A Stettler man was given a 12-month conditional sentence order after pleading guilty to moving more than two kilograms of marijuana.
    Jason Snodgrass, 38, was in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, March 15. He had pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance for the purposes of trafficking on a previous date and had returned for sentencing.
    The court heard how on February 16 of last year, the RCMP was patrolling Highway 21 when they observed Snodgrass in a white pick-up truck travelling north. Police noticed some erratic driving and dim taillights.
    When police stopped Snodgrass they noted he had trouble finding his documentation. They also smelled a strong odor of fresh marijuana.
    They discovered a small amount of marijuana, as well as some rolling papers and a grinder.  Upon a further search, RCMP discovered a backpack with anabolic steroids and a storage container with six bags of marijuana in it. The total weight of the marijuana discovered was 2.392 kilograms.
    The RCMP also discovered $1,400 in cash and two cell phones with messages relating to the drug trade.
    Snodgrass had no previous record and had received a favourable presentence report. Defense for Snodgrass, Alain Hepner of Calgary said his client has a history of using marijuana for pain relief and was not a supplier, but simply a courier.
    Federal Prosecutor Colin Kloot and Hepner were joined in their recommendation for a 12-month conditional sentence order. For the first 12 months, Snodgrass is to remain under house arrest, and for the remainder of his sentence, he is to abide by a curfew.

    A little girl who has been dealing with health issues since she was five months old, is taking the next step on her journey and is one step closer to a normal childhood.
   Opal Walsh, who has been on dialysis since she was five months old and is now almost two,  has a transplant date and donor set for a new kidney.
    The donor is her mother, Wendy.
    “We have a transplant booking for May 28,” said her mother Wendy. “It has been a struggle, she has had lots of hospital stays and surgeries for complications and infections.”
    The challenge for the family over the last year and a half was for Opal to gain the needed weight and health so she could receive a kidney transplant. Right now, her goal is to prepare for her surgery.
 The family still sees a long road ahead. They will be in the hospital a few days before to get prepared. Wendy’s surgery will take about four hours, and Opal’s will take about eight. Opal will be in ICU for about three nights, and both mother and child will need time to heal. Wendy will be recovering for at least three weeks.
     Opal's struggles captured the heart of Drumheller residents. Opal, daughter of Wendy and Chris, was just months old when her parents thought she had an allergic reaction. She was admitted to the Children’s Hospital where her parents learned the child’s kidneys were failing.
     At five months old, Baby Opal was fighting for her life. The family faced months in and out of hospitals and seeing specialists. Opal has been undergoing constant dialysis since.
  The community rallied in support of the young family as they faced these challenges, and held a number of events to raised funds to make sure the family could take proper care of Opal.
    Opal currently has 12 hours of dialysis every night as well as two daytime exchanges.
     “It is a new door, it is relief she will no longer be on dialysis, and that will be a big deal for Opal,” Wendy explained.
    To get to this point has been a struggle for Opal. Most recently in January and February, she was in the hospital with a blood infection. She needed surgery to have her hemodialysis line removed and she is on a regiment of antibiotics.
    After the May 28 surgery, mother and daughter will take the time to heal and look forward to the possibilities the transplant will bring.