Hello everyone. I hope everyone had a wonderful Family Day long weekend and a great Valentine’s Day. The weather has still been nice, but there are some chillier temperatures ahead.

Oyen Public School wrapped up its 2026 Winter Olympics this week, capping off several days of spirited competition, teamwork and school-wide celebration.

The Big Country Agricultural Society held its third gymkhana in its winter series on February 8 at the Crossroads Centre. One day was cancelled due to weather conditions.

ACADIA VALLEY — Warren Peers School brought the spirit of the Winter Olympics to Acadia Valley last week, hosting its own games and celebrating athleticism, teamwork and sportsmanship.

The K-3s from New Brigden School made cute groundhog puppets last week - and the prediction came in from their local groundhog: 6 more weeks of winter!

Esther post office opened in 1912. Settling had been going on for ten years. Exelda School was the sixth in the area, and closest to Esther.

New awards from an industry-funded pot will help Alberta keep showering gifts of innovation on Planet Earth, the province’s environment minister said in a Thursday interview.

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta (CFSEA) is pleased to announce that the Spring 2026 Community Grant Cycle is now open.

It has recently come to my attention that Special Areas is not going to continue maintaining the Cereal Community Centre as it has in the recent past.

Alberta’s government is investing $28 million in new technologies aimed at increasing energy production while reducing environmental impacts.

Thanks to the generosity of the Assumption community in supporting school fundraisers, new classroom tools, a popcorn maker and event snacks, archery equipment…

February is Love Your Library Month! Visit the library, write down what you love about it, and be entered into a draw. The paper hearts you fill in will be used to complete the bulletin board display.

Small beginnings have a way of turning into remarkable stories — especially when those beginnings take shape in a tiny farming community like ours.

Enjoy this week’s editorial cartoon.

Enjoy this week’s comic strips and have a laugh!

The two most dominating athletes of my lifetime celebrated significant birthdays in the last couple of weeks, which sent me down Sentimental Drive on the way to Nostalgia Avenue.

When I was growing up, snow was a fun and magical thing;  unlike today, when I cringe every time I see the first sign of snow and start looking around for the snow shovel.

There’s a joke about the days when folks were leaving the prairies en masse: “Last one out, turn off the light.” But more and more, people are returning home.

Someone posted this after the Super Bowl: “I miss the days when the Super Bowl sold beer and trucks. Pushing big pharma weight-loss injections while impressionable children watch feels wrong.”

Hello, everyone. Sorry there was no news last week; I was away, so I will combine the two weeks together. Everyone is enjoying the nice, warm winter weather—surprising for February.

Albertans are being invited to nominate community heroes for the Minister’s Seniors Service Awards, which recognize individuals, organizations and groups that improve the quality of life…

Seven people gathered on the beautiful evening of February 4th for the Seniors Pot Luck. (Attendance was impacted by members being away on vacation, or closer to home…

Against the winter stillness of an east-central Alberta farm, Bianca and her daughter Leah share a moment of comfort and connection.

South Country Co-op will raise funds for local mental health initiatives this month through its annual Communities in Mind campaign, running Feb. 9 to 23 at 39 locations across southern Alberta.

Forty-five Alberta-based athletes are set to compete for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milano-Cortina, highlighting the province’s continued presence…

On Jan. 27, 2026, Oyen RCMP responded to a break and enter which occurred at the Bindloss Community Center. It is believed that between Jan. 6 and Jan. 27, 2026, unknown persons(s)…

Alberta’s labour market began 2026 on strong footing, with employment rising sharply in January and the province’s unemployment rate falling below the national average…

It is with hope and humility that I accept the endorsement of grassroots Conservatives at our party convention. It was a vote for the hope of an affordable, safe and self-reliant country…

Alberta’s mountains, badlands and urban centres are appearing on screens around the world following the release of a new Netflix romantic comedy filmed in the province.

Alberta recorded strong job growth last month, adding 41,800 full-time positions despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, according to Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade…