Red Deer Advocate from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada • 2

5 19 2 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 00 2 A2, Wednesday, RED DEER Oct. 28. ADVOCATE 1998 UP FRONT Robberies: Assaults up, too Continued from Page Al Checkout counters should be out in plain view and easily seen from outside. Posting signs that say a minimum amount of money is in the cash register also helps. It isn't just robberies that are on the rise.

There have been 609 common assaults so far this year, compared to 483 for 1997. "From that standpoint, crimes against people have increased." Last year there were 660 break and enters while 614 have been logged so far this year with two months remaining in the year. Thief sent to jail for holdup A Red Deer man. who hitched a ride and told the driver he robbed a convenience store, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday. Robert Luis Novak.

44. was sentenced to 2 years in jail, when he appeared in Red Deer provincial court, after pleading guilty to robbing the 7-Eleven Food Store at 5925 54th Ave. Oct. 10. Judge Douglas Crowe heard Novak entered the store around 1:20 p.m.

and demanded cash from a clerk. "The clerk asked him if he was joking and the accused said he was serious." Crown prosecutor Bert Skinner said. No weapon was used. Skinner said. Novak fled on foot with about $250 in cash and flagged a passing car down for a ride.

When the woman driver passed a speeding police cruiser she noticed Novak had crouched down in the passenger seat and shed a hat and jacket he was wearing. When the woman asked why Novak did this he said he has just committed a robbery. Skinner said. Novak turned himself into Innisfail RCMP two days later and was charged. He has been in custody since his arrest.

Defence lawyer Kevin Sproule said it was perhaps the least sophisticated robbery he has heard of in his career. "It was almost like panhandling." Sproule said. Novak also pleaded guilty to driving while suspended and failing to attend court in connection with a Feb. 21 driving infraction near Westlock. about 70 km north of Edmonton.

Novak was also prohibited from possessing firearms, explosives or ammunition for 10 years. A-Channel: Tower up soon Continued from Page Al "We normally get tremendous ratings from them. so they are very popular." the A-Channel is only available on cable today, by mid- to late November a transmission tower should be up so those using antennas can tune in. Today won't be the first time many viewers have tuned into the A- Channel. Since last winter, local homes have been able to pick up A-Channel's Edmonton Oilers games.

That was a special deal worked out with Shaw Cable after local hockey fans cried foul when they realized I -Channel wouldn't be going on the air until this year. The A-Channel initially bypassed TV screens in Central Alberta and other communities outside Calgary and Edmonton because the new channel's owners agreed to stay out of smaller markets for a year. It was part of a deal made when Craig Broadcasting Systems applied for a broadcasting licence from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The delay was a nod to competitors, such as RDTV, who opposed the new channel, fearing it would cut into their advertising revenues. Haskins said over the last three weeks almost all of Alberta has been hooked up to the A-Channel.

RDTV general manager Lloyd Lewis isn't worried about having a new competitor in Red Deer. Most of the business RDTV was going to lose to the A-Channel was already lost over the last year as they competed for advertisers in the Edmonton and Calgary markets. "I guess at this point in time we have experienced the erosion that we would have experienced (by a new channel)," he said. While there's no doubt some advertising will be lost locally to the new channel, he pointed out that A-Channel is not based out of Red Deer In that sense, it's little different than ITV or CFRN-TV, companies RDTV is already competing against. "It's not like we have another Red Deer service that's starting up," he said.

"At this point in time it's not that big a deal." Besides, dealing with new channels on the dial is something TV stations have had to deal with a lot over the last few years, he said, referring to all of the new channels packaged by cable companies. More channel juggling will take place Nov. 1 when TSN moves from cable 16 to cable 10 and from Tier 1 to basic cable service. SportsNet moves to 16 from 10 and becomes part of the Tier 1 cable package at WEATHER REGIONAL OUTLOOK Red Deer, Ponoka, Olds, Three Hills: Today, increasing cloud. 30 per cent chance afternoon showers.

