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EAST EDITION
Friday, April 24, 2009
PRAIRIE LIFE, PRAIRIE PEOPLE
GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, SOLD: The Great Plains College’s 3rd Annual
Auction Extravaganza was another smash success Apr. 17 as more than $13,000
was raised. About 220 event patrons bid on goods ranging from sports
memorabilia to artwork. Here, auctioneer Skip Neufeld was busy moving a
Marty Brodeur print. Photo by Elizabeth Bate
Check out agricultural
information that’s
important to you.
At home with Southern Alberta and
Southw
At home with Southern
Paestgern Saskes 14-16atchew
Alberta f
an F
armers
armers
Inside
this week
Seeing SEAWA
The South East Alberta
Watershed Alliance held
its annual general
meeting in Medicine Hat
last week and shared
interesting information
with shareholders.
Pages 6-7
Walk for Wellness
This year’s annual
Canadian Mental Health
Association Walk for
Wellness is in memory of
Jimmy Richardson,a
former client and board
member who passed
Council concerned about drugs in Swift Current
away last year. Page 9
BY ELIZABETH BATE Laybolt responded by saying the lack of
Travel grounded
SWIFT CURRENT
Some travellers found their
Swift Current city councillor Stacey
“
(Students are) text messaging
conversation about the problem makes
that ‘this is stoned day and we’re offenders harder to catch.
plans drastically changed
Ellertson wants parents of high school
all going to get stoned on the
“It’s an issue that people don’t talk about.
when Conquest Vacations
students in Swift Current to have a serious same day’ and people will do
The offenders are quite closed-mouthed
ceased operations April
talk with their children.
lines of coke in the bathrooms.
about it and there’s a paranoia that goes with
15th.We have local reaction.
In a city council meeting April 21, Ellertson
it,” he said. “To actually catch someone in a
Page 11
questioned what was being done to combat
drug deal is quite difficult.”
— City Councillor Stacey Ellertson
what he calls a serious drug problem in Swift
”
Although it may be difficult to catch
offenders in the act, Laybolt insists the RCMP
Current and urged parents, children, teachers
Ellertson says he has received calls from
is aware of the problem and is trying to
and the RCMP to discuss the issue more.
constituents and concerned parents regarding
combat it.
Sgt. Pat Laybolt and Corp. Quinlan, of the
reports of wide-spread drug related activity at
“Drug enforcement is always there,” Laybolt
Swift Current city RCMP detachment, were
Swift Current Comprehensive High School
says. “We’re always trying to be vigilant.”
present at the meeting to present the arrest
(SCCHS) and in other areas of the city.
Is proud to be an
Laybolt says drug use in Swift Current is
March 2009 statistics for the city of Swift
“I got a phone call and was talking to
less than other areas in the province, but
award-winning
Current.
someone about the drug problem here in our
doesn’t deny there is an issue here.
newspaper serving
The statistics showed there were three drug
city, especially at the Comp (SCCHS) and it
“The reality is that drugs are a common
enforcement arrests for the month. This
your community
was pretty horrifying to hear about some of
problem all across the country and
number is down two compared to the same the things that are going on there,” he said
Saskatchewan is no different,” he says.
period last year and down 12 from the same during the meeting.
Ellertson knows measures such as the
period in 2007. The RCMP reports 15 drug Ellertson, whose daughter attends SCCHS,
RCMP’s efforts to arrest offenders and a new
enforcement arrests for 2009. says he has received information which
drug committee recently put together at
Ellertson, however, believes these numbers would suggest students at the high school not Fairview School are a good start to combating
are not reflective of the current drug situation only have easy access to hard drugs, but are the problem, but he wants to see more done
in Swift Current. using them on school property. to fight drug use, especially among students.
2009 WINNER
“I looked at the line of drug enforcement “(Students are) text messaging that ‘this is “I believe that we have to put a spotlight on
numbers and it seems to me that those stoned day and we’re all going to get stoned some of these things,” he says. “This is a
numbers go in the opposite direction and that on the same day’ and people will do lines of
problem we all have to share. We need to be
our problem is getting worse,” he says. coke in the bathrooms,” he says.
more aggressive about facing this.”
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