If your car is stolen, you would think police would tell you when it was found.

A Calgary man did not find out his car was located until a month later.

Jody Oberhammer was down to one vehicle in the family after his other car was stolen last year.

On Dec. 7, 2014, Oberhammer’s ‘96 Jeep Cherokee was taken from his northwest apartment.

He thought it was gone forever, until he got a call from Airdrie RCMP on Jan. 10.

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The jeep was recovered in Crossfield a few days after it was stolen in December, but no one contacted him.

Now he has to pay over $1,200 in storage fees to get the car back.

 “It wasn’t something I did, and I wasn’t informed when it was found,” said Oberhammer.

Police are supposed to contact the registered owner of a recovered stolen vehicle immediately.

If it has to be towed, a form is filled out and a copy is sent to the owner by mail as a backup.

Airdrie RCMP say something broke down in this case.

“If the problem is on our end, basically we made a mistake. We will rectify that. We’re not going to let someone be penalized for a mistake we made,” said Jason Curtis with Airdrie RCMP.

Police and towing companies say this is an isolated incident.

A bigger problem is drivers who don’t update their licence and registry information, and cannot be located when their vehicle is found.

“They told me now I can pick it up, and they’ll cover the cost of storage fees and everything for me,” said Oberhammer.

“So that will help out a lot.”

That help is a big relief for Oberhammer since the jeep was not insured when it was stolen.

He was re-building it and about to get a new safety inspection.

TORONTO – Heritage Canada’s contest calling on design students to develop a logo for the 150th anniversary of Confederation is falling flat among the very people it is hoping to attract.

The competition offers a $5000 prize to the winning entry, but design students are rebelling, launching a social media campaign under the hashtag #mytimehasvalue, encouraging a boycott.

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“I think it’s ridiculous. It’s exploiting the students’ talents and it’s really embarrassing and hurtful,” said Cara O’Donnell, a graphic design student at the Ontario College of Art and Design and one of the campaign organizers.

“Basically what it’s saying to us is that your time and your work don’t deserve any sort of compensation.”

READ MORE: Government to issue new bank note to mark 150 years of Confederation

Working professionals say developing such a logo could easily cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. They call the contest “offensive” and have been running a petition campaign asking the government to scrap it in favour of something that would give students experience in developing a request for proposals (RFP) and then have the winner work with a mentor in creating a logo—all at current industry rates of pay.

“Spec work in general is not a practice that we condone as graphic designers. It’s exploitative no matter how you do it,” said Adrian Jean, president of Graphic Designers of Canada.
Despite the criticism and threatened boycott, the Heritage Ministry seems determined to carry on. A spokesperson for Minister Shelly Glover issued a statement to Global News said:

“Our government has tremendous faith in our youth’s creative excellence. They are our future and we want to give them a unique opportunity to be involved in the celebrations for Canada’s 150th birthday.”

Joining the voices against the contest is the man who created the logo for Canada’s Centennial year. Stuart Ash recalled that the government of the day initially tried a contest asking ordinary Canadians to come up with a symbol, but all the submissions were “banal” and rejected.

READ MORE: Should students design Canada’s 150th anniversary logo?

Ottawa commissioned a design firm where Ash was just beginning his career as an apprentice and he hit on the idea of the stylized maple leaf. It was a sensation, appearing on flags, mugs, a commemorative dollar bill and in countless places across the nation.

“And that launched my career–an absolutely wonderful way to start a design career,” said Ash in an interview from Florida, where he was vacationing.

Ash advised the government to learn from history, to properly consult the design industry and develop a symbol that fulfills all the required needs.

“Why should the government come to the profession and ask them to do something for nothing?”

©2015

TORONTO – Makayla Sault, the 11-year-old Ontario girl who refused chemotherapy treatments in favour of indigenous medicine, died Monday.

Makayla, a member of the New Credit First Nation near Caledonia, Ont., made national headlines last year when she refused chemo for her leukemia. The province’s Children Aid Society chose not to intervene after her family decided to pursue alternative medicine.

