Lacombe

The Blackfalds Fire Department Santa Run is happening Wednesday (Dec. 18) and Thursday (Dec. 19).

Chris Keim is the executive director of the Blackfalds Food Bank and Beyond Food Community Hub.

"This is an annual event that the Blackfalds Volunteer Fire Department puts on. They drive around with their firetruck with Santa and Mrs. Claus on it as well as other elves collecting food as they go around town."

West-side pickup will take place on Wednesday, with the east-side of Blackfalds donating on Thursday.

Due to an unexpected gap in physician coverage, the Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service (SLAACS) closed early today (Dec. 16).

The service will reopen Dec. 17 at 7:30 a.m.

Patients can access medical care for urgent health concerns from facilities in nearby communities, including Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House.

The Liberals' fiscal update was intended to encourage business investment and beef up border security ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House next month.

But the sudden resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland hours before the document was tabled instead ignited even more political and economic uncertainty.

All of the community skating rinks in Sylvan Lake are now open.   

The lake rinks are not open, because the lake ice is not thick enough yet.  

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is reeling after suddenly losing its top cabinet minister, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, reigniting calls for Trudeau to step down and call an election.

On Dec. 15,  at 5:12 a.m. Wetaskiwin RCMP received a report of a residential house fire near 53 avenue and 45 Street in Wetaskiwin.

Fire Departments from Wetaskiwin and Millet arrived and extinguished the blaze. 

Once in the home, investigators located a deceased male.

An autopsy will be completed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton this week in order to determine the cause of death and confirm identity. 

Central Alberta is in for some wintery weather over the next few days, with a low-pressure system moving into the area.

Christy Climenhaga is a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"It might feel a little more brisk over the next couple of days and a little unsettled too," she said. "We are expecting a system to move through for your Tuesday overnight into Wednesday bringing a little bit of snowfall with it."

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to investigate a Red Deer RCMP officer for accessing images on a detained person’s phone and transmitting them without consent.   

The incident occurred on Nov. 23, 2023, at the Red Deer Hospital while the person was receiving treatment.  

Evidence gathered during ASIRT’s investigation provided grounds to believe offences had been committed.   

Ponoka speed skater Maddison Pearman represented Canada in international competitions in Japan and China.  

Competitions began on Nov. 15 with the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships in Hachinohe City, Japan.      

Followed by the first ISU World Cup of the season in Hachinohe City, and the second World Cup in Beijing, China.  

Pearman didn’t place in the top three during the races.  

“They weren't amazing, to be honest,” Pearman said. “Things went really well in training; they just didn’t go so well in the racing.”  

Here are some of the highlights from the Dec. 9 Town of Penhold, Regular Council Meeting.

Public Services Building construction to start in 2025

Council approved administration to finalize the building contract with Scott Builders Inc. to construct the new Public Services Building. This building, valued at 8.5 million, will house the new protective services and operations departments together under one roof giving efficiencies for both departments. This project will begin in the spring of 2025.

RV Park Season extended