Today in High Prairie! See what’s happening today in town, celebrity birthdays, local history, world history and your daily horoscope. Please send your birthdays and community events to southpeacenews@hotmail.com and/or spneditor@outlook.com.

What’s Happening Today – December 20, 2024

10 a.m. – Prayer Shawl knitting at HP St. Mark’s Anglican Church Parish Hall. Everyone welcome!

10 a.m. – Kinuso Seniors Coffee Time at Kinuso Seniors Centre. New members welcome.

1:30 p.m. – Enjoy trump & whist games at the HP Golden Age Centre, 4824-53 Ave.

4 – 9 p.m. – Marigold Farmers’ Market at HP Legion Hall.

7:30 p.m. – Darts Night at HP Legion Hall. Come out and enjoy the fun!

7:30 p.m. – High Prairie AA chapter meets at HP Church of the Nazarene.

Today’s Celebrity Birthdays – December 20, 2024

1865 – Maude Gonne, “Irish Joan of Arc”

1868 – Harvey Firestone, Firestone Tire Founder

1869 – Charlie Grapewin, Wizard of Oz Actor

1898 – Irene Dunne, Cimarron Actress

1922 – Charita Bauer, Aldrich Family Actress

1932 – John Hillerman, Magnum PI Actor

1939 – Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives Actress

1940 – Larry Willis, Blood, Sweat & Tears Rocker

1944 – Robert Colomby, Blood, Sweat & Tears Drummer

1945 – Peter Criss, KISS Drummer

1946 – John Spencer, LA Law Actor

1946 – Dick Wolf, Law & Order Creator

1948 – Alan Parsons, Alan Parson Project Leader

1956 – Guy Babylon, Elton John Keayboardist

1963 – Karen Moncrieff, Days of Our Lives Actress

1977 – Saukrates, Canadian Rapper

1983 – Jonah Hill, Wolf of Wall Street Actor

This Day in Local History – December 20, 2024

Dec. 20, 1913: The Grouard News reports trains arrive within 10 miles of Mirror Landing.

Dec. 20, 1913: The Grouard News reports the health officer prohibits the sale of ice taken from the river and Buffalo Bay citing its impurity.

Dec. 20, 1914: Joseph Shaw, age six months, dies after being scalded by a pot of boiling water on Dec. 10. Mrs. Bottle tipped the pot while putting wood in the stove.

Dec. 20, 1930: Cyril Porter is the first postmaster as the Leicester (Peavine) post office opens.

Dec. 20, 1950: Dr. John B.T. Wood resigns as MLA for the Grouard constituency.

Dec. 20, 1969: Wayne Savill scores three goals to lead the hometown High Prairie Regals to a 6-3 win over the Manning Comets.

Dec. 20, 1974: Fred Abbott, director of the High Prairie Information Centre, resigns after it is announced the centre will not be receiving money from Lesser Slave Lake Preventive Social Services after March 31, 1975.

Dec. 20, 1975: The Valleyview Jets win their first NPHL game by defeating the Manning Comets 5-4.

Dec. 20, 1978: South Peace News reports that Dan Vandermeulen says that the Jackpines should be preserved as a wilderness area.

Dec. 20, 1980: Kelly Halcrow, Kenny Lalonde and Lyle Halcrow win gold medals at the Alberta Bronze Gloves Boxing Tournament in Fort Saskatchewan.

Dec. 20, 1981: Sid Cook, of Faust, accumulates the most points at snow drag races held in Valleyview.

Dec. 20, 1985: Harold Bellerose’s shorthanded goal keys a win as the visiting High Prairie Regals defeat the Falher Pirates 4-2.

Dec. 20, 1990: The hometown Peace River Stampeders record 51 shots on goal in a 7-4 win over the High Prairie Regals.

Dec. 20, 1990: Keith Calahasen and Chris Keay are promoted to World Taekwondo Federation First Black Belt.

