Page 17

When Hobbema resident Vern Spence noticed the one thing important to him - a life with his family which was slowly slipping away - he decided to take steps to correct it.

Once the operations manager at the Panee Agriplex at Hobbema, Vern was admittedly a workaholic where family life was secondary to his job.

Before turning into a workaholic, he admits to having a drinking problem for a long time.

He simply liked to drink, so much in fact that it began to interfere with his personal life.

That was 15 years ago.

Page 5

Almost two months after being stabbed, a Samson band member has died and another 19 year old man from the reserve has been charged with second-degree murder.

Wetaskiwin RCMP say David Daniel Omeasoo, 41 died in the University Hospital on Saturday, Au. 19.

Omeasoo had been stabbed in a fight at a house on the Samson reserve, located 90 km south of Edmonton.

He lived approximately one and a half months before dying.

Omeasoo is the son of former Samson band chief Jim Omeasoo, who served as chief up until this summer.

Page 5

A counselling service geared to help Native families has been established in the city.

The objective of the service called 'Free Spirit Counselling' is to strengthen family relations by providing counselling and practical help to parents in their own homes.

Free Spirit Counselling was created by two Native social workers, Brenda Thomas and Judy Lecompte, who both see a real need within Native families to strengthen communication

between members.

The Free Spirit Counselling service started in June after eight months of planning.

Page 4

A gasoline spill on Highway 63 is keeping local residents near the village of Wandering River on edge.

Lac La Biche RCMP confirmed that on Aug. 16 at approximately 4:15 p.m. A Trimac Transportation tanker truck with a pup-trailer tavelling south-bound on Highway 63, overturned

into a ditch, spilling 43,000 litres of gasoline.

The accident occurred about 15 km from the village.

Page 4

Six Native organization projects will benefit from the $24.9 million that was approved by the Community Facility Enhancement Program detailed in a tabled report at the legislature

last Thursday.

There were a total of 686 projects approved for funding under the program.

The three-year program, drawing from a $100 million pot of provincial lottery funding was announced last October by Premier Don Getty and Ken Kowalski, administrator of the

grants.

Page 3

Saddle Lake residents hope their new leaders will pave the way for change on their northern Alberta reserve.

According to optimistic band members of the Saddle Lake reserve, they could be in store for long awaited road improvements now that a new administration is in place.

Ben Houle, co-owner of Houle and Cardinal Bus Lines, believes the new chief and council have the potential to boost band moral and complete vital projects that have been put off

for more than two years.

Page 2

There are no villains or criminals responsible for the abduction of Lila McCarthy's children, admits a social service spokesman for the Indian Association of Alberta.

The system is to blame, however, he says.

When Percy Potts speaks about the government's social service policies concerning Native people in Alberta there is a sadness in his tone.

He's not disheartened about case workers apprehending the three young Kehewin youths on the reserve because they claim the children were in danger.

Page 1

A 20 year old Blood Reserve man is almost speechless at being refused medical treatment following his arrest Friday by the Pincher Creek RCMP.

Willis Beebe, nursing a jaw broken in two places and speaking quietly through closed teeth, is upset because RCMP did not allow him to see a doctor after they arrested him for

public intoxication.

Beebe said he asked RCMP officers on a least two separate occasions if he could get medical attention because of a beating he received earlier in the evening.

Page 1

The provincial government has put up for sale the land of four Indian communities near the west-central town of Grand Cache to collect on outstanding property taxes.

On Aug. 11, members of four Native co-operative housing projects on the outskirts of Grande Cache, located 450 km west of Edmonton received notice their land would be put up

for auction on Sept. 15.

As of Aug. 23, that was the scenario still facing over 300 members who live in the housing projects.

Page 1

The grieving parents of a recently-buried Kehewin youth, are shocked by the loss of their three remaining children who they accuse government workers of abducting last Friday.

They have accused social service workers of using deceit to take their children from a prearranged foster home located on the reserve.

Lila McCarthy and her common-law husband Vernon Soloway were still mourning the death of their three-year son Dallas, killed in a recent car accident, when they received word