Many area residents are speaking up expressing their hopes that substantial changes can be made to dangerous intersections in the area.
    The Mail reported in the September 11 edition that Alberta Transportation has published a survey asking if a four-way stop could improve the safety at area intersections. Many responded to the story, telling The Mail, more than a four-way stop is needed.
    Bob Boyd lives just east of the intersection of Highway 9 and 21. He says there are accidents daily.  While improvements to the intersection were put in place when the road was replaced, he still feels it is dangerous.
    “It has fixed it a bit, there isn’t quite as many accidents, but it still needs an overpass,” said Boyd. “A four-way stop isn’t going to do it because people are still going to blow through a four-way stop.”

Area residents are asking the province to consider creating overpasses over two of the Drumheller area's most dangerous intersections; Highways 9/27/56 and Highways 9/21. Last week The Mail reported Alberta Transportation is conducting a survey to see if residents are in favour of making the intersections four-way stops.

    The improvements to the intersection included fixing sight lines so the intersection and the intersecting traffic lanes can be seen from further away. Despite this, it is still tricky to navigate.
    “We tell people when they are coming from the west they have the right away, but slow down any way because one time out of ten, drivers are going to go right through the stop sign, or stop, look right at you and pull out,” said Boyd.
    Joan Roe commented on The Drumheller Mail’s story last week. She lost her son at the intersection of Highway 9 and 21 in July.
    “I feel strongly that something needs to be done at these intersections. I am just not sure that four-way stop signs are the answer. The local area residents are used to Highway 9 being a straight through road, I can see the line up of traffic in the summer on Highway 9 and someone being in a serious rear end accident,” she commented. “I still feel they need an overpass at Highways 9 and 21.”
    Some comments did support trying a four-way stop. Cindy Thomas feels it is worth trying.
    “If these intersections were four-ways stops, the odds of at least one of the drivers stopping are that much greater. I say do it! How much can a few signs cost, compared to the cost of a life?”
    Steve Wannstrom is Munson’s Fire Chief and also feels it is worth a try. “If you go further north in Alberta you see these four-way stops all the time,” said Wannstrom. “It must work up there, we might as well try it down here.”
 The department often responds to collisions at Morrin Corner.
    “One is too many and all that happens is we end up packing dead bodies out, and that is hard on our members and their families," said Wannstrom.

    The Wildrose Party has taken aim at employees of Stettler County in its most recent salvo of Freedom of Information requests.
    In a press release, Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw asked for an investigation by Elections Alberta into possible violations of financing laws by the County of Stettler.
    This comes in light of an e-mail from an employee of Stettler County in regards to a newly created Facebook page supporting former MLA Jack Hayden before last spring’s election.
    “I believe the documents obtained and attached establish a prima facie case that a municipal employee created a Facebook page for PC candidate Jack Hayden with County resources,” said Saskiw in a letter to Ms. Lori McKee Jeske, Acting Chief Electoral Officer.
    In the letter he also alleges the employee communicated highly partisan materials through a county e-mail address and that county trucks could have been used to post election signs.

Rick Strankman, MLA Drumheller-Stettler asks for Elections Alberta investigation into Stettler County employeees

    Drumheller-Stettler MLA Rick Strankman says it is his responsibility to look out for the taxpayers.
    “This is not a personal vendetta about myself, there appears to be irregularities there and so Mr. Saskiw decided to issue a press release in that regard,” said Strankman.
    Strankman said the responsibility for this kind of action falls on a number of people, from staff right up to Hayden.
    “The County and County staff would be (responsible) for using public resources for political activities. I have a duty too, as an elected official, to not be doing that, and to be a guardian of public funds,” said Strankman. “It is public money and employees are being paid on public time for that. (For my staff) I have consequences for people even doing Twitter, although it is open knowledge that many staff Twitter during work hours.”
    He said he has warned his own staff about such actions.
    His question coming out of this event was if there were any consequences for the staff member from the reeve or administration.
    Strankman said he was the one who instigated the investigation into the employee after seeing the person at an election forum in Drumheller.
    “The research team took it from there,” said Strankman.
    Jack Hayden said he believes in the Freedom of Information Act, but feels these requests are personal in nature.
    “They are out to discredit and demean people. I love my constituency and just wish they would get around to representing people, and looking after the interests of the communities, because that is what I did,” said Hayden.
    He would like those asking for the investigation to come forward if they have something of substance.
    “They are talking allege, allege, allege, it is a drive-by smear campaign. I am fair game because I was in public life,” said Hayden.
    He said time and resources could be better used to fight for schools, hospitals or seniors.
    “I feel so bad for the people of my constituency because this is the kind of representation they have now,” said Hayden.