Okotoks

The Lethbridge Police are warning the public of an ongoing phone scam involving the Lethbridge Police Association (LPA).

According to the Lethbridge Police, several people in the area reported receiving phone calls from people claiming to be from the LPA.

At that point, the caller then solicits donations in support of veterans and injured officers.

The Lethbridge Police say the phone numbers being used are "spoofed" and are not affiliated with the Lethbridge Police in any way, nor are they affiliated with the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services or the Legion.

The High River Legion will be celebrating a new Veteran's crosswalk this Friday, August 15.

President of local Branch #71, Linda Reed, is looking forward to being one of the first Alberta Royal Canadian Legions to receive the official Legion Command-designed crosswalk.

“We are honoured to be one of the first locations in Alberta to lay this official Legion Command design," said President Linda Reed. "This crosswalk will stand as a daily reminder of the brave men and women who have served our country.”

Vulcan County, Siksika Nation, and areas of the Foothills are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. 

Environment Canada issued the Watch today (Aug. 13) at 11 a.m. 

The Watch is in effect for the following areas: 

The 1st High River Scouts are just a few sleeps away from going on a trip to Belize.

After plenty of fundraising, including a garage sale they held during the second annual Stampede Breakfast on Saturday, July 26th, they've raised enough to go.

Scouter and mom Andrea Sawatzky, who has two grown children still involved in Scouting, is looking forward to the more than a baker's dozen making the trip.

"We leave on the 15th and then we're back on the 27th of August. We have 14 people going."

The Rolling Barrage will be passing through Okotoks tonight (Wednesday).

This is a procession of motorcycles riding across Canada from east to west to raise money for PTSD support for both first responders and veterans.

The Rolling Barrage is expected to get to Okotoks at roughly 4:30 p.m., and due to that, the Town of Okotoks is letting the public know about some road closures.

From 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. today, there will be closures and delays along Veteran's Way and Milligan Drive in Okotoks to let the Rolling Barrage through.

Air Canada says it will begin a gradual suspension of flights to allow an orderly shutdown as it faces a potential work stoppage by its flight attendants on Saturday.

The airline says the first flights will be cancelled Thursday, with more on Friday and a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge by the weekend.

Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines will continue to operate as normal. 

Air Canada says customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and they will be eligible for a full refund.

A 20-year-old man from Longview has been arrested and charged by the Grande Prairie RCMP.

The RCMP were alerted to a man, claiming to have a firearm on him, walking in the area of 104 Avenue and 110 Street at about 8 p.m. on Monday.

The Grande Prairie RCMP were assisted by the Alberta RCMP Police Dog Services and were able to locate the suspect.

Upon searching, it's alleged that the suspect had an imitation gun on him.

China has hit Canada with a new round of canola tariffs, threatening one of Western Canada's biggest cash crops and causing potential issues for farmers looking to sell their crops. The tariffs were announced overnight Monday in China, meaning that people watching the agriculture markets were in for quite the shock Tuesday morning.

Chuck Penner, founder of Left Field Commodity Research, was watching the markets and says much of the agriculture sector saw this coming.

National galleries and museums across the country have seen a 15 per cent increase in attendance so far this summer, after the federal government introduced free or discounted admission through the new Canada Strong Pass.

The Canada Strong Pass, which took effect on June 20 and is available until Sept. 2, offers free national museum admission to children 17 and under, and a 50 per cent discount for those aged 18 to 24.

The pass also offers free admission to national parks and sites maintained by Parks Canada.

The head of the Canada's police chiefs association says they are guided by "outdated and inadequate" laws that were never designed to take on the current criminal landscape that no longer respects international borders. 

Thomas Carrique, president of the Association of Chiefs of Police, said police would have been in a better place to "disrupt" transnational crime, if the federal government had listened to his group in 2001, when it last proposed legislative changes.