Wind becoming northwest 30: northeast 30 this afternoon. High 12. Tonight, clearing. Wind light westerly. Low -4.

Thursday, mainly sunny. Light west wind. High 8. Friday. mainly sunny.

Low -6. High 7. Saturday, partly cloudy. Low -4. High 8.

Sunday. partly cloudy. Low -6. High 8. Calgary: Today.

increasing cloud. 30 per cent chance showers. Wind northwest 30: northeast 30 this afternoon. High 12. Tonight.

clearing. Wind light westerly. Low -4. Thursday. mainly sunny.

Light west wind. High 8. Rocky Mountain House, David Thompson Highway: Today, mainly cloudy. 30 per cent chance showers or wet snow. Wind north 30.

High 9. Tonight. clearing this evening. Light west wind. Low -6.

Thursday. mainly sunny. Light west wind. High 5. Banff National Park, Kananaskis, Canmore: Today, mainly cloudy.

10 per cent chance of showers or wet snow Wind northwest 30 High 9. Tonight. clearing this evening. Light west wind. Low -5.

Thursday, mainly sunny. Light west wind. High 6. Lethbridge. Today, increasing cloud: 60 per cent chance showers.

Wind west 30. High 15. Tonight. partly cloudy: 40 per cent chance showers. Wind Doctors opt for salary in trial CALGARY (CP) Starting in December, six doctors working together at a family practice will be paid by the number of patients they have rather than on a fee-for-service basis.

The 14,000 patients at the Crowfoot Village clinic will be asked to formally enrol with the practice, agreeing to see only their doctors rather than shop around from one physician's office and walk-in clinic to another. In return, the doctors say they will provide more comprehensive care, including telephone consultations, health information and illness prevention, as well as reminders for periodic health checks. The pilot project is being set up under the auspices of Alberta Health, the Alberta Medical Association and regional health authorities. "The incentive for us is to be rewarded for keeping our patients healthy." said Dr. Debra Putnam, one of the partners.

"The flip side is that if patients don't get excellent care, they don't have to stay in the practice." The contract isn't binding and patients can leave after three months or still see doctors elsewhere. But except for seeing specialists, if they see another doctor the fee charged to Alberta Health by the other physician will be billed back to the Crowfoot Village practice. Patient Beth Reimer-Heck welcomed the project, saying doctors will be looking at preventing illness and providing families with comprehensive care. She was especially excited about having telephone advice available. "There are often times when you're Biochemistry lab added at CUC By CAMERON KENNEDY Advocate staff The science lab might be small and its staff few in number, but its quality not quantity that counts at Canadian University College.

The college recently hired Dr. Laurence Wong, a leading researcher at the University of Calgary for the past 12 years, to head its new biochemistry department. It also purchased a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine for its lab. Located Lacombe, students attend Canadian University College, which offers three- and four-year bachelor degrees in the liberal arts. In spite of his teaching position, Wong says he is still interested in research and hopes to provide some research opportunities at the college.

"CUC has indicated that they are eager to support research," says Wong, whose research at the of focused on diabetes. "I will try to maintain and foster new ties with the of C. of Agriculture Canada and Loma Linda." Wong, a graduate of Loma Linda University in the United States, says the PCR gives CUC students an edge. "The students at the of don't have a access to this kind of equipment," says Wong. "They get theoretical lectures on it, of actually doing this kind of laboratory work on the large scale of public university classes is just too high." A single PCR machine costs between $5,000 and $20,000.

Science classes at public universities can have anywhere from 10 to 400 students. Wong teaches three classes with only five to 10 students in each. The PCR is an important tool, Wong says, because it helps scientists transforms one molecule of DNA into a billion molecules in about two and a half hours. This saves time and precious biological samples. Small class sizes and new equipment give him more freedom to tailor the biochemistry program, Wong says.

