Month: February 2025

Angela Amato, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Drug-poisoning deaths in Alberta have dropped nearly 40 per cent since 2023, according to data from the provincial government. But a deeper look is needed to understand the full picture, harm reduction advocates say. Angie Staines, the founder of 4B Harm Reduction Society in Edmonton, said there is a…

Anna Smith, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Friends of Medicare is calling for a full investigation by the RCMP into the allegations made in regards to AHS’s contracts and procurement processes. Chris Galloway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, questioned why former CEO of Alberta Health Services Athana Mentzelopoulos was terminated only one year into a…

Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Dairy cows build a natural immunity to bird flu after initial infection according to research conducted at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). When highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was detected in U.S. dairy cattle in March 2024, it sparked a wave of research. Scientists at USask’s Vaccine and…

Stu Salkeld, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter School divisions in central Alberta are coping with a huge headache related to cybercrime: what appears to be a massive ransomware attack against computer company PowerSchool that’s affected students and teachers across North America. PowerSchool notified hundreds of schools and school divisions across North America Jan. 7 that it’s…

George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Wildland firefighters forced off the job by cancer need Alberta’s UCP government to make sure they’re properly and promptly compensated, says the opposition NDP. Peggy Wright, the NDP’s jobs critic, said so-called presumptive cancer claims before the Workers’ Compensation Board should extend to wildland firefighters, like what’s already done…