News

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com City council has passed a motion looking to increase property taxes by 4.9 per cent. It is a lower increase than expected, with previous council meetings indicating a likely jump by 5.6 per cent, and staff recommending an increase of 6.1 per cent. “We do have different views on what’s an appropriate increase. Some [...] Read More »

asmith@medicinehatnews.com The life of one of the world’s most successful songwriters hits the Medicine Hat Musical Theatre stage this month, as the playhouse takes on Beautiful: the Carole King Musical. Beautiful is a jukebox musical covering the early life of the woman herself, from her start as a teenage songwriter through to creating and selling [...] Read More »

The Brooks RCMP responded Tuesday to a single-vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a 35-year-old Pincher Creek woman. At approximately 2:10 p.m., Brooks RCMP and other emergency services including EMS, fire and peace officers answered multiple calls of a single-vehicle collision near the intersection of Highway 36 and Highway 539, south of Brooks. [...] Read More »

As road conditions improve, Alberta RCMP is reminding drivers to slow down and remember the dangers of speeding. “Speeding is incredibly normalized, but it’s important to prioritize your safety over saving a few minutes,” said Sgt. Darrin Turnbull, Alberta RCMP Traffic. “Speeding remains one of the biggest threats to traffic safety and can have devastating [...] Read More »

asmith@medicinehatnews.com Cypress County took a long look at the world of community associations in a recent council meeting, and how it could work to better support these vital champions of rural connection. Out of all the associations invited to offer feedback, 15 of 22 chose to participate, says recreation and community association co-ordinator Jody Phillips. [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Canada is condemning Israel for striking Lebanon hours after an apparent ceasefire was struck in the Middle East conflict and is calling on Hezbollah to disarm in favour of diplomatic solutions. Despite an 11th-hour ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Israel attacked Beirut on Wednesday in a renewed effort to [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Pierre Poilievre was defiant on Thursday in the face of questions about his leadership of the Conservative party after a fourth member of his caucus defected to the Liberals this week. He reminded reporters that a “record-smashing 8.3 million Canadians” voted Conservative last year. “Our mandate, and my leadership, does not come from [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Environment and Climate Change Canada says it will use artificial intelligence to make its weather forecasts more accurate. It plans to launch a hybrid model that uses both AI and traditional forecasting and says the combination of the two will lead to more accurate predictions. Environment Canada says AI can analyze decades of [...] Read More »

MONTREAL — Canada’s public safety minister is lauding the close relationship between police forces in the country and the United States, after a man pleaded guilty in a planned mass shooting that was foiled in 2024. Gary Anandasangaree’s comments are in reaction to the plea entered on Wednesday in New York City by Muhammad Shahzeb [...] Read More »

CHILLIWACK — A group of alumni from the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia are launching a new Canadian social media platform they say will provide a “homegrown alternative to U.S.-dominated” sites. Co-founder and CEO of Northsocial.ca, Colin Schmidt, says in a news release that the goal is to provide a place for [...] Read More »

Over 200 Blood Tribe members took part in The Blood Tribe Resource Fair Thursday in Standoff. The event was the first of its kind, says Levi Little Moustache, Director of Blood Tribe Employment and Skills Training (BTEST). “The event today was a collaboration of all the HR departments (including) all the departments under Blood Tribe, [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com Misconduct allegations from more than five years ago finally culminated in a disciplinary hearing for Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh this week. The Lethbridge Police Commission held the hearing Thursday at City Hall to address misconduct allegations against Mehdizadeh regarding an incident that took place in March 2021. The allegations were made [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDjmanio@lethbridgeherald.com A perpetual challenge for not-for-profit organizations is funding for their charitable work. In support of its continuing mission, Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) is hosting an inaugural gala called “Spring to Light” on April 25 at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Center, featuring Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author Rick Mercer. “This [...] Read More »

Some Lethbridge homeowners might be surprised to see an almost 14 per cent increase in their education taxes when they get their property tax bill this spring. According to the Government of Alberta website, education property taxes are increasing for 2025-2026 after being frozen in 2024-2025. For Lethbridge residents, this will amount to a 13.8 [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com Efforts to raise $30 million to improve cardiac care in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are paying off. Three new donation commitments totalling $350,000 mean a fundraiser to establish the Southern Alberta Cardiac Centre of Excellence has reached about a third of its goal. Campaign manager Jordan Cleland said Wednesday about $10 million has [...] Read More »