Cpl. Jason Pasloske

A motorcyclist traveling near Morley was struck and seriously injured by falling debris July 23.

Cochrane RCMP believe a flatbed semi-truck transporting scrap metal was traveling eastbound on Highway 1A just east of Morley Road around 1 p.m. when a forklift arm was jarred loose and flew off into a group of motorcyclists on vacation from British Columbia.
The debris severed the leg from the knee down of one of the men traveling in the group. He was taken to Foothills Hospital in Calgary for emergency surgery.

Police had yet to locate the semi-truck, which is described as a white-coloured older model semi with a flat deck.
Const Francisco Ceron said it’s very possible the driver of the truck is unaware of the horrific incident.

Cochrane RCMP Cpl. Jason Pasloske photographs the scene of an accident on Highway 1A July 23. A piece of metal debris fell off of a flatbed truck, striking a motorcyclist, removing his leg below the knee. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield

“At this point they are not being charged with anything we are just trying to track down the truck,” Ceron added.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000.

At left, traffic lines up towards Morley on Highway 1A while RCMP investigate the collision. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield

RCMP

A Morley women has died after being found floating face down July 20 in Ghost Lake, 20 kilometres west of Cochrane.

Cochrane RCMP responded to a report of a woman, identified as Bernadette Gail Saddleback, being pulled from the water unconscious around 7 p.m.

They arrived to find Saddleback’s husband and others attempting to resuscitate her.

Saddleback was rushed to Foothills Hospital in Calgary and placed on life support.

She died roughly 12 hours later. The 42-year-old is believed to have stopped at the lake with her family during a trip from Cochrane to Morley.

Cochrane RCMP Sgt. Wim Nam said although foul play has been ruled out, investigators believe members of the group consumed alcohol before the incident.

“People always seem to want to mix alcohol and time at the lake, which is never a good idea,” he added.

The investigation by local authorities has concluded and the body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office in Calgary.

RCMP

Charges are pending after a toddler was found locked in a van in the parking lot of the Stoney Nakoda Casino July 24.

Cochrane RCMP responded to a request for assistance at approximately 2:40 p.m. Upon arriving, they discovered a toddler who was covered in sweat and looked to be dehydrated.

Temperatures in the area were over 20 C at the time.

Officers smashed the van’s passenger-side window to retrieve the child, who suffered no serious harm.

Charges are expected to be laid against the father, whose name has been witheld to protect the identity of the toddler.

Cochrane Provincial Court

A week’s delay was requested in Cochrane Provincial Court July 22 on the matter concerning Chris Ball, a local teenager charged with mischief after a video of him jumping from a bridge onto a moving train surfaced online.

Patrick Fagan, a Calgary-based criminal defence lawyer who has been retained to represent Ball, told the court he and his client needed more time to plan their course of action.

Fagan’s request was granted and the case was held over until July 29.

Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) officials allege that Ball leapt from the Highway 22 overpass onto a train May 17. At the time, he was apprehended by Cochrane RCMP and fined $300 for petty trespassing.

Then, on June 11, CPR officials with assistance from local authorites executed a warrant on Ball’s residence and seized a computer, camera and multiple electronic storage devices.

Breast cancer walk

Cochranites walked hard to battle women’s cancers July 24-25, raising thousands for research in the process.

The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers, now in its sixth year, raised $2.7 million to benefit the Tom Baker Cancer Centre with the help of more than 1,100 walkers.

Teams walk either 60 kilometres over two days or 30 kilometres in one day.

“You walk 60 kilometres so you’re pretty raw,” said Lorna Callaway, who walked both days with her daughter, Kirsten.

“It’s an emotional weekend, it’s a busy weekend, but it’s a bonding weekend. It’s an amazing thing to do together.”

Callaway, who survived kidney cancer, has participated in the walk for a number of years, motivated by her deep links with women’s cancers.

Her sister, sister-in-law and mother-in-law are all breast cancer survivors, and her nieces successfully beat cervical
cancer.

From left to right, Brenda McCall, Nancy Remus-Everitt, Mackenzie Remus-Everitt, Kirsten Callaway and Lorna Callaway from local team Boobs ‘R’ Us walked 30 kilometres July 24-25 to raise money for research on women’s cancers. Photo submitted

“Women’s cancers are so much more common,” Callaway said. “There’s just a sense of pride that you were involved in a weekend with that many women.”

Callaway raised $2,100 herself, but with a five-person team, contributed a total $11,500 this year, and was able to do the two-day walk with her daughter Kirsten.

The event is sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, and Cochrane store was very involved, raising $15,400, including contributions from the walkers.

One of the store’s employees, Brenda Epp, is battling ovarian cancer.

“Everybody got behind it,” said store manager Cathy St. Louis, who raised $1,250 herself. “We’re all walking in support of Brenda.”

Cochranites Heather Crowdis, left, and Cathy St. Louis stand in front of pictures of Brenda Epp, who inspired them to participate in a Calgary cancer walk July 24-25. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield

The store held fundraising events like a movie night at the Cochrane Ranche, draws and raffle events, bake sales, and more. Guy Woods, director of Bow Valley Habitat Development and author of Fishing These Parts, donated $10 from the sale of each book at Shoppers, totalling $780.

All funds from the event benefit care and research at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary.

