A final update coming out of the trial of Inderjit Singh Virk.

Virk is the driver of the semi which hit a diversified bus stranded across the highway near Gibbons back in may of 2005.

He has been found Not Guilty on all counts of dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Other drivers testified that they were glad someone else hit the bus before them, saying otherwise they would have hit it instead.

Virk's defense lawyer says with the verdict, an accident has been proven and not a crime.

The investigation continues, but two people have been arrested in connection to a local downtown robbery.

Roughly 180 thousand dollars worth of laptops, digital cameras, and IPods had been stolen.

21-year old Muhamad Yasir Zaman has been charged with theft over 5-thousand, and a youth has also been charged, however he cannot be named because of the young offenders act.

Zaman will make his first court appearance on November 26th.

A man who was arrested along with 17 other individuals as part of Project Koker has been found guilty.

35-year old Jeffery Mark Caines was charged with trafficking cocaine to Fort McMurray and possessing the proceeds of crime.

He'll now serve four years in prison.

During the Project Koker bust, Police seized 20 kilograms of cocaine and more than 2 kilograms of marijuana, along with guns and cellphones.

Two members of the Edmonton Hell's Angels were also arrested during the bust in December 2006.

Some great news for all non-profit organizations in Fort McMurray.

The Suncor Energy Foundation has given the Untied Way a grant to help renovate a 7 thousand square foot office space and turn it into a shared business centre for local non-profits.

Executive Director Dianne Shannon said the idea is similar to the new Wood Buffalo Community Village in Gregorie.

Approximately 7 offices will be available for lease in about 6 months.

A home in Anzac has been completely destroyed as a result of a fire.

18 firefighters from Anzac and Fort McMurray arrived on scene Wednesday afternoon around 1:30 and remained there for 6 hours.

The cause of the blaze is still unknown at this time.

A resident was transported and treated for Smoke Inhalation at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre.

Two Fort Chip residents are facing drug related charges after an incident at the Fort Chipewyan Airport.

22-year old Travis Marcel and 18-year old Chantel Bruno were arrested when they arrived at the airport after a seizure of two ounces of high quality hashish.

They are now charged with trafficking and possession as police believe the drugs were destined for delivery for a Fort Chip resident.

Fort Chip Police say drugs being shipped from Fort McMurray to Fort Chip has been an ongoing problem and the arrest of these two individuals is considered to be significant.

The pair is now scheduled to appear in Fort Chip Provincial Court on Thursday.

In the meantime, another drug bust in Fort Chipewyan has led to the arrest of a Fort Chip Man.

29-year old Dion Marten was arrested at the Fort Chip airport on September 19th, where police say they found an ounce of powder cocaine.

According to police, Marten also attempted to escape from police custody following his arrest.

He appeared in court on Tuesday to face charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, escaping lawful custody, resisting arrest and breach of probation.

He was remanded into custody pending a bail hearing on these charges.

Financial Markets have nosedived yesterday in the wake of the rejection of the financial bailout bill in the US.

The 700-billion US dollar package failed by a margin of 228 to 205.

The aftermath resulted in the Dow Industrial average plummeting as much as 720 points.

While the Toronto Stock Exchange hit an 800-point low.

Even the price of oil was hit, dropping down to 95 bucks a barrel.

According to a new stats can report, People are moving to Fort McMurray in hordes.

Our city had the highest net inflow relative to population size, with 53 migrants for every one thousand.

It's almost twice the net gain of the previous year.

Provincially, we had the highest net migration rate throughout the country, with 16.4 migrants moving to Alberta for every one thousand.

Local RCMP maybe hoping to take a breather today after an especially excruciating weekend.

They responded to over 300 complaints over the weekend, 125 of them being called in on Friday alone, and on the same day 25 arrests were made.

Four impaired drivers were taken off the road on Saturday, and on Sunday police executed 15 warrants.

It will be a busy day in court today with at least three men scheduled to enter pleas today. 

Velizar Zonjic, the man who police say had Molotov Cocktails in the trunk of his vehicle will be appearing, along with Abdi Fatah Muhktar Salad, the man allegedly responsible for the Abasand Shooting and lockdown.

Also in court today is 30 year old Gary Young, the man who allegedly threatened, attacked and extorted a woman.

Police say Young attacked the woman at her residence and then drove her to the hospital for a fee.

Another witness took the stand on Friday in the Inderjit Singh Virk trial in Edmonton.

A motorist; who was driving behind the semi that hit a Diversified Bus which had been stranded across the highway back in 2005; said there is no way the driver could have stopped in time.

He said the bus could not be seen until you were about 200 meters away, and there was no warning that it was stranded across the highway.

The driver went on to say he lit up an amber light on his own vehicle when he stopped at the crash scene, and was thanked by two other semi drivers who said there is no way they would have seen the bus, otherwise.

Inderjit Singh Virk is charged with six counts of dangerous driving causing death, and 21 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

As of October 1st, there won't be a single service stop from Fort McMurray to Wandering River.

That's because the Mariana Lakes Store will be closing its doors to make room for the twinning of Highway 63.

The store's owners had the option to wait until construction began or sell the land to the government, they chose the latter.

As a result, Highway 63 will feature 200 clicks with no services.

Alberta Transportation says signs will be constructed remind residents.

RCMP want the public to know about a high risk Sex Offender planning to move to Fort McMurray.

40 year old Lee Todd Laviolette was released from the Calgary Correctional Centre on tuesday.

RCMP say he presents a significant risk to sexually offend adult women and a general risk to violently offend in the community.

RCMP describe Laviolette as an aboriginal male, 5 foot 7 and has brown eyes and black hair.

Mix News will have a photo of Violette posted on  Mix 1037fm dot com later today.

About 15 firefighters rushed to the Timberlea area last night about quarter to nine..

A vacant motorhome caught on fire in a construction yard on McKinley Crescent, and is now a complete write off.

A nearby manufactured home suffered minor heat damage, however no one was hurt in the incident.

The fire was out in about ten minutes and the cause is still under investigation.

Six men have now been charged in connection to the alleged confinement incident at the Syncrude Towers on Wednesday.

