Saskatchewan continues to show it's economic strength. For the first time ever, the province's credit rating has been listed as AAA, the highest level possible. Finance Minister Ken Krawetz says it's mainly for a few reasons. "In lieu of our debt repayment, our projected budgetary expenditures and surpluses." While the government won't be borrowing any money yet, as they are in a surplus scenario, Krawetz says this will help crown corporations.

The countdown is on to the unofficial start of summer.

Provincial parks open for the season, this Thursday, and Mary-Anne Wihak with the Ministry of Parks says they're hoping for more warm, windy weather in the next week in the northwest.

"There's still some snow on the ground in some patches and still a bit of ice on the lakes, so we haven't got our boat docks and launches in place for Battlefords Provincial Park or Meadow Lake yet," said Wihak.

Two local radio hosts are counting down the hours until they can rejoin civilization again - and they need your help.

Our sister station ROCK 102's "Caged for the Cure" live radio marathon is in it's final day at the Centre Mall in Saskatoon.

Shack & Watson are locked in a cage, asking listeners to donate money for Prostate Cancer treatment and all the money raised goes to the Les & Irene Dube Urology Centre of Health at St. Paul's Hospital.

To donate, call 1-306-649-CURE or click on rock102rocks.com

 

It could be a very busy weekend for local farmers..

According to the latest crop report, only one per cent of spring seeding is complete in the northeast and east central parts of the province. Provincially five per cent of the 2011 crop is seeded.

"Some areas reported rain anywhere up to 20 (millimeters), so the topsoil moisture is still pretty wet, they're indicating about 61 per cent is still in a surplus condition, so it's very challenging for the producers," explained Saskatchewan Agriculture's Grant Maclean.

The investigation continues this hour east of the city.

RCMP say some sort of remains were found Tuesday night.

An anthropologist was called out, Wednesday, to help determine if the remains are in fact, human.

Police tell us they are combing through the area for clues.

This story continues to develop...

Edited by News Talk Radio's Sabeen Ahmad.

About two dozen abandoned huskies, found on a farm in Bulyea, have been seized by Saskatoon's SPCA.

The SPCA, RCMP, and a vet deemed the animals to be in distress after checking on them on Wednesday.

Kayley Pugh with the SPCA says mounties showed up with a vet to check on the dogs. She says the SPCA had been getting complaints from neighbours

"As of yesterday, we received adequate evidence that the dogs were in distress and obtained a search warrant, had the dogs assessed by a vetrinarean and seizure of the dogs was recommended."

It appears as though the rise in gas prices has made its way to Saskatchewan.

News Talk Radio has been tipped off that prices in Regina have gone from 1.31 to 1.36. Saskatoon prices are showing a jump from 1.32 to 1.37.

Edited by News Talk Radio's Sabeen Ahmad.

 

Wages is a big part of this dispute, but Cathy Dickson with the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan says patient safety is also being compromised.

"There are huge waitlists for, especially in the pediatric (assessment) area, where little children are needing to have that assessment done so their development isn't further delayed," said Dickson.

The union will have a news conference at 11 this morning - News Talk Radio will have a reporter at the conference.

This story continues to develop...

Saskatoon mayor, Don Atchison, is encouraging people to fill out their census.

"I don't think people realize that each person has a value of anywhere from two-hundred and thirty dollars to three-hundred dollars per person," explained Atchison.

That value comes in the form of grants from senior levels of government ie: the gas tax from the feds and the municipal operating grant from the province.

Atchison says those dollars are extremely important in a growing city.