This year his students are working on graduate-level labs designed for the PCR. "All the students in my class are pre-professionals premed and pre-dentistry," says Wong. "And so I tend to lean towards not sure if you should bring your child in or not," she said. "This is a step toward the kind of relationship I would want to have with a family doctor." Details of the salary arrangement for the doctors are still being negotiated with Alberta Health, said partner Dr. Peggy Aufricht.

Currently, doctors are paid $22.19 for an office visit, with a complete physical paying $39.83. Telephone consultations are not paid for by Alberta Health. Once it's up and running, another half dozen pilot projects will be tested around the province, said Putnam. The only similar project currently running is a rural plan in Bassano, about 150 km east of Calgary, where two doctors are paid a fixed fee to see patients in the area. Photo by RANDY staff Laurence Wong supervises experiment by Erika Buckley the medical field.

That's why we are using blood instead of looking at a dog or something that isn't as relative." Wong says it would be nice if somebody could graduate from the biochemistry department in the future. However, the more immediate goal, he says, is to insure students can take biochemistry courses every year instead of on alternate years as in the past. HIV victims still waiting for promised payoff TORONTO (CP) About 100 victims of HIV-tainted blood are still waiting for compensation seven months after they were promised lump sum payments of $120,000 by Health Minister Allan Rock. "I have no idea why we have had to wait so long." Bernadette Roy, 64, a former teacher and school trustee in Ottawa, told the Toronto Star. Roy is among secondarily infected victims: spouses and children infected with TODAY TONIGHT THURSDAY FRIDAY HIGH 12 LOW -4 TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY CROSS-CANADA HIGH LOW PREC Red Deer 18 Rocky Mountain House 15 4 Three Hills 18 00 Sundre 18 00 Drumheller 18 00 18 Calgary Edmonton ethbridge Medicine Hat Vancouver 40 Victoria 14 4 Saskatoon Wimped Toronto 18 0 0 00 00 0 0 0 0 Ottawa 18 4 Montreal 15 Yellowante 5 8 west 20.

Low 0. Thursday, mainly sunny. High 8. Coronation, Stettler, Hanna, Provost, Oyen: To- day, increasing cloud. Wind south 40: northwest 30 this afternoon.

High 14. Tonight, clearing. Wind northwest 20. Low -2. Thursday, mainly sunny.

Wind northwest 20: southwest 20. High 8. Edmonton: Today, mainly cloudy: 30 per cent chance showers. Becoming sunny. Wind west 30.

High 10. Tonight. few clouds. Wind west 20. Low -3.

Thursday, mainly sunny: increasing cloud. Wind southwest 20. High 8. Hinton, Jasper National Park: Today, mainly sunny. Wind west 20.

High 6. Tonight, mainly clear: increasing cloud. Light wind. Low -5. tawa and the provinces that has tied up the hepatitis settlement.

But not a single cheque has been sent. "We acknowledge there has been a delay in the issuance of cheques and we are taking all necessary steps to rectify the situation," said Derek Kent, a spokesman for Rock. "We agree it has taken far too long and that's why we're working very hard with our provincial partners to bring this to a close." HIV by immediate were themselves tainted with the virus Roy was infected by settlement March, at the same package tims of hepatitis C. Federal officials HIV victims' money avoid the kind of family members who infected through blood that causes AIDS. her late husband.

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Sunrise Thursday: 7:26 a.m. Thursday, mainly cloudy; 30 per cent chance showers or snow. Wind west 20. High 6. Grande Prairie: Today, clearing.

Wind west 40. High 9. Tonight, few clouds. Wind west 20. Low -5.

Thursday, mainly cloudy; 30 per cent chance showers or snow. Light northeast wind. High 4. Fort McMurray: Today, mainly cloudy; afternoon showers. Wind southeast 30: west 30.

High 11. Tonight, mainly clear. Low -5. Thursday, increasing cloud: 30 per cent chance of late day showers. High 6.

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