Lacombe

Unionized Canada Post workers will get a chance to vote directly on the employer's offers for a new collective agreement starting on Monday.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board will run the vote between July 21 and Aug. 1.

A simple majority vote will decide whether the proposal is accepted or rejected.

Canada Post is at an impasse with the union representing roughly 55,000 postal service workers after 19 months of talks.

Drivers in Lacombe will need to find a new route as the city’s well-known five-way stop near 53rd Street and 54th Avenue is closing for construction.

Starting tomorrow, the intersection will be closed in all directions as the City of Lacombe’s contractor, Border Paving, begins work on waterline, sanitary main, and stormwater line replacements.

If you're heading to Pigeon Lake, you may want to avoid swimming, as harmful blue-green algae have been found in the water.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) has been identified in Pigeon Lake, located between Leduc County and the County of Wetaskiwin.

Visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

• Avoid all contact with cyanobacterial blooms. If contact occurs, wash with tap water as soon as possible.

• Do not swim or wade — and do not allow pets to swim or wade — in areas where cyanobacteria is visible.

The Town of Olds has begun changing how it manages green spaces and shrub beds by embracing naturalization practices.

Seventeen sites have been identified across the community, and naturalization plans have already been implemented.

Even with a few sites restarted, the initial results have been positive.

The Town says staffing resources have been reallocated to other tasks, and plant growth is expected to support improved soil development over time.

The Town of Blackfalds Tayles water spray park is temporarily closed for repairs.

Due to a mechanical issue the spray park is waterless as the City’s parks crew actively works on the problem.

An update will be provided as soon as the park is operational again.

**With information from the Town of Blackfalds

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Innisfail RCMP are seeking information after a near miss involving students.

The Town of Penhold has a posting which includes video on their social media accounts showing the following information:

"On June 13, at 12:12 p.m., a group of students crossing Highway 2A with their teacher experienced a near miss with a vehicle—an incident that could have ended in tragedy.

RCMP are asking the public for help identifying the truck involved, seen in the attached/video footage.

A Lacombe police officer has resigned following allegations of a fraudulent incident.

The station launched a Police Service Regulation investigation after receiving a report involving the officer. The officer was suspended from duty on July 3, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations, the matter has been reported to the Director of Law Enforcement, and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been called in to conduct an independent investigation.

RCMP say they've arrested the pilot of a small aircraft that was allegedly hijacked from Victoria and flown to Vancouver International Airport, where other flights had to be temporarily halted.

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say in a statement that a report came in just after 1 p.m. Tuesday about a Cessna that "had been hijacked" and was on its way to Vancouver.

Police say the "sole occupant" of the plane was arrested after it touched down. 

Underlying inflation remained stubbornly hot in June, leading financial markets and many economists to firm up calls for a third straight interest rate hold from the Bank of Canada later this month.

Statistics Canada said Tuesday that the annual pace of inflation accelerated to 1.9 per cent in June, up from 1.7 per cent in May and largely in line with economists’ expectations.

Prices didn't ease much at the gas pumps last month, the agency said, and higher prices on motor vehicles and other durable goods also drove inflation higher.

City of Lacombe staff recently participated in Chair Aware, an awareness event that gives able-bodied people the chance to experience the everyday challenges of using a wheelchair.

The event, organized by Team Jigger and founder Jason “Jigger” Lunn, invites participants to perform common tasks while using a wheelchair. The goal is to increase understanding of the limitations faced by people with mobility issues and to inspire long-term consideration of accessibility and inclusion.