On January 26, 2015, Earl William Davenport, an inmate from the medium security unit at Drumheller Institution was found unresponsive in his cell.
Staff members immediately began performing CPR and emergency services were called. The inmate could not be resuscitated.
At the time of his death, Mr. Davenport, 56 years old, had been serving an indeterminate sentence for First Degree
Murder and Second Degree Murder since November 27, 1987.
The inmate’s next of kin have been notified of his death.
As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the police and the coroner have been notified, and Correctional Service Canada will review the circumstances of the incident.

Photos from the 511 Alberta camera show foggy driving conditions on Highway 9 in both directions, shortly before 1 pm Thursday, January 29. Top is from Highway 9 south near Horseshoe Canyon. Below is Highway 9 north near Morrin. Find current road reports from 511Alberta on The Drumheller Mail website at www.drumhellermail.com/index.php/features/road-report.

Environment Canada is calling for a chance of 5 cm of snow Friday evening in Drumheller, with a possible 2 cm to 4 cm of snow on Saturday, and sunny skies with an expected high of minus 10 for Super Bowl Sunday, February 1.
    Here’s a look at the week ahead:

Issued: 11:00 AM MST Friday 30 January 2015

Today
Increasing cloudiness near noon. 60 percent chance of flurries late this afternoon. High minus 1.

Tonight
Snow. Amount 5 cm. Wind becoming northeast 20 km/h gusting to 40 near midnight. Low minus 13.

Saturday
    Snow ending in the afternoon then mainly cloudy. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind northeast 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light in the morning. High minus 11.

Sunday
    Sunny. Low minus 20. High minus 10.

Monday
    Cloudy. Low minus 14. High minus 11.

Tuesday
    Sunny. Low minus 26. High minus 13.

Wednesday
    Sunny. Low minus 17. High minus 5.

Thursday

Sunny. Low minus 10. High plus 3.

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Drumheller area. The alert also covers Three Hills, Hanna, Coronation, and Oyen, and out to Acme. Expect blowing and drifting snow if winds reach the expected 20 km, with 10 to 20 cm of snow expected to fall over Friday and Saturday. Areas to expect heavy snow are:

• Kneehill Co. near Acme and Linden
• Kneehill Co. near Carbon
• Kneehill Co. near Three Hills
• Kneehill Co. near Torrington and Wimborne
• Kneehill Co. near Trochu and Huxley
• Rocky View Co. near Irricana Beiseker and Kathyrn
• S.A. 2 near Finnegan and Little Fish Lake Prov. Park
• Starland Co. near Michichi and Delia
• Starland Co. near Morrin and Munson
• Starland Co. near Rumsey and Rowley
• Town of Drumheller
• Wheatland Co. near Hwys 569 and 848
• Wheatland Co. near Rockyford and Rosebud

Environment Canada notes:

Heavy snow has moved into central Alberta and will continue tonight. The heaviest snowfall is expected to fall along a line from Grande Cache to Red Deer with 10 to 20 cm of snow possible by Saturday morning. Conditions will gradually improve from the northwest on Saturday as the system moves to the southeast.

Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.

Environment Canada meteorologists will update alerts as required. Please continue to monitor your local media or Weatheradio for further updates. If you would like to report severe weather, you can call 1-800-239-0484 or send an email to storm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports to #ABStorm.

Flushing of water lines and a temporary increase in potassium permanganate have improved town water.

The Town of Drumheller has seen a major improvement in the water quality after taking measures to improve the  foul taste and odour.
    The Town’s Director of Infrastructure Services Allan Kendrick said the number of resident complaints has dwindled.
    “We still might have the odd pocket where its showing up on the hot water only.”
    He said that is probably due to the water sitting in the hot water tank, and also heating the water releases gases.
    Public Works has completed a number of line flushings, Kendrick said, and had to do another line flush in Huntington Hills, one of the areas that still has a pocket of concern.
    Kendrick explained due to its elevation, Huntington Hills has a booster pump to help the water pressure, and the line ends at a closed valve, which is a simulation of a dead-end line.
    In the normal water line systems through Drumheller, the water loops through the system, and the Town can open and close the valves as required. The looping system means the foul water gets flushed through more quickly than a simulated dead-end line, such as the one in Huntington Hills.
    Kendrick said the Town had also increased the level of potassium permanganate, used to treat the Town’s water, up to about 1 millgram per litre (mg/L).

