July 17, 2013
WEDNESDAY
RM Of Coalfields Marks 100th Anniversary
15th Annual Estevan Oilwomen’s Golf Tournament
www.estevanmercury.ca Issue 11
⇢ B9-10
⇢ A5
Frobisher Celebrates Its Past
⇢ B7
After dodging a number of storms, Estevan and much of southeast Saskatchewan was hit by a fierce storm Saturday afternoon. This photo, shot by Teena Couture of Wild Child Photography, was taken just minutes before the storm brought heavy rain, high winds and hail to Estevan.
Summer storm blasts Estevan
Turnbull Wins Dakota Classic Mod Tour
⇢ B1
WEATHER & INDEX Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Careers .......B18-20 Church Dir........ B14 Classifieds ..B11-13 Obituaries ....... B13 Perspective........ A6
Business .......... A12 Energy ........A14-15 Services Dir. .... B15 Sports ............B1-6 Community ....... B7
High 24º Low 16º High 25º Low 15º High 26º Low 14º High 27º Low 14º
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Although Estevan was hit by a nasty thunderstorm Saturday, it was largely spared from the damage seen in other areas of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The storm, which descended upon the area around 5 p.m., brought rain, high winds and hail to the area. Estevan, and a large portion of southern Saskatchewan, was under a tornado watch for much of the day, but it appeared the storm was going to miss the area and continue on a northeast trajectory. However, it changed paths and began moving toward the city. While nothing has been confirmed, it’s estimated that over two inches of rain fell inside of an hour. That deluge led to flash flooding in a number of areas including Fourth Street, the Willow Greens Mobile Home Park, the Estevan Shoppers Mall parking lot and the Hillcrest
A three-person team from SaskPower was dispatched Saturday afternoon to make repairs to the power lines in the 1200 block of First Street that were taken out of service due to large tree branches that fell on them during a fierce storm in the area that included high winds, pelting rain and hail. area. On Fourth Street, the water quickly began pouring over the
curbs and made its way toward businesses in the downtown core. There have been no reports any
buildings in the area being water damaged as of press time. The flooding at the mall was centred in the area around the new Tim Hortons store. Before long the drive-thru was flooded out and actually stayed that way until Sunday morning. Despite the obvious body of water, some patrons actually decided to use the drive-thru, including one driver whose car stalled and had to be pushed out by restaurant staff. Residents of the Willow Park Greens made the most of the situation, as some placed dinghys in the water and went for a quick ride. In the Hillcrest area, blocked storm drains caused a flood at the intersection of Duncan Road and Rooks Avenue. According to reports at the scene, the water was over three feet high before residents were able to clear some of the storm drains. Crews ⇢ A2
It’s time to take West Nile virus precautions seriously The time and conditions are ripe for an infestation of the Culex tarsalis mosquito, the carrier of the dreaded West Nile virus. The risk of contracting the virus is increasing, and the mosquitoes carrying the potential of infecting local citizens have been identified in the Sun Country Health Region.
“This is one month earlier than in 2012,” said a media release issued by the health region on July 12. The provincial risk map has moved the dial to “moderate” from the previous “low” scale for the Sun Country region in the southeast sector. The Culex tarsalis mosquitoes have been in
the SCHR traps for a couple of weeks, they said, and that was confirmed by last week’s report concerning Estevan’s larvicide program that is used each spring and summer to control the mosquito population. Larry Doan, of Southeast Tree Care, the company charged with the job of keeping the mosquito
population in check, said there were some Culex tarsalis mosquitoes identified in the traps and the sample scoops they were making on a regular weekly basis as the peak summer season approached. “Everyone should start now to get in the habit of taking precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes
in places where they live, work and play,” said Dr. Shauna Hudson, the chief medical officer for Sun Country. With the positive tests now confirmed, it is important to be taking those precautions to reduce the risk of exposure, Hudson reiterated. Following ⇢ A2
WE’VE ALWAYS SHARED OUR PASSION.
NOW WE’RE SHARING OUR PRICE.
Ford Sales Ltd. 118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 306-634-3696 Parts: 306-634-5653 E-mail: sales@senchuk.com www.senchuk.com
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