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Baker A. Mitchell Jr.: The ancients knew how to educate children, why don’t we now?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

It’s understandable that many parents are upset about what is being taught in their schools. They should be even more upset about what’s not being taught (at least not effectively): English grammar, reading, writing, mathematics, logic, truth, goodness, aesthetics.Some are clamoring for the federal government to get more involved and establish national curriculum standards. But the government has been deeply involved in K-12 education since 1980, when the Department of Education was established, and education hasn’t noticeably improved.As proof, last year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress exams, which tested tens of thousands of students nationwide, confirmed that only about a third of fourth- and eighth-graders qualified as “proficient” in reading, math, civics and American history. In urban districts, 47% of fourth-graders couldn’t even read at a basic level.Much of the controversy over what’s being taught revolves around...

Redevelopment bylaw for Civic Square

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsA public hearing for a redevelopment bylaw for downtown Coaldale will take place later this month.During their regular Sept. 11 meeting, Coaldale town council discussed a redevelopment bylaw for Civic Square.Bylaw 878-P-09-23 – or the Civic Square Area Redevelopment Plan bylaw – would act as a guide for the Town to use as itredevelops the Civic Square area. The area in question is located south of 20 Avenue, between 18 and 19 Streets.“Specifically, this ARP will focus on the lands containing the Civic Square Building, town-owned lands to the immediate south of this building, and a small number of lots to the immediate west of the Civic Square building,” said Hailey Winder, senior planner for the Town.According to a memo from administration to council, Coaldale has experienced significant economic growth and revitalization in the downtown area over the last five years, and the Civic Square ARP will provide a framework for the preservation or improveme...

Pause on renewables development addressing rural concerns: MLA Hunter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

By Trevor BuschSunny South [email protected] province’s six-month moratorium on renewable energy projects has proven to be a controversial move for the UCP as they continue to defend the action, pointing to rural concerns about development of agricultural land, reclamation security and system reliability.Announced on Aug. 3, critics of the moratorium say it will cost millions in lost investment revenue and casts a chilling pall over the further development of Alberta’s renewables industry.Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter argues his government isn’t against renewable energy, and that the moratorium is about determining shortcomings in existing legislation and ensuring development isn’t detrimental to other industries, like agriculture.“We don’t have any regulations that are providing us with understanding how to move forward in a responsible way. And so we took the pause for six months to be able to actually get those regulations and policies in place, so that all stakeholder...

Standing room only for meeting with AHS to discuss ACC closure in Butte

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsThe September 13 “community engagement session” with AHS in Picture Butte to discuss the decision to close the Ambulatory Care Clinic (ACC) in Picture Butte saw over 170 people in attendance.Town officials, residents, and local EMS staff say they were shocked on Aug. 10 to learn of AHS’s decision that the ACC at Piyami Health Centre was slated for closure Oct. 15. Following the announcement, AHS issued a media release informing residents of an upcoming public engagement session scheduled for Sept. 13, nearly one month after AHS announced the news of the closure.In attendance was Dr. Aaron Low, Zone Medical Director at AHS, Thomas Mountain, Senior Operating Officer (rural west) at AHS, and Suzanne Maynard, Director of EMS Operations for the South Zone.Dr. Low began the meeting by explaining, “sometimes people get confused between what is emergency care, urgent care and ambulatory care and what could be (dealt with) by a family physician.”Dr. Low said t...

Too old, too late to cut the mustard anymore

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

Dear Editor,Not everyone can write the Power Engineer’s 2nd class exam and pass it. I have worked in various Power Plants for 25 years. My first job was as 4th class engineer and had to work myself upward. I admit I was a greenhorn after graduating from Weyburn College. My instructor Jim Legget asked me to stand in front of class and read something from a text concerning a condensation tank and its process. I stuttered and was nervous at first but, later I learned the ropes. Hector Bourassa and I were selected to work at Boundary Dam near Estevan, Sask. because our marks were the highest. I was hired to commission a 4th Boiler-Turbine Generator. One would never believe that the Power Plant was so huge but still with the bells and whistles the operating engineers were able to run the plant safely. Just consider the boiler drum, it was situated 14 floors up and the combustion chamber was nine floors deep. They used natural gas and pulverized lignite coal to fire the boilers. They put ...

