Lacombe

A Red Deer man has been charged with multiple child exploitation offences following an investigation by the Lacombe Police Service.

Police say the investigation began on Aug. 3 after officers received a public tip. As a result, 44-year-old Kory Reay has been charged with:

• Making child pornography available

• Possession of child pornography

• Accessing child pornography

The Bentley & District Agricultural Society Fair is back with a weekend full of activities, entertainment, and hometown celebration for all ages.

It started yesterday (August 6) and will run until Sunday, (August 10) this year’s theme is a heartfelt “Salute to the Educators, Teachers and Support Staff” recognizing the individuals who shape and support local students and schools.

While there will be no rodeo this year due to facility upgrades, but the fair still promises plenty of fun, food, and family-friendly programming.

Administrators say federal government needs to build more trust into the Advance Payment Program

Administrators of the Advance Payments Program say Ottawa should stop treating farmers as if they are going to default on repayments.

They said the application process should be streamlined and the program made simpler and more consistent.

Dave Gallant, vice-president of finance and APP operations at the Canadian Canola Growers Association, said the CCGA administers about $2.5 billion in advances each year on behalf of the federal government.

One person was seriously injured after a small plane crashed on a private airstrip in central Alberta.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the two-seater was flying Tuesday from Wetaskiwin to Linden, a town about 100 kilometres northeast of Calgary.

The agency says the plane was approaching the rural airstrip when its fixed landing gear hit a fence and flipped.

RCMP say two 82-year-old men were on board.

They say one was airlifted to hospital in serious condition and the other was taken by ground ambulance with minor injuries.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says it's dealing with a growing number of immigration security screening requests — and immigration lawyers say their clients are coping with long delays as a result.

The intelligence agency says in its latest annual report it received over 538,000 screening requests from immigration and border officials in 2024. The agency began to see a significant increase in requests in 2023, when it received over 493,200 requests. Before that, CSIS received roughly 300,000 security screening requests annually over the previous five years.

With harvest approaching, farmers will want to start thinking about pre-harvest intervals (PHI) before applying any pesticides and or fungicides to the crop.

The PHI refers to the minimum number of days between a pesticide application and swathing or straight combining of a crop and reflects the time required for pesticides to break down after being applied.

Research finds agriculture waste could be transformed into biogas and fertilizer using bacteria-based techonology

Canadian farms could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating renewable energy by converting agricultural waste into biogas, a McGill University doctoral student says.

Anjaly Paul said anaerobic digestion could transform livestock manure and crop residues that would otherwise decompose in landfills into valuable resources.

A Saskatoon-based company has begun field trials of a replacement for granular peat inoculant.

Peat has been used for decades to inoculate crops such as peas and lentils and is a biological that provides consistent benefits, said Dave Greenshields, who founded Insight Plant Health in 2020.

However, customers are looking for a replacement, he told people attending a recent Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre field day.

Lacombe drivers should be ready for single-lane traffic in parts of the city.

Starting Thursday, milling work will begin and continue for the following two days in these areas:

• 53rd Street – from 52nd Avenue to the five-way stop

• 54th Avenue – from the five-way stop to 47th Street

• C&E Trail – from 63rd Avenue to College Avenue

A Red Deer Catholic school is welcoming 578 students Thursday as part of its staggered start to the 2025–26 school year.

St. Patrick’s Community School, the only year-round school in Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, will welcome students back tomorrow. According to the school, the year-round education model is designed to offer a holistic and enriching learning experience. 

The K–9 school says that with more frequent breaks throughout the year, students can better retain what they’ve learned and enjoy a smoother transition into the next grade.