Okotoks

The Alberta RCMP Auto Theft Unit began investigating into suspected re-vinned vehicles last February.

After being re-vinned, the vehicles where then registered in Leduc and the Calgary area.

Due to the investigation, authorities were able recover a RAM 2500, RAM 1500, and a Chevrolet Cruze, which all had previously been re-vinned.

Registration for community programs in Okotoks has opened as of August 8th.

It's currently only open for residents of Okotoks and Foothills County.

The Town of Okotoks offers numerous programs that work for all demographic groups, including educational, recreational, creative, cultural, and leisure learning programs.

There's a variety of youth programs such as Youth Rec Skate, Youth Volleyball, and Parent and Tot Yoga in the Gallery for kids, as well as adult programs such as Introduction to Pilates, Adulty Learn to Skate, Pickleball, and more.

The Alberta wildland firefighter killed while battling a blaze in Jasper National Park last weekend is being remembered for his bold personality and sense of humour.

Alberta Wildfire spokeswoman Melissa Story confirmed in an email Friday that family, friends and colleagues are mourning Morgan Kitchen.

A memorial post circulating on social media says Kitchen, who was 24 and lived in Calgary, had a “bold and brilliant” personality, a nimble wit and an “outrageous and ridiculous” sense of humour.

The first round of the 2024 WCBL playoffs between the Okotoks Dawgs and Lethbridge Bulls wasn't for the faint of heart.

It took 13 innings to find a winner, but the Dawgs found a way after Ricky Sanchez made a game-winning bunt to take the best-of-three series in three games.

Brock Townsend got the start on the mound in the defensive duel. He would pitch six and one-third innings with three strikeouts in the process. Cade Herrmann, Gavin Wuschke, and Ashton Luera came into the game as relievers.

"Freedom Convoy" organizer Pat King was released on bail Friday after spending more than a week in jail on Crown allegations that he breached his bail conditions.

The Crown alleged King broke his previous release conditions, which only allowed him to use social media to fundraise for his legal defence. The Crown says his online activity extended beyond what was allowed between July 10 and 29.

King, whose criminal trial ended last month, flew from his home in Alberta to Ottawa last week to turn himself in to police after learning of the allegations. 

The Okotoks Dawgs got a good one in Ashton Luera, who's been dynamite on the mound in his first year with the team.

Luera hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is a strikeout machine as the closer. He pitched 24 and one-third innings during the 2024 WCBL season, notching 47 strikeouts in the process. That's nearly two strikeouts per inning pitched. During the post-season so far, Luera closed game one with two strikeouts for the Dawgs win.

An online fundraiser has been started for Colin Hough, the Rocky View County employee who was killed in a shooting near Strathmore earlier this week.

Tributes to Hough and support for his family have been pouring out since the shooting on August 6, including several Foothills-area towns lowering their flags to half mast.

An Ontario man who had been living with family in Okotoks was recently found deceased in the Nordegg backcountry.

Rocky Mountain House RCMP were informed on August 5th that the 55-year-old hiker was overdue, which led to search and rescue efforts.

The hiker's vehicle was quickly found in the Coral Creek staging area, which led to the RCMP, Rocky Mountain House Search and Rescue (SAR), and the Kananaskis Emergency Services beginning a search for the missing hiker on August 6th.

The longstanding Fire Ban in the Calgary Forest Area has been lifted.

Thanks to the significant precipitation the region has recently received, the wildfire danger in the Calgary Forest Area dropped to low, and the Fire Ban was lifted as of 4 p.m. on August 8.

While the Fire Ban has been lifted, there are still two active wildfires in the Calgary Forest Area.

One is located in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, about 10 km South of the Spray Lake Reservoir, and the other is approximately 25 km West of Water Valley, but both are classified as being under control.

Strathmore RCMP and the RCMP Major Crimes Unit have discovered a person of interest related to the shooting that happened in Rocky View County on Tuesday.

Police believe that the person may have information that could help them in the investigation, and are asking for the public's help in identifying them.

According to RCMP, the person was last seen in Cochrane on August 5 between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., with police asking anyone who could identify them to get in touch with the Strathmore RCMP detachment at 403-934-3968.