Cochrane

In the last issue we discussed warm and cold clouds, and we learned that most of our local precipitation is produced in cold clouds, which means that most of it starts off as snow, even in the summer.

This week we are going to look at the different types of precipitation we experience and examine how each type forms.

Next on our list of precipitation types is sleet or ice pellets.

This form of precipitation is created when raindrops freeze in the air before they reach the ground.

Excitement is in the air as all Bow Valley rugby teams gear up for the opening of the club season, with both youth and adult squads starting on the road.

That includes the Division 2 Bow Valley Grizzlies, who are in Red Deer to challenge the Titans.

Tyler Hawes, head coach of the Men's Division 2 Grizzlies, says they've been warming up for the season at the Mitford Park pitch after training indoors during the off-season.

"The boys are ready and raring to go. We've got a few new guys, and I think they're excited to get it going."

Dr. Greg Powell, the visionary founder of the non-profit air ambulance service STARS, passed away on April 30 at the Foothills Country Hospice. He was 77.

STARS announced his passing on May 1, remembering Powell as a relentless advocate for patient care and emergency response.

“From the very beginning of his distinguished medical career, Dr. Powell was committed to saving lives,” said STARS President and CEO, Dr. John Froh. “Early on, he recognized too many patients were dying because they couldn’t get the care they needed fast enough and was motivated to change that.”

The popular Legacy Trail connecting Canmore to Banff National Park is officially open for the season.

Trail users are advised of a temporary dirt ramp near the Harvie Heights overpass due to ongoing work on the Bow Valley Fireguard Project. The ramp is expected to be removed by May 9.

The Legacy Trail welcomes all forms of non-motorized travel, including ebikes, strollers, and mobility aids.

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The Cochrane & District Chamber of Commerce is putting the final touches on its biggest event of the year, the Annual Trade Show, happening this weekend at Spray Lake Sawmills Centre.

Spanning two arenas, the event promises a packed lineup of local vendors, entertainment, prizes, and fun for all ages.

Executive Director Jennifer Wanner says the show is more than a business expo, it’s a community celebration.

A year-and-a-half after announcing it would massively reorganize the health-care system, Alberta's government says it's now in the final stages of the still-controversial revamp.

The United Conservatives are dismantling the provincial health authority, Alberta Health Services, reducing it to a hospital services provider and putting four new agencies in charge.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is proposing legislation that would officially shuffle workers represented by five different unions from AHS to a different agency and the Health Ministry.

The idea of Alberta opting out of the Canada Pension Plan isn't moving ahead — at least for now.

Premier Danielle Smith says she won't be putting the creation of a provincial pension plan to a referendum any time soon.

"I'm not seeing that there's an appetite to put it to the people at the moment," Smith told reporters at an unrelated press conference Thursday.

"I have said that I would put it to the people if I saw evidence they wanted to vote on it (but) I'm not seeing that at the moment."

Ready to be swept off your feet (and possibly into a cyclone)? Join Dorothy, Toto, and a trio of delightfully peculiar companions in The Wizard of Oz—a hilariously enchanted take on L. Frank "Please-don’t-call-me-Lyman" Baum’s beloved classic.

It's the opening night of St. Timothy High School's brilliant production of "The Wizard of Oz." The curtain time is 6 p.m.

There are encore performances ob May 5 and 6, both starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

UPDATE: THE TIME OF THE PROTEST HAS CHANGED TO 12 P.M. TO 1 P.M..

A protest is scheduled to take place outside the Cochrane Provincial Building on Tuesday, May 6 in response to the Alberta government’s decision not to pass along the new federal Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to recipients of Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).

Organizers say the demonstration, set for 12 to 1 p.m. at 217 1st St. W., by Centennial Plaza in the Historic Downtown, will include speeches, music and the distribution of informational materials.

Charlie Mayer, a prominent figure in Canadian agriculture and politics, has passed away at the age of 89. Born in Saskatoon in 1936, Mayer attended the University of Saskatchewan before purchasing a farm in Manitoba in 1965. He grew grain, potatoes, and raised Simmental cattle, becoming active in the Manitoba Beef Growers Association. Mayer played a key role in opposing the introduction of supply management to the beef industry.