Regina Leader Post

Regina taxpayers and city employees could be paying more for the civic pension plan if a proposed contribution rate increase finds its way to city council and is ultimately approved. “Our message is the situation in the plan has deteriorated even further, partly because the increased contributions that were identified at the end of 2009 have not been made, together with continuing difficult markets and very low interest rates,” said Bob Linner, vice-chairperson of the pension plan’s board of trustees, who represents about 3,900 current employees and 2,500 retirees under the plan.

The Queen’s Canadian Standard swayed in the wind on Monday at the Saskatchewan Legislature, and royal watcher Scott Hazelwood appreciated the rareness of the act. Flag raisings took place all across Canada on Monday to begin the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 60th anniversary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascent to the thrones of seven countries, including Canada, on Feb. 6, 1952. The flags stayed up from sunrise to sundown for just one day and are to be gifted to the provinces.

A Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench justice has ruled the Public Service Essential Services Act to be unconstitutional.

A street light gave Julie Benjamin’s dog quite the fright on Friday. Around 5 p.m., having just walked her dog around Wascana Creek, Benjamin was returning to her home on the 2200 block of Elphinstone.

A total of 22 businesses, along with Premier Brad Wall and Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris, will set off for Ireland in early March on a labour recruitment mission in search of hard-to-find skilled workers.

Always drink beer from a glass — the right glass — and never straight from the bottle or can, says beer expert Guy McClelland, who was in Regina recently for Festiv-Ale, a two-day international beer and food tasting event at the Conexus Arts Centre. That’s true for all beer, not just fancy imports.

The Indian Head RCMP detachment is investigating a motor vehicle accident involving a semi truck and a grain truck on the Trans-Canada Highway earlier today, according to a press release. The grain truck was struck as it crossed the highway at the east access to the Town of Wosley intersection heading south.

Farces are comedies that entertain audiences through improbable and extravagant situations, larger than life characters and misunderstandings. Given the description, it only makes sense that some situations lend themselves to farcical comedy — such as high society and high crimes.

Search and rescue team members gathered at St. Luke School on Saturday morning to continue the search for missing Regina woman Brandy Wesaquate, who hasn’t been seen since in more than a month. Decked out in fluorescent orange jackets, 10 searchers scoured the areas around Regent Park pool, the 800 block of Robinson and Regent Par 3 golf course, going door-to-door and checking backyards.

A 25-year-old Swift Current man died on Friday following a single-vehicle collision on a grid road five kilometres east of Success. The Swift Current RCMP arrived at the scene at 8 p.m. and found a silver half-ton truck on its side in a field. The RCMP believes alcohol was a factor in the collision.

Though it has been three weeks since a Saskatchewan woman and her mother escaped the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship off the coast of Italy, they haven't received any reimbursement and they still aren't sure if they will.

The number of former residents of a Regina youth facility suing the provincial government for abuse they claim to have suffered there decades ago has grown to more than 150 and will likely go higher.

Two people have been killed in separate vehicle collisions in southern Saskatchewan on the weekend. The male driver of a pickup truck died of injuries suffered in a crash near Arcola Saturday evening. RCMP did not release the name, age or hometown of the deceased.

Roughly half of Saskatchewan vehicle owners will see an increase to their auto insurance rates, if SGI’s request to the rate review panel gets the green light. Amounts will vary but the average increase would be $7 a month.

A 43-year-old woman is dead following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 48 east of Montmartre on Friday morning. At 9 a.m. the Indian Head RCMP was called to crash which happened in heavy fog.

A 12-year-old girl who was reported missing to police on Wednesday was found safe and sound on Friday.

Grant Bastedo thinks Saskatchewan has all the components needed to build the digital economy and society, but hasn’t put it all together yet. “We have this big box of puzzle pieces, right now, but nobody’s put them together,’’ Bastedo said in a recent interview with the Leader-Post. “The whole puzzle is there; it’s just a matter of trying to get it all put together and knowing which piece connects to which.’’

SaskEnergy crews were busy fixing a gas leak in Ross Industrial Park on Friday afternoon. Shortly before 12:30 p.m. a contractor working at 475 Henderson Dr. hit a three-quarter-inch gas line while using a directional drill to dig to lay a power cable.

A 43-year-old man is facing charges after an 11-year-old brought to a Saskatoon elementary school a handgun that went off in a classroom.

Norm Macdonald knows humour when he hears it. That’s why he went out of his way to tell his American pals about his upcoming show in Regina. While Macdonald acknowledges that pointing out the word that rhymes with Regina prompts sighs from those of us who’ve heard it before, it’s still funny to a fresh audience.