Cochrane

A fire ban is now in effect across the entire Rocky View County as officials respond to increasingly dry and windy weather conditions, significantly elevating the risk of wildfires.

Effective immediately, all permit burning is prohibited. The county has also suspended all active fire and fireworks permits until further notice.

A fire restriction is now in effect in Cochrane due to hot, dry weather and an increased wildfire risk.

The restriction was issued by Cochrane Fire Services on May 7 and took effect at 4 p.m. Officials say dry, cured grasses and anticipated hot weather have created conditions where wildland fires can ignite and spread rapidly.

It means the use of town fire pits, backyard fire pits, charcoal briquette barbecues, and open fire permits are prohibited. 

The following remain permitted during the restriction:

• Propane or natural gas barbecues

Strong nitrogen fertilizer demand is butting up against tight supplies in some regions of the world, says an analyst.

India is the world’s top importer of the product.

Indian urea demand surged to 38.8 million tonnes in 2024-25, an eight per cent increase over the previous year, according to Argus Media.

That was due in part to tight supplies of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer during the winter (rabi) crop season.

Cochrane Search and Rescue (SAR) will be staging a mock emergency search this Saturday as part of Emergency Preparedness Week, reinforcing the importance of being ready for real-world disasters.

"We’ll be running a training scenario somewhere in town," says Robert Wambold, head of the search manager and drone sections with Cochrane SAR . "It helps our newer search managers and team members gain real experience."

As the 2025 crop season begins, farmers across the prairies are already on high alert for potential insect damage. Dr. Meghan Vankosky, a research scientist in field crop entomology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, provides insights into what farmers might expect this year based on last year's conditions and winter observations.

Defence lawyers for one of five hockey players accused of sexual assault suggested Tuesday the complainant asked him to call other players into a hotel room in June 2018 and later urged them to have sex with her.

David Humphrey, who represents Michael McLeod, suggested during cross-examination that the woman wanted to keep the night going after having sex with McLeod and told him to have some of his friends come to the London, Ont., hotel room "to have some fun" because she wanted a "wild night."

A two-month-long drug trafficking investigation has led to multiple charges and a significant seizure of illegal drugs, weapons, and counterfeit materials.

The Alberta RCMP Community Response Team and Cochrane Crime Reduction Unit (CRU), with assistance from various RCMP units and Calgary Police, arrested two Calgary residents, 50-year-old Duane Phillips and a 38-year-old woman on May 1 at Calgary's Sunridge Mall.

Following their arrest, police searched a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, and two residences in Calgary’s Livingston community.

While most provinces and territories across Canada will conduct a scheduled emergency alert test today, Alberta will not be participating.

According to the Alert Ready national testing schedule, Alberta has no test planned for May 2025. Quebec is the only other province not included in this round of testing.

The wait is over!

Intense Jr. B T2 lacrosse action returns to Totem One at this Sunday's season opener, which will be marked by the reveal of their brand new look.

After being relegated to Totem 3 last season during renovations, they're ready to explode in the big rink to offer thrills and spills for their loud and vocal fans.

Rage head coach Reese Sellwood says it's a long overdue rebranding for a team that's coming off its best season ever in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL).

RCMP have arrested a woman following a wild series of events on May 5 involving a U-Haul, stolen chainsaws, damaged property, and a police pursuit.

The incident began around 3:05 p.m. when police received a report of a suspicious man carrying two chainsaws who ran toward a U-Haul and fled the scene in a dangerous manner.

Olds Mounties located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop on Highway 587, but the U-Haul drove through the entrance gate at Red Lodge Provincial Park, causing damage.