As a two-day school break began in early March, two Grade 10 students went on an overnight rampage and caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to William E. Hay Composite High School, reported Stettler RCMP.
Police said the 16-year-old boys were caught in the act at about 3 a.m., after the school’s maintenance director advised RCMP of an alarm alert and a suspected break and enter.
Clearview School Division continues to face challenges of limited funding and declining student enrolment, while still trying to maintain quality education. Trustees and administration have started planning for the next school year, and the current trends are under consideration.
“Our goal is to provide a very high quality of education for all students,” said Clearview board chairman Ken Checkel. “This is becoming more challenging, as declining enrolments and increased operational costs put pressure on our financial resources.”
Stettler and Bashaw have been selected as two of the 10 finalists for the Small Town Saturday Night contest. The winner earns the right to host a concert in partnership with Big Valley Jamboree, held each summer in Camrose.
Aubrey Brown became the executive-director of Stettler Regional Board of Trade and Community Development. Brown, a former publisher of the Stettler Independent, succeeded Keith Ryder, who led the board of trade for four years.
After losing the lower part of his right leg in a farming accident in November 2011, Erskine-area farmer Larry Stevens received more than $20,000 from a benefit dinner and auction at the Erskine IOOF Hall.
A modern seniors’ recreational centre, with more space and better accessibility for parking and wheelchairs, was the overwhelming priority expressed during two community planning sessions. Seniors said that the current Stettler and District Senior Citizens Drop-in Centre Association on 48 Street — in an industrial area — is no longer feasible and outdated.
As signs of a provincial election were imminent, the campaign unofficially started in the Drumheller-Stettler riding as Wildrose candidate Rick Strankman of Altario met with Stettler-area voters. As an upstart party, the Wildrose seeks to unseat a Progressive Conservative government that has been in power for 40 years, most recently under new leader Premier Alison Redford. Wildrose is most concerned about recent land-use bills that the party believes takes away rights of property owners.
Although the Stettler Alliance Church had planned to double the size of its facilities on Highway 12 at the western gateway to town, the congregation might have to move. The Town of Stettler council advised that further expansion of the church wouldn’t be permitted, as the town wishes to return the land designation to prime highway commercial.
After much speculation and anticipation, voters in Alberta head to the polls in a provincial election set for April 23. Drumheller-Stettler incumbent and Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Jack Hayden faced initial challengers Rick Strankman of the Wildrose Party and Aditya Rao of the New Democratic Party as the first names of the ballot.
Lacombe-Ponoka PC MLA Ray Prins announced he won’t seek re-election. Prins was fingered for taking home $18,000 a year while chairing a committee that never meets. Prins had refused to pay back the money.