Lacombe

Alberta RCMP are advising of poor driving conditions in several locations in the province.

Freezing rain is causing many collisions and poor driving conditions in many areas across Central and Northern Alberta. 

Motorists are asked to avoid travel and ensure they check Alberta 511 for the most up-to-date highway conditions and plan accordingly.

Back in December, the Alberta government announced enhanced literacy and numeracy screening tools for kindergarten through Grade 5 students which start this month. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has now shared its thoughts on the recent changes.

ATA president Jason Schilling explained this is the first time in Alberta's history that teachers are now mandated to test kindergarten students

Following a handful of trades on Thursday, the Red Deer Rebels have added import forward Gleb Semenov (Semyonov) to the club’s roster.

A native of Moscow, Russia, Semenov was selected by the London Knights in round two, 118th overall at the 2024 OHL Import Draft. 

He was picked up by the Rebels on Thursday after clearing OHL waivers.

The Red Deer Christmas Bureau had a busy holiday season.  

The organization distributed 900 hampers to Central Albertans and served nearly 800 children in the region over the holidays.  

Teresa Kutynec, President of the Red Deer Christmas Bureau said the need is on par with 2023.  

Due to ice safety concerns, the Big Jig Fishing Derby and Polar Dip events scheduled for January 17-19 have been cancelled.

The Town of Sylvan Lake says the safety of participants, spectators and staff are its top priority when hosting these, or any other events.

An email has been sent out to registered participants, and refunds will be issued.

The Town of Sylvan Lake is reminding residents that it does not monitor ice conditions. 

Users are responsible for their own ice safety.

Property owners in Red Deer can expect to receive their 2025 property assessment notices in their mailboxes or email inboxes over the next few days. This year’s total value of the assessment roll stands at $20.8 billion, marking an increase of $1.5 billion from the previous year.

Several Central Alberta school divisions have been impacted by a data breach involving PowerSchool, a widely used student information system

Among the school divisions affected are Red Deer Public Schools, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Wolf Creek Public Schools and Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools. Chinook's Edge School Division says it was not impacted.

PowerSchool identified the breach on December 28, 2024, and acted immediately to secure the affected data and mitigate any ongoing risks. 

Authorities in Los Angeles say a Quebec water bomber is out of service after colliding with a drone while fighting wildfires Thursday.

A pair of Quebec water bombers and their crews have been helping since Tuesday to fight the massive fires north of downtown L.A., which have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures.

The L.A. County Fire Department says the plane known as Quebec 1 was struck by a civilian drone at 1 p.m., sustaining wing damage.

It's been a frantic couple of days for the Red Deer Rebels as they announced another trade this week.

Red Deer Rebels Owner, President and General Manager Brent today announced the club has completed a trade with the Prince George Cougars.

The Rebels have acquired a fifth-round pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft in exchange for 18-year-old centre Cole Peardon.

Peardon, from Outlook, SK, was acquired last month by the Rebels from the Prince Albert Raiders and played in seven games with the club earning two assists.

Central Alberta residents will have an opportunity to share their thoughts on Alberta’s healthcare system during upcoming engagement sessions. This session is part of the Alberta government’s second round of public engagement efforts aimed at refocusing the province’s health care system.

The initiative, announced in November 2023, seeks to strengthen services, empower local decision-making, enhance support for front-line workers, and improve health outcomes for Albertans.