Local briefs - March 9
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Updated: March 09, 2010 8:24 AM
City organizes public meeting for 2011 budget
The dust has barely settled from the 2010 municipal budget but city officials have already started the process of delving into what city residents feel should be priorities for the 2011 budget.
In an effort to make the municipal budget process more transparent, the public is offered the opportunity to have input into next year’s budget on April 14.
Red Deer city council and administration are holding a public meeting at 7 p.m. at Westerner Park’s Heartland Room in the Harvest Centre.
The meeting is expected to run about two hours.
People can hear more about this year’s budget and help identify priorities for next year. They can also speak directly with civic leaders and staff about such topics as snow removal, policing, recreational facility needs, among a wide range of city services.
Officials are hoping for an increased turnout since this fall is a municipal election year.
About 20 people turned up at the 2009 meeting last March.
Suspected vehicle thieves get court date for late March
A preliminary hearing will resume in almost three weeks for two of four people charged in the alleged theft of vehicles from a Red Deer car dealership.
More than 30 vehicles are alleged to have disappeared in late 2007 from Southside Chrysler in Red Deer.
The missing vehicles were all 2007 and 2008 models.
The hearing, which was expected to conclude on March 5, will resume on March 26 for Daniel Descheneau, 38, and Sandra Chen, 29, both of Red Deer, who face 15 theft, fraud and possession of stolen property charges each.
The hearing was waived at the start of provincial court proceedings last week for Calvin Robert Mirbach, 37, of Red Deer, who faces 97 theft, fraud and possession of stolen property charges.
The lawyer for Torrey Duane Werenka, 35, of Red Deer waived his client’s right to the complete preliminary hearing after a couple of days of testimony last week. He faced 39 theft and fraud counts at the start of the hearing but that number was reduced last week to fewer than 10.
The initial charges were laid on Dec. 19, 2007, following an allegation that a former employee wasn’t reporting all vehicle sales to the dealership.
All accused elected last year to be tried by a judge sitting alone.
A preliminary hearing determines if there is enough evidence to warrant the accused stand trial in Queen’s Bench.
There was a ban on publication of evidence heard at the hearing but not on brief information released by RCMP when they laid the charges in late 2007.
Red Deer man killed in southern Alberta rollover
A Red Deer man was killed in a single-vehicle roll-over in southern Alberta.
High River RCMP were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, one km north of the High River overpass on Hwy 2.
Police report a northbound pickup truck that was in the left-hand lane, veered to the right lane and crossed the east ditch through a fence.
The truck rolled three times before coming to a rest on its side.
A fire and emergency crew was in attendance, and paramedics declared the male driver to be dead at the scene.
Police have not released the man’s name or age, as relatives needed to be notified.
Speed and alcohol were not factors, and the driver was wearing a seatbelt.
Police are continuing to investigate.
Sex suspect denied bail
A Rocky Mountain House area man facing 11 sex-related charges was denied release in a lengthy bail hearing on Saturday.
Dexter Strawberry, 54, was remanded in custody until April 13, when he appears again to enter a plea on the sex assault charges and two charges of failing to comply with earlier release conditions.
He was charged most recently in connection with an incident on Feb. 3 at one of the two Rocky-area First Nation reserves.
An arrest warrant was issued and the suspect turned himself into police a few days later.
Strawberry is charged with three counts of sexual assault, three counts of sexual exploitation, three counts of sexual interference and two counts of anal intercourse relating to the Feb. 3 incident and earlier incidents.
In the Feb. 3 incident, police said a young child was sexually assaulted by an adult male.
Police discover marijuana
Two Red Deer men are under arrest after a drug bust at a home located in the Highland Green area of Red Deer.
Police executed a warrant at a residence in the 6300 block of 61st Avenue at around midnight on Thursday and found an undisclosed amount of marijuana and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
A 23-year-old Red Deer man has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.
He was released from custody and will return to Red Deer provincial court on April 29.
An 18-year-old man has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.
He was released from custody and is set to appear in Red Deer court on April 15.
Police are expected to release their names shortly.
RCMP allege the two are part of a gang, the White Boy Posse.
Three others who were arrested during the search were released and are not facing any charges.
Red Deer City RCMP general investigation section, with help from the Sylvan Lake RCMP, Red Deer Rural RCMP and Red Deer RCMP criminal intelligence section, were involved in the search.
City of Red Deer seeking developer
The City of Red Deer is continuing its search for a developer to build on the former Arlington Inn site.
And so far, not much luck.
Land and Economic Development manager Howard Thompson said the city has received a couple of inquiries into the downtown site, but nothing concrete.
He said it’s to be expected during slower economic times.
“We’re being patient in terms of finding the right developer,” he said.
The Arlington, formerly at 4905 51st Ave., was built in 1899. Last February, the city bought the hotel with plans to strengthen and enhance the business, cultural and recreation centre of downtown.
The hotel was demolished in April and about six months later, a parking lot was put in.
Thompson said the city has been advertising the lot in real estate publications, as well as with commercial real estate agents.
“We’re wanting a mixed-use development, hopefully one that is high density with residential on the upper floors and commercial on the lower floors,” he said.
The 46-stall parking lot, made of higher level gravel, is slowing getting used.
During January and February, the lot had an average 25 per cent occupancy.
“It’s a little lower, but it is a new lot,” Thompson said.
Assaults down in Red Deer
Total weekly calls for police service remained less than 700 for the seventh consecutive week, RCMP statistics released on Monday indicate.
In fact, weekly service calls have only exceeded the 700 mark once in 2010.
The average weekly number in 2009 was about 800.
There were 671 total calls recorded for the week ending on Sunday.
Assaults dropped 10 to 24 while serious domestic violence calls dipped eight to 20 last week.
Drug investigations fell nine to 20.
Sex assaults fell four to one and robberies fell five to two.
Break-ins of businesses and residences increased seven to 11 while motor vehicle thefts increased one to 13.
Other statistics included:
• 100 bylaw infractions;
• nine frauds;
• 44 mischief reports;
• 22 suspicious persons, vehicles or activities;
• 43 thefts.
Victim Services assistance call numbers are not available.
Phil Fontaine to speak at RDC
Phil Fontaine will be this spring’s Perspectives speaker at Red Deer College.
The former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is the 16th guest speaker to take the stage at RDC in the Perspectives: Canada in the World public lecture series.
“His topic will enlighten our minds to the needs and issues of our First Nations people — the dynamic aspects of those fighting for social justice in Canada, the relationships between First Nations people and other Canadians and what our future may hold,” says an RDC news release.
Fontaine’s presentation is titled Social Justice: Relationships, Recognition, Reconciliation.
Fontaine was AFN national chief from 1997 to last summer, when he stepped down and started his own consulting and mediation firm. He is a member of the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba.
Perspectives has been featuring internationally recognized speakers twice a year since 2002.
Proceeds from the series support scholarships for Humanities and Social Sciences students at RDC.
The event starts at 7:30 p.m. on March 17 on the main stage of the RDC Arts Centre.
Tickets are $35, or $25 for high school and RDC students, faculty and staff, and are available online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 403-340-4455.
