Lethbridge news

• Police officer resigns after faking story of expletive on his McDonald's cup

  30-12-2019 23:58
  
  A Kansas police officer has resigned after he admitted to making up a story that a McDonald's employee wrote an expletive and the word "pig" on a coffee cup, the police chief announced Monday. Herington Police Chief Brian Hornaday said at a news conference that the now-former officer "completely and solely fabricated" the allegations. Hornaday said the officer told him the incident was "meant to be a joke." Hornaday did not name the 23-year-old officer, but said he had been with the department a
  
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• Two Calgary Flames named to NHL All-Star Game

  30-12-2019 23:39
  
  Flames Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk were named Monday to the roster for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. The game takes place Jan. 25 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, the home of one of the unlikeliest Stanley Cup champions in recent memory. The experience promises to be especially sweet for Tkachuk, who grew up in St. Louis, where his dad Keith Tkachuk was an all-star himself. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Tkachuk, in an interview posted with calgaryflames.com reporter Rya
  
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• 15,000 snowblowers recalled after 36 injuries reported in Canada

  30-12-2019 23:21
  
  More than 15,000 snowblowers have been recalled due to possible bursting plastic wheel rims. Four brands sold at Home Depot, Rona, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware and other retailers between July 2004 and March 2006 are included in the Dec. 30 recall. Over-inflated tires can cause the plastic wheel rims to burst, the Health Canada notice says, “posing a risk of lacerations and fractures.” As of Dec. 17, the manufacturer MTD Products Ltd. had received 36 reports of injuries in Canada. &l
  
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• Lake Minnewanka skaters soak in clear conditions on mountain ice

  30-12-2019 23:12
  
  Wild ice skating season usually only lasts a few days every year. It's the time of year when conditions allow the lakes to freeze over and give a crystal-clear view below with no snow in sight. Many skaters on Lake Minnewanka on Monday said it’s the best time to skate. "You can see the bottom, you can see the fish swimming around underneath," said Banff resident Corey Fedrau, who has been skating on the lake for 22 years. "I’ve skated it numerous times, end to end, which is a lot of
  
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• 'Take our province back:' Notley wants to try again for Alberta premier in 2023

  30-12-2019 19:40
  
  In the last five years, Rachel Notley has gone from third-party leader, to government leader to Opposition leader, but says she will try again for Alberta's top job in 2023. The reason, she says, grows from the steady drip of broken promises, half-truths, no-truths, gaslighting and self-dealing from Premier Jason Kenney and the governing United Conservatives. “There's no way to critically oppose this (government) to make it better. We just need to change this,” said Notley in a year-
  
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• Kenney takes blowtorch to NDP policies in 2019, aims for jobs progress in 2020

  30-12-2019 19:26
  
  In 2019, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made good on his promise to take a blowtorch to core policies enacted by the former NDP government. In 2020, the goal of the United Conservative Party leader will be to get traction on his signature promises to bring in more jobs, boost the economy, get more pipelines going and balance the books in three years. He'll need to do it as Albertans grapple with higher costs for tuition, school and municipal fees flowing from Kenney's first budget, while publ
  
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• Man and woman charged with first-degree murder for death of roommate

  30-12-2019 18:54
  
  Two people are facing first-degree murder charges relating to the discovery of a man's body in a northeast home earlier this month. Police were called to a residence in the 400 block of 28th Avenue N.E. about 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 15 where they found the body of 58-year-old Mahmoud Ahmid Aburashed. Officers believe he was killed in the morning of Dec. 13. Allen James McCabe, 32, and Megan Elizabeth Springstead, 33, are each facing one count of first-degree murder. Police say the three were roommate
  
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• 'I Believe Her' trends on Twitter after woman found guilty of lying in Cyprus gang-rape case

