Strathmore

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Wednesday that China has executed four Canadians in recent months.

The minister said all four were "dual citizens" and were all "facing charges linked to criminal activities according to China, linked to drugs."

"This is an issue that I've been following very, very closely, personally, for months, and I've asked personally also (for) leniency," Joly said, adding former prime minister Justin Trudeau also urged China not to execute the Canadians.

With polls suggesting U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration's use of punishing tariffs are a top-of-mind issue for Canadians ahead of the upcoming federal election, Trump has now offered his thoughts on which political party he would rather work with.

"I'd rather deal with a Liberal than a Conservative," Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham Tuesday.

During the interview he reiterated his call for Canada to become a U.S. state and his false claim that the U.S. subsidizes Canada by $200 billion a year.

Another funding commitment has been made towards a multi-million-dollar capital campaign by Cereals Canada. 

Cereals Canada says it is hoping to break ground this year on the construction of a new building in downtown Winnipeg. The organization says it is nearing the end of its lease in a building that is no longer able to meet its current and future goals. 

Their lease expires on March 31, 2027, and with this date now just over two years away, it says a new home is needed to continue to build on the vital work being done to advance the Canadian grains value chain.

The Chestermere Public Library is cleaning up the community around Earth Day.

On April 27 the third annual Clean Up the Lake Initiative is coming to the city, where participants help to clean garbage around John Peake Park and the library's parking lot.

"The big thing is trying to teach people how to clean after themselves, environmentalism, and the conservation of the environment and resources we have," said marketing and social media coordinator Spencer McDonald. "We're on a lake-view property, and we should really be teaching people how to take care of it."

A production of New Blood is coming to Carseland at the end of the month.

On Mar. 29, Strathmore High School students will perform the production at the Carseland Community Centre. The event will feature cocktails, dinner, and a Q&A session after the show.

Proceeds from the event will help the students take the show across the country.

Gas pumps at the Esso on Highway 1 in Wheatland County are now shut down.

According to a Court of King's Bench order on Friday, Mar. 14, Grant Thornton Limited, a debt relief company, is now the receiver of the station, taking over from Hemkund Developments Ltd.

"The companies captured in the receivership order include Wheatland Plaza Ltd. and 2243807 Alberta Ltd. o/a Esso gas station," said the court order.

Police have found a missing Drumheller man.

An RCMP release said that Daniel Robert Coleman was last seen on Sunday, Mar. 16.

However, he was located on Wednesday, Mar. 19 in the afternoon.

Many residents of the Town of Strathmore are mourning the loss of Barb Narajiwsky, who recently passed away.

She died on Saturday, Mar. 15.

Narajiwsky served as the food and beverage manager at the Strathmore Family Centre for nearly a decade, with the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings offering their condolences through a social media post.

"Her dedication, warmth, and hard work made a lasting impact on everyone who had the pleasure of working alongside her," wrote the Kings.

A Strathmore curler is celebrating a big milestone.

"It was amazing to win, for sure," said Andrew Southworth.

The club celebrated its 100th game together over the weekend and won the U15 provincial championships.

"We've been together for two years now, and as we started as our team that was our goal was to win the Alberta Winter Games, which was last year, and then to win provincials."

Southworth has been curling for eight years and picked up the sport when his family participated in bonspiels.

Police in Drumheller have located a missing man.

A police release from early Wednesday morning said twenty-eight-year-old Daniel Robert Coleman was last seen in Drumheller on Mar. 16 in the 1200 block of South Railway Avenue.

Coleman was described as having short sandy brown hair with a red beard. He is six feet one inch with a slim build, and wears glasses.