Okotoks

Art will take to the streets in Okotoks this weekend.

The month-long Nooks & Crannies Festival kicks off on Saturday, July 19.

Thirteen art installations are on display along McRae Street, each created by a different artist using recycled materials.

Every piece is tucked away in one of downtown Okotoks' "forgotten" spaces—hence the name Nooks & Crannies.

The Town has released a map showing the general location of each piece, along with their titles and the names of the artists.

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) are warning those in the Calgary area about a planned gathering of outlaw motorcycle gang members this weekend.

This gathering includes members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Due to that gathering, people can expect to see an influx of outlaw motorcycle gang members in the area, particularly on Friday (July 18).

Update:

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has ended. 

Original story:

Parts of Foothills County, Vulcan County, M.D. of Willow Creek, Siksika Nation, and Kananaskis were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch  

Environment Canada issued the Watch yesterday (July 18) at 10:47 a.m.  

The affected areas included:  

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is urging workers to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer.

Union national president Jan Simpson says a strong no vote would not only reject the offer, but also protect the integrity of the bargaining process.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board will hold the vote on the proposed deal starting next week.

Canada Post is at an impasse with the union representing roughly 55,000 postal service workers after more than a year and a half of talks.

Alberta's auditor general says the provincial government has not done the work to ensure daycares getting public funds use them to lower fees for parents or top up staff wages.

Doug Wylie, in a report released Thursday, says without proper verification, Alberta could be overcompensating operators with federal and provincial funds meant to lower the average cost of daycare to $10 per day.

"There is a risk that public funds may not be used as intended — leading to parents overpaying for child-care and educators being under-compensated," the report says.

A junior girls' football coach in Lethbridge has been charged with child exploitation offences.

Those charges include the allegation that he used artificial intelligence to make child pornography.

ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) arrested 38-year-old Justin Tillery, who is charged with making, distributing, possessing, and accessing child pornography.

Tillery also transmitted an intimate image without consent.

On top of that, Tillerly has allegedly used AI to manipulate and sexualize photos of underage girls.

Even though there is a chance of showers all weekend, there is still plenty to do in the Foothills this weekend.

There is fun for everyone this weekend, so let's see what's going on:

Friday, July 18:

From 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Okotoks Public Library, they are hosting Freezie Fridays, which is a story time filled with songs and stories.

An Independent candidate running in a rural Alberta byelection says she has stopped door-knocking because of death threats.

Sarah Spanier, 33, of Castor, Alta., says she has told Mounties about the online threats, which include a social media comment saying she would be met with a shotgun if she showed up at someone's door.

She attributes the threats and other derogatory messages she has received to her advocacy for transgender people during her campaign in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding, which encompasses communities such as Camrose, Drumheller and Wainwright.

There was a missing 14-year-old from Gleichen, prompting Gleichen RCMP to put out a missing person's report for the teenager.

They were last seen in Siksika on Friday, July 11, at approximately 10 p.m.

RCMP say there was concern for his well-being, but on Monday, July 21, the RCMP reported that the missing teen was found safe.

Information about missing people can be given to the RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

The head of an Ottawa-based Canadian Army regiment has been temporarily removed as part of an investigation into alleged online behaviour that the commander of the army says disgraced the military.

The commanding officer of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa has been removed from his post in connection with a probe into the "Blue Hackle Mafia" social media group, Lt-Gen Michael Wright said in a statement to army ranks Wednesday and shared with The Canadian Press Thursday.