SwiftCurrent

More road construction before the season ends for Highway 343. 

From Highway 4 to Third Street South in Blumenhof, crews will be working to finish a project before 5 p.m. 

Reduced speeds are in effect for this work, and crew members will be operating in the area. 

Motorists are asked to slow down and watch for anyone working. 

People can check the highway Hotline for updates and for any other road notices in Saskatchewan. 

The province is once again giving livestock producers on crown land the opportunity to apply for the Crown Grazing Lease Rental Reduction Program.

Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison says, given the dry conditions throughout most of the grazing season, they are once again offering the program for producers.

"Crown grazing land lessees who have reduced the number of animals grazing on the land are eligible to apply (by the October 31st deadline) for a rent reduction for the 2025 grazing season.To be eligible, the lessee must reduce their stocking rate by 20 per cent."

Travellers heading down Highway 4 are being warned about ongoing work. 

Road work is currently taking place near Cadillac on Highway 13 from Highway 4 to Highway 37. he road is being limited to one lane, with a pilot vehicle guiding motorists around the work. 

Reduced speeds are in place.

Folks can check the Highway Hotline for updates and to stay up to date on any other delays, detours, or dangers on the road. 

Throughout the Summer we have had the opportunity to help a number of local non-profits through our monthly Taste Of Summer Community BBQ's. 

Well our final bbq is coming up Friday September 5th and proceeds will be going towards our local SPCA Swift Current. 

You will find us set up out front of Innovation Federal Credit Union from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm and $10 will get you a burger, chips and a drinks with all proceeds going towards our furry friends. 

Swift Current could see the implementation of a local branch of Citizens on Patrol in the future. 

One of the main driving forces behind that is Swift Current Municipal RCMP Staff Sergeant Evan Gordon, who has invited Doug Fehr, chairperson for the Saskatchewan Citizens on Patrol board, for an information session on September 15th. It will be held on the lower level of the Innovation Centre at 6 p.m.

The session will allow interested individuals to come and learn about the program, how volunteering works, and what the requirements would look like.

A significant grant coming to Southwest Homes in Swift Current.

As part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s investment of approximately $1.3 million in capital grant funding to improve safety and accessibility of group homes and day programs, Southwest Homes is receiving $127,000 to support various capital improvements.

If you've noticed a hike in gas prices lately, you can thank the weather in Indiana.

The hike largely comes from the temporary shutdown of a refinery in the US.

"The refinery down south in Whiting, Indiana, a BP refinery, experienced some flooding that took place last week, that forced it to go offline," said Matt McClain, a Petroleum Analyst with Gas Buddy. "That actually has a pretty good-sized impact (in) Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, but it's also impacting multiple U.S. states as well."

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he left Washington Wednesday with a sense that progress was made after a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

"It was constructive in the sense it was an exchange of views that I think helped both us and the Americans understand the work we need to do to get, we hope, to an agreement," LeBlanc said in an interview with The Canadian Press after arriving in Montreal.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Wednesday accused the federal Liberals of allowing temporary foreign workers to take jobs away from young Canadians while youth unemployment is high.

"As our young people have a quarter-century high in their unemployment, Mark Carney this year is expected to bring in a record number of temporary foreign workers to take the jobs of Canadian youth," Poilievre said. 

Statistics Canada data shows unemployment for youth, aged 15 to 24, hit 14.6 per cent in July. This is the highest it's been since 2010, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was a very memorable experience for Swift Current's Griffin Striker in the Canada Summer Games soccer tournament.