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 – January 4, 2025

No listings!

Today’s Celebrity Birthdays – January 4, 2025

1077 – Emperor Zhezong, Song Dynasty in China

1334 – Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy

1785 – Jacob Grimm, “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”

1797 – Wilhelm Beer, Constructed first moon map

1809 – Louis Braille, Braille system inventor

1838 – Charles Stratton, “General Tom Thumb”

1930 – Don Shula, Miami Dolphins coach

1930 – Sorrell Booke, “Boss Hogg” actor

1935 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer

1943 – Tom Wilkinson, Edmonton Eskimo

1963 – Dave Foley, Kids In The Hall actor

This Day in Local History – January 4, 2025

Jan. 4, 1913: The Grouard News reports 1,243 couples filed for divorce in Canada in 1912.

Jan. 4, 1969: High Prairie’s Ross Gordon leaves the bench to get involved in a third period fight as the hometown Regals lose to the Dawson Creek Canucks 7-5.

Jan. 4, 1971: Jack Burley is re-elected president of the Pioneer Threshermans Association at their annual general meeting. Bob Winnicky is elected vice-president, Irene Turner secretary and Dorothy Turner treasurer.

Jan. 4, 1973: The Sturgeon Lake Blues pull out of the SRHL. They quit after the second period at Falher after trailing 9-1. Peace River also pulled out earlier in the week.

Jan. 4, 1980: Fire destroys High Prairie’s No. 2 UGG elevator.

Jan. 4, 1986: The Manning Comets win their 10th straight game defeating the visiting High Prairie Regals 6-2.

Jan. 4, 1989: South Peace News reports Pearl Calahasen announces her candidacy for the Lesser Slave Lake constituency for the PC party.

Jan. 4, 1990: South Peace News reports the Town of High Prairie is suing Everall Construction Ltd. Of Edmonton over “massive blunders” during a 1985 paving project.

Jan. 4, 1992: The visiting High Prairie Regals score four unanswered goals in the third period to salvage a 6-6 tie at Manning.

Jan. 4, 1994: Mike Williamson begins his duties as High Prairie’s recreation superintendent.

Jan. 4, 1995: South Peace News reports the Faust RCMP are forming a Victims Services Unit.

Jan. 4, 2000: The NPHL’s Falher Pirates fold after a 16-9 loss to the Lakeland Eagles in McLennan.

Jan. 4, 2002: Felicia Giroux, of Cadotte Lake, gives birth to a baby girl at 12:42 a.m. Giroux and the baby win hundreds of dollars worth pf prizes for being High Prairie’s New Year’s Baby.

Jan. 4, 2004: One woman is sent to High Prairie Hospital after a two-vehicle collision on the East Prairie River Bridge.

Jan. 4, 2005: A male student, 13, is stabbed at Grouard Northland School. A female teenager, 16, is charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.

Jan. 4, 2006: Leslie Pollack receives a $2,000 bursary from the High Prairie Healthcare Auxiliary Society.

Jan. 4, 2008: The Manning Comets of the North Peace Hockey League fold citing lack of players as the reason.

Jan. 4, 2008: Justin Paul scores four goals and adds two assists to lead the High Prairie Regals to an 8-5 win in Peace River.

Jan. 4, 2011: The High Prairie Regals are forced to forfeit a 5-3 win over the Valleyview Jets for using an illegal lineup. The Regals dressed 19 skaters and one goaltender, which is illegal.

Jan. 4, 2012: Shane Pospisil announces at a High Prairie and Area Chamber of Commerce meeting that plans for a biodiesel plant in the area are moving forward. Pospisil, working for Nichols Applied Management in Edmonton, has no stake in the project but is helping The Power Alternative of Detroit in drafting and finalizing the project.

Jan. 4, 2012: Jack Lischka passes away in High Prairie at the age of 76 years. He was an engineer and spent 40 years in the oilpatch.

Jan. 4, 2012: Northern Lakes College president Rick Neidig writes the Faust Community League expressing a desire to close the NLC building at Faust, formerly Carole Bannister School.

Jan. 4, 2014: Slave Lake’s Gale and Garry Kada win $100,000 in the Western 6/49 draw.

Jan. 4, 2015: Hazel Irene Paish passes away at the age of 95 years. Paish decided to fight hospital policy demanding retirement at age 65 and won, thus setting a precedent in Alberta.

Jan. 4, 2016: Nomination Day closes for two vacant seats on High Prairie town council. Jeff Burgar, Brian Gilroy, Arlen Quartly and James Waikle file papers declaring intentions to run.

Jan. 4, 2016: Staff and students complete the move into the new Joussard School for first day of classes.

Jan. 4, 2017: South Peace News publishes a photo of Lesser Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee presenting a $20,138 cheque to the Triangle Pioneer Threshermans Association for upgrades to the veranda and security fencing at the new hall.

This Day in World History – January 4, 2025

46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.

1847 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the US government.

1863 – Four-wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton.

1883 – Ontario Rugby Football Union [forerunner of CFL] forms.

1884 – Last sighting of an eastern cougar occurs in Ontario.

1885 – Dr. William Grant, of Iowa, performs first appendectomy in America.

