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Effective at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, the County of Grande Prairie will implement a fire ban that encompasses the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley.  

The Fire Ban was issued due to hot, dry, and windy weather conditions and the lack of forecasted precipitation.

Existing burning permits are revoked, and no new fire permits will be issued until the ban is lifted. All fires currently burning must be extinguished immediately. 

Under the ban, all outdoor fires are prohibited including: 

As of 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, the road ban on County of Grande Prairie gravel roads will no longer be in place. Gravel roads will return to 100 per cent axle weight loading, 24 hours per day, unless otherwise posted.

The County issues road bans during spring thaw when gravel roads are especially vulnerable to damage. A road ban is a standard procedure put in place regularly on many Alberta roads by municipalities in order to protect important infrastructure during construction activities, maintenance or seasonal conditions, including spring thaw.

On the morning of May 7, 2024, around 7:30 am, the Fort St. John RCMP received a call for assistance from the Grande Prairie RCMP regarding a stolen pickup truck suspected to be in the vicinity.

Responding promptly, the Fort St. John RCMP discovered the stolen pickup parked at the Walmart lot on 9007 96A Street, Fort St. John. Reports indicated that four young males were behaving suspiciously and were linked to the vehicle. Subsequently, all four youths were apprehended by the Fort St. John RCMP without any resistance.

The CEO of Bunge Gregory Heckman has released the following statement regarding the proposed merger of Bunge-Viterra,

A family in Abilene, Texas, is grateful that everyone is alive after a tornado ripped through their neighbourhood, destroying their house. 

On May 3, Wes and Kasey Lambert, along with their daughter Allie and son Lane, heard the tornado warning and sought shelter in a closet in their house. 

"We could hear the nails coming out of the boards and metal being ripped, but that’s all we could hear," Kasey told the local news station. 

Colossians 4:5-6

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

James 4:13-15 

Snap a telescopic lens on your perspective for the next few minutes. Pull yourself up close...close enough to see the real you. From the reflection in your mental mirror, pay close attention to your life. Try your best to examine the inner "you" on the basis of time.

The only way we can do this, of course, is to look in two directions...backward and forward. In many ways what we see in our past and visualize in our future determines how we view ourselves today...in that third dimension we call "the present."

The County of Grande Prairie is excited to announce the launch of a new notification system for residents called “Voyent Alert!”. 

Voyent Alert is a multi-purpose communication service provided by the County of Grande Prairie to keep residents informed of critical events like fires or floods as well as day-to-day communications. 

Grande Prairie & District Catholic School Division is pleased to announce that Jessica Richard is the new Trustee for Ward 3 (Fairview & area). Jessica was acclaimed on May 6, 2024, as per the Local Authorities Election Act section 31.

Ward 3 Nominations closed April 30, 2024. As per section 71, the Returning Officer kept the office open from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM for up to five business days. On day four Jessica submitted her nomination paper and was acclaimed by Returning Officer Karl Germann.

Whitecourt RCMP is happy to announce that Staff Sergeant Matthew Clarke has been chosen as the new Detachment Commander.