HighRiver

Calgary's Chanse Vigen still leads the aggregate after 3 days of racing at the Ponoka Stampede.

They race with the traditional four wagons per heat, but it's stretched out over six days.

The top eight wagons in the aggregate after Sunday's races move into the semi-finals on Monday.

The finals on Canada Day feature the top 4 from the semi-finals racing in the $75,000 Tommy Dorchester Championship Final Heat.

Day 3 Results

1 - Chad Fike - TOMCO Group of Companies - 1:15.66

With Canada Day comes celebrations across the country.

While people are out celebrating, the Alberta RCMP are reminding people to be careful while out enjoying fun.

On average in Alberta, one in five drivers involved in fatal collisions had been drinking prior to the collision, as opposed to the average of about one in 20 drivers involved in injury collisions, according to MADD Canada. 

The High River–based Foothills Forage and Grazing Association (FFGA) is getting a boost from the provincial government.

It's one of 12 applied research associations to receive a portion of a one-time $3.2 million grant.

The funding is aimed at helping these associations continue their work to improve farming techniques, reduce costs, and address health and safety issues.

It will be used to purchase irrigation systems, tractors, seeders, portable facilities, and other research equipment.

The Sheep River Health Trust has revealed the fundraising total from the 12th annual Together We Make a Difference Radiothon.

The event was hosted by the Sheep River Health Trust (SRHT) and The Eagle 100.9 on Thursday, June 19, and it brought in $77,000.

Donations will go right back into the community, with several Foothills-area health and wellness programs to benefit from the funding.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued on Friday (June 27) afternoon includes an area of Foothills County.

The alert mainly covers Vulcan County, but extends into the eastern edge of Foothills County near Blackie.

Environment Canada warns that conditions could lead to severe thunderstorms, bringing strong wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rain.

Funnel clouds are also possible.

The alert is in effect for:

Alberta’s finance minister is set to deliver the final bottom line number today on last year’s provincial budget.

Nate Horner’s new figure will close the books on the budget for the fiscal year that ended in March.

That budget was last forecast to come in with a nearly $6-billion surplus.

Alberta’s new budget year is now a few months old, but its expected bottom line number is deep in the red.

This budget, introduced by Horner in February, predicts Alberta will register a $5.2-billion deficit at the end of March 2026.

In a display of community pride, Claresholm residents are coming together to add colour and creativity to Amundsen Park.  

Residents have been helping to paint the "We Are Community" Mural during Tuesday in the Park events.  

Some deep utility work will be completed in Okotoks early in July, which will cause a road closure for over a week.

Crews will be installing a new deep utility service connection on Wedderburn Drive from Banister Drive to Northridge Drive.

Due to the work, Wedderburn Drive will be closed between Banister Drive and Northridge Drive from July 2 to July 11.

While the work is being completed, there will be traffic personnel on-site, a change to traffic patterns, detour signage, as well as clear signage which will help people to access properties in the area.

Canada Day is coming up, and there will be celebrations in the Town of Okotoks.

According to the Okotoks Community Events Specialist, Connie Drake, the celebrations will be up by the Okotoks Rec Centre.

"It will be, if the weather is favourable, which it looks good, it will be on ball diamond 10 in the Wiley Athletic Park," Drake explains. "Which is the ball diamond right as you come into the parking lot."

At the event, there will be Barkside Canine Performers, face painting, stage performers, and more.

Canadian varietal development system called a success story

Canada’s system of developing wheat varieties is both efficient and effective, says a University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist.

Australia invests much more into wheat genetics and improving varieties, but the yield gains are similar to Canadian results.

“In Australia, they’re spending three to five times what we are, right now, on wheat research and wheat genetics,” said Richard Gray, Canadian grain policy research chair at the U of S.