Murder prelim to be set

A preliminary hearing for a man charged with first-degree murder could be set in a week.

Brent William Crouse, 37, of Calgary reserved his plea in provincial court on Monday and returns to court on Sept. 16.

Two other accused in the death of Sheldon Mark Hiller, 46, of Red Deer, were set to appear in court today. They may also set a preliminary date.

Crouse is also charged with accessory to murder.

Larry Allen Scott, 51, and Charles Richard Beckett, 47, both of Red Deer, are charged with first-degree murder.

A preliminary hearing is held to determine if there’s enough evidence to warrant the accused stand trial in Court of Queen’s Bench.

The hearing, which is expected to take about two days, probably can’t be heard until March because full day or more trials in provincial court are backlogged for about six months unless an extra courtroom is opened to hear it earlier. Scott and Beckett remain in custody.

Crouse is free on bail.

Hiller’s body was discovered by a passerby near Raven on April 17, next to Hwy 54 in a ditch about three km from the small community west of Innisfail.

The cause of death wasn’t released by authorities.

Neighbour’s Day in Sundre

Preparing for an emergency is this year’s theme of Neighbour’s Day in Sundre.

Janet Marr, co-ordinator of the Sundre Petroleum Operator’s Group, said Wednesday will see the group partnering with the Sundre Chamber of Commerce.

A trade fair is set for the Curling Arena beginning at 8 a.m.

All emergency services in the area will be represented. People will be taught what they need to know about sheltering and what their responsibilities are in an emergency.

Fifty survival kits that can help four people for three days will be raffled.

An art auction is set for 11 a.m.

A pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. helps kick the day off.

For more information, phone Marr at 403-638-5117.

Assault suspect in court

A young Springbrook man returns to court on Wednesday after he was arrested on the weekend when he missed a court date last week.

Leslie Cook, 18, reserved his plea on several charges, including a new one of failing to attend court when he appeared in provincial court on Monday.

Cook is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, breach of an undertaking and breach of probation.

It’s alleged that just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 9, RCMP were called to a residence on Dunning Close in Red Deer.

Police said a dispute between several males resulted in a Red Deer male, 18, being stabbed once in the torso.

The man was taken to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and later transferred to a Calgary hospital.

Cook remained in custody for a few days before he was released the first time.

He remains in custody now for a possible bail review on Wednesday.

Vehicle collisions decline

Motor vehicle collisions were down in Red Deer last week, although seatbelt violations jumped by 37 compared to the previous week, statistics show.

Red Deer City RCMP traffic statistics for the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 show a total of 271 incidents. In order of volume, they are:

• Motor vehicle collision: 47

• Seatbelt tickets issued: 47

• Speeding tickets: 46

• Non-moving violations, including suspended driving, unregistered vehicle and equipment violations: 41

• Impaired driving: 38

• Hit and run investigations: 21

• No insurance tickets issued: 9

• Bylaws, EPA and other tickets issued: 7

• Liquor tickets issued: 6

• Red light and stop sign tickets issued: 6

• 24-hour suspensions: 3

Fewer RCMP calls

There were 105 fewer calls to Red Deer RCMP last week compared with the one before, according to latest crime statistics.

And thefts continued to dominate the more serious police calls.

Red Deer City RCMP crime numbers for the week of Sept. 1 to Sept. 7 show a total of 741 calls. In order of volume, they are:

• Bylaw: 144

• Theft: 62

• Mischief: 54

• Victim services assistance: 41

• Assault: 39

• Suspicious person, vehicle or activity: 38

• Domestic violence: 31

• Drug investigation: 18

• Impaired driving: 18

• Auto theft: 11

• Break and enter, residential: 7

• Fraud: 7

• Break and enter, business: 3

• Robbery: 2

Firefighters raising funds

Volunteer firefighters in B.C., Alberta and Ontario will spend a night high and dry for the second annual Heroes in the Sky event.

The event kicks off the annual The Fire Within volunteer firefighter calendar campaign.

Firefighters and local businesses will partner together this weekend, with businesses lifting firefighters onto their rooftops simultaneously in three provinces. The firefighters will spend a night up top in order to raise awareness and cash for the calendar campaign.

Red Deer County firefighters will be hoisted onto the roofs of both the Red Deer north and south Canadian Tire stores at noon on Saturday. They’ll stay there until 6 p.m. on Sunday. Last year, the fledgling event raised $92,634 to go directly to participating departments.

In Alberta, 9,000 of the province’s 12,000 firefighters are volunteers. The Fire Within campaign is designed to bridge the gap between what communities can afford and the growing needs of fire departments across the province.

To make a donation, visit either Canadian Tire location on Saturday or Sunday, or phone 403-978-0911 for more information.

Penhold school gets cash

A Penhold school is one of 10 Western Canadian schools that will receive a $1,000 grant from an oilpatch group.

Jessie Duncan Elementary School receives the grant for its project called Careers in Science, Math Technology and Oil and Gas Conference.

The award is one of 20 handed out to individuals and small communities, says Rob Gray, an official with the Petroleum Services Association of Canada in Calgary.

Gray said the awards enable small schools to enhance their learning programs.

Grant recipients are selected by a committee according to a predetermined set of criteria. The association represents about 270 member companies employing more than 62,000 people.

Mature worker forum

A mature worker forum is one of the highlights of a job fair on Wednesday.

Charles Strachey, a regional officer with Alberta Employment and Immigration, said Monday the forum is set for 8 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m. at Westerner Park.

The free forum covers transferable skills, why employers want to hire mature workers and the income tax implications of working later in life.

The fair begins at 9:30 a.m. at Westerner Park with about 1,500 job seekers and nearly 100 local employers expected, Strachey said.

Career counsellors from the Career Assistance Network will be available for free resume development services.

Free bus service is also available every 30 minutes between Westerner Park and the Alberta Service Centre at 4911 51st St.

For more information, check www.employment.alberta.ca/central on the Internet.

Stabbing still a mystery

RCMP continue to search for two teenagers believed responsible for inflicting a permanent injury on a younger teen, who remains in hospital.

Const. Sabrina Grunow of city RCMP detachment said on Monday that the stabbing occurred on Aug. 11 at about 4 p.m., a block south of the downtown city bus terminal on Gaetz Avenue.

The 13-year-old victim suffered a single stab wound to his torso, which has resulted in a permanent injury. He remains in a Calgary hospital.

The female suspect is described as about 16 years old, 1.7 metres tall (five foot eight inches) with a slim build and shoulder-length blond hair. The male suspect is described as 16 to 17 years old and 1.8 metres (five foot 10 inches) tall. He has darker skin and is possibly native or Hispanic. He was wearing a dark-coloured hoodie and shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP at 343-5575.