Shawn Slaght

They can crawl just about anywhere, and their chirping can be a nuisance, but the positives of crickets can outweigh the negatives. 

While there is a wide diversity of crickets, the most common species found in Saskatchewan is the Fall Field Cricket. They are about an inch long, black in colour, and relatively robust with a very distinct chirp. 

According to Provincial Entomologist with the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. James Tansey, crickets are very curious insects that can get into tight spaces looking for food. 

Kincaid Central School will be discontinuing its Core French program for elementary school students beginning this year. 

The discontinuation of the French program received approval from the Prairie South School Division Board of Education during their meeting on Tuesday. 

In a letter to the school board, Kincaid Central School principal Shane Onraet said French language instruction is optional for Saskatchewan schools and Kincaid Central School has been having ongoing discussions about the Core French program for over 20 years. 

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is continuing to monitor Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), while implementing new mandatory testing for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB). 

The Ministry is introducing mandatory testing for Bovine TB during the 2024-2025 hunting season for a couple of Wildlife Management Zones (WMZ) near the Manitoba border. 

Moose Jaw lawyer Estes Fonkalsrud confirmed that he will continue to represent Richard Dyke during Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Wednesday. 

Dyke, who is facing 73 sexual offences involving minors, was not in court as Fonkalsrud waived his personal appearance. 

Central Collegiate graduate Akuol Riak took the trip of a lifetime from July 1 to Aug. 13. She participated in a teaching internship at Kayaba School in Kenya, facilitated by AIESEC. 

Riak is currently studying education at the University of British Columbia, hoping to become a middle school teacher. 

As the summer sun beats down on us, it is also the perfect conditions for harmful blue-green algae in our local waterways. 

Blue-green algae is a naturally occurring bacteria that is present particularly in lakes and reservoirs. Buffalo Pound Lake has been known to have blue-green algae in the past. 

The blooms thrive under the summer heat and can give the water a shimmering, foamy, and pea soup-like appearance. 

Craik RCMP has released additional details about a robbery that occurred at a business in Chamberlain on Aug. 1 just before 10 p.m.

Police say a man was approached outside of the business by a grey/silver Dodge Durango with four occupants he didn't know. The four people tried to sell the man some gold and other items. According to the RCMP, the man refused, the suspects threatened him and one suspect entered the store with the victim, forced him to take cash from the ATM and stole the cash from the victim. The victim was not physically injured.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) says the provincial government’s new policy to limit cell phone use in K-12 classrooms is only a part of a more complex issue and misses the bigger picture. 

Dates have been announced for the binding arbitration hearing that will take place between the Saskatchewan Teachers' Bargaining Committee and the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee. The hearing will take place Dec. 16 to 20 in Saskatoon.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and SaskTel are taking the first steps to transition to the next generation of 9-1-1 services. 

Saskatchewan is set to become the first province to transition all of its primary 9-1-1 communication centres to the New Generation 9-1-1 in compliance with a new federal mandate.