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Turner Valley RCMP constable assaulted on reserve
By Cindy Ballance
Editor
Two women have been charged after an RCMP constable was assaulted on the Eden Valley reserve.
According to Turner Valley Cst. Butch Dupont, the incident occurred on April 21 at approximately 1 am after Cst. Fern Dumanski responded to a call of suspected impaired driving.
Dupont explained that Dumanski was the lone officer responding to the call at the time of the incident.
'(Dumanski) went out to the reserve and spotted the suspect vehicle on the highway,' said Dupont. 'She activated her emergency equipment (lights and siren) by which time the (suspect) vehicle was all over the road heading back to Eden Valley and ended up in the ditch.'
Dupont explained that Dumanski pulled up behind the vehicle which was carrying two passengers and the driver who was attempting to drive away.
Because of dangerous circumstances Dupont said that Dumanski had to use pepper spray against the driver.
While Dumanski was returning to the police vehicle, Dupont said that a passenger exited the vehicle, approached Dumanski and smashed in the back window of the squad car.
'(Dumanski) was confronted and attacked in the police car,' said Dupont.
During the attack, he added that a passerby helped pull the attacker off Dumanski while she radioed for back up. Okotoks RCMP was then dispatched to the scene.
Dumanski was then taken to the Oilfields Hospital in Black Diamond with minor injuries where she was treated and released.
Dupont explained that in many cases, only one officer is available to respond to incidents on the Eden Valley reserve and that this is not the first case in which police officers have had to deal with violent encounters.
'We’ve had violent encounters out there before and this is the third police car damaged within the past six months (at Eden Valley),' said Dupont.
Charged are Michelle Fawna Dixon, 21, of Eden Valley with assaulting a police officer and mischief and Fiona Dixon, 20, also of Eden Valley with dangerous driving, flight (failing to stop for a police officer) and driving with no insurance.
Both are scheduled to appear at Okotoks Provincial Court on May 29.
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Current Weather in Okotoks
Not so equal footing
Mike Duthie of High River cannot hang on as he is bucked off the bull Equalizer at the ‘Black Diamond in the Rough’ bullriding event held at the Oilfields Arena on Saturday. Complete results of the event will be in next week’s Western Wheel.
photo by John Barlow
Foothills School Board approves balanced budget
By Gillian Beckett
Staff Reporter
The Foothills School Division (FSD) has approved a balanced budget for a second consecutive year, however, six teaching positions are expected to be cut in order to maintain funding levels.
For the 2001/2002 school year, the FSD will be operating on a budget with revenues and expenditures each totalling more than $47 million.
Secretary-treasurer Murray Lloyd explained to division trustees during the regular meeting held on April 25 that the budget will provide for sustainable programs and services for a rising number of student enrolment.
He noted that the FSD will see a 1.31 per cent increase in enrolment from 6,675 students to 6,763 students, however, the number of teaching staff will not increase, but decrease by up to six teachers.
The student/teacher ratio for the upcoming school year is about 18.55 students for every teacher compared to last year’s ration of 18.02. Despite the rise in students, the ratio is below the 18.66 average of other division boards within Alberta.
Lloyd added that for student instruction, costs for the 2001/2002 school year accounts for 72 per cent of the budget as compared to 69 per cent five years ago.
'The budget has been increasing steadily,' said Lloyd. 'This is a trend we expect to see.'
While the budget will allow for the continuation of ECS, outreach and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programs, no additional programs will be slated for the school year.
As for facility operations and maintenance, Lloyd explained that funding accounts for about 11.5 percent of the budget with close to $1.6 million budgeted for utility costs.
An anticipated three per cent increase in grants from Alberta Learning is also expected to help offset utility and fuel increases.
Despite an overall budget increase of $25,700 for facility operations and maintenance compared to last year’s budget, Lloyd explained that upgrades or replacement costs will be difficult to maintain due to the lack of provincial funding needed to cover rising inflation costs.
However, about $540,000 has been earmarked for the replacement of seven school buses and it is expected that proposed government funding will help with increases in fuel costs.
In addition to the budget, trustees also approved the division’s capital asset purchase plan that provides for expenditures up to $1.85 million.
The expenditures will cover costs of the division’s technology evergreening plan and replacing equipment such as copiers, the computer network and other technological equipment.
