A long-time charity in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba is warning customers about a scam targeting their annual fundraiser.

Being called by scammers is nothing new these days. But STARS — Western Canada’s Air Ambulance provider — is again warning potential supporters to be on the lookout for a scam targeting their ticket holders.

Tiffany Flynn is the vice president of brand and revenue generation for STARS. She says the scam, which cropped up during previous years’ campaigns as well, is damaging to the organization and customer trust.

“It’s concerning for us. We want to make sure that our supporters feel secure in supporting STARS and we want them to know that their data is safe and that their information is safe.”

Flynn says the annual lottery brings in a third of the $12 million dollars needed to run air ambulance helicopters in each of the bases in Saskatoon and Regina. That money pays for staffing, like doctors, nurses and pilots.

“It is incredibly impactful to us, and the support really does matter,” she said.

The head of the economic crime unit with the Saskatoon police confirms this type of prize or lotto scam is not uncommon.

“STARS has always been used, since my time in the unit. It kind of comes and goes every year usually. Obviously when those lotteries take place, you’ll see a spike,” Staff Sergeant Matthew Bradford told CTV News.

One of the ways the current scam is being run is scammers call random numbers, usually from outside of Saskatchewan or Canada, according to Bradford.

They then ask if the person who answers has received their STARS tickets in the mail. If they say yes, then the scammer has identified a target, moving on to ask them to purchase a gift card to have the winning vehicle prize sent to their house. The rationale is to pay for the tow truck to deliver it.

Flynn says, being asked for anything in exchange for the prize isn’t part of STARS Lottery.

“We will never ask for your Visa card or any sort of information to claim your prize. Please keep an eye out if you see any of that messaging or if someone reaches out to you,” she said.

Flynn assures the public their database has not been breached and the scam calls are random.

“They would have no access to our database. They would have no access to our information. That is all private, secure.”

Police suggest reporting to them if you receive a suspicious call. Once you fall for this scam, though, police say there’s little they can do.

“That’s why they use the gift card variation, because it’s virtually impossible to trace once the code has been provided to the bad guys,” Bradford says.

Drivers in Regina’s south end faced a bit of a headache Tuesday, after a semi rollover blocked traffic in the area.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Regina police notified the public that a semi rollover was blocking traffic on the east bound lanes of Highway 1, as well as the east bound exit ramp from Albert Street onto Highway 1.

Police officers, in addition to members of the Regina Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) were witnessed at the scene.

The semi tractor and trailer was seen on lying on its driver’s side, just east of the exit ramp onto Ring Road.

The affected streets were reopened at around 2:15 p.m.

A fourth person is facing a first-degree murder charge related to a June homicide in Regina.

On Tuesday, Regina police revealed that 37-year-old Kayla Mitton had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 35-year-old Aron Lunan, whose body was found just west of Regina, near Grand Coulee, on June 10.

On July 1, 24-year-old Brittian Volk was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

On July 3, 30-year-old Patrick Akapew and 38-year-old Tyler Edwards were arrested and also charged with first-degree murder.

Mitton is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Wednesday in Regina, police said.

On June 10, RCMP officers were called to a rural area near Grand Coulee after a body was discovered.

Saskatchewan RCMP began the investigation, identifying Lunan as the victim and determining the death was the result of a homicide.

Further efforts revealed the case originated within the city – leading to Regina police taking over the investigation.

A bull rider from Leader, Sask. has been dominating the competition as the Calgary Stampede passes its halfway point.

Grady Young, 19, achieved the top score of 87 on Tuesday riding a bull named “Shake It Off,” which qualified him for Sunday’s final.

On Monday, he scored a career high of 91 riding a bull named “Splash Tide,” which was also the top score of the day.

Over two days of competition, Young has won a total of $14,400.

Jason Parsonage, a fellow Saskatchewan bull rider from Maple Creek, finished sixth in Pool A after scoring 81 on day one.

Parsonage did not qualify for Sunday’s finale after being bucked off twice but still took home $4,000.

Dakota Butter, from Eatonia, Sask. will ride Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, for his attempt to qualify for Sunday’s final.

The winner of the final will receive $50,000.

A police vehicle was involved in a highway collision near Lumsden, Sask. on Tuesday night.

According to a release from Saskatchewan RCMP around 7:20 p.m., Lumsden RCMP officers were on the scene of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 734.

The officer in the police vehicle was assessed by EMS at the scene and the three occupants in the second vehicle were taken to hospital by EMS with “non-threatening” injuries, RCMP said.

RCMP said motorists may experience delays in the area, noting that investigation into the collision continues.

The Regina Police Service (RPS) launched a death investigation following a collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle on Tuesday.

Shortly after 1 p.m., police were called to the 2200 block of Lindsay Street and located a deceased man upon arrival, according to a release from RPS.

Officers secured the area and requested resources from the RPS major crime unit and the forensic identification unit.

Police said no further information, including the victim’s name, will be released to the public, as the investigation is in its early stages.

In an earlier news release, RPS asked the public to avoid the area or find an alternative route.

Photos from the scene show a damaged bicycle beside an SUV in the parking lot of the Al Ritchie Ice Arena.

A white sheet surrounded by police tape could also be seen.

Anyone with information is asked to contact RPS or Crime Stoppers.

Two student pilots have died following a mid-air crash between two planes near Steinbach, Man., Tuesday morning, a flight school in the area confirmed.