  30-12-2019 18:33
  
  After a 19-year-old British woman was found guilty Monday of lying about being gang-raped by a group of 12 Israelis in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, the hashtag “IBelieveHer” began trending on Twitter among those who believe she withdrew her allegations under duress from Cypriot authorities. It’s a case that has played out across U.K. and Israeli media since she first reported her attack to police six months ago. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reported that she was havi
  
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• Ice skating on Lake Louise a unique alternative to snow sports

  30-12-2019 18:00 via globalnews.ca
  
  Skating on Lake Louise in Banff National Park is a Canadian postcard experience easily accessible from the visitor parking lot of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
  
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• Monty Python star Neil Innes dies aged 75

  30-12-2019 16:24
  
  Monty Python writer and actor Neil Innes has died aged 75, his agent has confirmed. The comedian and musician died of natural causes Sunday night, agent Nigel Morton said. Innes was known for his work with the British comedy group Monty Python and The Bonzo Dog Band. A statement released on behalf of his family Monday said: "It is with deep sorrow and great sadness that we have to announce the death of Neil James Innes on December 29, 2019. "We have lost a beautiful, kind, gentle soul whose musi
  
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• Man charged after crashes cause $152K in damages in northwest Calgary

  30-12-2019 16:22
  
  A man is facing charges of dangerous driving, assault with a weapon and failing to remain at the scene of an accident after a driver crashed into numerous other vehicles and even a garage in northwest Calgary, causing an estimated $152,000 in damage. Police say a 2006 Honda Ridgeline struck a community mailbox at the corner of Hamptons Blvd. and Hamptons Square N.W. about 9:40 p.m. Saturday before the driver backed up at a high speed, crashing into the garage of a home in the 10000 block of Hamp
  
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• Alberta government eyeing ‘significant changes’ to health care system in 2020

  30-12-2019 14:43 via globalnews.ca
  
  Alberta's medical system is prepping for some major surgery in 2020, starting with the release of a report expected to be the blueprint for change, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said in a year-end interview.
  
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• Shooting in northeast Calgary sends 2 to hospital in serious condition

  30-12-2019 14:41
  
  Police are investigating an early-morning shooting in the northeast community of Rundle that sent two people to hospital in serious condition. Numerous calls were made to 911 just after 3:30 a.m. repoting gunshots and police arrived in the neighbourhood to find two people suffering serious injuries. No other details are available. This is an ongoing story and will be updated throughout the day.
  
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• 1 dead, 1 in hospital after shooting in northeast Calgary community of Rundle

  30-12-2019 14:41
  
  One man is dead and another is in hospital after a shooting early Monday in the northeast community of Rundle. Numerous calls were made to 911 just after 3:30 a.m. reporting gunshots near Rundlemere Road N.E. When police arrived, however, everyone had fled. According to CPS, two men in their 20s were then dropped off at Peter Lougheed hospital by a man driving a 2018 Ford Fusion with Alberta licence plate CFB 8504. EMS was not called in for transport. One man later died in hospital. Police say t
  
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• Thick smoke prompts temporary evacuation of 800 people from Calgary’s Drop-In Centre

  30-12-2019 14:27
  
  A malfunctioning HVAC unit prompted the evacuation of more than 800 people from Calgary’s Drop-In Centre on Monday morning Fire crews responded to the 100 block of Dermot Baldwin Way S.E. just afternoon 2:15 a.m. “Crews investigated and found smoke coming from floors five through seven,” said central district Chief, Innes Fraser. “We found an HVAC unit malfunction on the roof that was pumping smoke into the building and our firefighters were able to shut it down and prope
  
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• Tips to better manage your finances: Poll finds getting out of debt still a top New Year’s resolution for Canadians

  30-12-2019 13:35
  
  With the New Year just days away, Canadians are making it a priority to find a way to reduce their debt in 2020, according to an annual poll by CIBC. It’s the 10th straight year the survey has found Canadians are thinking about their finances as they get ready to turn the page on a new year. "Whether it is daily household items or unexpected events, expenses can fluctuate for reasons that are often outside of our control," said Jamie Golombek, managing director of CIBC financial planning a
  
