C2 RED DEER ADVOCATE Friday, July 20, 2012
LOCAL
BRIEFS Man detained on CrossIron Mills assault An Innisfail man facing multiple charges relating to an assault at the CrossIron Mills mall in Balzac remains in custody pending his next court date. The 55-year-old man, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of his victim, was arrested after a run-in at the mall with police and security guards. RCMP say police were called to the mall on March 28 when a woman slipped a note to a security guard saying she had been kidnapped. Police allege that, upon arrival at the mall, they witnessed the suspect beating the woman and that he then struck one of the officers who was there to make the arrest. Charges include housebreaking with intent to commit a crime, sexual assault, choking with intent, assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement, kidnapping, uttering death threats, resisting a police officer, assaulting a police officer, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and breaching the conditions of a recognizance. His next court appearance has been set for Airdrie on Aug. 23.
Assault case adjourned Proceedings against a Red Deer man accused of assaulting his girlfriend and at least one of her children have been adjourned to next Wednesday. The 24-year-old man, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of his alleged victims, was arrested from a home in Glendale in June after a neighbour called police to report that a man was kicking a small child. Police allege that they found a sixyear-old boy smeared in feces and requiring medical treatment for damage to the corneas of both eyes. The suspect was arrested at the scene and remains in custody pending his next court appearance. He has not entered a plea.
Lawyer faces assault trial A Red Deer lawyer who was temporarily suspended for his role in a Ponzi scheme is being tried later this month on a single charge of assault. Dana Carlson, 50, goes to trial in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on July 27. No other details are available on the assault charge, which is related to an incident in 2011. In relation to the Ponzi scheme,
the Law Society of Alberta suspended Carlson for three months earlier this year, effective March 26, and ordered him to pay more than $6,000 for the cost of a hearing. Carlson admitted to the law society hearing committee that he was guilty of improper conduct, including representing clients in business transactions that he should have known were in breach of securities law, unwittingly enabling a party to achieve an improper purpose and accepting compensation other than legal fees from such a party. The law society hearing committee also found Carlson guilty of unnecessarily complicating the investigation by destroying evidence and not being immediately forthright in explaining his actions to the law society. The law society hearing committee reported a number of factors in Carlson’s favour, including an early guilty plea indicating genuine remorse and generating substantial costs savings. The committee also stated in its report that Carlson did not act in full knowledge or in bad faith and that while he continues to practise litigation law, he no longer operates a solicitor’s practice. That factor offers significant protection to the public, it says, since the sanctions against him arose from his role in the Ponzi scheme, described in the hearing committee’s report as a prime bank instrument fraud.
PAINTED LIKE A PARROT
Man accused of credit card fraud A Red Deer man faces charges in the United States for allegedly using at least 32 credit cards to conduct fraud in connection with identification information. Red Deer City RCMP arrested Eric Bogle, 23, in Red Deer on a warrant issued in the United States on July 2. The United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York say the arrest was part of the largest coordinated takedown of cyber criminals in history. The co-ordinated efforts were the results of a two-year undercover operation led by the FBI. The operation involved 13 countries and resulted in 25 arrests, including 12 arrests in the United States and 13 arrests in seven other countries, including Canada. Bogle was one of two Canadians arrested. The other Canadian was not named. Bogle is scheduled to appear in Court of Queens Bench Court in Edmonton today. The Department of Justice Canada is representing the U.S. Attorney on the matter.
Westerner gets tourism grant Westerner Park has received a $25,000 grant for promoting tourism in
Photo by CYNTHIA RADFORD/Advocate staff
Emmalayna Paulson, age 5, gets her face painted to resemble a parrot at the Westerner Park on kids day on Thursday. the region. The park is the recipient of the Festivals and Events Tourism and Events Tourism Growth Program grant. Funded by the Department of Tourism, Parks and Recreation, the grant program evaluates the event to determine its tourism growth potential, develop a three-to-five-year growth plan and identify organizational improvements required to implement the growth plan.
Mountie injured in collision A Red Deer Mountie was taken to hospital Thursday morning after his cruiser was involved in a crash with a City of Red Deer vehicle. The officer was responding to a complaint at 8:40 a.m. when the colli-
sion occurred with a City of Red Deer parks and maintenance truck near the intersection of Hermary Street and 58th Avenue. Both vehicles were travelling at low speeds at the time of the crash, say police. Red Deer city RCMP report the driver of the city vehicle wasn’t injured. The police officer, who has eight years of experience with the RCMP, was taken to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre by ambulance. He suffered a concussion and required stitches for a gash to his head. RCMP anticipated the officer would be released from hospital the same day. The collision remains under investigation.
Man’s charges upgraded to murder BY THE CANADIAN PRESS MEDICINE HAT — A 34-year-old man has gone from being a suspected accomplice in the case of a missing southern Alberta nursing student to her alleged killer. But police have yet to locate a crucial piece of evidence in a homicide case — a body. “We are still no closer to knowing exactly where she might be,” said Insp. Glen Mots of the Medicine Hat police. But he added that police “are very confident the evidence that has been gathered will secure conviction.” Police laid a charge of second-degree murder
against Jerrison Herve Stopanski on Thursday. He’s alleged to have killed 23-year-old Amy Lewis, who was last in contact with friends late in the evening on June 11. Police began a missing person investigation two days later, and on June 15, they arrested Stopanski and charged him with accessory to murder after the fact. Helicopters from RCMP and the British Army conducted aerial searches of areas surrounding Medicine Hat while police, fire and volunteer search and rescue organizations scoured the land looking for Lewis over the last two weeks of June. The search was called off when all leads failed to find her. Asked if Stopanski has co-operated with investigators in locating the student, Motz responded: “We continue to search for Amy Lewis.”