Dec. 20, 1999: A boy, 16, pleads guilty to assault with a weapon in High Prairie youth court after shooting a 10-year-old girl in the leg with a pellet gun. He was ordered to complete 15 hours of community service work.

Dec. 20, 2005: Mary Diane Adams passes away from cancer at the age of 68 years.

Dec. 20, 2010: The Town of High Prairie’s new electronic sign is installed. It is expected to be ready for use in days.

Dec. 20, 2013: Leonarda’s Beauty Salon closes ending a 52-year run. Owner Helen Henderson’s efforts to sell the business were unsuccessful.

Dec. 20, 2016: The High Prairie Community Beautification Association receives a $19,800 Community Facility Enhancement Program grant to upgrade MacIntyre Park.

Dec. 20, 2018: Pat Rowan and Darren Kramer each score three goals and add four assists in a 12-4 rout over the visiting High Prairie Regals.

This Day in World History – December 20, 2024

1192 – Richard the Lionhearted captured in Vienna.

1606 – Settlers leave London to establish Jamestown, Virginia.

1699 – Peter the Great orders New Year changed to Jan. 1 [from Sept. 1].

1803 – French flag lowered in New Orleans to mark Louisiana Purchase.

1812 – “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm published.

1820 – Missouri imposes a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men 21-50.

1879 – Thomas Edison privately demonstrates incandescent light.

1883 – International cantilever railway bridge opens at Niagara Falls.

1891 – Strongman Louis Cyr withstands pull of 4 horses.

1892 – Pneumatic automobile tire patented.

1900 – Giacobini discovers a comet [first comet visited by spacecraft].

1917 – Cheka formed – Soviet forerunner to the KGB.

1919 – Canadian National Railways established.

1920 – Bob Hope becomes an American citizen.

1922 – 14 republics form USSR.

1924 – Adolf Hitler freed from jail early: 9 months of 5-year sentence.

1928 – First international dogsled mail leaves Minot, Maine for Montreal.

1939 – Radio Australia begins overseas shortwave service.

1943 – “Internationale” is no longer USSR national anthem.

1945 – Rationing of auto tires ends in US.

1946 – Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” film premieres.

1951 – First nuclear reactor to produce electric power goes live.

1955 – Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales.

1957 – Elvis Presley receives his draft notice to join the US Army.

1960 – Viet Cong is officially formed in South Vietnam.

1962 – Osmond brothers debut on Andy Williams Show.

1963 – Berlin Wall opens for first time to West Berliners.

1963 – Trial against 21 camp guards of Auschwitz begins.

1963 – “Contempt” film starring Brigitte Bardot is released.

1967 – Report: 474,300 US soldiers in Vietnam.

1967 – Ian Anderson & Glenn Cornick form rock group Jethro Tull.

1971 – First preview issue of “Ms” magazine is published.

1974 – Ethiopia becomes socialist one-party state.

1974 – “The Godfather Part II” starring Al Pacino is released.

1976 – Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin resigns.

1977 – First space walk made by Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Grechko.

1980 – NBC broadcasts NY Jets’ 24-17 win over Dolphins without audio.

1983 – Guy Lafleur, Montreal, became 10th NHLer to score 500 goals.

1983 – PLO chairman Yasser Arafat & 4,000 loyalists evacuate Lebanon.

1984 – 33 unknown Bach keyboard works found in Yale library.

1985 – Sportscaster Howard Cosell retires from TV sports.

1989 – US troops invade Panama & oust Manuel Noriega, but do not catch him.

1990 – The world’s first website and server go live at CERN.

1991 – “Father of the Bride” starring Steve Martin is released.

1996 – Horror film classic “Scream” is released.

1999 – Portugal returns Macau to China.

2007 – Queen Elizabeth II, 81, becomes oldest ever monarch of UK.

2012 – Apple is denied a patent for mobile pinch-to-zoom gestures.

