Lacombe

Chinook’s Edge School Division has appointed Jeannie Russell as the new principal of Innisfail High School, effective next month.

Russell is well known in the IHS community, having served as vice-principal. She says she’s thankful for the mentorship of outgoing principal Chris Adamson, who will step into a new role as associate superintendent this fall.

"I love Innisfail High School, and I'm excited to continue my journey here," said Russell.

Outside of school, she enjoys watching her children’s baseball and softball games.

The Samson Cree Nation is working with water partners ISL Engineering, SFE Global and Hydrasurvey to conduct required maintenance and operations on Ermineskin’s water and wastewater systems. 

Work began in July and will continue throughout August and September. 

As part of the water assessments being done residents may see crews operating around the lagoon, hydrants, valves and wells in Ermineskin. 

The Abbey Centre in Blackfalds has launched a new initiative aimed at creating a more inclusive and supportive experience for individuals with sensory needs.

At the end of June three sensory backpacks, two youth-sized and one adult, were made available free of charge for guests to sign out during their visit.

While open to anyone, the backpacks are specifically designed to assist individuals with sensory processing disabilities, sensory sensitivities, or other related needs.

A Red Deer man has been charged with multiple child exploitation offences following an investigation by the Lacombe Police Service.

Police say the investigation began on Aug. 3 after officers received a public tip. As a result, 44-year-old Kory Reay has been charged with:

• Making child pornography available

• Possession of child pornography

• Accessing child pornography

The Bentley & District Agricultural Society Fair is back with a weekend full of activities, entertainment, and hometown celebration for all ages.

It started yesterday (August 6) and will run until Sunday, (August 10) this year’s theme is a heartfelt “Salute to the Educators, Teachers and Support Staff” recognizing the individuals who shape and support local students and schools.

While there will be no rodeo this year due to facility upgrades, but the fair still promises plenty of fun, food, and family-friendly programming.

Administrators say federal government needs to build more trust into the Advance Payment Program

Administrators of the Advance Payments Program say Ottawa should stop treating farmers as if they are going to default on repayments.

They said the application process should be streamlined and the program made simpler and more consistent.

Dave Gallant, vice-president of finance and APP operations at the Canadian Canola Growers Association, said the CCGA administers about $2.5 billion in advances each year on behalf of the federal government.

One person was seriously injured after a small plane crashed on a private airstrip in central Alberta.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the two-seater was flying Tuesday from Wetaskiwin to Linden, a town about 100 kilometres northeast of Calgary.

The agency says the plane was approaching the rural airstrip when its fixed landing gear hit a fence and flipped.

RCMP say two 82-year-old men were on board.

They say one was airlifted to hospital in serious condition and the other was taken by ground ambulance with minor injuries.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says it's dealing with a growing number of immigration security screening requests — and immigration lawyers say their clients are coping with long delays as a result.

The intelligence agency says in its latest annual report it received over 538,000 screening requests from immigration and border officials in 2024. The agency began to see a significant increase in requests in 2023, when it received over 493,200 requests. Before that, CSIS received roughly 300,000 security screening requests annually over the previous five years.

With harvest approaching, farmers will want to start thinking about pre-harvest intervals (PHI) before applying any pesticides and or fungicides to the crop.

The PHI refers to the minimum number of days between a pesticide application and swathing or straight combining of a crop and reflects the time required for pesticides to break down after being applied.

Research finds agriculture waste could be transformed into biogas and fertilizer using bacteria-based techonology

Canadian farms could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating renewable energy by converting agricultural waste into biogas, a McGill University doctoral student says.

Anjaly Paul said anaerobic digestion could transform livestock manure and crop residues that would otherwise decompose in landfills into valuable resources.