Edge of Reason Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser -- This doesn't happen in "small town" Alberta. It's not supposed to. Last week, the nation was transfixed to the small community as the realization four RCMP officers had been gunned down while in the line of duty. In Wetaskiwin, a solitary wreath from the Royal Canadian Legion, now sits in the detachment's foyer and bears four poppies representing those lost officers. It was a dark day for the force, perhaps one of the darkest in its history, and speaks of a growing uneasiness when even one of the world's most recognized and respected law enforcement agencies can find itself the target of a madman. [continues 205 words]
Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser -- Maybe it was the game on television, maybe the warm night prompted a sudden desire to do a little yard work -- but few seemed concerned with policing in Wetaskiwin. Unlike the town hall meeting in October which packed the Moose Hall to standing room capacity, the May 19 meeting drew less than 50 people -- some with concerns about drug and alcohol abuse, others concerned about untidy allies. "Our key focus is to listen to the community and see what issues are out there," RCMP Insp. Brian Simpson told the audience. Simpson said speeders in school zones are still a concern, but lauded Wetaskiwin bylaw and the use of photo radar for the definite reduction in the number of speeders barreling down city streets. [continues 268 words]
MLA LeRoy Johnson has been named chairman of the Alberta Research Council (ARC) and vice-chairman of the Alberta Science and Research Authority (ASRA) after chairing the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) for almost five years. But what did he do? Johnson said he's happy with the progress AADAC has made during his tenure, such as program delivery and his tobacco reduction strategy. Whoopee. In 1989 the provincial government recognized Wetaskiwin was in need of an actual treatment centre, but all City officials could do at the time was, at best, dream of an AADAC office. But nothing came. [continues 194 words]
Kids at Parkdale Elementary School were able to quell their fears about high school when they spoke to five students from Wetaskiwin Composite High School about what it's really like. To someone in Grade 5 or 6, high school is a foreboding and intimidating place. There are temptations like smoking and drinking and if you look at someone the wrong way you might get beat up. But five survivors of the teen-ridden hallways say it's nothing like that at all. [continues 524 words]
