Suspect in bombing murder arrested
An Innisfail man was arrested and charged in the bombing murder of Vicky Shachtay on May 25.
Brian Malley is charged with first-degree murder, causing an explosion likely to cause serious bodily harm or death or serious damage to property and sending or delivering to a person an explosive device.
Shachtay was murdered in an explosion that rocked Innisfail on Nov. 25, 2011 when she opened a package delivered to her ground-level apartment that was triggered to explode. She was a single mother of one and had been confined to a wheelchair as a result of injuries she sustained in a vehicle accident in 2004 for which she purportedly received an insurance settlement.
During the press conference held at the Innisfail RCMP detachment May 28, her family confirmed that Malley was her financial adviser.
Police called the bombing murder rare and ìunlike any crime in Alberta and perhaps Canada.î
Forensics investigators could be spotted at Malley's home on 44 Avenue Close on May 25, the same day the arrest was made.
Within seven days of his arrest, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada terminated his registration. The IIROC said he was under investigation.
At the beginning of October, a class action suit was filed against him, his wife Christine Malley and Assante Wealth Management (Canada) Ltd., and Assante Capital Management Ltd., the investment company he was an adviser with, by the Calgary law firm Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP.
The statement of claim, which contains allegations not yet proven in court is seeking $50 million for losses, $20 million in general damages and $10 million in punitive damages on behalf of those who had money invested with Malley. They're alleging his wife was his supervisor and Assante did not supervise his investments properly.
Malley was released on $10,000 bail on June 28. His preliminary hearing for the murder and explosive-related charges is scheduled for September 2013.
Luke Ouellette ousted as MLA
Kerry Towle of the Wildrose Party beat incumbent Luke Ouellette in the April 23 provincial election.
While the Progressive Conservatives achieved a majority and maintained their status as the governing party, Towle became one of several new MLAs elected for Danielle Smith's Wildrose Official Opposition.
Unofficial results showed Towle got about 900 more votes than Ouellette did. Ouellette had been MLA of the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake constituency since 2001, including a stint as Transportation Minister.
Since Towle's election, she's taken on the role of caucus whip and seniors critic.
Hoa Dong La convicted
The former Innisfail RCMP officer who was charged with criminal harassment, extortion and mortgage fraud was found guilty on almost every count and sentenced to serve seven years in jail.
Hoa Dong La, 47, stood trial early in 2012 in Red Deer's Court of Queen's Bench for incidents that took place between 2003 and 2006. Evidence heard during trial showed the extortion and criminal harassment charges had to do with La's interaction with tenants at properties he owned in Bowden and Innisfail. The mortgage fraud charges related to four different properties in which he misled the banks as to the nature of who would occupy the homes and in one property's case falsified documents regarding renovations.
Justice David Gates delivered the guilty verdict on March 23 but sentencing took place on Aug. 31.
Victim impact statements detailed how La's tenants had been affected by his actions, which included continuing to fear La finding them.
Crown prosecutor Leah Boyd asked for nine years of jail as a sentence, while the defence team asked for a conditional sentence order, which would have allowed La to remain in the community while serving his time.
Gates decided on seven months jail for the former police officer. La resigned as an RCMP officer in June.
Phase 1 of downtown revitalization completed
In February, the green light was given to start the first phase of Main Street's facelift.
Since the road had to be ripped up to replace old water, sanitary sewer and storm lines, town council decided to redo the street as well.
Those upgrades included wider sidewalks and new lampposts.
Construction got underway at the end of May, which closed vehicle access along 50 Street from 51 Avenue to 49 Avenue.
Work finished off in September, with some business owners reporting significant impacts on their summer revenues while others said the shutdown didn't have an adverse effect.
The street was open in time for the second annual Weekend of Wheels, where the new design was complimented by event-goers.
Work is expected to continue in the summers of 2013 and 2014.
Council rejected a plan to compact the next two years' worth of work into one project in 2013 during its Sept. 24 meeting, quoting financial reasons for spreading the project over two more years. Mayor Jim Romane was the sole yes vote for the one-year proposal.
Big year in Innisfail sports
It was a good year for local hockey - the Innisfail Eagles got a new coach who's helped take the team to a better record and Innisfail produced an athlete to play for her country at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U-18 Women's World Championship.
Brian Sutter, a former NHL player and coach, was recruited to coach Innisfail's Sr. AA hockey club in August.
Sutter spent the previous five years coaching the Bentley Generals but parted ways with that outfit earlier in 2012.
The Eagles' board of directors sensed an opportunity and convinced the award-winning coach to help turn around Innisfail's ailing team.
Before they went on a holiday break, the Eagles boasted a 7-4 win-loss record, already outstripping the 2011/12 season's record of one win out of 24 games.
Meanwhile Taryn Baumgardt, 17, played for Team Alberta at the nationals in November and got the news she was heading to Finland to play on the national U-18 women's team.
Baumgardt, a defence player, had already donned the Team Canada jersey in the summer when she played a three-game series against Team USA as part of the selection process.
When she wasn't playing for her province or country, she started playing for the Warriors at Warner Hockey School. In November she signed a letter of intent to play for Quinnipiac University in Connecticut next year.
