Lacombe

Lacombe Santas Anonymous wants to make sure that every kid gets a gift this Christmas.

The program collects new unwrapped toys that will be distributed to families in need.

Craig Darrell is treasurer for the Lacombe Kinsmen Club, which is running the program in partnership with Lacombe and District FCSS.

On Nov. 14, 2024, at approximately 9:19 a.m., the Red Deer RCMP received a report from staff at a local school in the Oriole Park neighbourhood, that two students were approached by an unknown driver while walking to school.  

The driver offered to give them a ride, but the children declined and left the area.  

The Red Deer RCMP are now issuing safety reminders to children, parents, and caregivers.

The Red Deer RCMP received a report of an impaired driver on Nov. 13 at approximately 9:40 p.m.  

The driver had struck multiple stationary vehicles and was driving across the lawns of residences in the neighbourhood of Laredo.   

Police located the driver of the vehicle who was deemed to be impaired.  

This past week, the RDP Volleyball squads defeated the Concordia University Thunder. 

The Queens Basketball team earned a victory while the Kings dropped a close game to the Thunder. 

The Queens Hockey team was downed by the Lakeland College Rustlers.

This week, the Red Deer Polytechnic Curling team will begin the 2024/2025 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) season in Camrose. 

The RDP Queens Hockey team will host the Medicine Hat College Rattlers in a pair of games. 

The Echo Food Rescue is changing the food distribution process for the winter. 

To help manage lineups and prevent long wait times in the cold weather, a random spot in line will be chosen each day to begin letting people in.  

The spot could be in the back, middle, or front of the line, and will be chosen by volunteers. 

Sylvan Lake Bears Pee Wee head coach Garnet Rambaut is stepping down after a near-perfect season.

Rambaut has coached minor football for 23 years, the last 16 of those as head coach with the Bears.

He talked about the decision to step aside as the head coach.

"It's time to bring newer people in, it allows me to move on," he said. "I'm not leaving coaching, but I am leaving the head coaching to the younger guys. It's time."

To address growing community needs, Lacombe County is increasing funding for Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) by $30,000 for the 2025 fiscal year.  

Deputy Reeve Sydney Graham has resigned from her position with Clearwater County Council, effective Nov. 18, 2024.

Graham was elected to Clearwater County Council in October of 2021, and has served as Division 2 Councillor since that time.

Reeve Michelle Swanson shared the following statement regarding Graham's resignation. 

“On behalf of Clearwater County Council, I would like to sincerely thank Deputy Reeve Graham for her service to our community over the past three years. We wish her well on her future endeavours.”

The 2025 budget deliberations for the City of Red Deer began Monday with debate and approval of the 2025 capital budget, with two amendments.

Administration proposed an overall capital budget for 2025 of $93,384,000 including approximately $34 million for the fleet program. During the debate, Council passed a resolution related to Fleet Growth and Enhanced Replacements that reduced the total capital budget by $4,445,000 bringing the final 2025 capital budget to $88,939,000.

Health and Addictions Minister Ya'ara Saks is looking for pitches to help young Canadians who are struggling with their mental health.

The federal government plans to distribute $500 million for projects that help young people struggling to afford private mental health care services.

The funding comes from the five-year Youth Mental Health Fund announced in the spring federal budget to tackle the stress, anxiety and depression young people are facing amid a high cost of living and global uncertainty.