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• 'Significant changes:' Alberta eyeing major reforms to health system in 2020

  30-12-2019 13:17
  
  Alberta's medical system is getting prepped for some major surgery in 2020, and Health Minister Tyler Shandro says it starts in about two weeks with the release of a report expected to be the blueprint for change. “We committed to getting wait times down, so now we've got to figure out a way to do it. That's going to be the No. 1 thing,” Shandro said in a year-end interview. The report, by Ernst & Young, has been reviewing the operations of Alberta Health Services, which is the d
  
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• Leduc parents fight to get baby boy treatment in U.S. for rare neuromuscular disease

  30-12-2019 06:54
  
  A Leduc couple says there is hope for their baby boy living with a deadly neuromuscular disease—but it comes at an enormous cost. The journey began when Reign was four months old. “We noticed he wasn’t moving like other babies and he had an indent in his chest—like it was concaved,” described Alex Johnston. Eventually, doctors diagnosed Johnston and Ryan Fengstad’s son with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA 1. The disease affects the now nine-months-old’s
  
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• A set of Leduc parents are fighting to get their baby boy treatment from the U.S. that’s not yet in Canada

  30-12-2019 06:54
  
  A Leduc couple says there is hope for their baby boy living with a deadly neuromuscular disease—but it comes at an enormous cost. The journey began when Reign was four months old. “We noticed he wasn’t moving like other babies and he had an indent in his chest—like it was concaved,” described Alex Johnston. Eventually, doctors diagnosed Johnston and Ryan Fengstad’s son with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA 1. The disease affects the now nine-months-old’s
  
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• ASIRT investigating police shooting after chase near Hardisty

  30-12-2019 06:34 via globalnews.ca
  
  RCMP had been pursuing a truck on Highway 13 near Hardisty, which evaded spike belts before ending up in a ditch, where the confrontation occurred.
  
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• ASIRT investigating fatal police shooting after chase near Hardisty

  30-12-2019 06:34 via globalnews.ca
  
  RCMP had been pursuing a truck on Highway 13 near Hardisty, which evaded spike belts before ending up in a ditch, where the confrontation occurred.
  
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• China convicts 3 researchers involved in gene-edited babies

  30-12-2019 06:32
  
  A Chinese scientist who set off an ethical debate with claims that he had made the world's first genetically edited babies was sentenced Monday to three years in prison because of his research, state media said. He Jiankui, who was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, was also fined 3 million yuan (US$430,000) by a court in the southern city of Shenzhen, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. Two other researchers involved in the project received lesser sentences and fines.
  
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• Police searching for suspect after attempted kidnapping, robbery in downtown Victoria

  30-12-2019 04:01
  
  Police are warning the public about two disturbing incidents that took place in downtown Victoria on Sunday. Victoria police are searching for a man they believe is connected to an attempted armed kidnapping and an attempted robbery that took place eight hours apart. A woman was approached from behind and grabbed while she was near the intersection of Blanshard and Johnson streets just before 3 a.m. on Sunday. The suspect grabbed her and attempted to “get her to go with him,” accordi
  
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• Fort McMurray travel company accused of cancelling flights on customers

  30-12-2019 03:34 via globalnews.ca
  
  Multiple Fort McMurray residents are saying they are out thousands of dollars after booking vacations through a local travel agency called International Travel Services. 
  
