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From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

By Samantha JohnsonSouthern Alberta NewspapersLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterSaturday, April 25, 1885 – The Illustrated War NewsGeneral Middleton’s scout exchanged fire with the enemy on Wednesday morning. His force, divided about equally, was to advance from Clark’s Crossing on both sides of the river to attack Riel’s position at Batouche.Colonel Otter’s Brigade, marching from Swift Current to Battleford, is making good progress and hopes to relive the garrison of that post on Monday.The vanguard of General Strange’s brigade, at present commanded by Colonel W. Osborne Smith, has already started from Calgary to Edmonton.The continued absence of Colonel Ouimet from the command of his battalion in Strange’s brigade, when they are setting out on an important expedition, is certainly unpleasant. The extraordinary variety of explanations advanced doesn’t mend the matter and if a leave of absence was granted, surely the fact would have been promptly reported to the Adjutant-General i...

Lethbridge County Council Briefs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsThe following are selected briefs from the April 20 meeting of Lethbridge County Council.2023 Q1 Planning and Development ReportThe department completed the Lethbridge County and Town of Coaldale Intermunicipal Development Plan which was approved by both municipalities in March 2023.Completed the update of the Industrial-Commercial Land Use Strategy and held a Council Workshop on March 9.The County’s Development Authority received  59 development permit applications from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2023. Administration said this figure is up slightly from 2022 when 50 development permit applications were submitted in the first quarter. As well, 49 development permits were issued, 15 of which were residential in nature. Additionally, 16 permits were for accessory structures, eight for commercial/industrial, and five permits which fell under agricultural were issued. The report also noted that acting as the subdivision authority, Council approved five subdivisi...

Coalhurst to consult Elder on land acknowledgement statement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsThe Town of Coalhurst has began work to customize their Land Acknowledgement Statement.During their regular April 18 meeting, Coalhurst Mayor Lyndsay Montina requested they consult an Indigenous Elder to develop a Land Acknowledgement Statement that will be used by the Town of Coalhurst.A Land Acknowledgement Statement is a formal declaration that an event is taking place on land that was originally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, and aims to raise awareness about Indigenous histories, perspectives, and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten. The acknowledgements are given usually at the start of organized events, celebrations, activities or published in printed materials, as a way to show respect to the original people of the land where it is taking place.Coalhurst council meetings start with a Land Acknowledgement Statement. However, by consulting an Elder, Montina says they can create an acknowledgement that is more personalized to th...

Coalhurst Council receives Wetland survey report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsA designed, yet natural space is what Coalhurst residents would like to see for The Wetlands development.During their regular April 18 meeting, Coalhurst town council discussed The Wetlands Public Engagement Report. The report was on the town’s public engagement regarding how the town could best develop the land surrounding the stormwater management ponds on the east side.An open house had been held March 14, which was attended by approximately 20 people. In addition, The Wetlands Engagement Survey was available online and advertised via Facebook and posters were placed at local businesses beginning on March 7. The survey was active from March 7 to April 1.Reminders about the survey were shared in the Town newsletter and on social media, and a QR code for the survey was on the posters.A total of 184 survey responses were received – 173 online responses and 11 responses that were submitted in-person either at the Open House or at the Town Office. In a...

Burglary arrests in rural Illinois lead to arrest of Iowa fugitive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

JERSEY COUNTY, Ill. - The arrest of a pair of home burglary suspects in rural Illinois over the weekend led authorities to locate and apprehend a fugitive from Iowa.According to Jersey County Sheriff Nicholas Manns, the incident took place Sunday morning in the village of Fieldon.A homeowner, who was out of town, contacted the sheriff's office to report a burglary after seeing people in his residence.The first deputy arrived to see two people flee in a stolen car. A third person was detained at the scene. Another deputy attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, but the suspects sped onto Highway 100 before eventually crashing off the roadway. The two suspects ran off into a wooded area. Top Story: Mushroom hunter discovers human remains in Pevely While inspecting the rest of the home to make sure the residence was clear, another deputy injured himself in the attic and had to be flown to a St. Louis area hospital. The deputy was eventually released and is recovering at home.Meanwhile, ...

