The original estimate of November 15 for the completion of the Badlands Community Facility is officially unrealistic.
    Concern from council and members of the community about the looming completion  has prompted the Town of Drumheller to meet with Dawson Wallace Construction to discuss measures to get things back on track.
    As a result, the completion date for the building has been moved to December 30, 2011.
    To aid in speeding up construction, additional resources are being committed to the project by the contractor, including a second site superintendant to accommodate an accelerated work schedule.
    The Town of Drumheller, Graham Edmunds Cartier Architects, and Dawson Wallace will be meeting weekly, rather than bi-weekly to ensure construction continues to move forward.
    “We’re grateful the contractor has identified the new resources and is helping us out in that regard,” said Ray Romanetz, Chief Administrative Officer. “But, there has to be continual monitoring.”
    Mayor Terry Yemen added that, “The Town of Drumheller is on top of the project. We acknowledge the steps that Dawson Wallace has undertaken in order to address our concerns to make sure the facility will be ready to serve our needs and expectations. We will be very closely monitoring progress to ensure the new timelines are met. This is an exciting project, and we all want to see it moving forward.”
    The delay is unfortunate for the groups that had booked parts of the facility prior to the new completion date.
    Sports leagues and weddings have so far expressed the most interest in booking the facility.
    The town is continuing to take bookings for next year, but cautions that bookings are tentative until the building is completed.

    A supervisor at the Drumheller Institution is facing charges of theft and profiting from the sale of items taken from the institution.
    The RCMP began its investigation on September 26 after receiving reports of the theft of money and property from the institution.  The investigation reveals video cameras matching the description of the stolen cameras were listed on eBay by the suspect. The cameras were purchased and confirmed as being the stolen items.
    Nathan Shandera, 37, of Drumheller has been charged with possession of stolen properly, possession of proceeds of crime and theft under $5,000.
     Shandera was employed at the Drumheller Institution at the time of the alleged offences. His access to the facility has been removed.
    He is to appear in provincial court in Drumheller on November 18.
    Police say the investigation continues and more charges are anticipated.