A woman caught smuggling drugs into the Drumheller Institution was given a conditional sentence order after pleading guilty.
    Kimberly Robinson appeared in Provincial Court in Drumheller on Friday, January 13 for sentencing.  She pleaded guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking.
    On December 18, 2010 Robinson attended to the Drumheller Institution to visit her stepson at about 10:30 a.m. She was searched by a drug dog, which alerted staff. Robinson admitted to having contraband, and was strip-searched by two female corrections officers. Their search revealed a package wrapped in Saran and a condom, containing 30.5 grams of marijuana on her person. The institutional value of the seizure was about $1,525.
    Federal Prosecutor Colin Kloot argued for a six-month sentence.  He said
a situation where drugs are being brought into a institution is always aggravating because of the effect introducing drugs has on the inmate, other inmates and staff, and the primary goal of sentencing in these cases is deterrence and denunciation. Robinson’s pre-sentence report was described as positive, and Kloot said there was not any need for rehabilitation.
    Defense for Robinson, Dale Slaferek argued that the principles of sentencing could be satisfied by a community disposition. Mitigating factors included that she made an early guilt plea and that marijuana is, he described, a “soft” drug.
Judge Gaschler agreed that a conditional sentence was appropriate in this case.
    Robinson was sentenced to a two-year conditional sentence order. For the first nine months, she will be subject to a curfew and she was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

    John Kolvenbach’s Love Song, a one-act reverie on the redemptive power of love, will be breathing life into audiences at the Studio Stage in Rosebud, January 27-28.
     This is the story of Beane, an oddball young man in exile from life. His successful and driven sister, Joan, along with her husband, Harry, try to make time for him in their busy lives, but no one can get through. Following a burglary at Beane’s apartment, Joan is baffled to find her brother blissfully happy and tries to unravel the story behind his mysterious new love, Molly.
Funny, enchanting and wonderfully touching, John Kolvenbach’s offbeat comedy is a rhapsody to the power of love in all its forms.
     Rosebud School of the Arts student Conrad Belau not only stars in Love Song as Beane, but is producing the show as his graduation project.  Originally from Outlook, Saskatchewan, Belau may be remembered from his memorable performances on the Rosebud Theatre stage in Jake and the Kid, A Bright Particular Star, and The Secret Garden.
    In choosing this play, Belau was inspired by Kolvenbach’s call to engage life in all of its fullness, both the good and the bad.
    “This is a play that doesn’t look away at life. Instead it takes a courageous and hopeful look at a reclusive and mentally unstable young man, and his sister’s faltering marriage, and says, ‘This is how the world is’”, said Belau. “Now what would happen if we added something called ‘love’ to the mix?’ The end result is incredible and will leave audiences with a challenge as well as a reward.”
     Supporting Conrad in this leap toward graduation is an entire team of Rosebud students, alumni and company members, including the hilarious Mike Thiessen (Rosebud Theatre: The Gifts of the Magi, Jake and the Kid) who keeps audiences in stitches, Aaron Krogman (Rosebud Theatre: The Gifts of the Magi, A Bright Particular Star) who leaves his acting shoes behind to step into the role of director, and Paul Zacharias (Rosebud Theatre: Jake and the Kid, The Diary of Adam and Eve) who is composing an original score for the show.
    The show runs January 27 and 28 at the Rosebud Studio Stage. Due to mature subject matter Love Song is not recommended for children under 14 years of age.