Your news this week: Basilian Fathers Mundare- Page 7 Celebration of Athletics at Lamont High School - Page 13 Chipman World War II Veterans Restoration Project - Page 19
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Vol. 12, No. 34, Tuesday June 20, 2017 www.LamontLeader.com
MICHELLE PINON PHOTOS
With a substantial amount of precipitation over the past week, everyone was hoping, and even pleading with Mother Nature to turn the water tap off. Crops, ditches, roads and yards are water logged, and folks have definitely reached their saturation point throughout Lamont County.
Prolonged rain causing problems for producers, drivers and road crews Michelle Pinon Editor
Prolonged precipitation in Lamont County is creating more challenges for road and maintenance crews as well as local producers who are still trying to seed this year’s crops or harvest the remainder of crops from last year. Lamont County Public Works Director Harold
Hamilton says the department has received many calls and work requests in recent weeks, and staff are dealing with them on a priority level. Late last week Lamont County issued an advisory to residents asking them to be on the lookout for washouts, water on the road, large sink holes, slippery conditions, and any other road hazards. Residents
were also urged to contact public works if they encounter any hazard on the roads. Many road bans are still in effect, and Range Road 182 south of Highway 15 to Township Road 542 was still closed as of June 15. Hamilton said most often road bans come off around June 15 following the Alberta Transportation highway bans. “This year all roads
had a ban placed on them for a time. Some at 75 per cent, others at 50 per cent. Some closed to traffic.” Additional hours and repair costs are not costed out separately, added Hamilton. “On average, we use 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes of gravel on spring road repairs.” With lots of standing water, it also appears that crops and pasture
have reached the saturation point. According to the June 13 Alberta Agriculture Crop Report, “Multiple rainfall over the past several weeks have led to above normal soil moisture reserves in both the North East and North West Regions.” As far as seeding progress in the North East, it was reported to be 97 per cent. The report also pointed out, “However,
with an improvement in weather, these regions (North West, and North East), could see some more barley and oats seeded. Provincially, fall seeded crops are in the head emergence stage, while the growth stages for other cereals, oilseeds and pulses is somewhat varied, due to the delay in seeding in most parts of the province.”
MICHELLE PINON PHOTO
Top athletes from Lamont High School pose with their trophies following the first annual Celebration of Athletics on June 15. For more coverage turn to page 13.