THAT’S ONE SOULSUCKING CAT
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‘Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever’ is television fit for a litter box.
PAGE B12
Red Deer Advocate THURSDAY, DEC. 4, 2014
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Your trusted local news authority CRIME STATISTICS
Property crimes up 8.3% BY ADVOCATE STAFF Property crimes in Red Deer are up in the first nine months of 2014. Year-to-date stat i s t i c s r e l e a s e d o n COMMUNITY Wednesday show that RESPONSE overall property crimes UNIT A2 such as fraud and arson rose by 8.3 per cent. The biggest jump, however, was for possession of stolen goods, a category that increased by 66 per cent. There have been 517 offences so far this year, compared to 311 in 2013. Red Deer RCMP Insp. Scott Tod said a large increase in possession of stolen goods offences is often a result of enforcement. “As a result of realigning resources, we are focusing on priorities that enable us to be proactive in high crime areas and with repeat offenders, we are able to close out more investigations,” he said. Vehicle theft incidents also jumped by 31 per cent with 748 offences in the period, up from 571 in 2013. Conversely, the total crimes against persons fell by 3.3 per cent in the first nine months of the year. To date, there have been 2,337 such crimes, compared to 2,417 in 2013. All other Criminal Code offences such weapons charges and disturbing the peace fell by 9.3 per cent. There were 4,082 such instances in total, compared to 4,500 offences in 2013. Sarah Cockerill, the city’s director of Community Services, said community safety continues to be a priority and the city will continue to work with the RCMP and community crime prevention organizations to see future reductions in the crime rates. The city releases crime statistics on a quarterly basis.
Guilty plea in death TYLER JAMES WILSON, 19, PLEADS TO DANGEROUS DRIVING CAUSING DEATH BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF The family of a Red Deer man killed in a collision while riding home in a taxi shared hugs and tears as the teenager who caused the crash pleaded guilty on Wednesday. Jonathon David Wood, 33, was killed on Nov. 2, 2013, when the taxi he was a passenger in was hit by another driver. Wood had been out at the bar that night following a squash tournament he helped organize. He chose to take a taxi home. Tyler James Wilson, 19, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death on Wednesday in Red Deer provincial court before Judge Darrell Riemer. He had entered a not guilty plea earlier this year. Wood’s family, filling up half the courtroom, all wore buttons they had made to honour him, bearing words from his favourite song, “keep your head up and your heart strong.” “At times like this you remember the loss, the rawness of the loss,” said Wood’s mother Lori Church. “Other times I just remember how funny he was and the further we get away from the death, the more I miss him. It’s that much longer I haven’t seen my son.” Lorne Goddard, defence counsel for Wilson, said it had always been his intention to enter a guilty plea and take responsibility for his actions. Wilson had elected in February to be tried by Court of Queen’s Bench judge alone, starting with a preliminary inquiry scheduled for Wednesday. “This is no measure of my son’s
File photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
A memorial was set up at Body Basics by friends of Jonathon David Wood who died in a motor vehicle collision in Red Deer. life, there is no measure of my son’s life,” said Church. “This guilty plea is no measure of remorse. “What Mr. Wilson needs to do is to learn to take responsibility to be a better person and to start contributing to this world instead of taking away from it. He has a long way to
go to ever make up for the loss of my son. “But that would be my hope, that some day he finds redemption and is able to become a better person.”
Please see COURT on Page A2
City embarking on $3.5M transit system overhaul BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate Staff
A $3.5-million project will begin next year to overhaul Red Deer’s transit system. Electronic signs, among other improvements, will be implemented to help make busing more efficient for transit users.
Clearing. High -9. Low -18.
FORECAST ON A2
INDEX Three sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . A11, A12 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5-A7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . C1-C3 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . .B12 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B5
Please see TRANSIT on Page A2
Arrest made in Mountie shooting A 36-year-old man has been arrested just hours after an RCMP officer was shot and critically wounded. Story on PAGE A5
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Red Deer buses are about to drive into the 21st century. Starting next year, the city will embark on an estimated $3.5-million project to transform Red Deer’s public transportation system. When completed, the city’s 57 conventional buses will be outfitted with electronic signs and annunciators that will allow both visual and audio bus stop and street location announcements. At Sorensen Station and some bus shelters, electronic signs will offer up-
dated information on when the next bus will arrive. At other bus stops, passengers will be able to phone an information number with the bus stop number and get real-time information on the next bus arrival. Transit Manager George Penny said it’s a fairly large undertaking that is expected to be in place by the end of 2017. “It’s what every transit agency really likes,” said Penny. “It’s the ability to collect data so you can really make decisions correctly.”