Lacombe

Alberta is preparing to send water bombers, night-vision helicopters and incident command team support to help battle wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles.

Premier Danielle Smith says on X that neighbours are always there for each other in times of need and the province will assist its American friends in this crisis.

Water-bombing pilots and crews from Quebec and a British Columbia company are already fighting the wind-whipped flames in the Southern California city.

RCMP have made a second arrest in relation to a November armed robbery at a convenience store in Blackfalds.

On Nov. 11, 2024, police responded to a report of a robbery with a firearm at the Blackfalds 7-Eleven.  Two people in scream masks entered the store, threatened the staff and discharged a shotgun into the ceiling. The suspects left after taking cash from the till.

On Dec. 17, 2024, Jackson Mackenzie Cann, 19, of Red Deer was arrested and charged in connection to the robbery.

The Innisfail RCMP and Innisfail Fire Department battled for bragging rights in support of the Innisfail Food Bank.  

The 3rd annual Battle of the Badges RCMP Vs Fire charity hockey game raised $4,410 and 1,000 lbs of food for the Innisfail Food Bank.  

The Town of Rocky Mountain House is accepting nominations for the Citizen of the Year Awards. 

Each year, the awards honour recipients for achievements in athletics, arts and culture, citizenship, and other areas of excellence. 

Related stories:

• Rocky celebrates residents contributions to community

Nomination criteria includes: 

Athletics and Sports Excellence 

Three Chinook’s Edge students have received the Julian Sacher Scholarship. Superintendent Kurt Sacher presented the $1,500 scholarships to three graduates from École Olds High School just before the Christmas break. Leyton Fazakas, Liam Morgan and Sage Petersen are this year’s recipients.

“Congratulations to these deserving students,” said Kurt Sacher, Superintendent. “Each of these individuals embody the characteristics of academic excellence and caring for others. I’m impressed with their achievements to date, and look forward to seeing their success in the future.”

On Monday, Didsbury Town Council announced that they approved a contract that will see the town move forward with installing a rental unit which will allow ice to be reinstalled at the Didsbury Memorial Complex.

Blackfalds Bulldogs goaltender Kirill Kapustin has been named an honourable mention for the BCHL 3 Stars of the Week.

Kapustin was 1-0-1 in 2 games played with a 0.957 Save Percentage and 1.88 Goals Against Average.

The Bulldogs return to the ice Saturday night (Jan. 11) in Salmon Arm, B.C., to take on the Silverbacks.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. MT.

Motorists travelling on Highway 2A north of Penhold (near Hawkridge Blvd.) will see a speed reduction to 40 km/h near the Highway 42 and Highway 592 roundabout due to barrier installation.

The construction is expected to start at 7 a.m. on Thursday and wrap up around 7 p.m.

Click here for current road conditions.

Now that the Canada Post strike has been over for some time, domestic services have returned to normal.

As of Monday (January 6), Canada Post reinstated their on-time service guarantees and full-service levels for domestic parcels.

They have also returned back to their normal processing levels across Canada, including in the rural and remote areas, but they are saying there will still be a bit of a delay with their domestic Transaction Mail.

Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Rebecca Schulz, has strongly opposed the federal government’s proposed oil and gas emissions cap regulations, calling the plan “bad policy” and warning of its potential economic consequences.