Kirsty Hanson

With school officially out for the summer, the Saskatchewan government aims to remind river and lake-goers about provincial watercraft inspection stations.

Watercraft owners are advised to thoroughly clean their crafts and all equipment and drain all water. As well as allow time to dry, ideally for five days, and remove the plug before transporting, as it's mandatory. 

This includes boats, canoes, kayaks, jet skis, paddleboards, and more, even if the subject is just passing through. 

The second Native Prairie Speaker Series webinar will be taking place this afternoon in conjunction with Native Prairie Appreciation Week.

Carolyn Gaudet, manager at the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan, encourages everyone to attend the free webinar which is set to take place over noon hour.

An insect that many Saskatchewan residents regard as a bit of a nuisance is beginning to pop up again.

Tent caterpillars are known to strip the leaves from trees in their 'march' for food and are especially attracted to aspens.

Rory McIntosh, provincial forest insect and disease expert in the Forest Service Branch of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, hopes to alleviate concerns about environmental harm from tent caterpillars. 

With the school year coming to a close, many students are considering getting a summer job or are already applying.

Youth can begin working at the age of 16, or with the completion of the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course, can begin at the age of 14 or 15. 

Glen McRorie, executive director of the Employment Standards Branch with the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, notes that the course can be completed online.

Saskatchewan has recently been seeing a significant drop in oil and gas prices and could continue to.

According to GasBuddy, this is due to lower demand for gasoline and a recent decision made by OPEC.

The current Saskatchewan average is around $1.54 per litre while the national average is sitting around $1.60 per litre and wholesale costs have seen a dramatic drop.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, highlights that gas prices are around five cents lower than they were at this time last year.

Saskatchewan has recently been seeing a significant drop in oil and gas prices and could continue to.

According to GasBuddy, this is due to lower demand for gasoline and a recent decision made by OPEC.

The current Saskatchewan average is around $1.54 per litre while the national average is sitting around $1.60 per litre and wholesale costs have seen a dramatic drop.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, highlights that gas prices are around five cents lower than they were at this time last year.

Bird enthusiasts, conservationists, and anyone else can now access a brand new online database with hundreds of various bird eggs.  recently launched by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

The website showcases a wide variety from Saskatchewan including the western meadowlark, killdeer, vesper sparrow, clay-coloured sparrow, and even the sprague's pipit, an illusive species that's been classified as threatened in Canada since 2000. 

The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan is cautioning local investors, as they have identified several suspicious online entities used for trading that are not registered. 

The trading platforms people are being alerted of include PolaxGroup, BNY Market, Bucok Coins, and Digital FIN Solutions.

Brett Wawro, director of enforcement at the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority, is keen to notify community members of the risks and dangers of investing with platforms that are not registered.

Prairie residents have the opportunity to tune in for a webinar about 'scale-dependent relationships between habitat, insects, and birds in native grasslands', along with the more than 200 other people who have already signed up.

This Native Prairie Speaker Series webinar will be on Tuesday, April 30th at 12 p.m. sharp and anyone, anywhere, can attend for free.

Caitlin Mroz-Sailer, stewardship coordinator for the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan, aims to inform community members of the significance of biodiversity and foster important conversations.

One of Swift Current's oldest schools will be receiving significant upgrades shortly.

 O. M. Irwin, built in 1963, is getting a new ventilation system worth nearly half a million. 

"That system has been in play for quite some time and it's just getting to the end of its life so we're upgrading that system just to keep our buildings running effectively and efficiently," said Chinook School Division's chief finance officer, Sharie Sloman.