Lethbridge news

• Airdrie RCMP hand out $12,915 in distracted driving fines in two-day blitz

  28-02-2020 23:55
  
  Police in one southern Alberta community are reminding drivers to be safe on the road and put down their cell phones while behind the wheel after a campaign last week. Airdrie RCMP say, on Feb. 20 and 21, officers carried out an anti-distracted driving operation. Using a covert police vehicle, they were able to take photos of drivers who were using their phones while in traffic and issue 79 violations, including 45 specifically for distracted driving. Under current Alberta law, drivers caught dr
  
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• The Daily with LNN – Feb. 28, 2020 - Lethbridge News Now

  28-02-2020 23:52 via lethbridgenewsnow.com
  
  The Daily with LNN – Feb. 28, 2020  Lethbridge News Now
  
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• Anti-smoking advocates applaud new vaping tax meant to detour teens

  28-02-2020 23:14
  
  Anti-smoking advocates are in support of the Alberta government’s plan to introduce a new 20 per cent tax on vaping products. The announcement was part of Thursday’s provincial budget "to discourage youth from buying these products,” the fiscal plan reads. “This will deter youth to a factor of about two to three times higher than adult smokers, and it’s because kids have limited disposable income," said Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health.
  
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• Anti-smoking advocates applaud new vaping tax meant to deter teens

  28-02-2020 23:14
  
  Anti-smoking advocates are in support of the Alberta government’s plan to introduce a new 20 per cent tax on vaping products. The announcement was part of Thursday’s provincial budget "to discourage youth from buying these products,” the fiscal plan reads. “This will deter youth to a factor of about two to three times higher than adult smokers, and it’s because kids have limited disposable income," said Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health.
  
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• Northwest Calgary kids and families combine education with play at new early learning space

  28-02-2020 23:03
  
  The Calgary Public Library celebrated the opening of the Co-op Community Early Learning Centre at Nose Hill Library on Friday. This Early Learning Centre, the 13th instalment of it’s kind, is part of the Calgary Public Library’s Early Learning Strategy. Each learning centre is specially designed and unique to the meet needs of the specific library. Calgary Public Library  CEO Mark Asberg said the Nose Hill Library has been a cornerstone of the community since 1988, and is one of
  
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• Ponoka high school put in hold and secure over videos containing racial slurs, threats

  28-02-2020 22:58 via globalnews.ca
  
  In a notice on the Ponoka Secondary Campus' website, the school said the hold and secure was "a precautionary measure." 
  
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• Ponoka high school put in hold and secure over social media-related incident

  28-02-2020 22:58 via globalnews.ca
  
  In a notice on the Ponoka Secondary Campus' website, the school said the hold and secure was "a precautionary measure." 
  
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• Ponoka high school in hold and secure over social media-related incident

  28-02-2020 22:58 via globalnews.ca
  
  In a notice on the Ponoka Secondary Campus' website, the school said the hold and secure was "a precautionary measure." 
  
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• Charges coming after incidents resulting in Alberta school going in hold and secure over racial slurs, threats

  28-02-2020 22:58 via globalnews.ca
  
  In a notice on the Ponoka Secondary Campus' website, the school said the hold and secure was "a precautionary measure." 
  
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• Judge sides with Edmonton condo board in banning online short-term rentals

  28-02-2020 22:36 via globalnews.ca
  
  A permanent injunction was issued Thursday in support of The Ten Lofts Condominium Association in Edmonton and its legal right to ban rentals through groups such as Airbnb, Expedia, Kayak and HomeAway.
  
