Lacombe

A Red Deer summer program is helping develop literacy skills for elementary school students.

Reading College worked with multiple students this summer who had just finished Grade 2 and were struggling with reading and writing.

Throughout July, students took part in a full-day, literacy-rich program led by three master teachers and five recent graduates from Red Deer Polytechnic’s (RDP) education program. The small-group setting ensured students received individual attention and support.

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of Central Alberta.

Conditions are favourable for dangerous thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and large hail.

The storms are expected to develop this afternoon and continue into the evening.

Residents are advised to go indoors when they hear thunder, as lightning kills and injures Canadians every year.

Strong wind gusts can damage trees, buildings and overturn vehicles.

Large hail can cause significant damage and injury.

China announced a 75.8 per cent preliminary tariff on Canadian canola on Tuesday, following an anti-dumping investigation launched last year in response to Canada's tax on Chinese electric vehicles.

China's Ministry of Commerce published the details of the plan on Tuesday, claiming the "dumping" of Canadian canola into the Chinese market is hurting its domestic canola oil market.

Bentley School is hosting a back-to-school supply drive in partnership with the town.

Donations can be dropped off at the town office on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. throughout the month.

Items needed include coiled notebooks, writing supplies, headphones and calculators.

Items not accepted are looseleaf paper, backpacks, and binders.

If the drop off time does not work for you, call or text 403-748-2160 to make alternate arrangements.

The initiative aims to ensure all students have the supplies they need to start the school year.

The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is inviting producers to take part in their Harvest Sample Program, letting them send in samples from their grain harvest to be graded. The no-cost grading helps farmers know exactly what they've got in their fields, letting them easily market their grain to sellers.

Kerri Pleskach, the program manager of analytical services at the CGC, explains how producers can take part.

The outdoor community space at the Benalto Family Resource Centre is now better than ever, thanks to recent upgrades that include new basketball nets, freshly painted court lines, and the addition of two pickleball courts.

The space is open for public use year-round, and residents are encouraged to bring their own sports equipment to enjoy the facilities.

To make the most of the improvements, the town has launched a community-led drop-in sports night every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Central Albertans can watch a unique dog show in Innisfail on Wednesday morning.

The RCMP’s Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) will host a free public demonstration Aug. 13 at 10 a.m., offering a look at the training and discipline of its canines — all German shepherds.

The RCMP use the breed for its strength, versatility, courage, physical stature and adaptability to work in different climates across the country.

Team Alberta struck gold three times on Day 2 of the 2025 Canada Summer Games, wrapping up the day with a total of three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, bringing the province’s overall medal count to 11.

Central Alberta athletes made waves in the pool, Red Deer’s Kingston Hitchcock captured silver in the men’s 400m individual medley and bronze in the 4x100m mixed medley relay, while Didsbury’s Wesley Wilks earned bronze in the men’s 50m Special Olympics breaststroke.

Major institutional investors are asking the federal government to give them a reason to invest more at home in the upcoming fall budget, says the Liberal MPs leading budget consultations across Canada.

The federal Liberals are in the midst of consultations on the upcoming 2025 budget. While federal budgets typically are tabled in the spring, this one is set to land during the fall session of Parliament.

The RCMP is introducing a drone corridor along part of the Canada-U.S. border in an effort to boost security.

Drones are to patrol the border in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in what the RCMP says is a trial.

The force says the corridor has been established with help from Transport Canada and drone patrols will target illegal activity including smuggling and drug trafficking.

It says the corridor extends from the ground to 500 feet in the air and one nautical mile north of the border, or just under two kilometres.