RED DEER ADVOCATE Friday, May 13, 2016 A01
B7 DOS AND DON’TS OF FARMERS MARKETS
A9
FINANCE MINISTERS WRANGLE OVER CPP REFORM
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B5
HIGH RIVER REBUILDS
RON MACLEAN MOVE TO HOST HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA NOT OFFICIAL
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ESKS, STAMPS CFL PREVIEW
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Drug addict jailed for killing BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF A Red Deer drug addict who strangled a Potter’s Hands resident to death in 2013 has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. “It’s difficult to imagine a more serious offence,” said Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Monica Bast while sentencing Mark William Bitterman on Monday. Bitterman admitted to strangling Curtis Leroy
Rangen, 43, in his Potter’s Hands apartment in Riverside Meadows in late April or early May 2013. Bitterman had gone to Rangen’s apartment to steal his TV to sell to settle a drug debt with someone else, said Crown prosecutor Ed Ring. When Rangen resisted, he was strangled, bound with a belt and nylon cords and left in a bathtub. Bitterman returned to the apartment a short time later and found Rangen dead. He stripped and washed Rangen’s body and stuffed him into a deep freezer. It was the second time Bitterman had targeted
Rangen, who suffered from mental illness and was not associated with his attacker in any way. Bitterman stole Rangen’s wallet and keys in a previous confrontation but was stopped from taking the TV. Rangen’s care givers became concerned when they didn’t hear from him for several days. They notified his father, and mental health workers joined him at his son’s apartment, where the body was found on May 3. Please see BITTERMAN on Page A8
SUMMER SOLSTICE
RDC target of cyberattack BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF Red Deer College managed to fend off a malicious cyberattack and being forced to pay a ransom on Friday although its information technology system wasn’t fully returned to normal until Monday afternoon. Late Friday afternoon the college began posting on social media about a “technology threat” against its computer and Internet services. It was the first such “ransomware” attack the college has seen, Jim Brinkhurst, RDC Vice President, College Services and Chief Financial Officer, said Monday. Since there was no actual ransom request and no loss of data, they didn’t anticipate bringing in the RCMP, he said. “The world is changing each and every day and as much as we move forward with our types of virus protection and all that kind of thing, the ones that are doing the attacks are just stepping that up each and every day as well. “We play this constant game of trying to make sure that we’re ahead of that. It’s a huge task for us.” Earlier in June, the University of Calgary paid a $20,000 ransom after it suffered a similar cyber attack on its systems. The malicious attacks, which are becoming more and more common globally, involve computers or computer systems and their data being locked by ransomware and not released until a ransom is paid. Once the threat was realized at RDC, the college’s IT Services team was able to mitigate the situation before it reached the point of having to engage with any demands for money. Within 15 minutes, the IT department alerted all employees of the threat, and all RDC technology access was shut down to keep the threat from spreading. Red Deer College’s information system, including its computer network, email and wireless systems were affected.
Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS
Please see CYBERATTACK on Page A8
A couple hold hands while walking across Citadel Hill in Halifax during the summer solstice on Monday. Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, marks the official beginning of summer.
Arborists show off climbing expertise at championship BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF Having an arborist for a father, who is also an arboriculture instructor at Olds College, put Toni-Marie Newsham on a career trajectory straight up a tree. On the weekend, Newsham was one of 38 competitors — nine women and 29 men — at the 2016 Prairie Chapter Tree Climbing Championship with the International Society of Arboriculture that was held in Olds.
RED DEER WEATHER
INDEX NEWS A2-A3, A5-A8, B7 COMMENT A4 BUSINESS A9-A10
Last year there were five women and 24 men at 2015 prairie competition held in Winnipeg. Newsham said it may be a competition, but it’s a supportive and educational environment. “Competitors are cheering for each other. We really just want everyone to get better and do the best that they can,” said Newsham, of Innisfail, who competed two years ago in Saskatoon. “You get lots of experience and you get to meet lots of climbers who have been doing this for years and years. It’s a huge learning curve,” said Newsham, 23. Kali Alcorn, 29, of Olds, who won the prairie chap-
CLASSIFIED B6-B7 COMICS B8 ADVICE B10
Please see CLIMBING on Page A8
LOTTERIES
Local Today
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60% Showers
60% Showers
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SPORTS B1-B4 ENTERTAINMENT B5
ter women’s division last year and went on to the international championship in April, was back to defend her title. “It’s fun and there aren’t that many female arborists so it’s good to support each other and set a good example for the generations to come. We’re paving the way for female arborists, that’s for sure,” Alcorn said. She said some serious athletes were coming out this year so it would be a tough event.
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