Gas tax hikes show Trudeau doesn’t care about affordability

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refuses to do the one thing that would immediately make life more affordable: cut gas taxes.The federal government makes you pay a fuel tax, a carbon tax, a second carbon tax and a sales tax every time you fuel up. In total, federal taxes add about 31 cents per litre to the price of gas, or about $20 extra to fuel up a large sedan.To add insult to injury, the feds and all six provinces east of Manitoba charge their sales taxes on top of the other taxes. This tax-on-tax adds about $2.65, on average, to the cost of fueling up a large sedan. If you fill up that sedan once a week, you’re paying about $140 every year just because of the tax-on-tax.That big tax bill is only getting bigger.Trudeau is cranking up his carbon tax until it hits 37 cents per litre of gas in 2030. The feds also recently imposed a second carbon tax through fuel regulations. When those fuel regulations are fully implemented in 2030, it’ll add up to 17 cents per litre to the price of g...

Evidence revealed through testimony in Klein trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Megan Wilkes, Albany County Sheriff’s Deputy, described what she found as she entered Philip Rabadi’s garage on April 13, 2022, including the gruesome crime scene discovered by his father.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Shaw Rabadi was in the courtroom reliving that moment, the courtroom extremely still and quiet as they watched body camera footage from that day. That footage showed the welfare check that turned into a crime scene when Rabadi failed to show up to work. Rabadi was on the garage floor face down in a pool of his own blood.Wilkes questioned Rabadi's father and Elana Radin, Rabadi's wife, at the scene, and testified Radin gave her Klein‘s name. During a brief cross examination, Klein questioned the methods Sheriff’s Deputies took to investigate the scene. The court saw surveillance video obtained from neighbors, showing a man knocking on Rabadi’s front door, waiting, and the...

Judge dismisses indictment against VT deputy in Saratoga Springs officer-involved shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A judge has dismissed the indictment against a Vermont sheriff's deputy who was involved in an officer-involved shooting in Saratoga Springs in November.Lawyers for Rutland County sheriff's deputy Vito Caselnova made the filing by citing insufficient evidence from the grand jury. They also pointed to a defective process for the entire proceeding. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The judge's 30-page decision agreed with their arguments. One of the points included Caselnova's justification for use of deadly force to defend himself and his girlfriend.There are currently no charges filed against Caselnova. The judge's ruling allows for the prosecution to re-present their case to a new grand jury. Saratoga Springs District Attorney Karen Heggen issued the following statement:"Even though the Court's decision dismissed the indictment against Vito Caselnova, the Court has given our office leave to re-pres...

Bomb squad investigating 'suspicious item' at McNair Park in St. Charles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - A regional bomb squad is investigating a "suspicious item" Wednesday afternoon at McNair Park in St. Charles.The St. Charles Police Department announced the upper portion of McNair Park is closed as of 4 p.m. while crews investigate. Federal agents head operation on I-270 in St. Louis County It's unclear what exactly the item is, but crews want to ensure it is not an explosive device before the park reopens. The park has been cleared of visitors for the time being. This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.

Denver City Council passes East Colfax hotel financing, but bulk of new members vote no

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:36 GMT

A scaled-back plan to redevelop a dilapidated East Colfax hotel with the help of public funds moved forward on Monday, although it got a chillier reception from the Denver City Council than it did last year.In June 2022, the council voted 9-3 to support the redevelopment of the All Inn Motel at 3015 E. Colfax Ave. with tax increment financing, or TIF. That mechanism allows a developer to be reimbursed for certain costs by the additional tax revenue their project creates.At the time, property owner Inspire Investment Group, led by Brian Toerber, planned to renovate the existing 54-unit building and build an adjacent new structure, which would have 27 additional rooms and retail space.But a lender on the project backed out last year, forcing Toerber to come back to council this month with a new plan: Just renovate the existing building and skip the new structure.The vote was closer this time: eight in favor and five against.“I don’t believe that utilizing $3.3 million in city tax incr...