BREAKOUT STAR ‘ ‘Room’ director pushes for h honorary Oscar for young sstar Jacob Tremblay
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Hall of famers Alberta Sports Hall inducts class of 2016
Red Deer Advocate TUESDAY, FEB. 23, 2016
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Meth lab busted near Stettler BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF About 60 RCMP officers — including four specially trained teams — took down a crystal methamphetamine lab and arrested four men near Stettler on Saturday. RCMP Stettler detachment officers Sgt. Phil Penny and Cpl. Ryan Koehli said Monday that the serious dynamics of the situation required the major re-
sponse. Crystal meth labs can be dangerous because of the chemicals involved and possibility of explosion, and the suspects had firearms. RCMP members from Stettler, Bashaw and Killam detachments were involved, but also two Emergency Response Teams (ERT) — one each from Edmonton and Calgary, the RCMP Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) team, RCMP Special Tactical Operations team, RCMP Air Services, the Stettler Regional Fire Department and Stettler EMS.
A search warrant was executed at about 11:30 a.m. on a rural property about 15 kms northeast of Stettler. Once RCMP were on the rural property, investigators located, dismantled and seized equipment and other products used to create crystal meth. Several firearms were located and seized, one being a Russian-made SKS assault rifle that was loaded with a 30-round magazine.
Please see BUST on Page A2
KNIT-WHITS
MARK LINDSAY
Substance abuse issue takes centre stage at trial BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF Picking from numerous medical reports, the Crown pointed to Mark Damien Lindsay’s lengthy substance abuse issues prior to when he killed an Edmonton mother. Crown Prosecutor Bina Border made numerous references to drug-induced psychosis, running counter to Dr. Marc Nesca’s belief of paranoid schizophrenia psychosis . Nesca, a psychologist and defence witness, took the stand for his second day of testimony. Lindsay, 29, was interviewed twice by Nesca in September 2014. Nesca said he conducted two tests on Lindsay including a personality assessment and a structured interview of reported symptoms. Lindsay is accused of killing Dana Turner, 31, in August 2011. Lindsay stabbed Turner in the eyes with a pencil, strangled her and ran her over with a vehicle. Nesca said the first test led to unclear results, saying Lindsay’s symptom tendency exceeded the genuine category, but at the same time didn’t qualify into the malignant category. The malignant category deals with people who are faking their condition. Nesca described Lindsay as guarded about his use of intoxicating substances. Lindsay would deflect questions about using substances during his interviews with Nesca. The doctor said he had to question him on several points and build to questioning about substance abuse. Border focused much of her cross-examination on the potential role Lindsay’s substance abuse may have played on his mental state. She questioned why Nesca didn’t consider Lindsay’s psychosis to have been induced by illicit substances. Nesca contended he looked at the totality of Lindsay’s circumstances in reaching his conclusion. One report outlined Lindsay’s drug use, including cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth and alcohol. Border entered several medical reports into evidence that included passages regarding Lindsay’s substance abuse. Nesca said the picking and choosing of elements of these reports don’t represent the totality of Lindsay’s condition. Lindsay’s actions in the death of Turner are not at issue for the trial. His criminal responsibility, however, is the focus of the trial. Lindsay met Turner while both were at the Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. According to Lindsay’s police statement, he believed Turner was sent by a group of serial killers called Healers to kill him. Though the term Healer is not documented until 2012, Nesca said there were ongoing references to a group of killers intent on killing Lindsay. Lindsay had stabbed Turner in the face with a knife earlier in 2011 and was just released from prison the day before he killed Turner. Trial resumes today with the defence expected to close their case after calling a second witness. mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
WEATHER Mainly sunny. High 0. Low -17.
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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Breanna Robertson, left, of the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation is loaded up with knitted blankets and hats by Redwoods Retirement Residence life enrichment co-ordinator Cherie Carlson, centre, and Redwoods resident Mae Hallett as they make a donation at the hospital on Monday. These donations made by Redwoods Retirement Residence staff and residents are destined for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Red Deer Regional Hospital. Carlson and Hallett also made a donation to the Ronald McDonald House on Monday, too. The group at Redwoods doing the knitting calls themselves the Knit-Whits and make regular donations to a variety of groups through the year. Anyone who has some extra wool they are not using are encouraged to drop it off at the Redwoods as the Knit-Whits are always looking for donations of materials.
Deficit projected at $18.4B: Morneau BY THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — The federal government is projecting a deficit of at least $18.4 billion next year, a shortfall that’s nearly five times projections from just three months ago and well past the $10-billion limit promised by the Liberals. When the government unveils its maiden budget on March 22, the deficit could well exceed $20 billion once a number of big-ticket Liberal campaign promises — including infrastructure spending — are factored in. Finance Minister Bill Morneau staged a campaign-style town hall event Monday to deliver the bad news, and reassure Canadians who might be reconsidering their ballot-box BILL MORNEAU choice last October. “Given the economic situation in which we find ourselves today, Canadians made the right choice” by voting Liberal, Morneau said. “I know the cries will get louder over the next few weeks, but I won’t have budget 2016 simply become a kneejerk reaction to recent economic shifts. We’ll be acting out of reason.” The federal Finance Department is also predicting a $15.5-billion deficit in 2017-18 — more than six times its estimate last fall of $2.4 billion.
The Liberals are banking on some of their spending vows to help revive economic growth and create jobs in Canada’s struggling economy. The calculations are based on an average projected oil price of $40 for 2016, down from $54 in the government’s fall update, and projected growth of 1.4 per cent, down from two per cent in the fall. Finance says the fiscal projections are about $2 billion lower per year because recent developments have been accounted for, including the Liberals’ changes to the income-tax brackets and Canada’s operations in the Middle East. Ottawa also adjusted its deficit forecast for 201516 — a shortfall is now projected to be $2.3 billion rather than the previous estimate of $3 billion. The government traditionally bases its fiscal predictions on the average forecasts of private-sector economists, whom Morneau met earlier this month. The government says the fiscal downgrades are largely due to the combination of lower oil prices and weaker-than-expected growth in the United States and world economies. “There’s no question the times are tough right now for many Canadians across the country, and in that situation a less-ambitious government might see these conditions as a reason to hide, to make cuts or to be overly cautious,”he said. “But our government believes strongly that the economic downturn makes our plan to grow the economy even more relevant than it was a few short months ago.”
Please see DEFICIT on Page A2
Safe Harbour gets medical detox beds Converting 20 non-medical detoxification beds at Safe Harbour Society into medical detox beds has become a priority. SEE STORY ON PAGE A6
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