Manslaughter conviction in Jasper homicide
After two years in the court system, Jasper鈥檚 first homicide in decades reached a resolution last week, when Cody Kyle Jensen was convicted of manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of Kenzie Beaton.
Jensen, 23, was originally charged with second-degree murder in the Jan. 28, 2012 stabbing at the Tonquin Inn, but, according to a Edmonton Journal article, he received a lesser conviction, May 8, when Judge June Ross found he had no intent to kill 21-year-old Beaton.
Both men were visiting Jasper for the weekend and were staying in adjacent rooms with an adjoining door. But, until there was a dispute over the noise coming from Beaton鈥檚 room at 4 a.m., they had never met. It was that dispute that resulted in the fatal stab wound to Beaton鈥檚 abdomen.
Jensen will receive his sentence Aug. 21.
Graffiti artist鈥檚 court appearance pushed back
Ryan McQuaid made his first appearance in court May 8, where he is facing 11 charges stemming from a swath of graffiti he allegedly painted across town.
The 33-year-old鈥檚 appearance was brief; he stood before Judge D.C. Norheim only long enough for his case to be moved to the next Jasper court date, to give McQuaid time to review additional documents related to his case.
In a brief conversation with Norheim, McQuaid鈥檚 lawyer suggested the possibility that the crown might agree to resolve the case through 鈥渁lternative measures,鈥� but nothing will be officially decided until McQuaid鈥檚 May 22 court appearance.
Measles in North zone
Alberta Health Services has confirmed its first case of measles in the North zone. The individual is in Fort McMurray and could have infected any number of people, as the virus is highly contagious.
This comes after AHS declared a measles outbreak in its Calgary, Edmonton and Central zones, April 29.
Measles symptoms include fevers of 38.3 C or higher, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a red blotchy rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts.
Unlike most other respiratory viruses that spread through droplets of bodily fluids like saliva, measles spreads through the air, and can survive for as long as two hours in a closed room.
There is no treatment, but it can be prevented through immunization. AHS is encouraging anyone who hasn鈥檛 been immunized to do so now.
Bike Town鈥檚 back
Freewheel Cycle is once again hosting the Great Bike Giveaway, a competition that gives students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 the opportunity to win one of three cruisers.
The giveaway is part of Bike Town, an Environment Week program that Freewheel has supported, in partnership with the Jasper Environmental Stewardship Program, for the past 10 years.
To enter to win a bike, students are asked to write a letter about why biking is a great way to get around, and to drop it off at Freewheel by Monday, May 26.
The winners will be announced during Environment Week, June 1鈥�7.