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A statement from the family published in the Two Row Times said Makayla died on Monday at 1:50 p.m. after suffering a stroke Sunday morning.

“After a valiant fight, almost a year from diagnosis, our daughter, Makayla Sault suffered a stroke on Sunday morning that she just couldn’t recover from,” read the statement.

“Surrounded by the love and support of her family, her community and her nation – on Monday, January 19 at 1:50 PM, in her 12th year, Makayla completed her course. She is now safely in the arms of Jesus.”

She had been receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton when she decided to stop the treatment in the spring of 2014 after suffering severe side effects.

“Chemotherapy did irreversible damage to her heart and major organs. This was the cause of the stroke,” the family statement said. “We continue to support Makayla’s choice to leave chemotherapy. At this time we request privacy from the media while we mourn this tragic loss.”

McMaster Children’s Hospital contacted child welfare authorities to force the girl to resume chemotherapy, but an Ontario Court decision in the case of another First Nations girl who also refused chemo ruled aboriginal parents have a constitutionally protected right to choose traditional treatments for their children.

The hospital respected the court’s decision and did not appeal the ruling.

The hospital offered it’s condolences to the girl’s family through a written statement.

“Everyone who knew Makayla was touched by this remarkable girl. Her loss is heart-breaking,” hospital president Peter Fitzgerald said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathy is extended to Makayla’s family.”

Sault’s case was among two recent instances where McMaster Children’s Hospital tried to force a child to undergo chemotherapy.

In the other case, the child’s mother pulled her out of treatment and took her to Florida for alternative therapy. An Ontario judge ruled in November that doctors could not force the girl, who cannot be named due to a publication ban, to have chemotherapy.

©2015

WATCH ABOVE: When you call for an ambulance, you expect a quick response. But, several paramedics say a failed system is making patients wait. Kendra Slugoski reports.

EDMONTON – Desperate for change, paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are speaking out about their frustration on the front lines.

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“I’ve had to explain to families why it took us a half hour, 45 minutes to get to their side when they’re crying for help,” says ‘Mike’ a rural EMT. Afraid of losing his job, Global News has agreed to protect his identity.

“When the odds are so significantly stacked against you, when you’re not protecting the community you chose to work in because you’re somewhere else and tragedy strikes, you begin to lose hope,” Mike writes in a blog post.

READ MORE: Code Red – A blog from one ‘utterly frustrated EMT’ 

Alberta Health Services took over the ambulance fleet in 2009 and developed a borderless system. It allows dispatch to pull ambulances and their crews outside of the city into the metro areas.

“We often refer to Edmonton as the vortex. Once you’re in, good luck getting out.”

Mike says he is often dispatched to drive patients to Edmonton for non-emergency transfers. Once in the hospital, he must stay with that patient until a bed is available. Many of his days are spent sitting and waiting.

Mike has also been called to different counties because their ambulance crews are tied up in the city.

“So now you’re getting these holes in the province where there’s no EMS coverage whatsoever. On multiple occasions, I’ve been the only ambulance available in a 100 kilometre radius.”

READ MORE: Code Red Part 1 – Paramedics warn of lengthening response times 

In 2012, 11 paramedics put their livelihoods on the line and spoke to Global News about long waits in hospital emergency rooms, as well as a lack of ambulances on the road.

Our award-winning Code Red series prompted the health minister to promise more resources and more paramedics.

Three years later, many other paramedics say nothing has changed.

One of those paramedics is a 40-year veteran. George Porter now works in southern Alberta, but has spent time in cities and towns across the province.

AHS does not have response time benchmarks, but Chief Paramedic Darren Sandbeck says times have remained consistent.

“I challenge that,” says Porter, who explains he has expressed concern to management and a previous Health Minister. Porter says rural crews are constantly being called for inter-facility transfers and are basically being treated like taxi drivers.

