Nature at the airport
A female moose was killed by a police sniper near Deerfoot Trail on Tuesday after attempts to capture it safely failed. After detouring through the Thorncliffe and Huntington Hills neighbourhoods Tuesday morning, the moose started in the direction of airport runways, elevating police concern for human safety. Although lanes of traffic were blocked off in order to protect drivers, police and wildlife officers’ attempts at guiding the animal to safety with their cruisers and tranquilizing it ultimately failed. Using a sniper to take the moose down was the last resort.
Save the snakes
University of Calgary environmental design graduate student Adam Martinson is completing a study on how prairie rattlesnakes and bull snakes are being threatened by the expansion of roadways in Alberta. The slow-moving animals tend to take an offensive posture at oncoming traffic rather than fleeing, making them susceptible to death by motorists. He is currently developing a model for controlled road crossings to later present to Alberta government officials in hopes of reducing mortality. Martinson noted in a Calgary Herald article that protecting the venomous snakes is important because they help keep rodent populations at bay, providing a valuable service to local farmers.
Public transit’s hopeful overhaul
The Alberta government announ-ced that it would allocate $2 billion for an expansion of the province’s transit system in early July. Municipalities have the next several months to develop proposals outlining how the money can be best spent upgrading their facilities. Calgary officials are seeking to expand C-Train accessibility down into the southeast by creating a new line that would run through Inglewood all the way to Mackenzie Towne. They claim the expansion would take pressure off Deerfoot and help improve air quality. Officials are also hoping to develop rapid bus transit to outlying towns such as Cochrane, Airdrie, and Okotoks. The projected cost of the bus lines is $2 billion, the total amount of provincial funding.
No more telemarketers, almost
The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission confirmed that Canadian citizens will be able to register under a “do not call” list Sept. 30 to avoid unsolicited phone calls from telemarketers. Individuals are expected to stop receiving unwanted calls within a month of registering. The list will be complemented by a third-party investigator who will look into complaints of continued harassment. Some exceptions to the list include charitable organizations and political parties. Newspapers selling subscriptions will also still be allowed to solicit subscribers via telephone.
ATM drive-thru attacks
Calgary police are on the lookout for an ATM drive-thru robber who duty inspector Frank Farkas described in the Calgary Herald as “apologetic and non-confrontational.” The “polite thief” has attacked three women since Monday by entering through the unlocked passenger doors of their vehicles and threatening them with a kitchen knife. Police are describing the gentleman as a six-foot-tall Caucasian man in his early twenties who has a deep voice and pale complexion. They warned Calgarians to lock their doors and roll up their windows when accessing ATM drive-thrus.
High risk offender in Calgary
The Calgary Police are advising students and faculty to take extra precaution on campus after high risk offender Jack Samuel Froese was released earlier this week. Froese was convicted of sexual assault with a weapon in Saskatoon. He was also found on the University of Saskatchewan campus with weapons and a notebook containing the names and photos of cheerleaders. He is five foot 10, 185 pounds and has brown hair and eyes.