Local News

A former postal carrier pleaded guilty to mail theft on Monday, admitting to taking more than 160,000 pieces of mail over a 16-year span. John Kobitowich entered guilty pleas to theft of mail and refusing to deliver property as a public servant.

Property tax notices for 2010 still haven't been put in the mail, but city council's finance committee has set in motion next year's budget process, which will overlap the old and new councils this fall.

An article in Saturday’s paper incorrectly identified Collin Steffes as an employee of Strathcona County’s planning department. In fact, Steffes is an employee of Sturgeon County. The Gazette apologizes for the error.

When the golden spades drove into the ground last week in Morinville, the work was already under way on the biggest, most expensive community facility the town has seen in decades.

You could probably summarize Tishynah Buffalo's time in Costa Rica in two words — green and wet. Green because she and her fellow Alexander students were working in a rainforest about 9,000 feet above sea level.

The public is being warned not to consume various processed meat products carrying the Casa Italia brand, as well as some others made by Brampton, Ont.-based Zadi Foods.

A new anti-theft initiative is aiming to drastically reduce theft from new home construction sites. Operation Hands Off! is a partnership between a group of Edmonton-area homebuilders and a company called MicroDotDNA Technology.

The average selling price of a single-family home in St. Albert jumped to $460,000 in April, a 2.8 per cent increase over the first quarter average and 14 per cent higher than April 2009.

New contract for Protestant school superintendent The Protestant school board has reappointed superintendent Barry Wowk and granted him another five-year contract. The board Wednesday voted unanimously to grant the extension.

The City of St. Albert is looking for ways to make up for a funding shortfall after learning that municipalities have been quietly made ineligible for a provincial grant program that helps pay for touring artists.