City considering disc golf course BY LAURA TESTER ADVOCATE STAFF The City of Red Deer believes a former elementary school site in a southside neighbourhood would now be a great green space for playing disc golf. The Recreation, Parks and Culture Department has joined with Primary Care Network, a partnership between 66 local family doctors and Alberta Health Services, in proposing a 10-hole disc golf course at the Victoria Park central park site. It’s found along the east end of Allan Street. An open house is being held on Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the park site.
The city built a similar course last year at a Kentwood park site. Disc golf is said to be gaining popularity among all age groups. It’s similar to golf in that a player must cross a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of a disc. The Victoria Park course has been designed for beginner to intermediate play. It’s expected this course will attract casual users and will not result in a significant increase to the number of park users at one time, according to city administration. The city reports minimal impact is felt on homeowners who live next to the park because the course forces game play away from housing.
STORIES FROM PAGE C1
LAKE: Consultants hired Developers would apply for a permit through one of the four municipalities. Those drilling water wells for a multi-unit development would also have to show Alberta Environment that there’s enough water from those wells, plus that it wouldn’t be affecting other users. “They don’t have real strong requirements around proving that aquifer is connected to the lake and you might be drawing out of the lake,” said Wannop. “The lake might shrink.” The society has hired HCL Consultants and so far has gathered data and ironed out the scope of the project. It received a grant from the Land Stewardship Centre, plus other donations from corporations. But it’s $5,000 short to complete the water sampling that would be done by the Gull Lake society this year. More grant money would be sought for next year’s
The Kentwood course has been successful and is regularly used, according to parks planning coordinator David Girardin. “Since its implementation, the city has not received a single complaint from adjacent land owners,” said Girardin in a letter to nearby residents. Red Deer Public School District board decided in 1999 to delete the Victoria Park site for a possible future elementary school. The site was to have been deleted from the East Hill Major Area Structure Plan but wasn’t. Earlier this year, the site was considered for a francophone school, then rejected. ltester@reddeeradvocate.com
phase. The project’s total cost is estimated at $60,000. This week, Wannop asked Lacombe County council about granting money to the project. Council referred the matter to administration for its recommendation. Anyone interested in donating to the project can contact http://www.gulllakewater.net. ltester@reddeeradvocate.com
FLUORIDE: Toxic fear Besides the issue of personal choice, fluoridation opponents believe this chemical is toxic to the human body. Alberta Health Services disputes this claim, saying scientific studies have not found water fluoridation to cause adverse health effects. It reports that communities with optimal water fluoride levels have more cavity-free children, and the children who have had decay have less of it. Water fluoridation also works to limit tooth decay in adults, and has an additional positive effect beyond that of using fluoridated toothpaste. ltester@reddeeradvocate.com
Motz said the second-degree murder charge was laid after DNA testing results providing enough probable cause to elevate the charge against Stopanski. Police are not saying what evidence they have, what the alleged motive may have been or the relationship between Stopanski and Lewis. Stopanski is scheduled to next appear in Medicine Hat provincial court on July 26.
WESTERNER PARADE RESULTS Grand Award (sponsored by Red Deer Bottling) — Blue Grass Sod Farms Mention (sponsored by Heywood Holmes & Partners LLP) — Immigrant Centre, Central Alberta Refugee Adult Community Organization (sponsored by Red Deer Overdoor) 1st place to Bentley Generals Hockey Team; 2nd place to RELAX Crew, Parkland Class; 3rd place to Crossroads Agriculture Society Big People/Little People (sponsored by TD) — 1st place to Immigrant Centre, Central Alberta Refugee; 2nd place to Livingstones Church; 3rd place to Catalina Swim Club Civic Entries (sponsored by Shundra Construction) — 1st place to City of Leduc Collector Vehicles (sponsored by Fas Gas Plus) — 1st place to Goldec Hamm’s Manufacturing; 2nd place to Prairie Bus Lines; 3rd place to Southside Plymouth Comic/Novelty (sponsored by TBS The Team & Corporate Store) — 1st place to Al Azhar Shriners; 2nd place to Home to Home Moving Commercial Floats (sponsored by Cosmos Group of Companies) — 1st place to Blue Grass Sod Farm; 2nd place to Epicure Collections; 3rd place to On the Mark Productions Decorated Vehicles (sponsored by Copper Kettle Fudge Co.) — 1st place to Expedia Cruise Ship Centre; 2nd place to The Bra Lounge; 3rd place to The Town of Eckville Professionally Decorated (sponsored Doctors Eye Care) — 1st place to City of Lacombe; 2nd place to War Amps
Dulux X-pert, Dulux Weatherguard and Flood® CWF-UV® 5 Paint
www.dulux.ca
Ph: 403.346.5555
2319 Taylor Drive, Red Deer
52406G28
IN STUDENT’S DISAPPEARANCE
Mon.-Fri. 7 am - 5:30 pm Sat. 8:30 am - 5 pm Sun. 11 am - 4 pm *Off the regular retail price of Dulux X-pert, Dulux Weathergard and Flood CWF-UV5 3.0L - 3.78L of equal or lesser value. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. All sheens included. See store associate for more details.