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• U of C cancels student trips to multiple countries because of COVID-19

  28-02-2020 22:31
  
  The University of Calgary has decided to cancel all trips to a number of international destinations until later this year, CTV News has learned. The institution made the decision to suspend all travel for students and non-academic staff as a result of the growing concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak. The following destinations are included in the travel ban:China Hong Kong Japan Iran Italy South Korea SingaporeThe school says the above areas are experiencing community transmission of the illness,
  
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• 'Equivalent of a hotel stay:' Judge backs condo board in banning online rentals

  28-02-2020 22:24
  
  A condo board in Alberta has won a court battle preventing owners from engaging in short-term rentals through web-based platforms. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Paul Belzil issued a permanent injunction Thursday in support of The Ten Lofts Condominium Association in Edmonton and its legal right to ban rentals through groups such as Airbnb, Expedia, Kayak and HomeAway. The condo association had sent a letter to unit owners last year informing them of a ban, but some continued to rent out their c
  
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• It’s like 'Canada’s Got Talent' for Cavalry FC hopefuls at open tryouts

  28-02-2020 22:22
  
  A group of aspiring soccer stars are going head-to-head in south Calgary this week. Cavalry FC is holding open tryouts to find the team’s next star, and on Friday, 40 players looking to crack the preseason training roster took to the pitch. "It’s almost like a Canada’s Got Talent type of contest," said Tommy Wheeldon Jr., Cavalry FC head coach and CEO, referencing the reality talent show. On Thursday, the tryouts started with more than 100 players. They were judged by coaching
  
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• Ukraine pledges help for airline compensation for Iran plane crash victims

  28-02-2020 22:01
  
  Ukraine's ambassador to Canada says his government will help Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne secure compensation from Ukraine International Airlines for the families of all those killed on Flight 752, including 55 Canadian citizens. Champagne is in Kyiv March 3 for the start of a two-day visit that will include a meeting with the head of the airline, where he will try to speed up delivery of the compensation it must pay under international aviation law to the victims' famili
  
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• Power failure behind coloured smoke at Edmonton waste management facility

  28-02-2020 21:38
  
  A power failure at an east Edmonton waste management facility was responsible for clouds of coloured smoke emanating from the building on Friday afternoon, according to operator Enerkem.  "There was a release of a substance which resulted in a large purple cloud," reads a statement from the company. "City of Edmonton Emergency Response Teams intervened quickly and deemed the area safe after conducting a prompt investigation."  The statement goes on to say the amount of smoke released w
  
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• Pink smoke at Edmonton waste management facility prompts fire call

  28-02-2020 21:38
  
  Firefighters responded to a waste management facility in east Edmonton that was emitting pink smoke clouds Friday morning. The pink smoke was coming out of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. Crews responded at 11:38 a.m. and had the smoke under control shortly after. It's unclear what the pink smoke was. CTV News Edmonton has reached out to the city-owned facility.What are these purple clouds that I am breathing.... #Yeg #anthonyhenday pic.twitter.com/GIuHmsrn1e — Darlene (@dar113) Febr
  
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• Mayor: “Budget of austerity” to impact Lethbridge going forward - Lethbridge News Now

  28-02-2020 20:32 via lethbridgenewsnow.com
  
  Mayor: “Budget of austerity” to impact Lethbridge going forward  Lethbridge News Now
  
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• Teachers and school boards not happy with UCP government's new budget

  28-02-2020 20:18
  
  While many school boards are expecting to see more students enrolling next year, administrators say the continued lack of provincial funding will hurt them. The United Conservative Party released Budget 2020 on Thursday and said it would be cutting funding from post-secondary institutions and wouldn't be increasing any of the amounts allotted for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. The University of Calgary says, in a release, that the new budget will reduce their funding by about six per cent fr
  
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• Calgary Stampede and K-Days will see funding cut under 2020 Alberta Budget

  28-02-2020 20:07 via globalnews.ca
  
  The 2020 Alberta Budget will see funding cuts to both the Calgary Stampede and K-Days in Edmonton. Dallas Flexhaug has the details.
  