Democrats prepare to gut key provisions of Gov. Jared Polis’ sweeping land-use reform plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

Colorado lawmakers are preparing to gut Gov. Jared Polis’s sweeping land-use reform bill to remove provisions that would reshape single-family zoning in the state, proposals that have split Senate Democrats and drawn howls from local governments.The bill, SB23-213, has already been significantly amended from its original intent of reshaping single-family zoning across the state and allowing for more middle-housing development and the by-right building of accessory dwelling units.The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Dominick Moreno of Commerce City, is now circulating a further amendment that would entirely strip the bill of those provisions. If passed, it would mean the bill would no longer affect single-family zoning, according to a copy of the language obtained by the Denver Post. It would swap mandates that local governments adopt pro-density zoning standards for a requirement that local governments perform assessments of their housing needs, nixing provisions that opponents had decried as i...

Colorado Rapids add Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva on loan ahead of Deadline Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

The Colorado Rapids managed to get one move over the line ahead of the primary transfer window, which closed late Monday night.Danny Leyva, a 19-year-old midfielder for the Seattle Sounders, will join Colorado on loan through the remainder of the 2023 season, the club announced Tuesday.Leyva will provide extra cover as a ball-playing defensive midfielder in a role not dissimilar to Jack Price’s. As part of the trade, Colorado sent $92,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and its third-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. Now that the window is shut, Colorado will not be able to make anymore moves until the secondary transfer window opens July 5.“It was important for us to reinforce our midfield with a player of Danny’s quality as the schedule begins to get congested over the coming months,” Colorado Rapids team president Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “Danny’s an intelligent and highly technical player who has already logged significant MLS minutes at his young age. We ...

RTD says light rail operator “likely fell asleep” before W-Line train derailed at Golden station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

The operator likely was asleep at the controls when a speeding light rail train left the tracks at the W-Line’s end-of-the-line station in Golden last month, the Regional Transportation District said in a regulatory filing Tuesday.It disclosed plans to revamp its “fit for duty” checklist process and conduct a fatigue awareness campaign among operators in the near term. It also proposed an evaluation of operators’ starting times and the duration of shifts, among other final corrective actions.On March 11, two of four passengers on a mid-morning train were taken to a hospital with minor injuries after the train sped into the Jefferson County Government Center station and hit a bump post, sending the front car off the rails. The train car slid up a berm and came to a stop.The metro Denver transit agency disclosed the findings of its investigation for the first time Tuesday afternoon when it filed a required corrective action plan with the Colorado Public Utiliti...

Here is where home prices are rising the fastest in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

If you’re thinking about putting your home on the market this spring, don’t expect it to sell right away.The California Association of Realtors has released data for March showing homes sat on the market more than twice as long they did one year ago.Statewide, the median number of days a home was listed for sale was 19 days, a 137% increase over March 2022. 281,050 homes went under contract in March, 34% fewer than last March and one percent lower than in February.CAR said the housing market continues to be impacted by erratic mortgage rates.“While buyers perhaps took advantage on lower mortgage rates at the start of the year, a recent upturn in mortgage rates threatens to keep the housing market under pressure,” CAR said. “Sales of existing single-family homes took a step back as well as mortgage applications.”While the year-to-year comparison might show continuing weakness in California’s real estate market, the month-to-month comparisons tell a slightly different story.In March, ...

L.A. man, 2 others sentenced for soliciting millions in fake PAC scam

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

Three men, including one from Los Angeles and one from San Juan Bautista, have been sentenced to federal prison for soliciting millions of dollars in contributions to fake political action committees.Matthew Nelson Tunstall, 36, of downtown Los Angeles, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to cause false statements to the Federal Election Commission as well as one count of money laundering. 40-year-old San Juan Bautista native Robert Reyes Jr. was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. Reyes Jr. pleaded guilty to the same charges as Tunstall. The third man to be sentenced was 31-year-old Kyle George Davies of Austin, Texas. Davies was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to cause false statements to the Federal Election Commission.  COVID fraudster extradited to United States after more than a year on...