21 year old Idiris Abbes, 28-year old Abdi-gani Husseien, 21-year old Mohamed Aden, 23-year old Abdirasak Ibrahim, 21-year old Ahmed Hassan and 23-year old Mohamed Ahmed; all from Fort McMurray have been slapped with a long list of charges.

Most of them related to firearms, assault, forcible confinement, robbery and uttering threats; about 40 charges in total.

Police say no shots were fired and that the victim suffered non life threatening injuries.

They are still looking for info from the public; if you know something give them a call at 780-799-8888 or call crimestoppers.

It looks like Fort McMurray speedsters might be starting to take their time on Highway 63.

Local RCMP partnered with Alberta Highway Sheriffs to conduct a traffic stop on monday from 1 to 6PM.

All vehicles heading southbound, except for Semi-Tractor Trailer Units, were checked and pulled over.

As a result, 47 total violations were issued with only 6 being ticketed speeding.

Officers say residents will continue to see steady enforcement on local roads and highways throughout the rest of the year.

It's another heldover case for a Fort McMurray man in Court. 

Dogulas Charland chose not to make a plea in his latest court appearence from this week.

Charland is the man who police say threatened to behead a fellow passenger aboard a greyhound bus from Fort McMurray to Edmonton.

Charland will return to Boyle Court on October 7th.

More details coming out regarding the trial of Inderjit Singh Virk.

A passenger who was on the bus which was hit by Virk's Semi trailer while it was stuck and stranded across the highway near Gibbons in 2005; said the bus had been having transmission problems since leaving site.

He added the bus was not fit to be on the road in the eyes of the driver.

He also told the courtroom the bus had all of it's interior lights on as well as it's flashing hazard lights and headlights.

Virk faces six counts of dangerous driving causing death, and 21 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Mayor Blake and the team covered quite a lot in an hour and a half last night in council chambers...

It might have seemed like a parade of bad drivers to RCMP and Provincial Sheriffs...

Local students taking public transit to school have been facing delays so far this year...

It's one of the biggest donations the college has ever seen.

Syncrude announced 5-million dollars for Keyano College Programs as part of the oil sands giant's 30th anniversary celebration.

2-million will be given to the Aboriginal Trades Program, while 3-million will go towards future capital projects and programs at Keyano.

The trial begins for a semi driver charged with dangerous driving in connection to a bus crash from three years ago.

It's a bit more of an investment than they had in mind.

The Syncrude emission reduction project is now expected to cost 1.6-Billion dollars,

The original cost had been 772-Million.

Canadian Oil Sands Trust is citing delays and infationary pressures as the reason for the price jump.

But despite all that, they still say they will continue forward with the project.

The project is expected to reduce stack emissions of sulphur compounds by about 60 per cent from current approved levels.

The beginning of week three in the federal election campaign has given the incumbent Conservatives some good news and some bad news.

Their lead over the liberals has grown to 16 per cent, however, they've lost a point in overall support making a majority seem even less likely.

The Tories sit at 39 per cent while the Liberals are down three points at 26 per cent.

Meanwhile, the NDP and Green Party have each jumped 2 points, with the NDP holding 17 per cent and the green party now  with 11.

The Bloc now sit at the bottom for major parties with 8 per cent.

Local Firefighters are waiting to hear back from the municipality about a possible new collective agreement.

The local union spent half of tuesday with a provincial mediator and municipal reps. 

Union President Brad Grainger says the municipality is now spending the next few days considering the firefighter's latest and additional proposals.

If an agreement cannot be reached, Grainger says they will look at arbitration.

The three men alleged to be behind Fort McMurray's first murder of the year have had their case adjourned yet again for an eighth time.

The court proceedings for the shooting death of Robert Monti have been held over until October 15th now.
Michael McFatridge and Bernard White are charged with second degree murder, while Paul McDermid is charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Police say Monti was shot dead in a Timberlea home in January.

He may be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but Ken Dryden says it was just as big of an honour for him to be elected in his hometown's sports hall of fame.

That's the main message Dryden delivered to this year's inductees and everyone in attendance at the 2nd annual Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.

Mike Klippenstein, Rhonda Olson's 1992 curling team, Dan Hodgson, and Colin Solbak were all honoured at last night's ceremony.

The event also included a silent auction which raised 18 thousand dollars towards the local Hall of Fame Society.

We knew it would happen sometime; prices of homes in Newfoundland are starting to get quite pricey.

With the announcement of the Hebron Offshore Oil Project, home prices in St. John's have skyrocketed by 25 per cent over the last year.

According to John Rich, a Realtor in St. John's, west coast residents have started a new trend in home buying lately, purchasing them online or by phone without ever physically seeing them.

Regina homeowners saw the biggest increase in the price of their homes; almost 30 per cent over last year.

Fire caused some damage at Uncle Moe's Steak and Pizza House Wednesday morning.

The fire itself was contained to the Dickensfield restaurant's kitchen, but some smoke extended to nearby businesses.

A dozen emergency personnel were called to the scene and the blaze was controlled within a half hour.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Local RCMP have partnered with the neighboring Edmonton detachment to arrest six individuals who will now face 24 drug related charges.

James Bacon, Jesse Chalifoux, and Jason Barylski - all from Fort McMurray - have been arrested.

Barylski has been released on 5 thousand dollars cash bail and will appear in Edmonton Court.

Bacon and Chalifoux will apear in Fort McMurray court on tuesday.

All of the men were captured as part of the RCMP's Komet operation.

The operation has been targeting the top members of the Fort McMurray drug trade since the beginning of this year.

RCMP say they have taken 10-thousand dollars in drug sales off Fort McMurray streets.

A recent homicide in Edmonton has a Fort McMurray connection.

22-year old Nasir Mohamed Said  was found early Tuesday on the grounds of an Edmonton school after being shot to death.

Local Police say he was well known to them, and that he was a short term resident of our city, although he is originally from Toronto.

Said has been charged with various criminal code offences, and was wanted on a few outstanding warrants.

Some of these charges were drug related.

Investigators are now trying to find out where he was last living in Edmonton.

Seems like the mystery surrounding the Green Party candidate in Fort McMurray - Athabasca will come to an end today.

Mix News contacted the Green Party in Ottawa and Sharon Labchuck, the Director of Organizing for the Candidates says they are currently screening a candidate for our region.

She said they will likely make the announcement today.

Some say Athabasca Youth Pastor Dylan Richards is the man being looked at for the position.

Right now, the candidates are: Mark Voyager for the NDP, John Webb for the Liberals, John Malcolm for the First Peoples National Party of Canada, and Incumbent Brian Jean for the Conservatives.

The price at some pumps across the nation has started to fall, and were beginning to see the same here.

Some stations now reporting a 3 cent drop in prices down to 140.9 cents a litre.

In some parts of Canada, however, the price fell between six and nine cents a litre.

Some analysts predicted the prices would drop, but not so soon, more like next week when the Texas refineries returned to full capacity.

This morning, the price of a barrel of oil opened at 93 dollars a barrel.

The three men allegedly responsible for Fort McMurray's first murder of the year will appear in court today.

Michael McFatridge, Bernard White, and Paul McDermid are expected to enter their pleas.

The case was held over numerous times and no pleas have been given.

McFatridge and White are charged with second degree murder in the January shooting death of Robert Monti in a Timberlea home.

McDermid is charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Alberta's Chief Electoral Officer is looking to make changes to the system; after recording the worst voter turnout at the last provincial election.

Lorne Gibson has created a report outlining 1 hundred and 80 recommendations to the Election Act, and is asking for the legislature to make the changes.

Gibson's report says allowing people to vote anywhere, not just in their home electoral division, will help increase voter turnout.

He also says setting polls up in areas that are already busy, like malls, airports, work camps and college campuses would also help.

At the March 3rd Provincial Election, only 40.6 per cent of Albertans came out to mark their X.

An man who travelled from Hinton to Edson on a sexual assault spree, was found here in Fort McMurray.

42 year old Robin Joseph Wingie from McBride, BC, was arrested at a Fort McMurray residence on Sunday.

Police say he's sexually assaulted at least three people, and attempted to lure teenage girls and children.

He's been charged with kidnapping, abduction of a child under 14, three counts of sexual assault and dangerous driving.

He'll appear in Hinton Provincial Court on Wednesday.

A mere 24 hours before the price of a barrel of oil first saw obscene lows, gas prices are apparently starting to drop.

In some parts of Canada, the price fell between six and nine cents a litre.

Some analysts predicted the prices would drop, but not so soon, more like next week when the Texas refineries returned to full capacity.

This morning, the price of a barrel of oil opened at $91.60, a price not seen in a very long time.

Talks have been at a stand-still for a number of weeks between the Union and the Municipality.

Both sides will meet with a third party provincial mediator starting today.

The municipality have said they're unsure if they can give the firefighters the 18 percent raise over the three years.

A union representing the fighters says it's been hard to keep workers, as most find the oil sands a more lucrative offer.

No plea in court today, from the Fort McMurray man who was captured in Edmonton.

19-year old Scott Brown made his third court appearance yesterday, and reserved his plea.

The case has been held over for a month until October 20th.

Also reserving their pleas, Abdi Fatah Muhktar Salad and Velizar Zonjic.

Both men will be back in court on the 29th.

RCMP have made an arrest following a brief chase on Highway 63 on saturday night.

They say the driver failed to pull over and then U-turned near the Tempo Gas Station to head southbound.

Shortly after, the vehicle crashed into a ditch and  then rolled multiple times before it rested on its roof.

Emergency crews treated and cleared the driver and a passenger before passing them over to the authorities.

23 year old Tammy Sheppard faces five seperate charges; she made her first court appearance on Monday.

A bizzare assault in Fort McMurray took place early Wednesday morning.

RCMP say a woman entered the Northern Lights Regional Hospital at around 3 am for undisclosed injuries.

It was later discovered she had been brought to the hospital by her alleged attacker.

Once RCMP were able to seperate the victim and her aggressor, they arrested 30 year old Gary Young.

RCMP believe Young attacked the victim at her home and then demanded money from her in return for transportation to the hospital.

Young faces four charges; he'll be in Court on September 22.

Mix News phone lines lit up this morning in regards to a leak out at Suncor.

Officials say the Catacarb Unit, which is used to clean the Hydrogen after it's made, released catacarb steam and condensate.

The incident happened around 7am.

The unit has been depressurized and is not operational at this point.

Meetings are underway this afternoon to find out the cause of the leak.

No workers were hurt in the incident.

The man Police say threatened to behead a fellow passenger on a greyhound bus headed to Edmonton had his court date held over.

Douglas Charland appeared in court on Tuesday, and no pleas were entered to the charges; he'll be back again on the 23rd.

Abdi Fatah Muhktar Salad and Velizar Jonjic also appeared in court on Monday.

Both men had their cases held over until September 15th.

Salad is allegedly responsible for the Abasand shooting, while police say Jonjic was found with Molotov Cocktails in his vehicle.

Two incidents at our local schools this week has led to the arrest of a male youth.

In the afternoon on Monday, two phone calls which police are calling "suspicious" were placed at a downtown and a Thickwood School.

RCMP investigated the areas and nothing suspicious was found, however a 15 year old boy was arrested and taken into police custody.

He's been charged in connection to the incident, and also charged with failing to comply with previous court orders.

He'll appear in court next Tuesday, September 16th and Police are still trying to find out if a previous similar incident last week is related to this one.

Wetaskiwin RCMP are investigating a pair of car crashes near Wetaskiwin.

RCMP believe 28-year old Cory Rae Paulson from Fort McMurray collided with a semi-trailer in his pick-up truck.

They say Paulson then fled the scene in his truck but crashed it two and a half clicks away from the first collision.

The second crash allegedly threw Paulson from his vehicle where he suffered serious injuries.

He was transported to hospital but was pronounced dead soon after.

RCMP are asking for the public's help for anyone who might have information about this incident, please call 780-312-7200. 

More than 250 tickets were issued on local highways during the middle of last week.

The Boyle RCMP detachment conducted a three day traffic initiative cut down on dangerous driving.

About 400 vehicles were stopped during the three day period, and one 46 year old driver was stopped twice in three days, and was found impaired both times.

He was remainded into custody and will appear in court.

An upcoming Federal Election is now official.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially anounced yesterday that Canadians will head to the polls on October 14th.

Some have criticized Harper for wanting to call the election, believing the conservatives will maintain control of the house of commons with again, a minority.

Harper responded yesterday by simply saying he no longer had the confidence of Parliament.

Locally, we have three Candidates and campaign signs can be seen all over the city.

For the Liberals, John Webb, Roland LeFort for the NDP, and Brian Jean for the Conservatives.

Good news coming from the RCMP; as Jean Marc Lebrun is no longer missing.

Lebrun contacted police on Friday night to let them know he was safe and sound.

The RCMP want to thank the public for their assistance in trying to find Lebrun.

Lebrun was reported missing last tuesday.

Two men are in a Fort McMurray Courtroom today.

Velizar Jongic, the man from Kentucky who, Police say, had explosives in the truck of his car will make his 7th appearance in court today.

While the man charged in connection to the Abasand Shooting incident in June, Abdi Fatah Mucktar Salad will appear for the 4th time.

RCMP have released the name of the man killed on CNRL site Wednesday.

Richard Boyd Boughner, a contractor for Clayton Construction was killed while working on a tailings pond.

Meanwhile, the investigation is continuing into the case; Barrie Harrison with Occupational Health and Safety says his crew is out there and they could be there for a while. He says they'll search through every detail in order to find out what happened.

We do know that Boughner was operating a floating excavator on the pond around noon on Wednesday when the machine flipped and sank to the bottom.

Boughner was from Love, Saskatchewan, and was only 47 years old.

A 20 year old man who worked as a pipefitter in Fort McMurray was killed in Newfoundland this week.

Cody Courtney from Arnolds Cove died when he jumped 15 meters from a cliff into Logy Bay on Wednesday.

He had been dirt biking in the area with some friends when he dove from the cliff, and never surfaced.

He body was found after a three hour search and rescue mission in the bay near St. John's.

Courtney had planned to return to Fort McMurray later this month to work.

An autopsy into the actual cause of death was performed yesterday, and results have yet to be released, however unconfirmed reports say he hit his head on a rock that was almost two meters below the surface of the water.

A suspicious phone call issued to a Fort McMurray high school led to a temporary evacuation.

Principal Tony Zeglen of Fort McMurray Composite High confirmed to Mix News a fake bomb threat was called into the school yesterday morning.

The school was immediately evacuated to the nearby Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre.

RCMP searched the school to make sure the area was free of any suspicious activity or individuals.

Students contacted their parents by cell phone, and were released for the day. The school provided transportation who did not have their own vehicles.

His local experience will make him the perfect person for the job.

That's the word from Mayor Melissa Blake in regards to the appointment of a new Regional Fire Chief.

Former Deputy Chief of Operations Brian Makey will take over the position, who has been with Regional Emergency Services for more than 20 years.

Makey takes over the job from Jeff Carlisle who left earlier in the year.

A new initiative in our city will give parents the chance for more affordable child care.

The Catholic School has partnered with Mammoet Canada Western and will launch a new out of school care program at Father Turcotte and Sister Mary from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM. 

Children do not necessarily have to go to those schools in particular, they'll be escorted to and from their school at the start and end of each day.

If successful this year, the program will expand to 4 or 6 other school in the next few years. 

Check out www.fmcsd.ab.ca for more info.

Another year, another home for a local family from Habitat for Humanity.

Although this year's home is still a work in project, applications are now open for families to move into the new home by Christmas.

Anyone is welcome to pick up a form at the Jubilee centre as well as the Wood Buffalo Housing Corporation.

Applications will be closed at the end of this month.

This Year's home was built by Qualico homes, .but looking ahead to next year, Habitat says they're   still looking for land and support for their 2009 Build.

Rescue efforts by emergency crews were unsuccessful yesterday afternoon as a contract worker has died on site at CNRL.

Shortly after noon, RCMP received reports of a serious workplace accident; when they arrived, emergency crews were already on scene where a worker was trapped underwater.

The body of the man was eventually recovered just after 1:30.

Reports say the man was operating a backhoe and cleaning debris off the tailings pond, when somehow the machine slipped underneath the water.

Occupational Health and Safety will take over at this point and investigate further into the incident.

The court date for the 13 year old charged with attempted murder will be pushed back.

As Mix News told you last month, the boy was undergoing a psychological assessment, and he now needs more time.

The boy, whos name can not be released, was arrested back in May after his father was found with axe wounds to his upper body.

According to CEMA., more monitoring and research is needed to address nitrogen oxide emissions.

That, and more is all outlined in CEMA's newly released report with 15 key recommendations to reduce and eliminate nitrogen oxide emissions.

The report also calls for a multi-stakeholder committee to work on the issues.

CEMA has forwarded the report to the provincial and federal governments and is now waiting to hear back.

After losing 15 percent of their workforce this year alone, Fort McMurray Firefighters hope a  pay raise will reverse the trend.

Talks have been at a stand-still for a number of weeks between the Union and the Municipality.

Both sides will meet with a third party provincial mediator in a couple of weeks.

The municipality is unsure if they can give the fire fighters the 18 percent over the next 3 years as suggested by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

A union representing the fire fighters says it’s been hard to keep workers, as most find the oil sands a more lucrative offer.

One death has now been confirmed in Alberta, related to the recent Maple Leaf Foods Recall.

A woman in the Peace Country Health Region in Northwestern Alberta has passed away, while another person in the Aspen Region in Central Alberta is still fighting the disease.

Officials want to remind people that Listeria is very dangerous for those with weakened immune systems, like the elderly.

Eleven deaths have now been confirmed across the country in relation to the outbreak.

The Podollan Inn was the scene of another alleged shooting this week.

Witnesses in the area around 12:30 am yesterday say 8 black males were hanging around the back alley of the bar.

Gunshots were heard, and then four of the men were seen running through the Pub - with one of them bleeding.

People outside the bar say they saw a white pick up and a black car leaving the area, almost immediately after the shooting.

Police are investigating, and looking for your help in the matter... if you have any info, give them or crimestoppers a call.

Two local Thickwood Businesses were targeted earlier this morning by theives.

Around 4 o clock, RCMP were alerted to Mel's Mohawk, where they found a smashed window and that the culprits had attempted to steal the cash register.

Two hours later, Police were called to the Blue Diamond Restaurant, where a door was smashed and the cash register was taken.

RCMP forensics are now involved in the investigation.

Fort McMurray RCMP are requesting you give them a call if you have any information at 780-799-8850 or call crimestoppers.

Two Fort McMurray residents have been charged in connection to a drug seizure on highway 63 this week.

Boyle Police pulled over a 2003 Mercedes Benz SUV on the highway near Grassland for a traffic offence.

But having reason to search the vehicle, they found 2 pounds of marihuana and a bit of cannabis resin.

Estimated street value of the drugs is more than 18-thousand dollars.

29-year old Kristen McLaren and 30-year old Ryan McConnell have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

They were taken before a Justice and released on cash bail.

Local Public Health Inspectors have been out on the prowl over the past two weeks on the heels of the Maple Leaf Meats recall.

One plant in Toronto was shut down and recalls were put in place when Listeria was found on some of Maple Leaf's products.

Last week, local Inspectors focused in on high risk areas like hospitals, senior centers and work camps, making sure recalled items are not consumed or sold.

This week, their attention has been turned to local restaurants and grocery stores.

Medical Health Officer Dr. Brent Friesen told Mix News this week they have not seen any cases of Listerosis connected to the Food Recall at this time.

Across the Country, 15 deaths have now been reported to be in association with the Maple Leaf Meats recall, and 10 more are still under investigation.

Also, another recall; Sobeys, Foodland and IGA Grocery stores have issued a warning that certain Ham and Salami sandwiches may contain the bacteria.

The Saline Creek Area Structure plan seemed to be the biggest bone of contention at last night's Municipal Council meeting.

The new artery would connect from the Draper Road area and Highway 69 down to waterways, and would act as an alternate route to highway 63.

After more than two hours of debate, council took a vote and approved Option 1 in the report...

Draper road residents appear to be supporting the plan as it means a major facelift to their road...

However Waterways residents in attendance were leary on this option to say the least... as it would mean more traffic to their part of the city.

_________________

Local student Sean Graham kicked off the council meeting with a presentation on banning the use of plastic bags in our city...

The student brought a petition with more than 22-hundred local signatures on it, with a hope that council could make a decision in one month.

Council has referred it back to administration, and will come back to it in a few weeks.

___________________

And the Youth in the Community might be getting some good news in two weeks as the Stepping Stones Youth Home Committee took the seat to look for 200-thousand in funding from the Municipality.

Council say they will have a decision made at the next public council meeting on September 9th.

It was 3 strikes and you're under arrest for one driver speeding on Higway 63 this weekend.

25 year old Morgan Thomas was pulled over on 3 seperate incidents within an hour and was fined almost 700 dollars.

Local Police pulled over and ticketed 97 motorists over the weekend on highways 63 and 881.

The body of a man who was reported missing almost one month ago is believed to have been found near the downtown core.

A female hiking near Franklin and Penhorwood Street found an off highway vehicle and human remains in an isolated area with high grass cover.

She reported the discovery to police, who say the body is that of 42 year old Metro Allan Gordey who was reported missing on July 28th.

The Medical Examiners office is scheduling an autopsy in the next few days in order to determine the cause of death.

It's almost one month to the day when Greenpeace activists snuck into the Syncrude mine.

The incident received national and even international attention, and now the environmental organization is being sued.

Syncrude is suing Greenpeace and the 11 activists involved for 120-thousand in damages, and is asking for an injunction to keep Greenpeace supporters off their property.

The Oil Sands giant says they believe the group put their staff and others at risk when they snuck onto their property and put up a signs staying "stop the tarsands".

They also attempted to block a pipeline leading to a the same tailings pond where 500 ducks were killed earlier this year.

The temporary traffic lights on highway 63 north; just one kilometer north of Confederation way, was the scene of a fatal collision Saturday night.

Police believe 55 year old Robert Marion, of Georgetown, Kentucky was travelling north in his pickup truck around 11:30, when he collided with a heavy hauler which was turning east bound across the highway.

Marion was transferred to the Northern Lights Regional Health Center but passed away early Sunday morning.

The temporary lights were installed in the area to accomodate construction related traffic.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

He also said the trip was arranged by the Kiewit Corp.

A bit of a shakeup at the Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corporation last night, as the Chair for the board is stepping down.

Ravi Natt resigned as Chair at the group's Annual General Meeting.

Natt has been with the WBHC for 8 years, and taking over her position will be Brenda Erskine.

Over the next 6 years, roughly 2,200 affordable housing units will be constructed in our city. 

Still no committments from any local companies, in regards to the Catholic School Board's theatre they're planning to attach to Holy Trinity High.

As Mix News first reported back in June, the school board is short at least 1.5 million dollars in their theatre plans.

Suncor has committed 2.5 milllion, while the Municipality is putting in 2 million.

Superintendent Kim Jenkins says there has been correspondence with about a half-dozen companies, and we might hear something next month.

The Municipality is all smiles after Monday's high-profile visit from the billionaire boys.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett toured the oilsands earlier this week, during a hush-hush trip that was possibly investment-based.

Acting Deputy Mayor, John Vyboh, says it underscores Fort McMurray's status in the international community.

Gates and Buffett also reportedly took a tour through our actual city during Monday's visit, in addition to the trip out to CNRL's Horizon Project.

Meanwhile, the visit by the two billionaires had a direct effect on the stock market, especially for CNRL.

Since Tuesday night, when the trip started becoming reported, Canadian Natural stocks jumped over $6 to $88.40.

That's a 7.5 percent jump.

Other publicly traded companies, like Suncor and Canadian Oilsands Trust, have also seen big  increases over the last two days.

The search for a missing paraplegic from our city continues, and police are saying the tips are few and far between.

42-year old Metro Allan Gordey went missing on July 26th, when he told his family he was heading out for a quad ride.

It's believed Gordey may have left on a blue Yamaha Grizzley ATV, and it's unknown if anybody was with him at the time.

RCMP are looking for that one tip that will hopefully break the case open, and lead to them to Gordey's whereabouts.

If you know anything about his disappearance... contact local RCMP.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet were in the Municipality on Monday, as they apparently wanted to see the oilsands hype for themselves.

The two men, who have a combined net worth of 120 billion dollars, made a secret tour of CNRL's Horizon Project.

The billionaires were reportedly in awe of what they saw here, and could be looking at investment possibilities.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers also made a presentation to the two while they were visiting.

A scary Greyhound bus ride on highway 63 came to an end Monday night with one man arrested, and two brothers claiming he threatened them with a beheading.

30 year old Douglas Charland was arrested near Wandering River Monday night, when a bus driver called police to say a fight broke out on the bus.

Brothers Josh and Andrew MacDougall allege Charland threatened them with a beheading similar to what happened on a bus in Manitoba, and put his thumb into one of their eyes.

The brothers say Boyle RCMP had to pepper-spray Charland before arresting him.

He's now facing 9 charges, including possession of a weapon, uttering threats, and assault.

A missing man may be in our area, and RCMP need your help in finding him.

John James Cardinal is described as a 62 year old aboriginal man, who's 6-feet-tall and 245 pounds.

He was last seen on August 11th, after telling family he was working south of Fort McMurray.

Employment checks show he was working for Morgan Construction in Edson, and a female aquaintance believes she may have seen him near an Edmonton bar on Monday.

If you know of Cardinal's whereabouts, please contact local RCMP.

A strange fish with two mouths has apparently been caught near Fort Chipewyan.

Residents say the deformed fish was caught off the dock at Lake Athabasca by some children last week.

Officials from the Mikisew Cree First Nation took pictures of the fish, and it has now been handed over to wardens at Wood Buffalo National Park.

According to residents, the catching of the fish came just days before the Keepers of Water Conference began up north, which was dealing with downstream effects of oilsands development.

Photo taken by Ling Wang.

Fort McMurray RCMP have put another dent into the local drug community.

Police say they pulled over a vehicle driving erratically Friday night, and found a huge amount of drugs inside.

They seized 192 grams of cocaine and over  $2,500 in cash. They say the drugs have a street value of over $20,000.

19-year old Nadeem Chamaa of Ottawa was arrested on scene, and is facing numerous charges.

No plea in court yesterday, from the Fort McMurray man who was captured in Edmonton.

19-year old Scott Brown made his first court appearance via video link and reserved his plea.

The case has been held over for a week, until next Monday, August 25th.

Brown is facing 13 charges here locally for a number of alleged violent crimes... including a home invasion that occured in Dickinsfield back in May.

Meanwhile, the man who police say is responsible for Abasand being locked down has had his court case held over for another week as well.

Abdi-Fatah Mukhtar Salad made his third appearence yesterday and has reserved his plea for another 7 days.

He'll also be back in court on Monday, August 25th.

Salad is charged with two counts of attempted murder for an alleged shooting up in Abasand on June 26th.

The Fort McMurray man captured in Edmonton last week will make his first court appearance today.

19 year old Scott Brown is facing 13 local charges, in addition to another 5 in Edmonton.

Here in Fort McMurray, RCMP say he's responsible for a number of violent crimes, which include a home invasion that occured in Dickinsfield back in May.

He's been remanded in Edmonton, and will appear via videolink for today's court appearance.

It's a joint declaration against the oilsands from local aboriginal leaders, saying they'll go to court to stop industry.

Yesterday at the wrap-up to the Keepers of Water Conference in Fort Chipeywan, Chiefs from three provinces and the Northwest Territories said the oilsands are destroying land up there and poisoning water.

They want a moratorium on new oilsands projects until government and industry officials can assess the damage they say is already caused.

The joint force hopes they send one strong message by banding together, and hope the government is held accountable.

The Pembina Institute is pulling its support from local environmental supergroup CEMA.

Pembina says CEMA has become "more effort than its worth", citing the lack of government representation at the group's meetings.

Pembina is also planning to relese a report today, which recomments CEMA be dismantled altogether and then started again from scratch.

Also pulling their support from CEMA is the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and the Fort McMurray Environmental Association. 

A Fort McMurray man who's paralized from the waist down has gone missing from our city.

42-year old Metro Allan "Bundy" Gordey was last seen on July 26th, after telling family members he was set to go on a quad ride.

Even though he's a paraplegic, Gordey still is able to operate a quad with the use of his upper body.

Family say he may be on a blue Yamaha Grizzly 660 ATV, as his wheelchair is still at home.

If you know anything about the case, contact local RCMP or Crimestoppers.

A Fort McMurray fugitive has been captured in Edmonton .

19-year old Scott Brown was wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant, before being arrested yesterday by Edmonton Police and their gang squad. 

Brown was wanted in connection to a number of violent incidents in our city, including an alleged home invasion that happened in Dickinsfield in May.

Brown is currently being held in Edmonton where he awaits his bail hearing on 13 outstanding charges.

The heavy rain over the last few days is being blamed for the temporary closure of Mac Island's newest rink.

A leak in the roof dripped water onto the electrical panel and shut down the refrigeration plant.

The incident was discovered Tuesday, and noone will be allowed to use the ice surface until the problem is fixed. Officials say it should be re-opened on August 28th.  

Groups that were planning to use the rink will be redirected to Thickwood Arena.

The other ice surfaces that were scheduled to re-open later this fall haven't been affected.

A downtown tanning salon was robbed yesterday and Fort McMurray RCMP are looking for a suspect.

Around 5 o'clock last night, police say a man walked into the salon, produced a weapon, and demanded money from the female clerk.

After receiving some cash, the man then took off.

The suspect is described as a 20 to 25 year old native male, between 150 and 170 pounds.

He was wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, white shoes, and sunglasses.

Fort McMurray RCMP are looking into yet another apparent shooting in our city, with again, the victim being a man that they had previously known.

Just after midnight yesterday morning, Mounties received calls about gunshots being fired in the area of the Towers.

After finding an abandoned vehicle in the area with drug paraphernalia in it, they then went to the hospital where one apparent victim was being worked on.

The injured male is known to police, and RCMP are now trying to figure out a motive and a suspect.

They're also investigating if this shooting is related to Sunday's near Cowboys, or any other recent gunplay in the city.

Our city smashed a record for rain yesterday.

Environment Canada says we received 43 millimeters of the wet stuff, which topples the previous August 12th record set in 1996 that was 23 mm.

The rain caused a bunch of headaches for road crews, especially at the intersection of highway 63 and Morrison Street.

We've received at least 75 millimeters of precipitation since Monday morning.

This is something the kids won't wanna hear - back-to-school is only three weeks away.

However, the good news is that there will be a lot of bus drivers in the Fort McMurray area this year.

Operations Manager with Sparksman Transportation, Caroline Wazniak, says they're very happy with staffing levels right now. They plan on training up all of the new drivers so they're ready for the Labour Day Long Weekend.

Wazniak says in previous years, the staffing situation was a lot worse at this time of the summer

One man is facing some serious charges after a weekend stabbing in our city's downtown core.

Fort McMurray RCMP say Saturday night around 10 o'clock, a man was found with stab wounds to the upper body.

He was taken to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

As a result, 19-year old Kyle David Simpson of Fort McMurray was arrested. He's facing one count of aggravated assault and will appear in court next month.

Another shooting in Fort McMurray and this time a man was hit near Cowboys.

RCMP say around 1:50 Sunday morning, officers who were already in the area heard gunshots and then saw a vehicle quickly take off.

They pulled the car over, and discovered that one man who was inside was hit.

He was known to police prior and suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Officers are still trying to piece together what happened, and are looking for any help the public has.

A national environmental organization is once again speaking out against the oilsands, as they visit Fort McMurray this week.

The Sierra Youth Coalition is arriving in our city over the next couple days, and will then bike across the province. They made a similar trip last year at this time.

They're worried over the water quality in neighboring rivers that pose serious health risks to animals and humans.

The group will collect bottles of Athabasca water here, and then head down to Calgary and try to pass them off to various oil executives.

Franklin Avenue is is a lot more quiet and clean today, as Interplay 2008 is over after a fantastic weekend.

The annual street festival saw giant crowds show up all weekend long, right from Friday morning to the end of things last night.

As for the winners, in our Mix Kickin' Karaoke Contest... Kallie Roberts won the Junior Category, Anthonnette Egyer won the  Intermediate Division... and Erica Legge took home first in the Open Category.

As for the Petro Canada Homegrown Talent Search, the first place winner was Chris Becq.

An Edmonton man is suing the oil company he was working with near our city, along with three company supervisors.

Jimmie Lawrence Tarapaski says he was called filthy names and physically abused while working on the rigs with Trinidad Drilling.

He's launched a $70,000 lawsuit.

Tarapaski says he was also hit with cigarettes, pushed to the ground, and burned with a hot boiler.

Total Canada's local oilsands mine had a big development over the weekend, as the federal government announced they'll form a review panel to consider the mine's regulatory application.

This will be huge for the French energy giant, as it'll be the first oilsands hearing since Imperial Oil's Kearl controversy.

Once the review panel is formed, then the hearings will begin later this year.

Total would have liked to see the process begin earlier, as this might push startup of Joslyn past the origina 2014 completion date.

Suncor Energy is set to for a major milestone with its construction on highway 63.

As announced on Friday, the oilsands giant will begin to built overpass girders as part of its interchange.

Expect big time traffic delays, as speeds will be reduced to 50 kilometers and traffic will be detoured around site.

Things should start in about a week, and wrap up late in the year.

The Fort McMurray boy who allegedly tried to kill his father has had his court case held over for a 5th time.

On Tuesday, the 13-year old made a brief apperance via CCTV, and the defence was granted a neuro-psychological assessment to take place.

That will carry the case over until September 2nd.

Local RCMP charged the boy with attempted murder in May, saying he attacked his father with an axe.

The Fort McMurray man injured in a motorcycle crash in B.C. is now listed in serious but stable condition.

The 29-year old's name isn't being released at the request of his family, but officials in Kelowna tell us his condition is a bit better today.

The man had his left arm and leg severed in a crash on highway 3 in B.C., as police say he crossed the centre line and hit a pickup.

B.C. Mounties say he's lucky to be alive, as a doctor and a nurse passing by were two of the first on the scene.

The price of oil dropped again last night, while once again, a litre of gasoline in Fort Mac stayed the same.

As has been the theme for the past three weeks, oil dropped another 60-cents.

This morning, the price of oil started at $120.90 dollars a barrel.

Fort McMurray still has the highest prices in all of Alberta at 139.9.

We were paying the same amount for fuel when oil was 30-dollars more a barrel on July 11th.

A home in Wood Buffalo was hit with gunshots Monday morning, and police say they were fired from inside a neighbouring home.

An investigation shows the shots originated from a residence on J.W. Mann Drive.

Constable Ali Fayad says the situation is different from previous local shootings as-of-late, as the homeowners were not known to them, leading them to believe this was not a targetted attack.

A 28-year old man was arrested from the home where police believe the shots were fired from.

He hasn't been formally charged at this time.

A local man is facing a bevy of charges after allegedly fleeing from police and hitting another vehicle while driving drunk.

Early Saturday morning, police say a Pontiac Montana failed to pullover on Franklin Avenue, and led Mounties on a chase to Abasand that saw another vehicle hit along the way.

The van was eventually boxed in and the driver was extracted and arrested.

25-year old Bradley Power of Fort McMurray is facing 7 charges.

The people in the vehicle that was hit during the pursuit weren't injured.

If you were speeding, stunting, or forgetting to wear your seatbelt, you were probably pulled over by Provincial Sheriffs.

This past weekend, across the province, more than 2-thousand charges were laid, from Fort McMurray to Boyle alone - there were 410.

Almost 300 hundred of those tickets were handed out to drivers going over the speed limit on highway 63.

11 people were also caught over the weekend not wearing their seatbelts.

A court appearance scheduled today for a young man accused of attempted murder on his father.

The 13 year old boy is expected to show up and possibly enter a plea.

Local police say the boy tried to kill his father with an axe in their Thickwood home back in May.

The father suffered serious upper body wounds.

The youth is currently residing in the Edmonton Young Offender Center.

It's time for that last little bit of beautifying our city, as we're being judged this week.

The National Communities in Bloom Judges will be touring Wood Buffalo today and tomorrow with us looking to win our category and maintain last year's 5 out of 5 blooms.

Residents are encouraged to mow their lawns, pick out any weeds, and grab any last bits of trash they see laying around today.

Wood Buffalo is competing against four Ontario cities in the 55-thousand to 150-thousand population range.

We'll find out by the end of the day today whether or not Synenco Energy will be bought out by Total.

The French energy giant increased its offer to 530-million dollars, which equals 10-25 a share.

The last offer was 9-bucks a share, and Total didn't have enough support from Synenco shareholders.

At last update, lockup agreements were put in place with the needed shareholders who were initally holding out.

The man who police say is responsible for Wednesday's police pursuit on highway 63 is now facing 10 different criminal charges.

20-year old Jared Lee White was allegedly driving the stolen truck that rammed a police cruiser, and then again allegedly tried to hit a Mountie on foot near the King Street overpass.

Police say it was after the second incident that the officer discharged two rounds, neither injuring anyone.

White was also wanted on 7 outstanding warrants, and will appear in court on August 11th.

A trio of Fort McMurray teenagers were arrested Wednesday morning, after allegedly looting downtown businesses during the storm.

Two 15-year olds and one 16-year old are all facing charges, after they were found near the downtown Sears.

Police say the males initially fled from officers, but were later arrested after a short foot pursuit.

The kids allegedly had stolen property with them, including jewelry.

Most of us would never guzzle a tray of cheap highballs, but many of us have shared a sidewalk with someone who has.

That's the message from the Alberta government, as their new liquor rules go into effect tomorrow.

Included in the changes is minimum drink prices, happy hours having to be over by 8 p.m., and drink limits.

The limits will see no person allowed to have more than two drinks after 1 o'clock in the morning.

It's going to cost you more to drive your car in Fort McMurray, as auto insurance is going up.

Mandatory premiums will be going up 5-percent, effective November 1st.

This is a lot lower than the increase that the Insurance Bureau of Canada wanted, as last month they argued for a 37-percent hike.

The majority of Fort McMurray downtown was without power yesterday, due to Tuesday night's storm.
The biggest issue was at the hospital, where their backup generator eventually ran out late yesterday morning.

Bill Heington of ATCO Electric says the hospital then became their biggest priority.

Things went back to normal after noon, and the Northern Lights Health staff want to thank the public for their patience.
As for the rest of the outage, the power has was fully restored at about 2:15 in the afternoon.
Traffic lights were out for most of the day, and RCMP were controlling intersections.
ATCO Electric says everything was caused by a damaged insulator.

Three men were arrested early yesterday morning after a police pursuit that included shots fired from an RCMP Officer.

Police say around 2 a.m., a stolen white Ford F350 rammed a police cruiser after a chase on highway 63.

Constable Ali Fayad says the suspects ended up in the ditch near the King Street overpass, and the actions of the driver then led to the Mountie firing two shots at the vehicle.

The suspects weren't injured, but were arrested after RCMP backup arrived.

The investigation is on-going at this time.

A Fort McMurray man has died in an apparent motorcycle collision south of our city.

Tuesday afternoon at 2:30, an RCMP officer found a motorcycle in the ditch near the 259 kilometer marker on highway 881 south of Fort McMurray.

After searching the area, the Mountie then found the body of 62-year old Frank McKenzie of Fort McMurray.

McKenzie was reported missing on Monday, as he hadn't been heard from since Friday.

An investigation into the exact cause of the collision is still on-going, and RCMP don't know how the collision happened, or if any other vehicles were involved.

A police pursuit on highway 63 ended with a stolen truck in the ditch and two men now facing charges.

Yesterday morning at 2 o'clock, police were led on a chase heading northbound just after the Confederation Way intersection.

It stopped when a Ford F350 ended up in the ditch, and the two occupants trying to run from police, but being later arrested.

RCMP say the truck itself was stolen, as well as numerous tools and three motorbikes in the cab.

The price at the pump is still the same, but oil continues to drop.

As we've been telling you over the last two weeks, a barrel of oil is falling, and it did again yesterday, down nearly another 3-dollars.

It's now at a 7-week low,  in the 122-dollar range.

A litre of gasoline in Fort McMurray, unchanged and still the highest in Alberta -  139.9.

Some changes for big rig drivers that use Draper Road.

The Municipality is lifting the 50-percent load limit, effective today.

Road maintenance on Draper is still ongoing, so large trucks and all other drivers are reminded to use caution.

The Wood Buffalo Big Brothers and Big Sisters was the victim of theft at Canadian Tire on Sunday, and it's caused a bit of a problem for their raffle.

Tickets numbers between 1261 and 1300... 1341 and 1440... and 1561 and 1600 are all now invalid due to the theft.

If you purchased a ticket in any of the ranges, contact the Big Brothers and Big Sisters office to get a new one.

Their number is 780-791-2447.

The Chamber of Commerce is stepping into the situation at the Fort McMurray Airport.

Earlier this month, the Airport Commission halted its 100-million dollar expansion, saying they didn't have a clear mandate from Municipal Council.

Now the Chamber says businesses want the City to support the airport, and want public debate on the issue.

The Chamber will hold a news conference at the airport this morning on the issue.