FortSask

More schools are going to be able to participate in the junior high athletic scene for Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), Elk Island Catholic Schools (EICS) and New Horizons School.

Starting in the fall, they are going to expand their league from its current 16-member schools to 22-member schools. The schools will compete in seven sports including cross country running, volleyball, basketball, team handball, badminton, golf, and track and field.

The federal government’s highly touted national child-care program aims to make care more affordable for parents, but a new study suggests just how much fees are reduced will depend on where they live. 

The study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says because provinces and territories are taking different approaches to try to meet the government’s initial fee reduction targets, some might miss them.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank has released its five-year strategic plan.

Musu Taylor Lewis is director of resources and public engagement.

An educational drone camp for Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) students took place at Bev Facey Community High.

On Apr. 30 and May 1, EIPS teamed up with Volatus Aerospace to teach 20 Grade 9-12 students five modules of drone technology.  

The modules included safety, piloting skills, a racing experience, photography/videography and coding.

“It was an eye-opening experience to see all the real-world applications drones have," said Chloe Wagner, a Grade 10 student at Bev Facey Community High.

The City of Fort Saskatchewan is looking to inject funds into local non-profits.  

Applications for 2023 grants to local non-profits opened at the beginning of May. Any local non-profit that supports the community broadly can apply for the grant program.  

“The City of Fort Saskatchewan recognizes the important contributions our local non-profit organizations make to our community,” stated the city.  

Mojow Autonomous Solutions will benefit from a $419 thousand dollar investment for digitization in farming under the Canadian Agricultural Partnerships AgriScience program. 

Co-founder and President Owen Kinch says they focus on digital technology for agriculture and the money will help in their development of an autonomous navigation controller to be used in agriculture.

Firefighters struggled with a Sherwood Park house fire over the weekend.

Around 2:56 p.m. on Sunday (May 8), Strathcona County Emergency Services got a 911 call for a garden shed fire near Harmony Place and Highland Way. It was very windy outside which was causing the fire to spread to the house.

Once crews arrived, they found the blaze had made its way into the attic with the flames being accelerated by the wind. Firefighters learned everyone had gotten out safely and then made their way inside.

Charges have been laid in a 2021 homicide investigation.

On Sept. 15, Strathcona County RCMP and fire services were called to a vehicle fire near Township Road 530 and Range Road 221. Human remains were found inside.

An autopsy revealed that the victim was 29-year-old Vanessa Silva from Edmonton. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Following an extensive investigation, on Friday (May 6), officers arrested 25-year-old Cordell Kennedy from Edmonton. He has been charged with first-degree murder. 

Due to overwhelming enthusiasm from fans, Garth Brooks will be staying in Edmonton a little longer.

Tickets for the country music artist's tour stop in Edmonton went on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday (May 6) and within 45 minutes, the 61,000-seat show at Commonwealth Stadium was sold out.

“Talked to Ticketmaster and they said a lot of you never got in to even look for tickets… and tens of thousands of you were still in the waiting room when it sold out,” Brooks said on Twitter.

Stocks of wheat, canola, barley, dry peas, oats and lentils were all down on March 31, 2022 compared with the same day a year earlier, a result largely attributable to lower opening supply. Conversely, stocks of corn for grain and soybeans rose.

Lower total supplies for most crops were the result of lower production in 2021. This contributed to a decrease in exports for most crops, despite strong global demand. Both domestic and international grain markets continue to face uncertainty because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and international tensions.