stay until COVID-19 public health mandates were eliminated.