Estevan

"It's a $4.8 billion industry within the province, so when we're strong, it means the province is strong."

Larry Heggs, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Automobile Dealers' Association, is optimistic about the new vehicle market. Here in Saskatchewan, the purchase of new vehicles has been up by around 300 units, year-to-date. This number includes cars as well as trucks. 

This weekend on the Canadian Country Showcase, don’t miss Meghan Patrick debuting her latest single, "Whether You Love Me Or Not." We’ll chat with her about her summer tour and favourite tattoo. Joining us from Red Deer, Alberta, Reed Salmon will share his new track, "Summer to Fall," and update us on his latest projects. Plus, we’ll revisit a #1 hit from MacKenzie Porter from this week in 2020!

Tune in to the Canadian Country Showcase on Saturdays at 12 PM and Sundays at 4 PM.

The U14 Lions Oilers football team has successfully concluded their summer training sessions and is now focused on the upcoming season. Head Coach Christian Pfeifer, in his first year leading the team, shared updates on registration deadlines and preparations for the new season.

Reflecting on the summer workouts, Pfeifer said, “This past Thursday was our last summer workout and they've been fairly good. The kids that we have had out there, they seem like they're having a lot of fun. It's a really good opportunity to learn the basic skills needed to play football.”

Happy Hooves Donkey and Pony Sanctuary is trotting over to Estevan for a fun-filled weekend of fundraising to support their lovable residents.

The sanctuary is devoted to mini horses, ponies, donkeys, and mini mules with complex medical or behavioral needs. There are currently 43 animals residing in their care.

The finale to the extreme heat this week came on Thursday, with temperatures reaching into the mid to high 30s across the southern part of the province breaking multiple records.

Some of those records include:

• Lucky Lake at 34.9 (beating the record of 34.5 set in 2023) 

• Rockglen at 34.9 (beating the record of 34.7 set in 2023) 

The southeast region secured three more medals on the fourth day of the Saskatchewan Summer Games, bringing their total to 10. The team celebrated their first gold and silver medals at the event.

Anya Krueger won gold in the female 100m hurdles and placed fourth in the long jump. Calder Johnston also struck gold in the male shot put. Luke Holman earned the team's first silver medal with a second-place finish in the male 1500m race.

Bronze medals went to Dane Peterson in the male shot put and Truman Ciepliski in the male pentathlon.

A meeting will be held on July 31st at 7 p.m. at Cecelia's Banquet Hall for anyone interested in having further discussions concerning a proposed wind power project in the R.M.s of Weyburn and Griffin.

In late June, the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation (SIIFC) pledged up to one hundred million dollars in loan guarantees for a new renewable wind energy project to be built southeast of Weyburn. In agreement with six Indigenous and Metis partners, Enbridge Inc. has joined with SaskPower to advance the project through a power purchase agreement.  

Statistics Canada released new police-reported crime figures for 2023 yesterday. The data points to a 39 per cent increase in violent crime severity in Estevan, hitting a 10-year high. 

Estevan's violent crime severity index is 163.92, up from 117.69 in 2022. This shows a 10-year peak, with the previous high set at 156.51 in 2021. The overall crime severity index for the area is up 32 per cent, from 87.25 in 2022 to 115.48 last year. Raw data indicates that out of the 1161 crimes reported last year, 313 were classified as violent under the Criminal Code. 

Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park.

The park posted a statement on X late Thursday night saying cooler temperatures and up to 15 millimetres of rain since midnight had led to minimal fire activity.

The park says due to the rainfall, fire behaviour is likely to calm over the next 72 hours.

While more rain is expected Friday, temperatures are supposed to return to the mid 20s by Saturday, which the park says will lead to an increase in fire activity.

Estevan is set for a busy weekend with three provincial baseball tournaments scheduled.

The U13 AA Brewers will compete at Cactus Park. The U18 AA Tier 5 and Tier 6 teams will play at Lynn Prime Park, with some games also held at Cactus Park.

Admission is $10 per day or $20 for the weekend, valid for all tournaments.

The U13 tournament starts at 1 p.m., with the Brewers facing the Gravelbourg Lightning at 6 p.m.

Elyse Mantei, coach of the U13 provincial team, said the team is optimistic.