A Drumheller woman received several injuries Jan. 3 after her ex-boyfriend assaulted her.
Police were called to the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre at 1:30 a.m. to speak with a 31-year-old woman from Drumheller who suffered injuries to her head, neck and wrist. The woman was visiting her ex, a 37-year-old Ponoka man, when, after drinking wine together, the man became angry and started throwing her personal belongings out of his home.
He took one set of her keys and when she attempted to leave, tackled her, put her in a headlock and bashed her head on the floor. She was able to escape to a friend’s house before she was taken to the hospital.
It is reported she had three cups of wine and he imbibed four bottles of wine before assaulting her. There is a history of violence in the relationship: the man previously assaulted the woman in February in Drayton Valley.
The man was charged with assault and has received several conditions including no alcohol, no contact with the victim and not to be in contact with any firearms. Four firearms were seized from the residence and the man turned in ammunition. He was released on $500 cash recognizance for the most recent occurrence and $250 for the February altercation.
There was a previous no contact order between the two.
Barn roof collapses
The Ponoka Fire Department received a call of a collapsed barn roof Jan. 5 at 5:30 a.m. on Secondary Highway 795 west of Highway 2.
A portion of the barn roof collapsed but there were no other details at press time. It is believed the barn holds more than 200 head of cattle and those animals were moved to a farm east of Ponoka to provide assistance. Heavy snow may have been a factor in the collapse.
Power pole collision
Power was out in some parts of Ponoka Dec. 30 after a semi-trailer backed into a power pole in the alleyway behind IGA. The pole was broken in such a way that it was almost hanging from the wires.
A 41-year-old driver from Innisfail was charged with backing unsafely.
Marijuana found in vehicle
An expired licence plate helped nab a man Dec. 27 at 2:45 p.m. in possession of marijuana.
A 51-year-old Ponoka man was driving a black 2009 Volvo sedan on 57 Avenue when police noticed the expired licence plate. He was pulled over and the officer sensed the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The driver admitted to having consumed the drug prior and was charged with possession of a controlled substance and he received a ticket for driving a vehicle with an expired licence plate.
Snowmobiles on private property
Police responded to a call of snowmobiles on a property on Range Road 263 and Township Road 430 Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. The homeowner called police to ask officers to speak with the riders but as the cruiser approached, they left the scene.
Break and enter
Staff at a business on the 4200 block of 67 Street were able to stop culprits from stealing anything Jan. 4 at 9 p.m.
Suspects broke a window to get into the business but employees were still working so the culprits fled. There are no witnesses to identify who broke in.
Party bus gets stuck
A wrong turn for a party bus gave 35 passengers an inconvenient few hours Jan. 5. The driver of the bus took a wrong turn and become stuck in the snow on Range Road 243 at 12:30 a.m.
Police arrived at the scene to assist while taxis ferried the passengers to a safe place. The snow was high enough that officers parked a distance away and walked over to help. One passenger became so concerned he kept calling 911 for help, until he realized they were already outside helping. It was minus 28 degrees C at the time.
If you have information on any crime, call Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.