New ambulance bay needed addition to general hospital

By Rob VogtA $3.4 million addition to the Claresholm General Hospital is making a huge difference in care patients brought in by ambulances are receiving.A new ambulance bay has been built which is able to accommodate emergency medical services vehicles of all sizes.This bay replaces the old one where the ceiling was too low for ambulances to drive inside.That meant … Read more

Priorities for new social studies curriculum

By Rob VogtThe provincial government has begun the process of reviewing and re-drafting the elementary school social studies curriculum, and recently released the results of a survey on what Albertans think the priorities should be.In a Dec. 14 release, the provincial government noted Albertans are looking for a stronger focus on history and global events in the new social studies … Read more

Local skaters take home medals from Lethbridge Frozen Fest

By Rob VogtSkaters from the Claresholm Skating Club returned from a weekend event in Lethbridge with a number of medals.The skaters participated in the Lethbridge Frozen Fest 2024 on Saturday, Jan. 20, and achieved the following results:• Emma Chatterton, bronze in STAR2 Freeskate.• Armani Scott, bronze in STAR2 Freeskate.• Minnie Toone, silver in STAR2 Freeskate.• Jordi McLean, bronze in STAR1 … Read more

Sheriffs boost highway safety in 2023

January 19, 2024  Alberta’s Sheriff Highway Patrol (SHP) removed more than 1,200 impaired drivers from the province’s roads in 2023. In July 2021, the SHP was granted the authority to investigate impaired driving and other criminal offences. Since then, SHP has caught almost 4,000 impaired drivers on provincial highways, increasing the safety of Albertans across the province. “Impaired driving is … Read more

Extreme cold causes school closure, electricity shortage

By Rob VogtAs temperatures dropped to minus-35 degrees Celsius and colder, they not only caused people to plug in their vehicles, dress in layers and take other precautions, they caused the closure of schools and a call by the provincial government to conserve electricity.On Jan. 11, the Livingstone Range School Division announced that due to the extreme cold weather and … Read more

M.D. advised about drought planning

By Rob VogtAlthough recent snowfall is a welcome relief, planning is underway throughout Alberta for the drought that is coming in the spring.At its Jan. 10 meeting, the council reviewed a letter from Rebecca Schulze, minister of Environment and Protected Areas, about the water situation in the province.“Alberta is currently in a significant drought,“ Schulze wrote. “During summer 2023, several … Read more

Council zones annexed lands on west boundary

By Rob VogtClaresholm town council has zoned land recently annexed on the western boundary of town to agricultural/transitional.At its Jan. 8 meeting, council held a public hearing in order to gather any feedback on the proposed zoning.Abe Tinney, the town’s chief administrative officer, explained the zoning is part of the process of the town annexing three quarter sections on its … Read more