    He said the potassium permanganate has been dropped down to its current .5 mg/L.
    On a regular day for Drumheller water, the level of potassium permanganate is .3 to .4 mg/L, adds Kendrick.
    Another measure the Town is taking is to keep a closer eye on the reservoirs.
    “It’s more aggressive visual  monitoring over at the rural water storage cells.  I think one of the things that was definitely  a contributing factor was  some of our monitoring equipment froze.”
    He said there was also a water crossover chamber that froze, and pumping water with the thick ice layer, sometimes seven feet thick on top, presents other challenges.
    He said the last water complaint received was Tuesday, from a Nacmine resident describing their water as swampy.

Shown is teacher Stephanie Koller’s Grade 4 science student inventors, who  faced off in the Greentree School version of Dragons Den Thursday, February 5. The event was a wind-up for their science unit on wheels and levers. Students were challenged to create an invention, or improve upon an existing machine. The winning project gets a trip to Dairy Queen with Mrs. Koller, plus $100 donated by one of the Greentree School Dragons. Seated in the back row are “Dragons”, local judges (l-r) Constable Craig Nelson, Mrs. Cindy Gerodo, Mr. Bob Brown,  Mr. Bob Sheddy, and Mrs. Koller (standing).

Since the introduction of Alberta’s .05 maximum for drinking drivers, the province has seen a rise in the increase of driver impairment from other causes.
    “Lots of people don’t want to drink and get behind the wheel, because they know that’s what we’re testing for these days,” said Drumheller RCMP Constable Lucas Stewart, “but they have no problem having a drug of choice, and getting in and going for a drive.”
    Stewart has served in Drumheller about three and-a-half years, and has been a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) during that time. He is one of at least 60 such DREs in different agencies across Alberta.  In this area of police work, he has noticed drivers having difficulty because of incorrect use of their prescriptions.
    “A lot of people think prescription medication, if it’s prescribed by a doctor, it’s safe to take and drive. That’s okay as long as you’re following your doctor’s directions, but a lot of people don’t. Whether that’s taking too much, or not enough and doubling up the next day.”
    He said people often don’t realize there’s a problem with their prescription medication until it’s brought to their attention, often through a driving complaint and subsequent RCMP drug testing.
    “Whether you meant to or not, you should know that you shouldn’t be behind the wheel if you’re not feeling 100 per cent,” said Stewart.
    Police are also concerned with  young people taking their parents prescriptions, which happens here occasionally, but Stewart said the problem is more commonly found in larger centres. He said the RCMP urge parents to keep their prescriptions locked up or out of reach of their children, because often kids don’t realize the dangers of taking someone else’s medication.
    “It’s really very sad when you’ve got a 16 or 17 year-old driver that’s just run somebody over on the highway because they didn’t realize what these drugs were going to do to them.”
    He also said impaired drivers suffering from a lack of sleep and fighting to stay awake happens way too often. He said it’s hard to get accurate numbers, because often drivers won’t admit they fell asleep behind the wheel.
    “At some point, someone gets in a situation where they shouldn’t be behind the wheel and they know it. Lots of people fight it - that’s usually a mistake.” Drivers can often fall asleep for a split-second and not realize it, said Stewart, especially on longer trips, and that’s often all it takes for disaster.
    And Stewart said different street drugs impair drivers in difffrent ways. Methamphetamines and cocaine are considered uppers, making drivers hyperactive, and could make people drive aggressively.
    On the other end of the scale, he notes narcotics, such as morphine and heroine, and also methadone - used to help people addicted to opioid drugs such as OxyContin,  Dilaudid, heroin -  are considered downers, and can almost put people to sleep.
    He said RCMP members have arrested drivers after complaints of vehicles going 15 kilometres an hour on the highway. If a driver fails a roadside impairment check, testing of suspected drug impaired drivers at the RCMP detachment shows Stewart the effect of the drug on the person, giving him indications of what type of drug he should be looking for.
    “It (impairment) comes in any shape or form -  we have to be trained and know to look for just about everything.”

Peter Sanden, right presents list of appreciations some of the drivers behind the hall project including (l-r) Carey Taubert, Pam Collett, Kathy Dundas, Jennifer Pratt, Wendy Kaiser and Pete Anderson.