2017 – Lady Gaga signs Las Vegas residency deal for $75 million at MGM.

2018 – Report: stats show average US male is 198 lbs, females 171 lbs.

Today’s Horoscopes – December 20, 2024

Aries [March 21 – April 20] – You will find your emotions are much more under control today! You are able to strike a happy balance and avoid extraordinary extremes that scare others away! In fact, quite the opposite is true! People will be attracted to you as you provide a life raft on turbulent waters! Your sensitivity is strong and you are able to immediately fix on the status of any situation!

Taurus [April 21 – May 21] – Things may seem a little cloudy today, but this is no reason to be blue! It could be you need to adjust before you can smoothly relate to others! Take this opportunity to attend to things you normally would not think of! See things from the perspective of someone in another walk of life! Realize the fun of just staying home and falling asleep on the couch!

Gemini [May 22 – June 21] – Try not to see the negative in everything today! Concentrate on the positive! You will pick up subtle signals from others that can be very helpful as you gather data throughout the day! As you proceed through it, keep in mind everything need not be a race to the finish line! Enjoy where you are now! There is no reason to rush to the next activity if you are having fun!

Cancer [June 22 – July 22] – Try to curb your tongue today! There is no reason to lash out! You will find the more sensitive your approach, the farther you will get in your pursuit of your goals! Today might find you feeling moody, and your emotions could be running away with you! Get in touch with your feelings rather than push them away! They are probably trying to tell you something important!

Leo [July 23 – Aug. 23] – Your thinking is clear today and you will find that generally things are running smoothly! Your perspective on everything is very much in line with where you need to be at this time! In other words, you are doing everything exactly right! Be yourself and let other people adapt to your way of thinking! There is no need to keep hiding the truth of who you really are!

Virgo [Aug. 24 – Sept. 22] – Listen to what other people say to you today! There are valuable experiences waiting around the corner! The important thing to do now is recognize opportunities when they arise! The road to success is not always well marked! Take a chance on the road with no signs at all! You have the courage and pioneering spirit to pursue the adventurous route, so go for it!

Libra [Sept. 23 – Oct. 23] – Your emotions may be more in tune with the world around you today! You could even feel a bit psychic! Go with your hunches! You will find rational thinking may not be the best way to handle situations right now! Be the sensitive one who feels things before acting! Discuss the issues with others and combine your resources for a more powerful alliance!

Scorpio [Oct. 24 – Nov. 22] – You might second-guess yourself today! Voices in your head are louder than usual, and you could be the one putting the brakes on your own train! Your intuition is trying to break through! See what you can do to slow down the chatter that continues to dictate the narrative throughout the day! Do more feeling instead of thinking! Give your mind a rest!

Sagittarius [Nov. 23 – Dec. 21] – Today is excellent for you! You will find things flow naturally in the very way you have visualized! You might even find things actually go much better than you had envisioned! Go about your endeavours confidently! The whole world is not out to get you! In fact, people are probably too concerned with themselves to even bother with what you are doing!

Capricorn [Dec. 22 – Jan. 20] – Be careful about the way your words come across to others! You might not realize how much other people’s feelings are affected until it is too late! Consider backing off for a while and taking a break from your normal performance! Practice your lines at home! You may be in a bit of a funk, but the good news is you will snap out of it very soon!

Aquarius [Jan. 21 – Feb. 18] – Today could be the day you have been waiting for! Realize you have the gentle, sincere nature necessary to sweet-talk your way through any situation! Indeed, if there is something that needs resolution, now would be a good time to smooth things over! People will be more receptive to your good nature and nurturing qualities!

Pisces [Feb. 19 – March 20] – Something is urging you to act! You may feel a restlessness in the air that makes you want to get up and go! The problem is the place you need to go may not be obvious at first! Tender emotions may get in the way of decisive action! Realize your destination is inside your heart! We all go through moody periods! This could be one for you!