Again with the melting and the ice and the slipping?!

Good morning, Edmonton. There’s a little action on the downtown front, about LRT and arenas, the Shaw Conference Centre, so it seems renewing the core is still a big deal. Hey, Envision Edmonton’ due back in court today. Yay?

Let’s roll!

The case of Kirk Steele gets more interesting at every turn. And this case has been going on for some time. Steele was shot a number of times after stabbing a police dog during an arrest. He was shot so many times the judge ended up throwing out most of the charges against him for “excessive force.” Steele then applied to the courts to have the police officer who shot him charged. A judge actually said there was evidence to have the crown pursue a charge of aggravated assault. That’s not something that happens often in the court system. Now the Crown Attorney says they won’t charge the officer.

There’s some neighbourhood outreach and empowerment happening on 118 Avenue.

Winter Light might get a whole lot more, umm, winter lighty, with a big event in Churchill Square January and February.

While the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) wants to push the Shaw Conference Centre down the hill and close to the river, the mayor’s got an idea I prefer. He think we should build more convention space across from the Shaw, on the north side of Jasper with a hotel on top of it. That would solve your convention space and hotel needs in one building.

On the gas tax arena thing I’m not so much in agreement. When is it worth getting that upset over a federal party trying to buy votes in Quebec? Unless you would have just used gas tax money for an arena, instead of LRT…oh…

Speaking of LRT. Governments should get their acts together and fund it.

McDougall United Church is likely getting some cash from the City. Mostly to help preserve a historical building.

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Following up on a CBC story about potential fraud at the school on the Enoch Cree Nation, it appears there’s a split between those on and supporting the new council and those with the old.

A new committee looking at the environmental impact of the oilsands has a new water expert.

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The U of A is funding apps for that.

Good morning, Edmonton. How’s the return to cold been for you?

Just because it isn’t snowing doesn’t mean your work is done. You’ve got make sure sidewalks at your home or business are ice-free. If you get a ticket, maybe just tell the City you’re dealing with a once-every-two-decade winter and will need a little longer.

The Mayor has launched his neighbourhood revitalization task force. The group has the rest of the year to look at how to keep our older, core neighbourhoods in the best shape possible and make them places people continually live in. The biggest challenge, after you look at the basics like streets and sidewalks, is going to be dealing with a public school board that is closing schools in the same communities.

Alright, enough about snow and streets…

Friends and family are identifying the young man shot dead by police over the weekend. Edmonton police say the 17-year-old wielded a baseball bat and a knife and charged at an officer.

This woman says she can’t send her grand-daughter to school because the snowy sidewalks are keeping her from being able to use her wheelchair. I’m curious to see if the story, which is popping up in most newsrooms, will force the school board to give in.

An Edmonton publisher has caught the ire of Child Find Manitoba for publishing an unaffiliated Child Find magazine.

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There are no recommendations for police after an inquiry into the car crash that killed a woman and her three daughters. That doesn’t mean things don’t change. It’s just that RCMP have since made adjustments to how they react to stolen vehicles.

The Alberta government has started its own video webcast. While some see it as a PR move to circumvent the traditional news media, I bet it’s really in preparation for the departure of Lynda Steele. Edmonton TV just ain’t gonna cut it anymore.

Oil back at $100. Put your boom pants on.

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A couple of new things for you to surf over to, or watch for links from…

Mack’s already one of Edmonton’s longest-serving bloggers, and he recently added a Tumblr to his online arsenal (he updates it more than most people even tweet), and he’s going to start looking at “media.” That’s an ever-evolving term so I threw it in brackets.

And students of MacEwan’s journalism program are testing their skills with some realtime publishing with a west Edmonton website (as opposed to just assignments and projects). The program sits in that giant orange MacEwan building on 156 Street, between Stony Plain Road and 100 Avenue, so west Edmonton is their hub.

Did you buy a toque this morning? What about this afternoon?

Are you excited, Edmonton?

I’m talking about the provincial budget, of course. It’s revealed tomorrow. So, that makes today Provincial Budget Eve.

That’s the night when all the organizations and agencies that are funded, in whole or in part, by the provincial government fall into an uneasy sleep. They’ll dream of the Finance Minister, riding his magical sleigh, piled high with calculators and budget books. While they dream, the real minister will be dropping little notes into their stockings. It will either be continued funding, possibly even more funding (probably not in this economy), or a big red cut to their funding.

Exciting!

Or terrifying.

It depends how much you like stuff provided by the provincial government.

At least these guys appreciate what the pending cuts, and the cuts in the 90s, are all about.

In lighter news, they’re still talking about our new art gallery over here.

from the Edmonton Journal:

Old Strathcona alliance fights city plans to develop parking lot

Hertz car-sharing division launches first Canadian outlet at U of A (This, plus the car-sharing co-op, and you’d think everyone here isn’t driving giant trucks.)

Couple falls down condo ‘rabbit hole’

A flurry of government communication, lacking only co-ordination

The race is on, and the choices as of now are, well, diverse (There’s also an online push for Raj Pannu.)

from the Edmonton Sun:

Schools may face closure

Groups fear drastic cuts (Mmm…budget cuts…)

Mounties to stay on highway beat

Alberta sees year-over-year decrease in beer sales (What is going on?!)

from 630CHED/iNews880:

LRT extension testing may cause some delays (But it will be worth it when we get sweet, sweet LRT.)

Edmonton housing starts up from a year ago

from CBC Edmonton:

Province to consult on new Health Act

Alberta challenges move to one securities regulator (Because scammers never cross a provincial border. It’s like a velvet rope to them.)

from Global Edmonton:

Dodge-off (Remember the 5 Ds!)