“A huge percentage of the transfers we’re doing don’t need to be in an ambulance. They need a ride.”

But Alberta’s top paramedic says it comes down to geography.

Sandbeck says Alberta is a big province and an ambulance can’t be everywhere quickly. AHS maintains the borderless system is a better use of resources.

“I believe every Albertan would like to know they’re going to get the closest ambulance and that’s what our deployment model does.”

GRAPHIC: The maps below Alberta Health Services’ zones and the regions and the populations of those regions (as of 2011 AHS records).

Paramedics and EMTs say once they arrive in big city hospitals, they are waiting hours to release a patient.

According to one Edmonton paramedic, it’s not unusual to spend an entire shift in the emergency room and sometimes staff even trade off.

“They take over patient care there, they’re stuck there their entire shift and another paramedic relieves them.”

A Calgary paramedic says patients should also be alarmed.

“They should be absolutely concerned — people in the metro areas, people in the big cities for sure. Their hospitals are back-logged, ambulances are not available.”

AHS says it has tried to reduce hospital times for EMS crews, but says it hasn’t had a lot of success. A pilot project was launched at two Edmonton hospitals to free up space in emergency rooms, and allow ambulance crews to get back on the road.

READ MORE: AHS pilot project aims to cut ER wait times, get more ambulances on the road 

Porter says the solution is simple: non-emergency transfers should not take priority over emergency coverage.

“I don’t get it. I haven’t got it from day one and I still don’t get it, why we’re in this situation five years after the fact.”

One Texas cop has put the would-be husbands of the world on notice with this elaborate (and incredibly cute) proposal.

Galveston Police officer Gregory Parris enlisted the help of his fellow officers to help him pop the question to his longtime girlfriend Sara Wolff.

Here’s how it went down: Galveston police officers pulled over Wolff in what appeared to be a routine traffic stop, ostensibly because she had a busted tail light.

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Meanwhile, officer Parris was watching from a nearby squad car, ring in hand. And despite being a veteran of many a traffic stop, he admits this particular one was different.

“That day I was very nervous,” officer Parris told KHOU News in Houston.

Dash cam footage captured the entire exchange, as the officer who pulled Wolff over told her she had several outstanding warrants.

A second police officer is called to the scene, and Wolff begins to cry as she asks what she could have done to possibly merit this kind of response.

But dread soon turns to delight as Officer Parris makes his move, walking over to his shock girlfriend, dropping down on one knee, and asking the question.

No, not “Do you know how fast you were going?”

“He said Sarah Jane Wolff will you be my wife,” said Wolff.

Thankfully, she immediately said yes.

“She might have gone to jail otherwise,” Officer Parris joked afterwards.

Wolff said she was beyond impressed by her husband-to-be’s elaborate proposal.

“I can’t imagine being proposed to any better than that,” said Wolff. “It was perfect for us.”

©2015

LINCOLN, Neb. – The developer of the Keystone XL oil pipeline took its first steps in Nebraska on Tuesday since the state’s high court removed a major legal barrier for the planned route.

Officials with TransCanada said they’ve filed paperwork in nine counties to acquire access to the remaining land that’s needed to construct, operate and maintain the pipeline. The two-year window for TransCanada to invoke eminent domain in Nebraska closes Thursday.

The pathway could still face legal challenges in Nebraska. Opponents have sued to try to prevent the Calgary, Alberta-based company from using eminent domain and to overturn the state pipeline-siting law that allowed ex-Gov. Dave Heineman to approve the route in 2013.

The pipeline would carry an estimated 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines headed for Gulf Coast refineries.

VIDEO: Senators insist they aren’t anti-Canadian by proposing pipeline amendments

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By law, TransCanada can use the courts to force Nebraska landowners to sell access to their land. Company officials say they still need to acquire 12 per cent of the total land easements from Nebraska landowners who have not yet reached a deal with the company. Some holdouts have said they won’t negotiate no matter how much TransCanada offers.