Adam Penner, one of the owners of flight school Harv’s Air, said the student pilots were trying to land the two planes at the same time when the collision occurred. He said the close-knit group of students and staff are devastated about what happened.

“It’s very tough, we’re kind of a small family here,” he said.

According to RCMP, officers were notified of the crash at 8:45 a.m. in the Rural Municipality of Hanover.

RCMP, fire department and emergency medical services responded and found the wreckage of two small, single-engine aircraft south of Steinbach.

Nathaniel Plett said he heard the planes crashing Tuesday morning while drinking coffee with his wife.

“We heard a noise, sounded like an airplane revving its engine, and then the propeller suddenly stopping, like a couple of thuds,” he said. “Then we heard a bang and obviously they hit the ground.”

Plett called 911 and was told they had received several calls already about the crash. He then went out to check on the scene and was able to see one of the planes that crashed.

“The plane was burning,” he said. “The wheels had broken off, the wings were intact, the cockpit was there, but it was burning and plowed into the ground.”

Penner said the planes involved were a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172.

Penner said the crash happened while the students were practicing takeoffs and landings.

RCMP said the two pilots of the planes were pronounced dead at the scene. There were no passengers on board either plane. Their names have not been released.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified and is investigating.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he plans to announce tariffs on imported semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, saying the rate for medicines could reach 200 per cent but he would give drugmakers about one year “to get their act together.”

“We’re going to give people about a year, a year and a half to come in and, after that, they’re going to be tariffed,” Trump told reporters, speaking at a meeting of his Cabinet at the White House.

“If they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country ... they’re going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200 per cent. We’ll give them a certain period of time to get their act together,” he said.

“We’re going to be announcing pharmaceuticals, chips and various couple of other things - you know, big ones,” Trump told reporters, while announcing a new tariff rate for copper. He did not offer specifics on when the other announcements would come.

Details on pharmaceutical tariffs “will come at the end of the month,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC after the Cabinet meeting.

“With pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, those studies are being completed at the end of the month, and so the president will then set his policies then, and I’m going to let him wait to decide how he’s going to do it,” Lutnick said.

The Trump administration launched an investigation into the pharmaceutical industry in April as a bid to impose tariffs on the grounds that extensive reliance on foreign production of medicine is a national security threat.

The U.S. Commerce Department, which is conducting the investigation, has yet to issue the report.

🎉 Update Completed Successfully! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce that our scheduled network update has been completed without any issues! 🚀 All our broadcast stations, streams, and websites are now fully operational and running better than ever.

What’s New?

Here’s what you can expect from this update:
✅ Improved Audio Player – No more interruptions or cutting off! Enjoy seamless streaming on our websites.
✅ Enhanced Stream Stability – Our radio streams are now more reliable than ever.
✅ Upgraded Security & Quality – Improved protection and enhanced broadcast quality for an unmatched listening experience.

Fully Operational Services:

🎵 Stations:

• Z103.5 – https://z1035.evoradio.ca/
• 979 The Cowboy – https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/
• 101 The Rockhound – https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/
• Classic 88.7 The Goat – https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/

🌐 Websites:

• EVO Radio Advertiser Access – https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/
• EVO Media Corporation – https://evomcorp.com/
• DJ Spinderella – https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/

Experiencing Issues?

While everything is running smoothly on our end, we’re here to help if you encounter any issues. If you’re having trouble with our broadcasts or websites, please report the issue to us immediately so we can address it.

📧 Contact Us:

If you have having any issues please reach out to us on our websites!

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process. We’re committed to providing you with the best listening experience possible and appreciate your support!

🎧 Happy Listening!
The EVO Radio & EVO Media Corporation Team

We’re committed to providing our audience with a listening experience like no other! To maintain this standard, we’re excited to announce a major update to our Broadcast Network.

What’s New?

This update will bring:

• A Better Audio Player: Improved performance on our websites to resolve issues with streams cutting off.
• Enhanced Session Operations: Ensuring error-free radio streams.
• Upgraded Security & Quality: Improved protection and overall broadcast quality.

Downtime Details:

• Expected Downtime: 1 hour (we’ve allocated up to 4 hours for any unforeseen circumstances).
• Impacted Services:
  • Live Broadcasts & Website Access for these stations:
    • Z103.5 – https://z1035.evoradio.ca/
    • 979 The Cowboy – https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/
    • 101 The Rockhound – https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/
    • Classic 88.7 The Goat – https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/
  • Websites:
    • EVO Radio Advertiser Access – https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/
    • EVO Media Corporation – https://evomcorp.com/
    • DJ Spinderella – https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/
  • Third-Party Apps: Any apps relying on our live broadcasts will also be affected.

Commitment to Excellence:
During the downtime, our team will work diligently to complete the update and monitor the network to ensure peak performance. We’re committed to enhancing your listening experience to the highest standards.

Stay Updated:
Follow us on Facebook or check our websites for real-time updates:

• EVO Media Corporation: https://www.facebook.com/EVOMediaCorporation/
• Z103.5: https://www.facebook.com/YourPartyStationZ103.5
• 979 The Cowboy: https://www.facebook.com/979thecowboy/
• 101 The Rockhound: https://www.facebook.com/101TheRockhound/
• Classic 88.7 The Goat: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093402861183

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to improve our services.

Thank you for your continued support,

The EVO Radio & EVO Media Corporation Team