Grow-op bail

set at $2,000

A Calgary man charged in connection with a marijuana grow operation saw his bail reduced to $2,000 from $10,000 in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench in Red Deer on Monday.

Sap Chi, 42, was charged with production of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and theft of electricity.

On Aug. 26, RCMP raided a residence at 93 Duncan Cresc. and discovered 808 marijuana plants. Estimated value of the drug, if three crops were taken off during the year, would be $1.1 million.

In September, provincial court Judge G.F. Maloney of Calgary set bail at $10,000.

On Monday, defence lawyer Kevin Sproule said his client could not raise that much money, having gone through a divorce and bankruptcy.

Justice Doug Sirrs said he could certainly see there is an organization operating behind the accused.

“There may well be an organization, but they’re not willing to come up with any more assistance,” Sproule said.

Sirrs said he was satisfied that $10,000 was beyond Chi’s ability to raise.

Chi returns to provincial court on June 8 and 9 for trial.

Fatal collision

case goes to trial

A Red Deer man charged with drunk driving causing death in 2007 will go to trial in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on June 22.

Peter Tytsma, 36, was charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and operating a motor vehicle when his blood alcohol exceeded the legal limit.

Paul Seguin, 35, was in a small pickup heading west on 39th Street at Exeter Crescent on April 18, 2007, when his vehicle collided with an eastbound half-ton pickup truck.

Seguin died of head injuries on April 24.

Threat charges

result in jail

A man convicted in June of threatening to kill his girlfriend pleaded guilty in Red Deer provincial court on Monday after disobeying a court-ordered ban not to contact her.

Nathanial Kibite, 27, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a recognizance, giving a false name to police and assault, stemming from an incident on May 4.

Crown prosecutor Darwyn Ross told the court that Kibite struck his girlfriend and kicked her once when she was on the ground.

Kibite also pleaded guilty to contacting his girlfriend by phone from the Red Deer Remand Centre.

Judge Bert Skinner agreed with a joint submission by the Crown and defence that Kibite be sentenced to 90 days in custody for the May 4 charges.

He was given a consecutive 35-day jail sentence for the phone call.

Kibite has been in custody since Aug. 4 on the charges, so both sentences were fulfilled by time served.

He was also put on 12-month probation, which included staying out of Red Deer as of Thursday at noon, except for medical appointments or legal obligations, and no contact with his now ex-girlfriend.

Beating case

returns Dec. 18

Two Red Deer men convicted last month of a vicious beating will be sentenced in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Dec. 18.

A jury convicted Stuart Wright, 34, of aggravated assault causing bodily harm.

Dwayne Jamieson, 28, was convicted of aggravated assault.

Charges stem from an attack on Serge Tremblay, 41, who suffered numerous skull fractures on April 17, 2007, in the street near 5822 52nd Ave.

Tremblay now has two metal plates and screws in his face. He suffers short-term memory loss and has no feeling in parts of his face, cheek and nose.

Tremblay was attacked when he mistakenly attempted to unlock the door of a black Dodge pickup owned by his cousin. Jamieson’s father also had black Dodge pickup parked near the Tremblay vehicle.

Charity harvest

nears $70,000

The Ponoka Food Grains Project raised nearly $70,000 worth of wheat and money last weekend.

Hundreds of community members and 15 combines gathered in fields south of Ponoka to harvest 170 acres of wheat to combat world hunger in developing countries.

“I would like to emphasize it was such a community effort,” said Larry Henderson, who was one of the organizers. “We’re so thankful to all of our donors and volunteers.”

Henderson said there were so many people helping that they managed to get the crop off the field in less than two hours.

He said he expects they’ll get more than $60,000 for the crop and they also gathered $8,886 in donations.

The money will go to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which is a partnership of 15 Canadian church agencies, representing more than 17,000 congregations. The money raised will be matched in a one to four ratio by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). So the total funds raised will be in the $340,000 to $350,000 range altogether.

In its 11th year, the Ponoka Food Grains Project is one of 30 other projects going on around the province, Henderson said.

Flu clinics set

throughout area

Flu clinics for immunization against influenza will be held in Red Deer and Blackfalds starting on Thursday, Oct. 23.

Immunization is free for people who face a higher risk of developing complications due to influenza.

People who do not qualify for free immunization can purchase vaccine for $25.

No appointment is necessary.

Clinics will be held on:

• Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Harvest Centre at Westerner Park, 4847A 19th St.

• Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Deer Park Alliance Church, 2960 39th St.

• Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Kentwood Alliance Church, 4 Kennedy Dr.

• Nov. 6 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Blackfalds Community Centre, 4810 Womacks Rd.

• Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Festival Hall at the Memorial Centre, 4214 58th St.

• Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Crossroads Church, Hwy 2 and 32nd Street (38105 Range Road 275)

• Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Harvest Centre at Westerner Park

• Nov. 25 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Royal Canadian Legion, 2810 Bremner Ave.

• Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Kentwood Alliance Church

• Dec. 11 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Blackfalds Community Centre

People are asked to bring their personal health care number.

For more information, visit www.dthr.ab.ca/flu or call Health Link Alberta at 1-866-408 LINK (4565).

Garden plots

will be relocated

Community gardeners will be sowing seeds through the city next year.

Red Deer city council approved on Monday to relocate garden plots from the north of 67th Street to four sites scattered around town.

The plots will be on Red Deer College property, the Environmental Services site on 40th Avenue, Parkside Gardens off Nash Street and at Barrett Park south of Kinex Arena.

Staff has been directed to begin soil and site preparation so that gardeners can get digging in 2009.

The city will also enter into a partnership agreement with the college, which will provide the largest garden plot area. It will allow the use of 4.5 acres west of the Bethany Care building.

The existing garden plots are being removed to make way for housing.

A total of 175 garden plots will be up for grabs next year. Another 125 are planned for future expansion.

The garden plot relocation will cost about $12,000.

Church on lot

still possible

The door remains open to build a church instead of multi-family housing on a corner lot in Red Deer’s Timberlands.

City council narrowly defeated on Monday to rezone a site north of 61st Street and east of 30th Avenue.

Bruce Olson, president of the College Park Homeowners Association, urged council during Monday’s public hearing to hold off on rezoning.

“None of us have objected to it being a place of worship,” Olson said. “We’d like to see actual houses in the (neighbourhood) so there is a sense of community. Then maybe there would be more interest in developing a church there.”

Howard Thompson, Land and Development Department manager for the city, said that over the past nine months no one has expressed interest in developing a church there.

“We’ve had two or three inquiries as a multi-family site,” he said.

With this higher level of interest, Thompson said he’d prefer to see the lot rezoned for multi-family housing.

Tony Lindhout, city planning manager with Parkland Community Planning Services, said this church site is part of the development’s first phase.

Councillor Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer supported Olson’s request to have rezoning delayed.

“I’d like to see a little more time for it, being that it’s in the first phase of development,” said Watkinson-Zimmer, who suggested a year postponement.

In the event no one is interested in building a church there, administration could bring it back for consideration in six months or later.