Lacombe

Thursday marked the end of an era in Penhold as Penhold Elementary School (PES) closed its doors for the final time.

The school will be replaced by the new Penhold Waskasoo Middle School, which will welcome students in Grades 4 through 8 this fall.

In a farewell message posted to Facebook, the school reflected on the emotional significance of the day.

Alberta’s finance minister is set to deliver the final bottom line number today on last year’s provincial budget.

Nate Horner’s new figure will close the books on the budget for the fiscal year that ended in March.

That budget was last forecast to come in with a nearly $6-billion surplus.

Alberta’s new budget year is now a few months old, but its expected bottom line number is deep in the red.

This budget, introduced by Horner in February, predicts Alberta will register a $5.2-billion deficit at the end of March 2026.

Two Lacombe firefighters have been recognized for their hard work and promoted to new leadership roles within the Lacombe Fire Department.

In a statement, Fire Chief Jason Fleming expressed his pride in the department’s continued commitment to developing leaders from within.

“I am pleased to announce the promotions of Deputy Fire Chief Mike Regier and Assistant Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Fauria, who have advanced through our ranks,” said Fleming. “These well-earned promotions highlight the dedication, skill and leadership that Mike and Ryan have shown in their careers.”

Arrest made in proactive patrol – drugs and weapons seized in Lacombe.

On June 15, at approximately 9:50 a.m., officers located a black 2017 Dodge Ram truck suspiciously parked behind a local motel.

A male occupant was found unconscious inside the vehicle and was arrested at the scene.

During the investigation and a search incidental to arrest, police located a bag containing approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine, a large hunting knife strapped to the center console, and an AR-15 replica rifle positioned next to the driver’s seat.

Highway 53 corridor improvements begin this month.

The Town of Ponoka has partnered with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors to begin extensive improvements and rehabilitation of Highway 53, between Highway 2A and 38 Street.

Construction is expected to begin after the Ponoka Stampede.

Planned improvements along the corridor include:

Canadian varietal development system called a success story

Canada’s system of developing wheat varieties is both efficient and effective, says a University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist.

Australia invests much more into wheat genetics and improving varieties, but the yield gains are similar to Canadian results.

“In Australia, they’re spending three to five times what we are, right now, on wheat research and wheat genetics,” said Richard Gray, Canadian grain policy research chair at the U of S.

Penhold Firefighters celebrate tradition, community and youth as Penhold Elementary closes for the summer.

With buses lined up to take students home for the final time from Penhold Elementary School (PES) on Thursday, June 26, the Penhold Volunteer Fire Department made sure the day ended on a high note — by spraying cheering students as they left the school.

Although the origin of the year-end spray tradition is unclear, it holds a special place in the hearts of many.

The Red Deer Royals marching band are inviting alumni to join them in a final performance.

The band is playing the "Sounds of Summer" event on July 2 at the St. Joseph High School sports field and is inviting all former members to take part in a final performance.

Alumni are being asked to play “Hey Baby” with the band and relive their glory days.

Those interested can email the director at director@reddeerroyals.com by June 30.

The Federal Court has approved a multi-billion-dollar class-action settlement for people who suffered abuse at federally run 'Indian hospitals' following out-of-court negotiations between Ottawa and Indigenous survivors.

The federal government ran 33 such hospitals between 1936 and 1981. The total compensation amount is expected to be between $3 billion and $5.3 billion.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday that a 49-year-old Canadian has died while in its custody.

A detainee death notice from the agency, commonly known as ICE, said that Johnny Noviello was pronounced dead by the Miami Fire Rescue Department at 1:36 p.m. on June 23.

The agency said he was found unresponsive at 12:54 p.m. at a federal detention centre where he was being held pending deportation proceedings. Medical staff attempted CPR and defibrillation but were unsuccessful, the agency said.