Man to appear on assault charges
A Red Deer man will appear in court today charged with two counts of assault with a weapon after two men reported being slashed with a knife on July 8.
Brandon Wallner, 19, is also charged with one count of mischief and one count of failing to comply.
RCMP say the charges stem from an incident on July 8 when they were called to the scene of a dispute between a male and a female who were fighting in the middle of the street. When police arrived there was no sign of the couple, who were described as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Two men at the residence reported the boyfriend had brandished a knife and cut them.
Complaints to police increase
Complaints to the RCMP about suspicious people or activities almost doubled last week in Red Deer.
Red Deer City RCMP received 62 calls about suspicious persons, vehicles or activities, from 35 the week previous.
Police received 794 calls from July 6 to July 12, up slightly from 812 calls the week previous.
Construction trailer stolen
A trailer containing equipment was recently stolen from a construction site in Rocky Mountain House.
Rocky Mountain House RCMP say the 7.2-metre-long trailer was taken from the 62nd Street and 49th Avenue area between July 6 and 10.
The fully enclosed black trailer has a decal of wings with Choice Mechanical in white letters.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Habitat duplexes completed
Habitat for Humanity handed over the key to the first of two new duplexes in Olds at a special ceremony on Saturday.
In April, Olds was among communities to benefit from a $6-million provincial grant to build 67 Habitat for Humanity homes across Alberta.
Olds planed to build two homes for low to moderate-income workers who otherwise couldn’t afford to buy their own home.
Habitat homes are built to a great extent by volunteers and are sold to families at 80 per cent of market value.
Habitat holds the mortgage, charges no interest and amortizes the mortgage for as many years as necessary to ensure families only pay up to 30 per cent of their income for housing.
Council to consider land bylaw
Red Deer city council will consider a land use bylaw amendment on July 27 to help conserve water in the city by using more plants that are native to Central Alberta.
The goal is to promote and encourage water conservation by using more drought resistant or local plants familiar to the area and materials that encourage water conservation.
The bylaw change targets large commercial, residential, industrial or institutional developments.
Single family residents would not be subject to the requirements. But the city still encourages residential water conservation. Tips on water conservation can be found on the city’s website, www.reddeer.ca
Comments on the amendment can be sent to planner Emily Damberger with Parkland Community Planning Services before Monday.
County response to get quicker
Emergency response times will improve on the northern tip of Red Deer County once a new fire station opens in Burnt Lake Business Park, says a county official.
The county wants to replace existing fire stations at Poplar Ridge and Central Park with one new unmanned fire station within the city’s industrial area northwest of Hwys 2 and 11.
Assistant county manager Ric Henderson said closing the two stations will be beneficial.
Volunteers heading to Central Park to pick up their firefighting gear and trucks will realize the new station is about the same distance.
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