Tracey Moody

The Richardson’s ground squirrel (AKA gopher) population can present an issue for farmers’ crops, cleaning entire fields if their numbers grow too large.  

A rodenticide that is commonly used to control the Richardson’s ground squirrel population is zinc phosphide, which has been gaining more attention with the de-registration of strychnine in 2021 by Health Canada. Strychnine use was no longer allowed after March 2023.  

The Richardson’s ground squirrel (AKA gopher) population can present an issue for farmers’ crops, cleaning entire fields if their numbers grow too large.  

A rodenticide that is commonly used to control the Richardson’s ground squirrel population is zinc phosphide, which has been gaining more attention with the de-registration of strychnine in 2021 by Health Canada. Strychnine use was no longer allowed after March 2023.  

An upper ridge coming from the United States was the reason for the warmer temperatures in southern Saskatchewan this past Wednesday. 

“With that feature, it just brought lot of very hot air northwards into the region,” explained Brad Vrolijk, meteorologist with Environment Canada. 

Moose Jaw set a record of 35 degrees, beating the 33.2-degree record set in 2014. 

The Community Grant Program deadline is coming up on Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. 

Funding for the program is distributed via the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) and is provided for organizations that have programs or services in areas including 1) healthy growth and development of children and youth, 2) individual and community wellbeing, and 3) non-profit community leadership.  

A whitetail deer buck was found shot and left to waste in a field near Bateman, Sask. over the weekend.  

Saskatchewan conservation officers say it was left within 500 metres of occupied buildings, with the incident thought to have happened between 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 and 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15.  

Scam emails aimed at SaskTel customers are making the rounds in the province. 

Some of the scam messages that have been reported to SaskTel include subjects such as “we are having difficulty collecting the amount of the last bill” or “this message requires attention,” and may have attachments or links asking people to update their payment information.  

Scam emails aimed at SaskTel customers are making the rounds in the province. 

Some of the scam messages that have been reported to SaskTel include subjects such as “we are having difficulty collecting the amount of the last bill” or “this message requires attention,” and may have attachments or links asking people to update their payment information.  

UPDATE: Moose Jaw RCMP confirmed that they were able to find Julia Koester safe on Saturday, August 24. 

Police thanked the public for its help in finding the missing woman. 

Moose Jaw RCMP are asking the public to keep an eye out for Julia Koester.

They say the missing 24-year-old was last seen on Thomas Street in Marquis, SK, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9, and that she may have travelled to places including Assiniboia, Estevan, or Buffalo Pound. Her current location is unknown, and she was reported missing to RCMP on Aug. 21 around 2:15 p.m.

After litter was reported to be illegally dumped in mid-July, Assiniboia Conservation Officers are looking for information. 

The items include household garbage, small furniture, food, clothing, and books, found two miles East of Highway 2 along the St. Victor Grid and about 1 mile North.  

The items were found dumped near a rock pile, and their presence was reported to conservation officers on July 16 and was thought to have happened within the previous 5 days.  

An interesting piece of abandoned infrastructure was dug up on South Hill in Moose Jaw this week as the Infrastructure Renewal Program continues.  

A wooden water pipe that would have supplied potable water in the early 1900s was found, according to Travis LeBlanc, manager of design and projects with the Engineering Department at the City of Moose Jaw.