Nasty, noisy, intolerant: welcome to the town square of our times

By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Editor’s Note: Following is the third in a series of stories on social media roles, effects and strategies in politics and public life, especially at the provincial level in Alberta. Trolls, bullies, robots and other bad actors regularly flood social media with abusive comments and content.  In fact some days it seems that cyberspace … Read more

Driving deep: minister hears perspectives and gathers ideas during tour of central and southern Alberta

By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams renewed his appreciation of one swath of rural Alberta and the people who live there during a whirlwind summertime tour. In just over one zig-zagging week in July, the premier’s latest pick for the portfolio discussed issues of the day with government and community leaders and stakeholders in more … Read more

Social media goes mainstream for political messaging — warts and all

Originally Published on Aug 06, 2025 at 05:38 By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Editor’s Note: Following is the second in a series of stories on social media roles, effects and strategies in politics and public life, especially at the provincial level in Alberta. Albertans who vibe with Janis Irwin see her regularly on mainstream TV, the perfect place to … Read more

‘Tweet others as you wish to be tweeted’ — or not

By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Originally Published on Jul 30, 2025 at 07:48 Editor’s Note: Following is the first story in a series on social media roles, effects and strategies in politics and public life, especially at the provincial level in Alberta. A former Alberta cabinet minister and deputy premier, Thomas Lukaszuk regularly comments online — sometimes bitingly — … Read more

Dewar, Darlene

Darlene passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Darlene had undergone many treatments at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, and initially was declared cancer free, and was proud to “ring the bell” of success. Several years later a routine follow-up determined the cancer had returned. Darlene again began the battle to beat the disease, undergoing many … Read more

Municipal District of Willow Creek purchases new loader

By Rob Vogt The Municipal District of Willow Creek will spend almost $500,000 on a new loader for its gravel operations.At its Aug. 20 meeting, M.D. council was updated on the situation by Derrick Krizsan, the M.D.’s chief administrative officer.He explained the municipality’s 2016 Caterpillar – CAT 950M was struck by lightning, and is currently being inspected by a Caterpillar … Read more

Your guide to a smarter back-to-school season

(NC) With students starting to fill their backpacks and their schedules, the back-to-school season is set to begin – it’s an exciting and sometimes overwhelming time.Whether you’re prepping school lunches, managing health needs or heading off to college yourself, these practical tips will help students and families ease into the season.Allergy awareness in the classroomSending kids to school means more … Read more