Lacombe

A traffic note for drivers in Red Deer, starting this Thursday you can expect major delays on Taylor Drive.

From June 19 to 29, daytime lane reductions will be implemented along Taylor Drive from 19 Street to Kerry Wood Drive. Motorists can expect reduced speeds and intermittent lane closures as micro-surfacing repair work is completed.

Motorists are advised to obey all signs and reminded to please slow down when approaching the area and driving the construction zone. Your patience and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

After a policing career spanning 40 years — including the last eight as the city’s chief of police — Chief Lorne Blumhagen has officially retired. 

Taking the helm is Jason Dobirstein, who returns to his hometown to serve as the new chief of police. The role is especially meaningful for Dobirstein, whose father served as interim police chief in 1995. 

A newly recruited family physician is providing care to residents in Sylvan Lake and area.  

Dr. Carli Van Dyk is working out of the Sylvan Medical Center and Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service (SLAACS). Individuals needing a family doctor can call 403-887-2221 to inquire about availability for a meet-and-greet appointment.  

What started in a basement in Eckville in 2007 has since become a coast-to-coast sensation. Chris Robak, CFO of Silver Cove, recalls the early days of the now-thriving gemstone and mineral company. "Believe it or not, we started in our basement," he says. "We opened our first store in Lacombe, then expanded to Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer."

From those modest roots, Silver Cove has evolved into a multifaceted business that includes retail locations, a mining division, a wholesale warehouse, and an extensive schedule of gem and mineral shows across Canada.

A union representing 30,000 health-care workers in Alberta is calling on Premier Danielle Smith's government to reverse course and provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all front-line workers and any other Albertan who wants the shot.

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta says that is the best way to protect patients, reduce hospitalizations, and keep the health-care system strong.

Smith says the aim of the new policy, announced last week, is to prevent wastage, recover costs, and protect those who need it the most by giving them the COVID shot for free.

Some areas of the prairies have received some rain over the past few days, but the weeks of hot, dry weather have had an impact on crops, hay, and pastureland. 

With the dry conditions across so much of the Prairies, there's been an increased concern about grasshopper infestations.

Dr. Meghan Vankosky, a research scientist in field crop entomology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says grasshoppers could be shaping up to be an important story again this year.

On June 8, at approximately 9 a.m., Olds RCMP received a call for service about an erratic driver who was traveling southbound on Highway 2.

Information was received that the vehicle was traveling over 150 km/hr and almost side swiped another vehicle, passed unsafely and veered into other lanes of travel.

Olds RCMP located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Highway 2.

Officers observed illegal cigarettes in plain view during the traffic stop.

As a result, a 37-year-old male resident of Spruce Grove was arrested and charged with the following:

Farmers across the G7 are confronting unprecedented pressures as the world faces overlapping geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges. Inflation, high interest rates, and continued fallout from recent financial shocks have destabilized farm economies. At the same time, trade disruptions, and fractured supply chains are compounding uncertainty in the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, the impacts of climate change—more frequent droughts, floods, and extreme weather—are threatening productivity and straining rural infrastructure.

RCMP are asking for help identifying four suspects involved in a theft that occurred at a jewellery store on 50th Street in the town of Innisfail.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on June 12, the four individuals entered the store. While some distracted staff, one person was able to access the back and steal several pieces of jewellery, resulting in a loss of at least $70,000.

Red Deer youth ride and play all Summer with Rip ‘n Rec Pass.

The City of Red Deer is making it easier and more affordable for youth to stay active and mobile this summer with the return of the popular Rip ‘n Rec Summer Pass.

For just $50, youth aged 17 and under can enjoy unlimited access to both Red Deer Transit and the City’s recreation facilities from June 23 to Sept. 1.

The Rip ‘n Rec Pass includes: