More than 100 dairy cows died in a barn fire in the early hours of June 2 west of Ponoka.
Members of the Ponoka Fire Department were called to the fire already in progress at approximately 1:30 a.m., on Highway 53. It took firefighters more than three hours to quell the blaze, which also destroyed the dairy barn.
The fire is under investigation but no one was hurt in the incident and it is believed several cows escaped the blaze.
Erratic driver caught twice
Receiving two tickets for erratic driving from the Innisfail Traffic Unit wasn’t enough of a warning for a 27-year-old Edmonton man who was stopped a second time on the same day, this time by the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit.
Officers received three calls complaining about a 2011 GMC Sierra being driven dangerously northbound on Highway 2.
He was reported to be swerving, tailgating, weaving in and out lanes and travelling at speeds of 141 km/h. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers determined the driver had just received a ticket for careless driving and failing to produce valid insurance to the Innisfail Traffic Unit.
He was arrested and is prohibited from driving without a person with a class 5 licence. Police say witnesses stopped and spoke about what they have observed at the location of the arrest.
Liquor in vehicle
Police charged a 22-year-old Bradford, Ont. driver with transporting open liquor last week.
She was stopped in a silver VW Jetta May 29 at 5 p.m. for erratic driving on Highway 2 near Ponoka. Officers saw a marijuana bong, a small amount of marijuana and the open liquor container.
Basement wall collapses
Heavy rain May 26 may have caused a basement wall in town to collapse.
It took the Ponoka Fire Department approximately two hours to build a temporary load-bearing wall to ensure the building did not further collapse. No one was hurt from the wall damage.
Stolen vehicle found
Police are looking for information related to the theft of a Ford F350 from Devon recently.
The truck was found abandoned near Sunken Bridge west of Ponoka. The owners were notified and police are looking for the culprits.
If you have information on any crime call Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.