Okotoks

The annual Teddy Bear Picnic is set to return to Okotoks on Tuesday, July 15.

Now in its 22nd year, the event is organized by the McMan Family Resource Network in Okotoks, with a focus on connecting families to the support they may need while providing a fun, family-friendly experience.

This year's Together We Make a Difference Radiothon has surpassed the $100,000 mark.

An anonymous donation of $25,000 to the Sheep River Health Trust (SRHT) brought the total to $102,582.

This is the first time the radiothon fundraising total exceeded $100,000 in its 12-year history.

The event was held on June 19 at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre, hosted by the SRHT and The Eagle 100.9.

Members of the Foothills Fire Department, with assistance from Diamond Valley, Longview, and Spruce Meadows fire crews, responded to a structure fire early Wednesday morning.  

Crews received a report of a fire just after 2 a.m. in Foothills County.  

“When crews arrived on the scene, the house was fully involved,” said Alex Marshall, acting Fire Chief for Foothills County.  

A grizzly bear recently bluff-charged a hiker in Kananaskis.

The bluff charge happened on the Bill Milne Trail from Wedge Pond to Mt. Allan Drive, causing Alberta Parks to issue a bear warning for the area on July 8.

While this bear warning is for the Bill Milne Trail, Alberta Parks is reminding people that bears can be encountered anywhere in Kananaskis at any time.

To avoid a surprise encounter with a bear, Alberta Parks reminds people to keep all attractants, including food, garbage, recycling, and pet food, secure from bears and never leave them unattended.

A local flower shop recently competed in a floral competition at the Calgary Stampede and won an award.

According to Nikolle Grainger of Boy Oh Boy Flowers in Okotoks, they were one of ten competitors part of the Fleurs De Villes competition at the Stampede.

"We were invited by email to see if we wanted to apply and accepted the application," Grainger explains. "So, that was an amazing feat."

The Stampede had held the competition last year for the first time in many years, and Grainger says she didn't compete last year, but it was a dream of hers to go.

High River Town Council is inviting residents to voice their thoughts and concerns regarding land use changes in the Ellis Area.   

A Public Hearing is set for July 14 at 3 p.m. in the High River Council Chambers.  

The public hearing is an opportunity to discuss a proposed land use change in the Ellis Area Concept Plan for future multi-unit housing.  

The Okotoks RCMP responded to a collision on Wednesday evening, which saw a driver being airlifted to the hospital.

At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, the Okotoks RCMP responded to a collision on Highway 2 and 370 Ave East in Foothills County.

The collision involved a pickup truck and a motorcycle, and according to the Okotoks RCMP, the driver of the motorcycle was injured and airlifted to the hospital by STARS Air Ambulance.

The Town of Okotoks has launched a community initiative aimed at curbing excessive vehicle noise. 

The Sound Pilot is designed to promote education and raise awareness surrounding noise bylaws within the town, and to reduce disruptive vehicle noise. 

The pilot includes sound monitoring to ensure vehicles adhere to the decibel levels in the town’s traffic bylaw, and a sign that has been placed on Milligan and 32nd Street. 

It was a reversal of fortunes on Thursday night for the Okotoks Dawgs.

The WCBL West Division leading team lost 7-6 to the Giants in Fort McMurray in a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning.

The Dawgs are in Fort McMurray for a 4-game series over the weekend.

The Dawgs lead the West Division by a game and a half over the Lethbridge Bulls and the Sylvan Lake Gulls.

Coming up next week, the Okotoks Dawgs invite the Saskatoon Berries to Seaman Stadium for a pair of games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mounties in Alberta are looking for help from the public after the body of a teen girl was found in an abandoned car close to the U.S. border.

Police say Jordyn (Rylie) Dines was found in the abandoned Toyota Camry on July 4 near Glenwood, 50 kilometres from the border.

The 16-year-old was last seen the day before at the Chinook Centre shopping mall in Calgary.

Police say Dines died under suspicious circumstances, but didn’t elaborate.