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Red Deer Advocate FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 2015
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“How can you react?” MAN CAUGHT FLOSSING WHILE DRIVING AMONG 32 PEOPLE TICKETED FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING ON WEDNESDAY BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF A driver was caught using his knees to steer while flossing his teeth behind the wheel on Wednesday. The motorist was one of 32 people slapped with a $287 distracted driving fine at eight high-collision areas in Red Deer. Red Deer RCMP Sgt. Al Nickolson said distracted driving is very much on the police’s radar. He said incidents of rear-end collisions are very high in the city and can mostly be attributed to distracted driving. “When you have both hands on a piece of floss … how can you react?” he said. Other provinces, like Ontario, seem to be further ahead with higher fines and a system to deduct demerits from drivers who are caught, he said. When he was in Ontario recently, Nickolson noticed few people distracted behind the wheel. “But when I look at Red Deer, it’s like an epidemic,” he said. “We are just trying to out there and educate people. If somebody runs into the back of someone, there’s usually a reason why you’re distracted.” He said there is a lot of work to be done in Red Deer. Nickolson said most of the drivers were either texting or talking on their cellphones. He said they often hold it to the side or on their laps. “These are not harmless actions,” he said. “They make a driver three times more likely to be involved in a
“IF SOMEBODY RUNS INTO THE BACK OF SOMEONE, THERE’S USUALLY A REASON WHY YOU’RE DISTRACTED” RED DEER RCMP SGT. AL NICKOLSON collision. As police, we have seen the collisions, and the serious injury or death, that can result from these types of actions.” He said they want to get the message out to turn off phones or leave them at home. “We came in with cellphones and texting and brought in the legislation,” said Nickolson. “Just like when the seatbelt law came effect in 1985 in Alberta. It took people quite a while to get the wear rate up. Now we are seeing a lot less serious injuries and fatals because people are wearing their seatbelts.” Over the course of eight hours on Wednesday, police issued 14 seatbelt infractions, seven speeding tickets, 17 warnings and 13 other non-moving violations. Police nabbed offenders near Gaetz Avenue and 67th Street, Ross Street, 22nd Street, Taylor Drive, 19th Street and 32nd Street and other locations. RCMP conduct traffic campaigns year-round to target a variety of dangerous driving habits, all with the goal of creating safer roads and reducing collision-related injuries and deaths in Red Deer. crhyno@reddeeradvocate.com
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Lindsay Thurber Raider Kallie Loewen blocks a shot by Notre Dame Cougar Emily MacPherson during high school volleyball action at Lindsay Thurber Thursday.
Federal leaders spar over economy at election debate BY THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — It-could-be-worse squared off against it-could-be-better Thursday as the main federal party leaders took to an election debate stage in Calgary to lay out their economic visions — and try to break a three-way deadlock in the polls. Stephen Harper, look- TRUDEAU COMES ing to extend UNDER FIRE AT his Conserva- DEBATE A3 tive government rule into a second decade, maintained that a stay-the-course, tax-cutting agenda with balanced federal budgets is the safe road to prosperity. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau animatedly countered that now’s the time for some national optimism and investment in the future — even if it comes at the expense of a balanced budget. Literally between them in a room at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair tried to split the difference, arguing it’s time to let a New Democrat government take the helm after a uniform Canadian history alternating between Grits and Tories in power — and to give Canadians a choice between Harper’s “snooze button” and Trudeau’s “panic button.” But it was Harper’s calm, phlegmatic approach, contrasted with Trudeau’s aggressive machine-gun jabs that set the dynamic for the sharp-elbowed, 90-minute exchange. The prime minister acknowledged several times that economic growth hasn’t been strong under his watch, but made the case that Canada has weathered international storms better than anyone else in the developed world. “It hasn’t been great because we are living in a terribly unstable global economy,” Harper said at one point. “I’ve never said things are great,”
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LACOMBE
Price tag jumps for new police station BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS
NDP leader Tom Mulcair shakes hands with Conservative leader Stephen Harper as Liberal leader Justin Trudeau looks on during their introduction prior to the Globe and Mail hosted leaders’ debate in Calgary on Thursday. he added at another, before stressing Canada’s comparative global advantage. “Where would you rather have been but in Canada?” he asked. “Looking forward, where would you want to be but Canada?” Trudeau, who has been the subject of derisive Conservative advertising campaigns questioning his experience and competence since he was first elected Liberal leader in 2013, repeatedly talked over Harper to make his case that Canada’s moribund economy needs growth — and a Liberal government can help deliver it. The lone leader in the debate who is proposing to run deficits over the
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next three years, Trudeau challenged Harper by likening Canadians to homeowners taking on a mortgage or a renovation loan. With rock-bottom interest rates and slack in the economy, “If this isn’t the time to invest, what would be?” asked Trudeau. “This is the time to invest in the future of our country. Canadians know this. The only two people who don’t know this are the two gentlemen on this stage.” Harper responded that the Conservatives are doing exactly that, without raising taxes and while balancing the books.
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Construction has just begun on Lacombe’s police station and it has already gone over budget. Oversights and a little bad luck pushed the price tag up by $300,000 for the $8.5-million station being built on the city’s east side at 53rd Avenue and Wolf Creek Drive. The first sign of trouble came when a decades-old unmapped borrow pit filled with several metres of black dirt was found on the site. Nine bore holes were drilled as part of a geothechnical assessment but just missed finding the pit full of soil, which is unsuitable for building upon. It cost about $110,000 to remove the soil and replace it with material suitable for building on. A second problem arose when a water line was unexpectedly discovered running through the middle of the site. No easement existed on city plans indicating a water line, which also went undetected by engineers and city staff because of other miscues. Moving the line will cost about $160,000. Another $26,000 needs to be spent on unplanned drainage upgrades. Lacombe infrastructure services director Matthew Goudy said there had been some “overlapping oversights” that led to the late changes to the project. “No matter what, we would have had to move the (water) line and would have incurred those costs. But it should have been known ahead of time,” said Goudy.
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Chile withstands 8.3-magnitude 11 people were killed by an earthquake Wednesday and billions of dollars in damage caused in the South American country Story on PAGE A7
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