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• SAIT announces 230 positions will be lost because of budget cuts

  28-02-2020 19:50
  
  In a letter, the president and CEO of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology says 230 positions will be cut at the school as a result of the UCP government's cuts. Dr. David Ross, president and CEO of SAIT, made the announcement Friday, calling it a "difficult day" for the school. He went on to say when the government first announced cuts to post-secondary education in October 2019, administrators at the school have been working on the impact of those cuts but says job cuts must be made. "
  
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• Alberta wants to hand off management of 164 provincial parks to focus spending on ‘high-value areas’

  28-02-2020 19:12 via globalnews.ca
  
  The province said it would begin looking for partners to run the parks in May, adding the Alberta government is subsidizing a financially struggling system that needs to be modernized.
  
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• Child found dead, others injured after mobile home fires in Red Deer County

  28-02-2020 18:52 via globalnews.ca
  
  A child was found dead and several other people were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after three mobile homes in Red Deer County went up in flames.
  
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• Used Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles available for sale on Kijiji in Calgary

  28-02-2020 18:33
  
  A Calgary company says its been inundated with phone calls and messages as it attempts to sell two eye-catching mobile frankfurters. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles were listed on Kijiji Thursday morning and, as of Friday afternoon, the posting has been visited more than 300,000 times. The company selling the sausages says its fielding roughly 100 calls each hour.  The vehicles were manufactured in 2006 and have approximately 69,000 kilometres on their odometers. The asking price for the hot
  
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• Used Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles available for sale in Calgary

  28-02-2020 18:33
  
  A Calgary company says its been inundated with phone calls and messages as it attempts to sell two eye-catching mobile frankfurters. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles were listed on Kijiji Thursday morning and, as of Friday afternoon, the posting has been visited more than 300,000 times. The company selling the sausages says its fielding roughly 100 calls each hour.  The vehicles were manufactured in 2006 and have approximately 69,000 kilometres on their odometers. The asking price for the hot
  
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• B.C. man relishing fact he was victim of 'epic' Oscar Mayer Wienermobile prank

  28-02-2020 18:33
  
  A Fort Saint John man's cell phones have been ringing non-stop after his numbers were attached to a Kijiji ad purportedly selling Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles in Calgary. Matthew Dennie says he's received thousands of calls and texts after the wienermobile ad was posted Wednesday. The ad, which claimed to be selling two of the sausage-shaped vehicles for $12,000 each or best offer, asked that prospective buyers "please call matt ANYTIME" and "ask about the big wiener for sale". The listing included
  
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• Child, 7, dead after fire at central Alta. mobile home park

  28-02-2020 18:30
  
  A seven-year-old child was killed and four other people were injured in a fire between several mobile homes in Red Deer County Friday morning. The child's body was found in one of the homes in Les's Trailer Park at 9 a.m., after the fire was extinguished. A man, a woman, and two boys were taken to hospital. Some of their injuries were considered life threatening. Blackfalds RCMP said they were called to the trailer park, west of Red Deer, at 2 a.m. Firefighters found three homes ablaze and evacu
  
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• Alberta Budget 2020: breaking down the biggest impacts to Calgary

  28-02-2020 18:24 via globalnews.ca
  
  The Alberta budget is counting on oil and gas to bounce back while pursuing job salary cuts from thousands of public-sector workers.
  
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• Privacy watchdog probes RCMP's use of facial-recognition software

  28-02-2020 18:07
  
  The federal privacy commissioner is investigating the RCMP's use of cutting-edge facial-recognition software. The technology made by American company Clearview AI gathers huge numbers of images from various sources that can help police forces and financial institutions identify people. Yet it also comes with major privacy concerns about how the data allows people to be tracked and how the information is kept and shared. While the Mounties say they're experimenting with Clearview's technology to
  
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• Man pulled from burning car in downtown alleyway

  28-02-2020 16:17
  
  An investigation is underway into a Friday morning vehicle fire in a downtown alleyway. Emergency crews were called to the alley in the 800 block of Fourth Ave. S.W. at approximately 6 a.m. following reports a car was on fire. Fire fighters removed a man from the burning sedan and handed him over to EMS for medical treatment. According to EMS officials, the man refused to be assessed and was not transported to hospital. The man left the scene with police. The fire was extinguished before it spre
  