    There was an air of celebration last Saturday night, January 24,  in Hussar. A community proud of a job well done, in a well-built hall.
    The community celebrated the completion of the community hall project. The community has been working hard to fundraise to renovate and improve the hall, which had been in need of care for some time.
Originally constructed in the 1970s, the hall has a new lease on life thanks to the hard work of the community.
    Peter Sanden emceed the evening and explained there were a number of phases to the project including completing storage room, and then the front entrance.
    “Phase 3 is what you are looking at tonight,’ said Sanden. This includes the new bar area, upgrades to the electrical and HVAC as well as the Cenovus Energy Kitchen.
    He explains the momentum really took off when Hussar’s entry to the UFA Get and Give Contest was successful. From there, major sponsors including Husky, Richardson Pioneer, CNRL and Chinook Credit Union came out to support the project.
    On this evening, the community honoured the namesake of the kitchen, Cenovus, which donated $150,000. Sanden described this donation as a breath of air, as they were working on the project.  Rachelle Demoskoff of Cenovus was on hand at the celebration.
    “At Cenovus it is really important for us to support and participate in programs and events that bring families and communities together, like what happens at this community centre,” she said. “We believe this contributes to the community where we operate and many of our employees live as well. That is why we are so proud to be sponsors of the Hussar Community Centre.”
    Ben Armstrong Councillor for Wheatland County explained the County’s Community Enhancement Program. The county contributed  $153,750 to the hall.
    “Most grants are for new capital, anyone can build a new building, but to maintain the one you already have seemed to be the big issue,” he said. “The driving factor behind what we put into place was that we would like to see it go towards maintenance and the upkeep of the building we have in place.”
    Sanden praised the spirit of the community for completing this type of projects. While they are very grateful for the support of the major sponsors, the community contributed 43 per cent  of the funding to the $1.2 million project.
    “We all sit down and focus on one project. That is why we get stuff done. That is why we have an arena, that is why we have a curling rink, that is why we have a new hall, and we’re not done, don’t kid yourself,” he said.

After 26 years, it appears that Reptile World will meet its end.

Under the proposed changes to Drumheller’s Business License Bylaw, campgrounds and RV resorts would pay an annual business license fee of $63.81 per site per year. Hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, lodges and inns would pay $496.78 per room per year.
mailphoto by Michele Scott

    Drumheller Town Council was presented with the draft tourism levy as part of the changes to the Business License Bylaw at the regular Council meeting Monday night, January 26. All three readings of the byaw are scheduled to come before Council at the regular Monday meeting, February 9.
    The mandatory levy would be collected by businesses from their customers in two areas of businesses that serve Drumheller’s tourism industry: lodging and RV parks/campgrounds.
    “We don’t want, in any way, to take money from the tourism operators in the town,” said Travel Drumheller’s Chris Curtis.
    Curtis said with this in mind, the levy is to have complete flow-through, meaning the total business license fee charged under the proposed bylaw can be recovered by the business through adding a few dollars onto each customer’s/guest’s bill.
    Curtis said the feedback received from the businesses was overwhelmingly in favour of a mandatory fee, rather than a voluntary fee, so that any one business would not be put at a competitive disadvantage.
    The first businesses in Drumheller to collect the levy would be in the lodging sector, which covers hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, lodges, and inns.
    Under the business license bylaw change, the lodging sector would pay a rate of $496.78 per room per year. For a motel with 20 rooms, their business license would cost $9,935.60 per year.
    For its calculations to arrive at the yearly room rate, Travel Drumheller used the following criteria:
- The current room inventory in Drumheller, is 560 rooms
- Historical average for occupancy based on the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, which averaged to 58%
- Hisorical average daily rate based on the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, which averaged at $117.33
    Those businesses in the lodging sector that are open less than six months a year can provide proof of this to the license inspector and would only be required to pay 75 per cent of the required fees.
    The second category to collect the new levy would be RV resorts and campgrounds, based on an estimate of $63.81 per site per year.
    An approval of the business bylaw would mean a campground with 20 sites would pay an annual business license fee of $1,276.20.
    There are 550 sites in Drumheller, but Travel Drumheller included campgrounds and RV resorts in the area that may want to join and contribute to the destination marketing fund.
    For its calculations to arrive at the yearly site rate, Travel Drumheller used the following criteria:
- 1635 sites at RV resorts and campgrounds in the area
- Historical average for occupancy based on the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, which averaged at 51%
- Historical average for daily rated based on the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, which came to $34
- Based on industry performance during six months of operations for the three years
    The payment schedule for businesses would be collected four times per year:
March 31               15 per cent
June 30                   25 per cent
September 30        50 per cent
December 31         10 per cent

    In the event of a slow tourist season, Curtis said the slow season’s earnings would be reflected in the calculation of the following year’s business license fees.
    He said any challenges local businesses would face in their collection and remittance of the fee, Travel Drumheller would work with them to find a solution.

Drumheller Town Counci has tabled the draft bylaw to begin collecting the new tourism levy/surcharge after passing the first reading, pending further review and consultation.

