Lacombe

The Maskwacis RCMP are providing more information into the June 10, incident in which the police responded to a report of a shooting in Samson Cree Nation. 

An investigation into the incident revealed that multiple bullets were fired into a residence occupied by several children and adults. 

The investigation by police led to the arrest of two individuals and the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Wetaskiwin. 

During that search warrant execution, police recovered prohibited firearms and magazines.

Over the last few years, we've seen a growing interest in Soybeans in the Prairies.

Soy Canada Executive Director Brian Innes says it's an industry that has been growing over time.

"A number of years ago it was centered in southern Ontario; now it's grown to be right across the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. There's been a lot of significant growth in the prairies over the last 10 years. And it's fitting that this week, we're holding our 10th anniversary in Manitoba."

Sunny celebrated the last Classroom of the Month for the school year with a trip to Amanda Metier’s Kindergarten class at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School.  

Before heading to Innisfail, we loaded up the station vehicle with prizes from sponsors and grabbed pizzas from Boston Pizza Lacombe.  

The class was so surprised to meet Sunny!   

School bus drivers from across Central Alberta competed in the Provincial School Bus Road-eo competition in Nisku on June 8.  

The competition included a written test, and road maneuvers designed to simulate daily driving scenarios. Drivers had to navigate an obstacle course with tasks including student pick-up, railroad crossings, right and left turns, curb parking, backing into a stall, parallel parking, narrow stalls, and offset alleys.   

Students at Spruce View School were delighted to learn, recently, that the school will receive a $20,000 grant from the Chinook’s Edge School Board.

Spruce View students plan to use the funds to purchase hydroponics equipment so they can grow vegetable crops year-round. This is the latest project to receive a Flourishing Stories and Innovation Grant.

Site preparation for a new expanded, multi-use skate park in the Town of Ponoka is set to start this week.   

Full construction of the skate park is scheduled to begin later in the year and will be designed for multi-use equipment such as skateboards, bicycles, inline skates, and scooters.   

The existing Hamilton Skate Park will be extended to include space occupied by the former Town of Ponoka recycling yard.    

The Town of Sylvan Lake honoured the accomplishments of residents through the Citizen of the Year Awards.  

The awards are given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the community, improving the quality of life for others.  

 The award recipients this year are:  

• Kyle Munro - Sports Excellence   

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is pleased with the changes the federal government has made to the Livestock Tax Deferral (LTD) program.

Changes included adding a buffer zone to tthe LTD designated regions and RM's to ensure impacted producers will be eligible.

This year's program includes some areas in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with the majority of Alberta listed under the program.

Doug Roxburgh is a CCA director and vice-chair of Alberta Beef with a cow-calf operation at Rimbey.

Alberta is moving to ban cellphones in kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms starting in the fall.

Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said Monday that cellphones help with learning but can also be a distraction and lead to cyberbullying.

He said there will be exceptions for students who use phones for health needs, such as monitoring blood sugar levels.

Otherwise, personal devices must be turned off and stored out of sight during class time. School internet networks will also have to limit access to social media, Nicolaides said.

Ponoka Stampede Association (PSA) is growing, and so is the purse for its entire week of rodeo action.

The association has always prided itself on being a leader in professional rodeo when it comes to paying the cowboys, this year at almost $920,000.

Directors strive to navigate that delicate dance between investing in their facilities to accommodate future growth, keeping the rodeo affordable for fans, and making sure the sport’s very best competitors are circling the Canada Day long weekend as ‘Ponoka time’ on their calendars.