Runaway bovine
On May 3, Ponoka RCMP responded to a call of an escaped bull from a local veterinary office. The 726 kg red Simmental made quite the trip out of his escape, covering nearly four kilometres and reaching close to the downtown core of Ponoka. It took five officers, a group of cowboys and three tranquilizer darts before the animal was finally corralled at a park on 52 Street. The bull caused slight damage to a fence, but no major injuries or damages were reported. The bull is upset, but alive and healthy.
Caught silver-handed
On May 6 at 12:00 noon, Ponoka RCMP responded to a call from a passer-by who saw two youths walking from the Youth Centre to another school with spray paint in hand. When officers arrived, the two youths were caught ‘silver-handed’ while vandalizing the school. Both were charged with mischief.
Heavy load
On May 6, at 3 p.m., RCMP responded to a call of a pick-up truck struggling to maintain control on Highway 2 due to the extreme weight of the load inside. When police arrived at the vehicle, it was pulled over, towed and weighed. Upon inspection, the 1993 Nissan pick-up was found to be 1,000 kg overweight. This extra weight caused the leaf springs to bend the wrong way and the shackles to nearly touch the ground. The driver, who is from Calgary, was ticketed for equipment violations.
ATV troubles
On May 8 at 2:22 a.m., Ponoka RCMP responded to a call from a group four-wheeling through the area of Chain Lakes and Rossa Road. The group of riders became disoriented by their surroundings and attempted to climb a steep hill, when the front ATV flipped and landed on a 47-year-old woman behind causing major injuries. After a 45-minute search, police located the woman and contacted Lacombe EMS. During treatment, the victim began to show signs of hypothermia. The patient was then air lifted to hospital at 4:30 a.m. via STARS.
Fuel thefts
Over the past few weeks, unknown suspects have been entering onto the Agro Ponoka property overnight. During this time, several trucks and tractors have had fuel removed from their tanks. If you have any information that could lead to an arrest, police are urging you to call Crime stoppers at 1800-222-8477.
High-tech burglary
Sometime between 6 p.m. on April 26 and 8 a.m. on April 27, someone broke into the Mixcor Matejka pit and took five Toshiba LCD flat screen TVs. One screen was 40/42-inch and the other four were 19-inch. During the break-and-enter, a travel trailer was also stolen. The trailer is described as a 22-foot Dutchman Lite white travel trailer with red, black and blue pin stripes.