    While Drumheller Town Council seems to support visitors to the valley contributing a few dollars on each hotel or motel stay, most of Council appeared not in favour of the proposed bylaw change as presented to them at their regular meeting Monday night, February 9.
    “Council was presented a draft of the new tourism levy bylaw a couple of Council meetings ago, and we’d read through it with the understanding that most of the operators or the shareholders/stakeholders were on-board. And of course over the last week and half, we discovered that was not the case. And after looking at the bylaw ourselves, we (Council) realized that it needed tweeking, if it was to be acceptable to those involved,” said Deputy Mayor Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk.     
    “As it was put on the agenda this evening, Council collectively passed first reading, and what that did was allow the bylaw to go forward to have those adjustments or amendments made to it, and allow a bit more consultation with the shareholders.”
    The Deputy Mayor said the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce has invited the hotels and campgrounds for an information session as part of shareholder consultation.
    She hopes there will be more than one meeting, and that local operators will share their ideas on how to make the implementation of the tourism levy more acceptable to the people it will most affect.
    Each Councillor spoke to the proposed changes prior to passing the first reading of the bylaw, and seemed to be in agreement that a tourist funded, rather than a taxpayer funded, destination marketing organization is a smart move for Drumheller, especially in light of the probability of reduced funding from the Alberta government and possible increased competition from other towns and areas seeking to draw visitors.
    The Town’s solicitor will be looking into the issue raised by Councillor McMillan that two sections of the Municipal Government Act allow exemptions and also have a list of non-assessable properties for a tax purpose, noting travel trailers are not connected to a public utility, and wonders how the Town can assess a levy/fee to unserviced sites.
    The issue of the levy being applied to bed and breakfasts and RV resorts and campgrounds is also being re-examined.
    “I’m thinking that throughout this whole process, I’m hoping that the proper consultations will occur, and we can move forward for the betterment of the valley and the betterment of the people that actually live here,” said the Deputy Mayor.

The February 12 edition of the 2015 Royal Tyrrell Museum Speaker Series is a presentation by Dr. Amy Riches from the University of Alberta that explores “Messages from Meteorites: The Growth of Planets & the Delivery of Possible Seeds of Life.”
    While very little evidence is left of Earth’s early days, the highly cratered surfaces of the Moon and Mars indicate that the Earth must have had a very tumultuous past characterized by abundant meteorite impacts.
    These impacts played an integral part in the formation of early Earth by adding rocky material; however, recent discoveries show that many meteorites also harbored water and simple organic molecules. This suggests that the building blocks of life may have come from outer space.
    In her talk, Dr. Riches will review the importance of meteorites in planet formation and the possible role they played, through the transport of water and organic matter, in the origin of life on Earth.
    The Royal Tyrrell Museum’s Speaker Series talks are free and open to the public. The first part of the series will be held every Thursday until February 26, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Museum auditorium.
    Speaker Series talks are also available on the Museum’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/RoyalTyrrellMuseum.

RCMP seek these three suspects in connection with attempted armed robberies, vehicle thefts, and a grocery store theft in Hanna.

Police in Alberta are on the lookout for four suspects in two armed robberies and grocery store theft, and three truck thefts, all from different communities across central Alberta.
    RCMP are searching for a 2007 white Dodge one ton truck believe connected to a Monday night grocery store robbery in Hanna. The vehicle was seen heading north after the robbery.
    Police consider the suspects armed and dangerous, and ask anyone recognizing them from the photos to not approach them, but contact Didsburty RCMP at 403-335-3382, or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
    RCMP say the suspects started their crime spree stealing a blue Ford F450 flatdeck was from a compound in Airdrie Monday night. The truck was identified as the probable vehicle used for attempted robberies at a gas station later Monday night in Didsbury, and a short time later in Olds.
    The truck was left in a field on rural property in Sundre, where RCMP say the robbers stole two other vehicles, once which has since been recovered in Rocky Mountain House.

Dave Bethel, owner of Reptile World, said he is in the process of winding down his business.

