Latest news with #Beltline
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
‘I hope you remember her face': Mother addresses man who killed daughter in random Calgary stabbing
Michael Adenyi was found guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Vanessa Ladouceur. (Court exhibit photo) It was a highly emotional day in court for the mother of Vanessa Ladouceur, who addressed Michael Adenyi, the man who stabbed her daughter to death in a random attack in Calgary's Beltline three years ago. A jury found Adenyi, 29, guilty of first-degree murder last month in the death of Ladouceur, 30, on March 18, 2022. He was captured on surveillance video around 6:30 a.m. following the woman for roughly two blocks while she walked to work at a fitness facility along 10th Avenue S.E. before tackling her into an alcove. She was stabbed eight times in 11 seconds with a large kitchen knife, with many blows to her head and neck. 'The fact you, Michael, just butchered her there and left her to die on the street like some animal is incomprehensible,' Erika Ladouceur said during sentencing submissions Thursday. 'I hope you remember her beautiful face every time you see the scars on your hand or look in the mirror and never get the chance to hurt someone else again.' She described the traumatic experience of identifying her daughter's body in the hospital after the attack. 'I remember just standing there not understanding why her beautiful blonde hair was red,' she recalled through sobs. 'The pain I feel every day since then is immeasurable.' Ladouceur was born and lived in Toronto but moved to Calgary with her mother and sister when she was around two years old. Her mother said her daughter had just moved into an apartment months before her death, loved the mountains and would paint portraits and landscapes. She said she was spiritual and passionate about poetry and politics. 'She was a deeply sensitive loving and giving person,' she said. 'She understood the importance of giving back and being humble.' Ladouceur's mother told the court her daughter also felt strongly about helping the homeless and improving animal welfare, recalling that she memorized Martin Luther King's famous 'I Had a Dream' speech. 'She wanted to make a difference in this world and was just fearless,' she said. ''Who am I without her? I will never see her walk down the aisle or hold my grandchild.' Adenyi sat listening in the prisoner's box and had no signs of emotion. 'All the dreams that I had as a mother for my child, destroyed in 12 seconds,' she said. 'Losing her is so profound it is impossible to put in words.' 'She was an innocent victim': Judge addresses Adenyi A conviction for first-degree murder in Canada carries a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Justice Jane Sidnell also imposed a lifetime firearms ban, describing the crime against a stranger as 'heinous.' 'She was going to work and you took her life. You destroyed her life and it's obvious to me that you have also destroyed the life of those who knew it,' she told Adenyi. 'She was an innocent victim.' Adenyi's defence claimed he was in the midst of a psychotic episode and was not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. He told the court during the trial he was hallucinating and believed he was attacking animalistic and demonic creatures and told the jury he would take hour-long showers to drown out voices in his head. In May, a jury deliberated for 12 hours before rejecting the not criminally responsible plea and convicting him of first-degree murder. The defence said Adenyi showed all the hallmarks of schizophrenia and had been prescribed antipsychotic drugs, however, Crown prosecutors argued he lied to police and mental health professionals to avoid facing consequences for the killing. Throughout the five-week trial, the jury was shown disturbing and bizarre evidence, including two red notebooks found in a backpack Adenyi was seen on surveillance footage dumping in an alley garbage bin. The books included writings like 'Death Note,' 'Three people to kill,' and 'Beat three times, rape, torture.' Adenyi's internet search history also revealed searches for 'How strong is a human skull?' and 'How much blood loss can a person handle?' A small group of Adenyi's family was in court for the sentencing Thursday but declined to comment.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Atlanta Beltline plans 12-month driverless vehicles pilot program
The Brief The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority has approved a new pilot program that would bring autonomous Beep shuttles to parts of the Atlanta Beltline. The 12-month test would link the Atlanta University Center, MARTA's West End station, and the Beltline's Lee + White district. Officials are hoping to launch the program in time for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. ATLANTA - The Atlanta Beltline has greenlet a new pilot project bringing autonomous passenger vehicles to parts of the city's popular walking trail. Officials say the project will bring driverless Beep shuttles to intown streets as soon as next year. What we know Beltline officials revealed their proposal during a meeting of the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) in May. That proposal was approved on Thursday, awarding the pilot project $1.75 million in funding as part of a contract with the Florida-based autonomous vehicle company Beep. According to the proposal, the route would span about two miles in southwest Atlanta, connecting the Atlanta University Center to MARTA's West End station and continuing to the Beltline at the Lee + White development. That stretch of the Beltline, formerly known as the Westside Trail, is being renamed the Southwest Trail. Officials are aiming to launch the project in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will bring thousands of international visitors to Atlanta. What they're saying "The first-of-its-kind autonomous public shuttle service in the City of Atlanta, the program will provide first/last mile connectivity with under 15-minute headways on the selected route, drive economic impact to the area, engage the community through rider surveys, workforce development opportunities, and local STEM programs, and promote tourism," the Atlanta Beltline What's next The planning and design stage as well as the vehicle fabrication will take place this summer and fall with operations set to start in January. During the pilot program, officials will get feedback through rider surveys. The Source Information for this story was provided by Atlanta Beltline Inc.