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• U of L and Lethbridge College Weekend Sports Preview: Feb. 28-March 1, 2020 - Lethbridge News Now

  28-02-2020 15:48 via lethbridgenewsnow.com
  
  U of L and Lethbridge College Weekend Sports Preview: Feb. 28-March 1, 2020  Lethbridge News Now
  
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• Warnings issued as up to 20 cm of snow expected along Icefields Parkway

  28-02-2020 14:55
  
  Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the area between Lake Louise and Jasper as heavy snow is expected to arrive Friday afternoon. According to the warning, a total accumulation of between 15 and 20 cm of snowfall is forecasted along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) between Friday afternoon and Saturday night. Motorists are encouraged to review highway conditions on 511 Alberta before travelling as poor visibility and drifting snow are likely. As of Friday morning, snowfalls wa
  
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• Warning issued as up to 20 cm of snow expected along Icefields Parkway

  28-02-2020 14:55
  
  Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the area between Lake Louise and Jasper as heavy snow is expected to arrive Friday afternoon. According to the warning, a total accumulation of between 15 and 20 cm of snowfall is forecasted along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) between Friday afternoon and Saturday night. Motorists are encouraged to review highway conditions on 511 Alberta before travelling as poor visibility and drifting snow are likely. For updated information on weather
  
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• Granlund scores twice as Predators beat Flames 4-3 in OT

  28-02-2020 14:26
  
  Mikael Granlund tied it up just before the end of regulation and then scored the winner 1:20 into overtime as the Nashville Predators beat Calgary 4-3 Thursday night in a showdown of the Western Conference's two wild-card teams. Roman Josi and Colton Sissons also had a goal apiece, with Ryan Ellis having three assists. Nashville won its third straight and improved to 6-1-1 over its last eight games. Mikael Backlund had a goal and two assists, and Andrew Mangiapane and Rasmus Andersson each score
  
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• Wildfire season in Alberta begins March 1

  28-02-2020 14:23
  
  Alberta’s 2020 wildfire season officially starts on Sunday. The province had more than 1,000 wildfires in the 2019 season and officials are reminding people to use safe burning practices. Fires lit in the winter can continue to smoulder under the snow and flare up in the spring.“Spread around any remaining debris so you can probe the area for hotspots. Use your bare hand to feel for heat over the ash piles. If you see smoke or feel heat, the fire is still burning,” Alberta Wild
  
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• Lethbridge couple presented with new home after devastating year - Global News

  28-02-2020 14:05 via globalnews.ca
  
  Lethbridge couple presented with new home after devastating year  Global News
  
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• Lethbridge couple presented with new home after devastating year

  28-02-2020 14:05 via globalnews.ca
  
  After a trying eight months, Lethbridge couple Rick and Brenda Barva were presented with their new home on Thursday afternoon by Brenda's son and his company, Ashcroft Master Builder.
  
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• Calgary filmmaker explores what could be Alberta’s first civil rights case

  28-02-2020 14:00 via globalnews.ca
  
  A new film explores what some believe was Alberta's first-ever civil rights case.
  
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• Coronavirus outbreak starts to look more like worldwide economic crisis

  28-02-2020 11:58
  
  The coronavirus outbreak began to look more like a worldwide economic crisis Friday as anxiety about the infection emptied shops and amusement parks, cancelled events, cut trade and travel and dragged already slumping financial markets even lower. More employers told their workers to stay home, and officials locked down neighbourhoods and closed schools. The wide-ranging efforts to halt the spread of the illness threatened jobs, paychecks and profits. "This is a case where in economic terms the
  
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• Turkey opens gates into Europe as migrants gather on border

  28-02-2020 07:38
  
  Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country's borders with Europe were open on Saturday, making good on a longstanding threat to let refugees into the continent as thousands of migrants gathered at the frontier with Greece. Erdogan's announcement that Turkey is allowing refugees and migrants to exit the country marked a dramatic departure from current policy and an apparent attempt to pressure Europe. It came amid a military escalation in northwestern Syria's Idlib province, where h
  
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• Lethbridge couple presented with new home after difficult year

  28-02-2020 06:47 via globalnews.ca
  
  After a devastating accident in May, and their house catching fire in June, Rick and Brenda Barva were presented with a new home today by their son and his company; one that they had no part in designing or furnishing. Danica Ferris has more.
  
