Serena Ryder coming to the Shell Theatre

JUNO Award winner Serena Ryder is coming to the Shell Theatre.

Ryder will be performing on Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. as part of The Art of Falling Apart Tour.

The tour is named after her recent album of the same name. She describes it as the "most authentic" album she's released so far as it dives into themes of mental wellness and the journey towards good health. The album won Adult Contemporary Album of the Year at the 2022 JUNO Awards.

Families of missing and murdered Indigenous women seek change ahead of Oct. 4 vigils

Tatyanna Harrison’s 21st birthday would have been on Sept. 29.

Her mother described Tatyanna, whose body was found in Vancouver earlier this year, as a courageous woman with the gift of gab and a deep love for learning.

“It affected (Tatyanna) deeply to witness anything that was unfair or cruel. She wasn't afraid to use her voice to speak on it and this has always been the core of who she was,” Natasha Harrison said.

“I know in my heart she wouldn't be OK with the injustice surrounding her passing.”

Legislation to temporarily boost GST rebate expected to pass this week

Legislation to temporarily double GST rebates to help low- and modest-income Canadians cope with high inflation is expected to pass the House of Commons later this week.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the measure is "a balance between compassion and fiscal responsibility."

Freeland appeared at the House of Common Finance Committee Monday where she commended MPs from all parties for supporting the measure.

The bill is expected to come to a final vote in the House of Commons Thursday, after which it will be sent to the Senate. 

Photographer rides out Ian to capture the storm for others

Chuck Larsen has lived on Sanibel Island for 12 years and until last week had never experienced a major hurricane. The 76-year-old who moved from California decided to ride out Hurricane Ian in his condominium with little idea of the horror he was about to go through.

He filled his bathtub with water, stocked up on food and water, and made sure batteries were charged and his windows were rated to withstand 150 mph (240 kph) winds. He followed the forecast thinking the island would get strong wind and rain, and trees would fall, but areas to the north would take the hardest hit.

Highway 15 bridge construction set to wrap this month

Fort Saskatchewan residents can expect construction on the new Highway 15 bridge to wrap up in about two weeks. 

Members of the provincial government were in the city on Monday (Oct. 3) afternoon to give an update on the project, which includes twinning a portion of the busy highway. 

Alberta transportation minister, Prasad Panda, is proud of the work being done. 

Sunflowers could help extend crop rotations and break disease cycle

Sunflowers is one crop that could hold a lot of potential for producers on the prairies. 

Currently, the majority of the acres in the prairies are found in southern Manitoba, with some acres also grown in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Crops Extension Specialist Sherri Roberts says sunflowers is a crop that can be seeded a little bit later, and is generally harvested into October which can help to spread out the workload.

Salisbury Composite golfer takes home provincial championship

A local golfer has won the 2022 Alberta Schools Athletic Association Golf Provincial Championship. 

Mya Rowan, 16, a Grade 12 high school student at Salisbury Composite, shot for a score of 144 over the two-day tournament last week. The score was good enough for par and edged out her closest competitor by two strokes. 

One of the shots that helped her was a hole-in-one. 

Strathcona County RCMP discover body near river

Strathcona County RCMP is investigating the sudden death of a man after discovering a body near the North Saskatchewan River near Township Road 540 on Sunday (Oct. 2). 

The area was closed off to the public while RCMP was on the scene. 

Police believe the death is not suspicious. They are currently in the process of identifying the body. 

No further details have been provided. 

Updates will be added once they become available. 

Bruderheim girl honours residential school victims

A fourth-grade girl in Bruderheim is honouring residential school victims. 

On Sunday (Sept. 25), McKenna Bonner was hard at work painting a sidewalk in the town orange. Bonner came up with the idea after learning of her family's history with the schools. 

"My mom and dad are Indigenous," said Bonner. "My mom's side of the family went to residential schools." 

The process to get the sidewalk painted wasn't straightforward. Bonner first had to present her idea to the town council for approval. 

Update on 94 Street construction

Construction on the widening of 94 Street is coming along nicely. 

The project will widen the road from two lanes to four to help ease the high volume of traffic near the community hospital.  

The city expects construction crews to complete work in the next couple of weeks depending on the weather. 

Grant Schaffer, director of fleet, facilities, and engineering for the city, says drivers can expect delays in the area.