Estevan

Estevan’s annual Operation Clean Sweep has been postponed to the week of May 27 to June 1 because of ongoing wet weather.

City officials said excessive rainfall has made cleanup activities difficult to carry out safely and effectively, prompting the delay.

The City is also advising residents that the landfill site is currently very muddy and slippery. For safety reasons, and to avoid vehicles getting stuck, access is strongly recommended only for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Those without four-wheel drive are asked to postpone their visit until conditions improve.

Estevan Fire Rescue had a busy week, with calls coming in for a number of accidents, even if recent rains kept the southeast relatively fire-free.

On May 12, at 4:00 p.m., crews headed south of the city to deal with a grass fire. After responding, crews extinguished the fire with no injuries or damage. They found the cause of the fire to be a tree connecting with power lines.

The Estevan Police Service responded to 44 calls for service over the May long weekend, dealing with a variety of incidents including disturbances, break-ins, suspected impaired drivers and mental health concerns.

On May 16, officers were called to a disturbance at an east-end residence. A woman was arrested and held in custody until she sobered up. She was later released without charges.

The following day, police investigated a reported break and enter at a residence. A 44-year-old Estevan man was arrested and released shortly after. The investigation is ongoing.

A spring survey to gauge consumer opinions about food pricing, buying habits and values found affordability the top concern

Whether people throw steaks or hot dogs on the barbecue this summer could reflect how they feel about their food spending.

A new report from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University found increasing anxiety about food affordability compared to last fall.

The southeast has seen a lot of rain over the last few weeks, with a major rainstorm hitting the area on Wednesday and lasting into Friday afternoon. That left much of the southeast choked with more moisture than most people were expecting.

From Environment Canada's figures, it was a whole lot of rain for the southeast, as laid out by Meteorologist Danielle Desjardins.

Deferred grazing, a practice that involves delaying livestock grazing until after key growing seasons, is a valuable strategy for preserving and enhancing native prairie ecosystems. Unlike continuous or early-season grazing, deferred grazing allows native grasses and forbs the opportunity to complete their life cycles, set seed, and recover from previous disturbances. This approach brings a range of environmental, ecological, and even economic benefits that support both sustainable ranching and grassland conservation. 

Canada needs flexible, farmer-driven standards to guide regenerative agriculture, experts say

With producer and policy interest in regenerative agriculture growing across Canada, policymakers and industry leaders are debating how to standardize the concept without undermining its core principles or grassroots appeal.

Questions around standardization and regulation were front and centre during an April 30 webinar hosted by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Alberta's latest crop report shows seeding of major crops is significantly ahead of historical averages. Manglai, product coordinator with Alberta Financial Services Corporation, who helps compile the report, says seeding is now at 47 per cent, well above the five-year average of 26 per cent and the ten-year average of 29 per cent.

Breaking down the regional analysis, the South region leads with 76 per cent of seeding completed, followed by the Central region at 51 per cent  the Northeast at 37 per cent, the Northwest at 29 per cent, and the Peace region at 27 per cent.

The Manitoba government has announced a $1 million partnership to enhance veterinary care services in northern and remote communities, which will include mobile spay and neuter services. Agriculture Minister Ron Kostitsyn emphasized that this funding is a step in the right direction to ensure every animal receives timely and compassionate care.

SaskPower crews have fully repaired the outages reported earlier this morning, affecting a number of southeast communities. a

At 8:37 a.m., they confirmed that crews had been sent out to the towns of Carievale, Carnduff, and Gainsbourough, along with the surrounding rural community.

Power was re-established in the area as of 10:32 a.m., with any homes still having trouble with power asked to call into the outage line at 310-2220.