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• Tourists, firefighters flee as new heatwave fans Australia blazes

  30-12-2019 02:59
  
  Tourists and firefighters were forced to flee vast fires burning in southeastern Australia on Monday, as a heatwave rekindled devastating bush blazes across the country. Authorities said "quite a number" of the 30,000 tourists visiting the usually picturesque southeast tip of the continent had heeded calls to evacuate.Sydney New Year's fireworks to go ahead despite wildfires More than a dozen blazes are raging in the East Gippsland countryside, some so intensely that hundreds of firefighters wer
  
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• Gas prices set to soar as much as 7 cents/litre New Year's Day, predicts expert

  30-12-2019 02:13
  
  With the turn of the calendar could come new changes—and some to your wallet. Gas prices are set to jump Jan. 1, 2020, across Alberta.  Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said in a tweet Sunday he expects gas prices to rise a minimum of seven cents per litre on Wednesday.  For diesel consumers, it could be as much as 8.5 cents.  Calgarians at the pump on Sunday were paying about 91.9 cents per litre. You won’t need to wait that long in #Al
  
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• Residents displaced by Bankview condo fire out at least 16 months: property managers

  30-12-2019 01:45
  
  Residents displaced by a fire two weeks ago have been told they won't be able to move back into their homes for at least 16 months.  Valhalla View in the Bankview community went up in flames less than two weeks ago, forcing residents in the building's 56 units to make home elsewhere.  According to the property manager of the southwest condo building, the fire has damaged the majority of the fourth and fifth floors while the lower three levels sustained extensive water damage. "The ceil
  
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• Calgary-area horse sanctuary at capacity; founder concerned about fate of Alberta wild horses in 2020

  30-12-2019 01:36 via globalnews.ca
  
  A Calgary-area horse sanctuary is at capacity and its owner is concerned about the fate of wild horses that could be rounded up next year.
  
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• GoFundMe for injured Saskatoon dog surpasses is $1,200 goal

  30-12-2019 01:25
  
  Lily Isaac and her dog Jammers will soon be able to afford a trip to the vet since a go-fund-me for the injured pup has surpassed its $1,200 goal. Isaac, Jammers, and her boyfriend were going to the 33rd street 7-11 when she says another dog that wasn’t tied up tried to attack them, latching on to Jammers and injuring him. "He’s been doing a bit better, more active and social," Isaac said “I don’t think he realizes how bad he was injured for the most part." When she took
  
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• Puppy who suffered drug overdose has been adopted and is thriving, says SPCA

  30-12-2019 01:23
  
  The Vancouver SPCA says a puppy who suffered a drug overdose earlier this year has been adopted and is thriving with his new family. Bear was surrendered to the SPCA as an 11-week-old Husky puppy in July, but staff realized he wasn't behaving normally. Workers rushed him to a veterinarian, but by the time they got him to the animal clinic, the dog was unconscious. A veterinarian found that Bear had high levels of THC in his body, and it took medical treatment and several days for Bear to recover
  
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• Albertans will see gas prices jump Jan. 1 as 2020 federal carbon tax kicks in

  30-12-2019 01:15 via globalnews.ca
  
  Albertans will be seeing a rise in prices at the pump this week, as the federal government's carbon tax comes into effect with the dawning of the new decade.
  
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• Cochrane horse sanctuary at capacity; founder concerned about fate of Alberta wild horses in 2020

  30-12-2019 01:03 via globalnews.ca
  
  A Calgary-area horse sanctuary is at capacity and its owner is concerned about the fate of wild horses that could be rounded up next year. Carolyn Kury de Castillo reports on the challenges facing people trying to keep the animals alive.
  
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• Castle Mountain Resort experiencing best start in more than a decade

  30-12-2019 00:59 via globalnews.ca
  
  A popular ski resort just south of Lethbridge says it’s off to one of its best starts in a decade, thanks in part to Mother Nature. But, as Taz Dhaliwal explains, the resort is also warning of avalanches.
  
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• Proposed class action filed against LifeLabs over security breach affecting B.C. customers

  30-12-2019 00:11
  
  A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against medical services company LifeLabs over a data breach that allowed hackers to access the personal information of up to 15 million customers. In an unproven statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court on Dec. 27, lawyers Peter Waldmann and Andrew Stein accuse LifeLabs of negligence, breach of contract and violating their customers' confidence as well as privacy and consumer protection laws. The statement of claim was filed on behalf of
  
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