Lacombe

Update:

Red Deer RCMP has located the youth and they are safe.

Original Story:

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

She was last seen on Feb. 28 in Alexis.

There was concern for her well-being.

The African Children’s Choir is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and will make a couple of stops in Central Alberta next week.

The internationally acclaimed choir is made up of 18 Ugandan children between the ages of 9 and 11.

The group will perform at Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Lacombe on April 9, before moving on to Clive Baptist Church on April 11.

Showtime both nights is at 7 p.m.

Local families host the group in their homes, where they share and learn about new customs, food, and culture.

The economy shed 33,000 jobs in March, the biggest loss since January 2022, while the unemployment rate ticked higher, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The agency said the unemployment rate for March rose to 6.7 per cent compared with 6.6 per cent in February.

The hit came amid increased uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs that have threatened economic growth.

The job losses reversed some of the gains made at the end of last year and into January.

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.