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• Indigenous Governor General’s arts award winners reflect on recognition, challenges in Canada

  28-02-2020 05:57 via globalnews.ca
  
  Tantoo Cardinal's career is thriving and the actress, who hails from Fort McMurray, is being recognized for her work.
  
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• Vaping is going to get more expensive in Alberta

  28-02-2020 05:30 via globalnews.ca
  
  Vaping is about to get more expensive in Alberta. As Nightwatch reporter Sarah Komadina reports, the provincial government is introducing a new tax on e-cigarettes and other vaping products.
  
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• Ryan has hat trick for Senators after three months in league assistance program

  28-02-2020 04:26
  
  Bobby Ryan had a hat trick in his first home game in more than three months to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Ryan entered the joint NHL/NHLPA assistance program on Nov. 20 after admitting to having a problem with alcohol. He had been skating on his own since late December and was held scoreless in his return to the Senators lineup in Nashville on Tuesday. Fans at Canadian Tire Centre were quick to cheer Ryan on Thursday, giving him a standing ovati
  
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• Babysitter accused of shooting nephew while taking selfie

  28-02-2020 04:19
  
  A Houston-area teen was in jail Thursday after she was accused of accidentally shooting her 10-year-old nephew after making a selfie video of herself with a gun for her Instagram account. Caitlyn Smith, 19, was being held in the Harris County Jail charged with felony injury to a child. Bond has been set at $20,000. According to an arrest affidavit, Smith told investigators that she was babysitting her nephew Tuesday at her suburban apartment on Houston's northern fringe. She took a 9-millimeter
  
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• Coronavirus outbreak forces cancellations, closures around the world

  28-02-2020 04:01
  
  Fears surrounding the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus have prompted unprecedented cancellations and closures, including the shuttering of Japan’s entire school system, prompting Canadian officials to urge caution ahead of the busy March break travel period. “I have advised Canadians to apply a lot of caution as they’re looking at March Break,” Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday, urging those with travel plans to do their research b
  
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• Alberta students fundraise for Indigenous healing garden and monument

  28-02-2020 03:30 via globalnews.ca
  
  Students are hoping the garden will provide a safe space for people to learn about the tragedies that Blackfoot people historically suffered in the area.
  
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• Cardston High School Students fundraise for healing garden and monument

  28-02-2020 03:09 via globalnews.ca
  
  A group of Cardston High School students want to build the first healing garden and monument in southern Alberta after learning about the Baker Massacre. Charlye Caldwell has the story.
  
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• Coronavirus crash: Economists try to make sense of dramatic stock market plunge

  28-02-2020 03:01
  
  In the middle of a disastrous week for North American stock markets, U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference Wednesday evening in hopes of minimizing fears about the novel coronavirus outbreak. "This will end," Trump said of the outbreak. "You don't want to see panic because there's no reason to be panicked." Trump’s words did little to calm investors. The Dow plunged 1,191 points, 4.4 per cent, on Thursday, marking the worst one-day drop in the index’s history. In Canada
  
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• Global News at 5 Lethbridge: Feb 27

  28-02-2020 02:50 via globalnews.ca
  
  The Thursday, February 27, 2019 edition of Global News at 5 on Global Lethbridge hosted by Tom Roulston.
  
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• Alberta Budget 2020: Short-term rentals to be taxed 4% like hotels already are

  28-02-2020 02:45 via globalnews.ca
  
  The four per cent tax hotels already pay in the province will now be applied to short-term rentals, according to the government.
  
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