Okotoks

Friday night lights saw the Foothills Falcons dress up for their black-out game during the final homestand of the season. 

The Falcons impressed on the gridiron as they defeated the Strathmore Spartans 38-2.

Foothills ran away with the game quite literally with 208 rushing yards to the Spartans 44. The final yardage was heavily in favour of the Falcons with a 317-101 lead.

The Okotoks-based team went 4 for 5 on third downs and didn't create a single turnover. Foothills is now on a current two-game win streak after the victory.

Fiddler extraordinaire Scott Woods and his band recently stopped by the Eagle 100.9's A&B Plumbing and Heating Studio to perform.

They were in town to perform as part of a cross-country tour.

Scott Woods has won the Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship and Canadian Grand Master Fiddling competition several times.

Another fiddle player in the Scott Woods band is also an award-winning fiddle player.

Flags in Foothills County and High River are at half-mast today (Oct 22).

The flags will be lowered from sunrise to sunset at the Foothills County and Town of High River Administration building to honour a former MLA who recently passed away.

They are honouring the late Dr. Stanley B. Cassin, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly, who passed away on October 2, 2024.

Cassin was born in 1935 and had a medical career that spanned 50 years.

The first real snowfall of the season hit the Foothills Monday night and into Tuesday morning.

Upwards of 10 to 15 cm were expected however only about half of that fell with most melting.

Snowplows were out most of the night and continued this morning on all the major highways.

However, some of the highways and sidewalks remain icy with the overnight freezing temperatures.

The rest of this week will remain chilly with a return to warming temps coming by the weekend.

After her party won a majority government in the New Brunswick election on Monday, Liberal Leader Susan Holt thanked all the women who came before her.

Flanked by her three young daughters on stage in Fredericton, Holt, the first female premier-designate in New Brunswick history, delivered a bilingual victory speech that paid tribute to female trailblazers in provincial politics.

The 47-year-old former business advocate and public servant led the Liberals to victory after a 33-day campaign, thwarting Blaine Higgs’s bid to secure a third term as Tory premier.

High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass has revealed some new amenities planned for the expanded Aquatic Centre at the Bob Snodgrass Recreational Complex.

The expansion has been in the works for about six years with the construction currently in progress and expected to be completed in 2026.

One of the main attributes of the pool is the fact that it's designed to be a "zero entry" pool, meaning visitors will be able to walk right in as the ground eventually slopes down rather than having to enter via a ladder.

Liberal MP Sean Casey is the first to publicly confirm that he has signed a letter calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign, arguing it would be in the best interests of the country to let someone else take the reins. 

As an internal revolt brews, few Liberal MPs who are not in the cabinet are publicly defending the prime minister. The upcoming caucus meeting on Wednesday appears to present the most serious challenge to Trudeau's leadership to date.

The Diamond Valley-based Eau Claire Distillery has been awarded the Best Canadian Whisky at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits and Ready to Drink Competition.

David Farran, the Founder and CEO of Eau Clarie Distillery, said it was a bit of a surprise when the announcement came in that they were the winners of the Best Canadian Whisky.

While out hunting this season, it's advised to be bear aware.

Fish and Wildlife recently took to Facebook to remind hunters of the dangers of bears while hunting in bear country.

While out hunting, Fish and Wildlife reminds hunters that using animal attractants and calls while travelling alone could lead a bear to your location as they could believe they are tracking an animal.

It's also advised to make a plan to help lower the risks of responding to a bear encounter safely before leaving home.

Farmers in Manitoba are being called upon to aid critical research aimed at improving wheat production amid changing climate conditions. 

The University of Manitoba's "Mani Wheat Project," led by Dr. Cristina Rosell’s food science group, is gathering wheat samples from farmers to study the effects of pre-harvest sprouting, a significant issue caused by excessive rain and humidity before harvest.