New Developments in Torch Mess
Assault charges were dropped last week
against a 19-year-old Kitchener woman for the altercation between torch security and protesters
during the Olympic torch's run through Downtown Guelph on December 28th. As
reported in the Mercury, a new charge of mischief was made against Brittney
Simpson. The assault charge was dropped because there was “no reasonable
prospect of conviction” according to Assistant Crown attorney Steve Hamilton. A
second person arrested in relation to the incident is still facing an assault
charge with an additional mischief charge filed against her in court last
Monday. Both Simpson and Kelly Pflug-Back from Guelph will be back
in court on March 5th.
In other Torch related news, Guelph Police
said last week that there was no evidence to support Pflug-Back’s charge that
she was assaulted by torch security during the protest. Guelph Police spokesperson Const. Michael Gatto said that the
police have two videos of the incident provided to them. “They both had
different angles of the scene,” Gatto said of the videos. “Neither video showed
any evidence of an assault that took place to match up with what Kelly
Pflug-Back was describing.” Pflug-Back, meanwhile, is sticking to her guns.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “There is a hospital record of the contusion on my
lip. I was punched.”
Guelph Goes Google Street View
Guelph can now count itself among the lucky few, one of 150 Canadian cities,
that can see itself in full detail on Google Street View. “I am so pleased that we are on the map, so to speak,” said
Christine Chapman, program and partnership co-ordinator with Guelph Tourism
Services at the City of Guelph. Canada just became a part of the Google app early
last year despite the occasionally controversial nature of the program due to
its highly detailed photography. Cars equipped with special cameras took the
images of Guelph last spring and summer, which explains why
when you look at different areas of the city some trees have no leaves and
others are lush and green. To check out Street View for yourself, just go to maps.google.ca, type in an
address, drag the little orange man on to the area of the map you want to see
the street view of and enjoy.
Perfect Attendance Goes To…
The numbers on attendance for city council
from 2009 are in, and the winner of the perfect attendance award is Mayor Karen
Farbridge. The Mayor’s stats include face time at 38 council meetings, 27 closed
meetings and 46 committee meetings. Ward 5 Councillor Leanne Piper also had an
impressive finish with 38 council meetings, 27 closed meetings and every
meeting of the CDES and land ambulance committees. Not included in the count
however were meetings missed while councillors were representing the City at
meetings or conferences. As well, it should be pointed out that aside from the
Mayor, city councillors have to, you know, work a job and make a living since
being a city councillor is only a part time gig.
Crime Beat
In follow-up to an item in The Beat last
month, the mysterious case of an 83-year-old man charged with several incidents
of anti-Semitic graffiti, saw our octogenarian tagger plead guilty in court
last week. Max Mahr of Guelph was arrested and charged on September
30, 2009, with five counts of mischief under $5,000, with an additional
charge of wilful promotion of hate being laid following a further police
investigation. No word on sentencing, although all parties are due back in
court on March 8 for a pre-sentencing report.
No comments:
Post a Comment