     Nine specimens from Reptile World were euthanized after the Alberta SPCA took 142 reptiles and amphibians into protective custody.
    Last week the Alberta SPCA executed a search warrant of the reptile zoo in downtown Drumheller. On Friday afternoon, the property was returned to Reptile World. Owner Dave Bethel learned at that time most of the collection had been seized.
    “They turned the building over to us and gave us a seizure notice for some of the animals. They also gave us an ultimatum to sign over the ones that are remaining,” said Bethel. “Realistically there are not many left, they took 142 reptiles and amphibians. Basically they took everything,  except the venomous and the crocodiles. They even took 500 mice.”
    The Alberta SPCA released a statement on Monday afternoon, which confirmed that 142 reptiles and amphibians were taken, four of them in January, and the remaining in February.
    “All of the removed animals were in distress. Nine of the removed animals were euthanized by a veterinarian because their distress was untreatable,” the statement reads. “In addition, approximately 500 mice, which were also in distress, were removed from the same facility and humanely euthanized.”
    It goes on to say that as set out in the Animal Protection Act, the owner has 10 days from the removal to correct the conditions and reclaim the animals.
    Bethel believes there is a slim chance they would be returned.
    The Alberta SPCA executed a search warrant at Reptile World last Wednesday. Since then, vehicles from the Calgary Humane Society and Alberta Fish and Wildlife were observed on site.
    “They have Alberta Fish and Wildlife involved and they are saying they will not be renewing my zoo permit. So right now Reptile World is closed and realistically there is less than a 1 per cent chance we’ll reopen.”
    “They can’t say why after all  these years, and all the inspections suddenly we are doing everything wrong,” he said, adding that even if the animals are returned, his main concern is to make sure they are given suitable homes.
    He says the SPCA are still wanting to him to sign over the building in order to take care of the remaining animals until they can be moved. There is no definite timeline.
    “We have the animals in there with no homes to go to, and I don’t know what is going to happen."
    He said he is in the process of winding down the business.
    If Alberta Fish and Wildlife pulls his Zoo Permit, Bethel said he will be in possession of the remaining animals illegally.
    “I am more angry and frustrated, because no one will give me any answers."

Constable Eric Doucette, right, presents a mug to Graham Boland at a Friday afternoon checkstop. A few drivers in the valley had an unexpected surprise from the Drumheller RCMP. During a checkstop, the RCMP presented a few good drivers with a mug, courtesy The Drumheller Mail. The proceeds from the sale of the mugs go to a trust fund set up for Constable David Wynn, who was killed in the line of duty on January 21 in St. Albert.

Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce President John Shoff said employers wanting to remain competitive need to look at different options.

John Shoff, president of the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce is still hoping for answers from the federal government on access to labour after it made significant reforms to the temporary foreign workers program.
    The service sector in Drumheller felt the crunch when the program was suspended earlier this year, and then was reintroduced with reforms. With the 2015 summer season looming, Shoff is hoping to hear something.
    “I do know of a lot of areas in Alberta where it doesn’t matter what the wage is, they can’t get employees,” said Shoff.
    He says chasing wages to get people does nothing but drive inflation. With temporary foreign workers, he says it costs employers more to bring them in, but it keeps wages normalized.
    “When you are looking at an unskilled entry level job, if they have to be paid $20 per hour, now you are paying the guy who is pouring a cup of coffee $20 per hour, and you multiply that by all the people he needs to run that business, that cost has gone up exponentially, What do you do? You charge more for that cup of coffee,” he said.
    He said wage is not the primary factor however, it is just making sure there is access to labour.
    “It (temporary foreign workers program) kept businesses alive. You have businesses out there where it doesn’t matter what you offer for a wage, there is no one coming in to apply for that position,” said Shoff.
    Alberta is heading into a new territory with the declining price of oil. This could mean a slow down in the sector, which could add to the labour pool. Shoff said he doesn’t expect it to change the labour situation in Drumheller.
    “It will slow a bit, but you still have to maintain infrastructure here,” he said. “I don’t think it will effect us much, a lot of our industry is on the service side. It will impact us a bit, but it certainly won’t impact us as much as in areas where they are doing heavy exploration.”
    Crowfoot MP Kevin Sorenson acknowledges that labour is one of the biggest issues facing the Alberta Economy.
    “We want to make sure that Canadians have the first opportunity for jobs." That being said, the Minister has stated "That we have some parts of the country where we have long-term labour issues and we cannot continue to address it with a temporary foreign worker program. It is going to take something more permanent,” he said. “So looking forward we are going to be looking at ways that we can keep this economy moving ahead and we recognize that access to labour is one of those things that can stall an economy.”
    He says employers have to look at a number of options to remain competitive.
    “Immigration numbers are one way to address it. There is a number of other ways we can look at it. The program is still there, although it says you can’t exceed the 30 per cent of the workforce. There were some businesses that were using it to as their business management plan for labour.”
    He says one of the problems with the Temporary Foreign Workers Program was there was no way to fast track immigration.
    “The Minister of Immigration or the Minister of Employment say we can’t continue to have a temporary program solve a permanent problem. This country was built on immigration and we still need this.”
    Both Shoff and Sorenson see better movement across provincial borders as a factor that could alleviate the situation.
    “We have to have programs to encourage individuals to go where the opportunities are. That is why my grandfather came up here in 1905. He came for the job, he came as a way to sustain himself. We have to make sure our policies reflect that,” Sorenson said.