1887 – Thomas Stevens is first man to bicycle around the world.

1896 – Utah admitted as 45th state.

1912 – Smallest earth-moon distance occurs this century at 356,375 km.

1920 – First Black Baseball League, National Negro Baseball League, formed.

1923 – Lenin’s “Political Testament” calls for removal of Stalin.

1936 – Billboard magazine publishes its first music hit parade.

1959 – Luna 1 [Mechta] becomes first craft to leave Earth’s gravity.

1961 – Longest recorded strike ends – 33 years – Danish Barbers’ Assistants.

1970 – Beatles last recording session at EMI studios.

1975 – Ice thickness measured at 4776 m, Wilkes Land, Antarctica.

1977 – Mary Shane hired by Chicago White Sox as first woman TV play-by-play.

1982 – Golden Gate Bridge closed for third time by fierce storm.

1984 – “Night Court” starring Harry Anderson premieres on NBC TV.

1984 – Edmonton beats Minnesota 12-8 highest-scoring modern NHL game.

1998 – Massive ice storm hits eastern Canada, northeastern United States.

1999 – Former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura sworn in as governor of Minnesota.

2010 – World’s tallest building at 2,722 feet officially opens in Dubai.

2015 – World’s largest-ever blue star sapphire at 1404.49 carats found.

Today’s Horoscopes – January 4, 2025

Aries [March 21 – April 20] – You should enjoy the intense energy of today! The mud is finally beginning to clear away! Expose the truth in every issue and get ready for the gremlins that may be unearthed! Connect with nature today and spend some time with animals if you can! Take deep breaths in fresh outdoor air and enjoy a long walk somewhere special with a close friend!

Taurus [April 21 – May 21] – Today marks the beginning of a new cycle for you! Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly! The time is right for you to act! Improve your surroundings and adjust your bed so it faces east/west! A north/south placement aligns you with Earth’s magnetic field and causes you to lose energy at night! Drink plenty of water to keep your mind clear!

Gemini [May 22 – June 21] – Take a cold shower to jump-start yourself today! It is fine if you laze around a bit in the morning, but by evening, you should be working at full capacity! You will be called into action whether you want to be or not! Notice how active your dreams are tonight and over the next couple of nights! Messages are trying to get through, so listen!

Cancer [June 22 – July 22] – Today may start out sluggish for you, but by the end of the day the energy will move fast and furious! Your thoughts will be buzzing around your head like bees around a hive! An introspective and contemplative morning has filled your brain with a new wave of thoughts, which you will be eager to share with anything that has ears tonight!

Leo [July 23 – Aug. 23] – Enjoy the calm morning, because things are going to get crazier and more energetic as the day goes on! Emotions will run high, and people will be more opinionated than usual! A conflict may arise from which you just want to extricate yourself! Realize a more peaceful agreement will ensue if you jump in and add your two cents’ worth!

Virgo [Aug. 24 – Sept. 22] – You will experience an intense amount of energy today! Your dream state will be more active than usual, and you will find people are drawn to you like moths to light! Make sure you keep your fiery emotions in balance and do not cross any boundaries with others! People have limits, and it is important you honour theirs as well as your own!

Libra [Sept. 23 – Oct. 23] – It is time to get up and get moving! You have tremendous ideas and vision for the future! You have all the information you need! Now all you have to do is act! Step up to the plate and hit one over the fence! Getting out of your box and further into the world at large will do you a great deal of good! Get a greater perspective on things and enjoy time in a new environment!

Scorpio [Oct. 24 – Nov. 22] – The early part of the day might find you sluggish and indecisive, but later you should be psyched up and ready to go! Today marks the beginning of a new period in which you should set your ideas in motion! Action is the key! Think before you speak and use caution when talking about other people! Make sure your discussions about others do not turn into gossip!

Sagittarius [Nov. 23 – Dec. 21] – Today’s energies will get progressively more intense as the day goes on! In the morning, you may be in an easygoing, dreamy state, but you will be itching to take action by nightfall! Take what you have learned from your sensitive, meditative state and share it with others! Use your inner calm to bring stability to stressful situations! Make sure things do not get out of hand tonight!

Capricorn [Dec. 22 – Jan. 20] – For the past several weeks you have felt like you have been dragging your heels! Decisions may have been hard to make and people may have seemed wishy-washy! There is a major energy shift tonight that will spark things back into action! Once again you will be on centre stage! Be yourself and smile! Fun is a commodity you have in abundance! Share this incredible gift with others!

Aquarius [Jan. 21 – Feb. 18] – The morning might find you sitting like a stick in the mud! People might be getting down on you for not contributing, but tell them to be patient! You will be raring to go by nightfall! The catalyst may come from an outside source! Be on the lookout for a challenge! Someone might rattle your cage a bit too much, so be patient and do not take it personally!

Pisces [Feb. 19 – March 20] – Things are moving your way! As the day progresses, you will find the energy intensifies! Conflicts may arise near sundown, but do not worry about it too much! See it as a call to jump-start your motor! Visit an antique shop and chat with the people around you! Simple yet meaningful encounters may prove richly rewarding!