WestCentral

Saskatchewan RCMP say the number of residential break-ins across the province continues to decline, even as overall break and enter incidents have remained relatively stable year over year.

In its 2024 crime statistics and trends report released Tuesday, the RCMP said break and enters in RCMP jurisdiction rose two per cent from 2023 to 2024, largely due to a spike in incidents involving non-dwelling structures such as sheds, outbuildings and abandoned properties.

A homecoming in Elrose, a top NHL prospect from Macklin, a pet parade in Kerrobert, and dirt flinging east of Kindersley were just some of the things grabbing local headlines this past week.

Find those local stories below, in addition to even more photos, and also a more serious story regarding the by-election taking place later in August across the Alberta border.

Saskatchewan has officially proclaimed August 2 as Food Day Canada, joining other provinces across the country in celebrating the people and communities behind Canada’s food system.

“Food Day Canada is a great opportunity to recognize the efforts of all the people who contribute to the success of our agriculture sector,” Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison said in a news release. “From producers and researchers to food companies and restaurants, they all have a role to play in delivering safe, sustainable and high-quality food to our tables.”

Unionized workers at Canada Post have voted to reject the Crown corporation's latest contract offer.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Friday that 68.5 per cent of urban mail carriers who voted were against the deal, while their rural and suburban colleagues were 69.4 per cent against.

The offer included wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years but also added part-time workers that Canada Post has said are necessary to keep the postal service afloat.

The union had urged the roughly 55,000 postal service workers it represents to reject the proposal.

Saskatchewan has once again been ranked the most attractive region in Canada for mining investment, according to the Fraser Institute’s latest Annual Survey of Mining Companies.

The 2024 report includes responses from 350 mining companies operating in 82 jurisdictions worldwide. Saskatchewan placed first in Canada and seventh globally, maintaining its reputation as a mining-friendly province.

A five-year-old girl in Regina has been rescued after a man in the Middle East reported seeing her being exploited in an online chat room.

Saskatoon Police say they received a call around 4 a.m. on July 28 from a man who said he had come across a live chat in a random online chat room showing an adult male committing an indecent act in front of the child.

The man, who was nearly 11,000 kilometres away, sent screenshots and other details by email to help investigators.

Kindersley RCMP are investigating the theft of a flat deck trailer and an orange tractor stolen from a gravel pit off Highway 21 north of Kindersley, near the community of Coleville.

The items were reported missing between July 29 and August 1, police said in a statement Friday.

The stolen trailer and tractor were last seen parked at the gravel site before being discovered missing earlier this week.

Momma Midnight, a rescue cat from Wilkie, Sask., is hoping to find a loving home after raising her litter in safety at KC Rescue.

Midnight was found with her kittens just in time to ensure the family had a secure place to stay. Staff at KC Rescue say she was timid at first, adjusting to a new environment while caring for her first litter.

Now, she proudly shows off her kittens and has become very affectionate with people.

A 17-year-old boy from Saskatchewan is dead following a single-vehicle crash east of the Morrin Bridge in southern Alberta.

RCMP say officers from the Three Hills detachment responded to a call about an abandoned rolled vehicle on Highway 27 around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. When officers arrived, they located a lone male occupant who was declared dead at the scene.

No other vehicles or individuals were involved in the collision, which remains under investigation.

A former Swift Current resident who viciously murdered a 58-year-old Calgary woman has been sentenced to life in prison.

51-year-old Christopher Dunlop was found guilty of first-degree murder earlier this month for the 2023 death of Judy Maerz.

He's been convicted of stabbing Maerz 79 times, covering her in gasoline, and lighting her on fire.