A 38-year-old man from Hobbema faces several charges when he was stopped downtown Jan. 3 at 11:30 p.m. after leaving a liquor store. The man was driving a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am with expired registration and a licence plate that did not match the vehicle. Police noticed slurred speech from the man who failed the roadside-screening test. He was then taken to the police station where he supplied breath samples of .33 and .31 blood-alcohol content.
The man was charged with driving while uninsured, impaired driving, driving while disqualified, no registration and using a licence plate that was improperly issued. There were four passengers in the vehicle.
Man found dead at hotel
A 65-year-old man was found dead Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. in a downtown hotel. Police believe the man was last seen or spoken to before Christmas. It appears he died of natural causes and foul play has been ruled out.
Drunk driver with drugs
A 43-year-old man from Saskatchewan faces charges of impaired driving and possession of drugs Jan. 6 at 2:30 p.m. He was stopped for speeding on Range Road 252A in a 2011 Chevy Malibu. The Mountie noticed the smell of alcohol and marijuana coming from the vehicle and the driver failed the subsequent road test. The officer also noticed a small amount of suspected psilocybin (magic mushrooms) in the vehicle. The man supplied breath samples of .12 and .11 blood-alcohol levels. There was 133 grams of the drug in the car. There was a 49-year-old man passenger in the vehicle as well.
Mushrooms and drug paraphernalia
Police were called to investigate a possible impaired driver Jan. 4 at 4:45 p.m. southbound on Highway 2 near Secondary Highway 611. It is reported the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee was unable to maintain the lanes on the highway.
After observing the driving patterns the Jeep was pulled over and the officer could see the driver had difficulty talking and walking. Marijuana and crack pipe were located in the vehicle and a 55-year-old man from Bruderheim was charged with driving carelessly, no registration, and improper use of a licence plate as it did not match the one registered on the vehicle.
Weapons found in vehicle
A speeding check operation Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. on Highway 2 near the Morningside exit found some weapons in a 37-year-old man’s vehicle.
He was driving a 1988 Ford F150 when he was pulled over for speeding. The Mountie noticed what he thought was a handgun case near the driver. After some investigation it was determined to be a CO2 powered pellet pistol. There was also a handmade baton in the vehicle.
The man is under court-imposed conditions not to possess weapons such as firearms and crossbows and is charged speeding and with three counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Youths in possession of liquor
Police stopped the driver of a Honda Civic Dec. 31 northbound on Highway 2 where after observing it swerving in and out of lanes. After stopping the vehicle a teenaged male driver from Bruderheim had to get his licence and registration out of the trunk.
The officer saw a box of hard ice tea in the trunk and issued a ticket to the driver for being in possession of liquor. He was also issued a ticket for failing to maintain the centre lane.
Cash taken
A building on the 5100 block of 60 Avenue had all the locks on its doors popped open sometime in the early morning hours of Dec. 31. Culprits stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the building and gained access by the back door.
Outstanding warrants
A traffic stop of a car with a taillight out Dec. 31 at 6:30 p.m. found the 30-year-old male driver had outstanding warrants for his arrest as well as being disqualified from driving. He was charged with driving while suspended.
Drunk bus passenger
Police were called to deal with an intoxicated man on a Greyhound bus Jan. 2 at 7:15 p.m. The bus was southbound on Highway 2 near Ponoka when police were called. It is reported the man was threatening passengers and wandering around the bus while drunk. There are no further details on the incident.
Rolled semi-tractor
Police attended the scene of a 2007 Peterbilt on its side Jan. 5 at 2 a.m. southbound on Highway 2 north of Ponoka. The driver was hauling a 53-foot trailer of salt and he reported to police he dropped his teacup on the floor. When he attempted to recover the cup he lost control and ended up in the median. There were no injuries in the collision and no further information on the incident.
Too slow for the highway
A 33-year-old man from Calgary faces charges of driving too slowly for the highway after police stopped him traveling at 73 km/h in a 110 km/h zone.
He was traveling southbound on Highway 2 near Blackfalds when he was pulled over. After failing a roadside screening test he was taken to the police station and provided breath samples under .1. His vehicle and licence was seized for 72 hours. There was liquor in the vehicle and he was also charged with having liquor in easy access.
Valuables reported stolen
A 32-year-old woman staying at a motel for the last month reported some of her valuables were taken from her room sometime in the early morning hours of Jan. 2. She stated a $4,000 Christian Dior watch, $200 sunglasses and $200 earrings were removed from her room. There are no suspects at this time and police are investigating the incident.
If you have information on any crime call Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.