FortSask

Farmers across the prairies continue to make good progress with the harvest. 

In  Alberta, 96 per cent of all crops have been harvested, which is on par with last year, and 26 per cent ahead of the 5-year average (2017-2021).

The latest crop report shows harvest is most advanced in the South and North East Regions, where more than 97 per cent of crops are now in the bin. 

About 96 per cent of crops are done in the Central Region and 95 per cent in the Peace Region have been combined.

Harvest in the North West Region is 90 per cent complete.

The Canadian Grain Commission is busy assessing crops as part of the Harvest Sample Program. 

Under the program, farmers that submit samples receive an unofficial grade and quality results.

The CGC's Chief Grain Inspector Derek Bunkowsky says so far they've seen a good response with about five to six thousand
samples coming in, which is about half of what they are expecting to see.

He says so far based on the results we're seeing an exceptional quality crop, with very good quality across all grains. 

The September 2022 report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows an increase in combine sales in Canada and the U.S.

The report which came out on Tuesdays shows growth in the majority of segments in Canada led to the first 2-month growth streak of the year. 

Overall, tractor sales were down 0.9 per cent, with 4WD units leading sales up 64.3 percent year-on-year. 

2WD unit sales fell 1.6 percent, due to a 13.1 percent decline in the sub-40hp segment. 

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP responded to a report of a car striking a pedestrian on Thursday (Oct. 13) morning. 

RCMP indicate that the incident occurred just after 8:30 a.m. on 84 Street in front of the Dow Centennial Centre.

A youth driver was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 

Police say the pedestrian suffered minor injuries.

Applications have opened for Fort Saskatchewan's newest affordable housing complex.

The process started on October 5 for Muriel Ross Abdurahman Court, the first affordable housing complex in Fort Saskatchewan.

Named after the first female mayor of Fort Saskatchewan, the 83-unit building is being constructed by the Heartland Housing Foundation and is expected to open early next year.

Twenty of the building's units will be built to serve the needs of adults living with disabilities.

An eligible applicant's total household income must be under these amounts:

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is looking for help locating a missing teenager.

On Wednesday (Oct. 12) morning, RCMP was told of a missing youth who hadn't returned home. Seventeen-year-old Billy Cardinal-Delorme was last seen in the area of Lowe Avenue around 2:30 p.m.

Cardinal-Delorme is described as:

• 5’9” tall
• 115 pounds
• Brown shoulder-length hair
• Brown eyes
• Glasses

He was last seen wearing a grey/brown plaid coat, black pants, and Vans shoes with a floral print.

Now that the new and improved Highway 15 bridge is open for two-lane traffic, what do Fort Saskatchewanites think about it?

The new bridge has been under construction since 2019. Before the addition, the Highway 15 bridge was a two-lane bridge with one lane going each direction.

Many are happy with the new bridge, with local resident Chris Gratton believing that the new bridge will help emergency services the most.

A police helicopter was seen scouring parts of Sturgeon County on Wednesday (Oct. 12) afternoon. 

This was due to the Morinville RCMP tracking a grey Chevrolet truck that allegedly had stolen property. 

Police reported trying a traffic stop with the truck, but it sped off into a farmer's field. RCMP vehicles then attempted to chase down the suspect but lost track of the truck. 

Mounties say they called in a helicopter to help but were unsuccessful. They did, however, recover a stolen skid steer trailer. 

Police have confirmed that a person died as a result of an accident that occurred last Tuesday (Oct. 4) on Highway 28 near Highway 216. 

Mounties believe a single vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 28 veered off the road and collided with a structure. 

The driver was the only occupant in the vehicle and was killed in the crash. 

Police have not revealed the identity of the deceased. 

No cause for why the vehicle left the highway has been announced. 

An officer who worked with outreach and mental health teams and a veteran constable who was a trained crisis negotiator were identified Wednesday as the two police officers who died after a shooting in Innisfil, Ont. – an event that left residents of the quiet community in shock. 

The South Simcoe Police Service said the officers had responded to a disturbance at a home in the town north of Toronto around 8 p.m. Tuesday when the shooting took place.