Lacombe

Central Alberta’s youngest students will get a hands-on lesson in school bus safety this month through the annual First Rider program.

The free event, offered at schools across Central Alberta, gives children and their parents a chance to watch a school bus safety video, learn how to ride the bus, practise getting on and off, take a short ride and participate in an emergency evacuation.

Kelli Pickett, assistant transportation manager with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, has been helping with new rider education for nearly 20 years.

Albertans can begin pre-ordering COVID-19 shots for the fall after a recent policy shift.

Those looking to get vaccinated will still need to book an appointment and most will have to pay more than $100 to get it.

Premier Danielle Smith's government announced the policy shift in June.

Smith has said $135 million got "flushed down the drain" last year, with doses wasted in part because Albertans are increasingly choosing to not get them.

 On August 8, 2025, between the hours of 4:30 and 6:20 p.m., a suspect broke into a residence in Three Hills and stole assorted items from inside. The suspect had attended the residence prior to the break and enter and spoke with the homeowner. The suspect told the homeowner he could repair his trailer for a fee of $300. The suspect later returned when the homeowner was gone. He then committed the offence.

Police believe the suspect attended other residences in Three Hills and spoke with homeowners/tenants.

The suspect is described as:

Livestock farms often need to use their land carefully in order to get the best results for their animals, which is why the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is sharing some tips on good grazing practices. Trevor Lennox, a Range Management Extension Specialist, talks about one of the biggest potential mistakes a farm operation can make: overgrazing.

WestJet says some personal data including information about travel documents such as passports was stolen in a cyberattack earlier this year, but credit and debit card numbers as well as user passwords were not compromised.

In a note to customers, WestJet says the personal information taken varies from person to person but may include name, date of birth, e‑mail address, mailing address, phone number, gender and recent travel booking history including travel booking numbers.

The Town of Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County have announced a joint bid to host the 2028 Alberta Summer Games.

As part of the bid process, the 2028 Alberta Summer Games Bid Committee is seeking letters of support from local organizations.

Residents are also being asked if they would support having the games in the area.

You can show your support and share why you think our region should host the games in 2028, as well as what it could mean for our community and our youth.

Age Gracefully Wellness Spa in Lacombe is helping empower women through a partnership with Dress for Success Central Alberta.

Dress for Success Central Alberta works to help women break the cycle of poverty and re-enter the workforce through education, professional attire, career services and skill development.

Open to all women and non-binary individuals, the organization strives to empower and grow confidence.

The Lacombe Police Service is investigating a break-and-enter and theft at the City of Lacombe Public Works yard.

Police say the incident happened sometime between 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 and 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 7, when suspect(s) cut a large hole in the facility’s fence at 5444 56 Avenue and stole two pieces of equipment valued at about $5,000.

The missing items include a Champion generator and an Ammann 4-stroke jumping jack.

Bailey Rush of Ponoka has made wakesurfing history, winning the sport’s first-ever gold medal at the World Games.

Competing in Chengdu, China, on Sunday, (August 10), Rush captured gold in the women’s wakesurfing (skim) event as the sport made its debut on the World Games stage.

The 25-year-old Wake Canada national team athlete dominated prequalification and semifinal rounds before sealing the victory in the finals.

Alberta is appealing a temporary injunction of a law banning doctors from providing gender-affirming care to youth.

A judge granted the injunction in June, ruling the provincial law raises serious Charter issues that need to be hashed out in an ongoing court challenge of the legislation.

Court of King's Bench Justice Allison Kuntz said the law is likely to cause irreparable harm to gender-diverse youth and she didn't find the contrary evidence submitted by the province to be overwhelming.