LOCAL HEADLINES

One of Tavistock’s longest-established businesses is giving back in a big way to support local health care.

East Zorra-Tavistock’s (EZT) Fire Chief has announced 2026 will be his last year at the helm. Scott Alexander provided his resignation letter to Mayor Phil Schaefer, who read it out loud at last week’s regular council meeting.

The Township of Wilmot’s 2025 traffic calming report, presented to council on Jan. 26, offers residents a detailed look at how local roads are performing, where concerns are being raised and how staff are responding using traffic data rather than assumptions.

If there were a supersized trophy for a young person who truly gives back, it would belong to Milverton’s Wyatt Westman-Frijters.

Egg farmers from Perth and Waterloo counties gathered last week at the Stratford Golf and Country Club for the annual Zone 6 meeting, where producers heard encouraging news about demand for Ontario-farmed eggs and re-elected their local representative to the provincial board.

Wellesley sits just two points behind Woodstock for top spot in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Doherty Division.

Tavistock had won four straight games heading into last weekend, but two tough matchups brought the streak to a grinding halt.

GJ’s Harvest Centre officially opened its new farm and lawn equipment facility one mile south of Milverton on Perth Road 119 last week, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by area farmers, customers and local dignitaries.

Following the conclusion of dairy shows at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, breed organizations across the province have announced the results of their annual All-Ontario competitions, with several local Jersey breeders earning top honours.

Perth County Warden Dean Trentowsky, county councillors and staff joined more than 1,900 municipal and provincial representatives from across Ontario at the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto Jan. 18-20.

Perth County council has concluded the bulk of its 2026 budget deliberations and has now approved the full draft budget in principle after county council reviewed its draft operating budget on Jan. 22., resulting in a proposed levy increase, inclusive of growth, of 8.75 per cent over the county’s 2025 levy.

Last week, staff and community members gathered to celebrate a beam-signing milestone at Tri-County Mennonite Homes (TCMH) in New Hamburg.

This winter’s snow, wind and cold temperatures haven’t been seen in years, and according to an area meteorologist, predicting approaching weather systems is proving to be a challenge.

Wellesley’s Mary Lichty-Neeb has been named the recipient of the 2026 Len and Ida Patterson Memorial Award, recognizing her many decades of dedication to agricultural fairs and volunteer service across Ontario.

After two years of meetings and public consultations, East Zorra-Tavistock’s (EZT) recreation advisory committee (RAC) has put forward a motion to council which includes budget dollars.

A growing range of assistive technologies available through the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) is helping students across the region strengthen reading, writing, organization and study skills, while giving families practical ways to support learning at home.

Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis recently attended a high-level huddle with federal government officials and leading dairy industry players.

Viktoriia Makarova is a Ukrainian artist who now calls New Hamburg home along with her 18-month-old daughter, Eva, and her mother, Olha Polusmiak. The three came to Canada seeking safety from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

What once felt like long, quiet winter afternoons for some Shakespeare-area youth has been replaced by skates on ice and sticks on pucks thanks to the busy skating rink inside the Shakespeare ballpark pavilion.

Township of Wellesley councillors have expressed concerns over employee privacy around the potential installation of front- and driver-facing cameras in all township vehicles with an enclosed cab.