“At the end, there’s such a sense of accomplishment,” Callaway said.

Phil Trenholm

When the storm clouds form overhead, local farmers like Douglas McBain are left with little to do but hope for the best.

McBain, who has operated a barley farm south of Cremona for about 40 years, said he has felt particularly uneasy in recent weeks as planes were spotted spraying dispersant into the clouds directly over his crop.

Because of this, the seasoned farmer is now considering purchasing some hail insurance.

“When you have a good crop and the hail potential is there it’s worth putting a little more money into it,” McBain said, noting that no hail has hit his crop to date and so far the precipitation levels have been perfect.

Now, farmers like McBain have a new option when it comes to hail coverage, as Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) has begun offering around-the-clock coverage online through its Straight Hail program.

Lorelei Hulston, provincial insurance manager with AFSC, said roughly 550 clients have registered for hail insurance online since the program began in mid-May, accounting for about 10 per cent of all sales.

“We have been doing our best to get the word out,” Hulston said. “It will probably take a little time for guys to get used to it since this is our first insurance offering online.

“It does give people living in rural areas an opportunity to use it at their own convenience.”

AFSC does not have a district office in Cochrane, leaving farmers previously travelling to Airdrie or Calgary.

Rob Blackwell, who farms just northwest of Cochrane, has already signed up for coverage with AFSC the conventional way but said the online offering is certainly an added convenience.

“I think it will help if (damage) occurs on the weekend and you can’t get a hold of anyone,” Blackwell said.

Like McBain, Blackwell said the hail has missed his crop so far.

“The moisture’s been great. It’s shaping up to be an ideal year actually . . . as long as the big, white combine — the hail storms — don’t come,” he chuckled.

Phil Trenholm, who runs the Saskaberry Ranch located 15 minutes north of Cremona, knows too well the potential horror that a hail storm can bring.

Phil Trenholm stands beside his berry bushes after the fruit was violently ripped off in a hail storm in 2009. The crop has not yet fully recovered. Eagle file photo

Last August, hail wiped out 12 acres of Trenholm’s crop only five days into the picking season. The farm is still feeling the effects of the storm this season, as the raspberry crop has been deemed a total write off while it slowly recovers.

Trenholm said he has not taken a direct hit from hail so far this year and anticipates opening the ranch to the public in the coming days.

“We have had a splatter of hail here and there, but so far we are escaping,” he said. “We got our share last year.”

Despite his past troubles, Trenholm has not purchased hail coverage, noting that his type of crop is classified as high risk and quite expensive to insure.

AFSC’s Hulston said there has been a decline in insurance purchases this year as the cool spring pushed harvesting back and the overall quality is not as strong as it has been in some years.

Having said that, she said uninsured farmers who are happy with the growing season so far should consider obtaining coverage, noting the majority of last year’s severe storms did not occur until August.

For more information on the Straight Hail program visit afsc.ca.

RCMP

The medical examiner’s office in Calgary has identified a skull discovered in Bow Valley Provincial Park as being that of Markus Dorig, a Swiss man living in Exshaw reported missing in early 2009.

A tourist found the skull July 17 while walking his dog through the park, located more than 60 kilometres from Cochrane.

The family has been notified and RCMP are continuing their investigation.

Currently, the discovery is considered non-suspicious.

After Dorig went missing, some of his friends set up a Facebook group titled “Friends of Markus Dorig.”

One person posted this description of Dorig’s personality on the site: “(It) doesn’t matter where you see Markus he always has a smile and always a ‘Hello!’ ”

Cochrane Provincial Court

A Cochrane man spotted holding an antique double-barrel shotgun in the community of Bow Ridge has been granted an absolute discharge.

Ben Giesbrecht, who has lived locally since 1999, pled guilty to careless use of a firearm in Cochrane Provincial Court July 22, two months after the reported incident.

On the evening of April 22, Cochrane RCMP responded to reports of a man armed with a firearm in Bow Ridge.

Const. Lindsay Hoskins arrived on scene and found an intoxicated Giesbrecht talking on his cellphone with an antique double-barrel shotgun resting between his legs.

He was arrested without incident.

Giesbrecht’s lawyer explained that his client had borrowed the rifle, which was estimated to be 80-100 years old, for a photo shoot the next day and had accidentally had too much to drink.

The rifle was not loaded and Giesbrecht did not have any ammunition in his possession.

When given the chance to speak, Giesbrecht apologized for his actions.

He was cautioned to be more careful and then granted an absolute discharge.

Rocky View election in October

Rocky View Division 5 councillor Earl Solberg will be seeking another term on council when county residents east of Calgary head to the polls in October.

He told the Rocky View Weekly newspaper he felt his biggest contribution was sitting as the chair on the growth management strategy committee, which saw the concept plan adopted in June 2009.

Solberg has lived on an acreage in the Conrich area for 31 years.

RCMP Musical Ride

Cochrane’s Stu Bradley and the Eagle’s Jack Tennant will be guests of honour at the 2010 Musical Ride for the two performances in town Aug. 3.

Their jobs are to give permission to the ride to commence after the riders line up, and at the end of the show they will be saluted.

Rob Cameron, Cochrane Posse marshall in charge, said they both were appointed because of their strong community input.

He added they have not only supported local groups, but were heavily involved in the 2003 musical ride.