Calgary Herald
16-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
Calgary bar manager charged in two cases of sexual assault
The manager of a Beltline bar is facing sexual assault charges relating to two incidents earlier this year, Calgary police said. Article content Article content Someone applying for work at the Fire N Ice bar in the 800 block of 16th Avenue S.W., next to Tomkins Park, alleges she was touched inappropriately without consent during a job interview in January, the Calgary Police Service said in a news release issued Friday. Article content Article content After being temporarily prevented from leaving the bar, the woman was able to exit the establishment and call emergency services, according to police. Article content Article content In a separate incident three months later, a Fire N Ice employee reported her manager violated his position of authority by touching her inappropriately without consent while she was out with friends at a bar downtown, Calgary police said. Article content 'Later that night, the group of friends joined with the manager and headed to a residence downtown, where the manager continued to inappropriately touch and sexually assault the victim,' police added. Article content The second victim was able to report the incident to authorities on the following day. Article content Calgarian Ankit Drall, 31, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of unlawful confinement. Article content 'Sexual contact is never acceptable without clear, voluntary, and specific consent,' said Calgary police Sgt. Paul Ralstin in the written statement. 'Consent must come from a conscious, capable mind and can be given, withdrawn, or withheld at any time.' Article content Police also reminded sexual assault victims there is no time limit in Canada to report a sex crime. Article content
Axios
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Shuttling FIFA fans, no driver needed
Self-driving shuttles could soon carry residents and FIFA World Cup visitors from MARTA's West End station to the breweries and restaurants along the Westside Trail. Driving the news: Project officials are asking the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority for $1.75 million to launch a pilot program with Beep, an autonomous mobility company. Zoom in: The two-mile experiment route would launch in January and run through 2026, Shaun Green, the Beltline's principal engineer, told the board at a called meeting on Monday. It would run on city streets between Atlanta University Center, the rail station and Lee+White every 10 to 15 minutes for roughly 10 hours a day. Follow the money: The award from ATL's transit trust fund would cover roughly 58% of the project's $3 million cost. The Beltline would kick in the remainder. Yes, and: Beltline officials have not settled on a fare; Green said he thinks the rides would be "on the free side" during the pilot program. Zoom out: Beep is one of a growing number of micro-mobility companies using autonomous technology for cities, parks, and business districts. In 2023, Beep and the Cumberland Community Improvement District partnered on a micro-mobility pilot program serving the business area. Green said Beltline officials have been discussing the project with Beep for the past two years. Between the lines: Mayor Andre Dickens' decision in March to punt the construction of Beltline rail to his successor shook up Atlanta's transit future, Etch-A-Sketch-style. How Atlanta plans to move large numbers of people at the same time throughout the city is very much an open question. What they're saying:"As you all know, transit is a part of our whole DNA when it comes to the Beltline," Clyde Higgs, the president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline Inc., told the board. "CliffsNotes version: It's going to require lots of different modes and options, and so this is something, as we try to get ahead of the FIFA World Cup for next year, that we want to experiment with." What's next: The ATL board could vote on the request at the June board meeting. Green said the Beltline would launch a community engagement process while Beep prepares vehicles for the January rollout.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials break ground on park expansion in Atlanta's West End
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. President and CEO Clyde Higgs, state officials, and other community leaders broke ground on an expansion of Enota Park on Tuesday. Beltline officials say the expansion will take the park from a 0.3-acre playlot to an 8-acre recreational destination. The project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2026. The expanded park will feature three distinct areas that will include a sheltered seating area, a lawn for community gatherings and recreation, a splash pad and play area, a half-court basketball court, and bathrooms. Security cameras, guard rails, and retaining walls will also be installed on-site. 'This original idea is now 16 years old, and we're finally able to bring this to fruition for the neighborhood,' Kevin Burke, ABI's Director of Design, said. 'Among other reasons, I'm especially glad that I've been able to stay with the project and be able to be a part of the team that has designed and will construct this park.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Veteran Atlanta Country music radio personality 'Cadillac Jack' has died at age 51 Paramedic accused of assaulting patient in ambulance in Cobb County Mother describes horrifying moments as she watched her SUV burst into flames along GA 400 [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