TransCanada’s Keystone projects land manager, Andrew Craig, said the company will continue to work to acquire easements voluntarily. Craig said eminent domain proceedings traditionally take about six months.

The company has acquired 100 per cent of the private landowner easements in Montana and South Dakota, Craig said.

“This is all we have left,” Craig told The Associated Press. “… We think 88 per cent voluntarily agreements in the last two years is a substantial success.”

VIDEO: Senator doesn’t believe Canada should be the only economic beneficiary

Pipeline opponents argue that many of the landowners in Montana and South Dakota were “bullied” early in the process and told they had no other option.

“Farmers and ranchers have the grit and stomach to prevent TransCanada from polluting our water. Landowners will match TransCanada’s lawsuits in local courts and continue to take our fight to the one person who can put an end to all of this: President Obama,” said Jane Kleeb, executive director of pipeline opposition group Bold Nebraska.

President Barack Obama has downplayed the project’s benefits, and the White House has publicly threatened to veto legislation in Congress that would fast-track the project.

Environmentalists and other pipeline opponents argue that any leaks could contaminate water sources and the project would increase air pollution around refineries and harm wildlife. Supporters, including state and national Republicans and oil industry members, say those fears are exaggerated and argue that the pipeline would create jobs and ease the country’s dependence on foreign oil.

At least 70 per cent of the Nebraska landowners have signed agreements, Craig said, and he expects the company will sign agreements with at least half of the remaining landowners without having to use eminent domain.

In the two lawsuits filed last week – which could delay the entire 1,179-mile Canada-to-Nebraska project – seven landowners in Holt and York counties said they’ve received written warning that pipeline developer intends to initiate eminent domain proceedings.

Those still willing to negotiate mostly have concerns about compensation and restoration of native grasslands that could take three to five years to regrow, Craig said.

©2015

EDMONTON – Things continue to look up for the Edmonton International Airport, which saw 8.2 million passengers in 2014, breaking the previous record set in 2013.

Travel to the United States went up 8.5 per cent in 2014, while international travel grew 13.1 per cent. It was also a big year for new airlines and routes out of EIA.

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Icelandair began year-round service to Reykjavik in the spring, adding additional flights during the summer.

American Airlines began service to Dallas-Fort Worth in April, and in October added a non-stop flight to Los Angeles.

In November, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced new non-stop passenger and cargo service to Amsterdam, beginning in May 2015.

“Adding three major international air carriers is a great show of confidence that opens new destinations for leisure travellers, and new opportunities for business,” said Tom Ruth, President and CEO.

The airport’s two largest carriers – Air Canada and WestJet – increased overall seat capacity.

There was also much fanfare when the world’s largest aircraft – the Antonov An-225 – landed at the airport in June.

WATCH: The An-225 lands at the Edmonton International Airport, live on the Morning News. 

Cargo services grew for the fifth year in a row, with over 370,000 square feet of new facilities announced or completed. Three major freight carriers –  Cargojet, DHL and FedEx – all began flying larger planes into EIA to accommodate higher volumes and larger shipments.

EIA said commercial development was also strong, with over $330 million spent or committed in private investment. The Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel opened and a second Shell Aerocentre was built. Canadian North also announced a new pilot training centre, housing a Boeing 737 flight simulator.

“With outstanding support from our community, from our passengers, and from our business partners, 2014 has been another great year for Edmonton International Airport,” said Mr. Ruth.

The Edmonton International Airport has been Canada’s fastest-growing major airport for the past 10 years and the fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic.

TORONTO – The French satirical magazine at the centre of this month’s deadly terror attacks in Paris has launched an app as worldwide demand for its latest issue grows.

The Charlie Hebdo app is illustrated with the current cover of the magazine, which features the Prophet Muhammad holding a sign reading, “Je suis Charlie” – the phrase of support that has become synonymous with the attacks.

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“Because a pencil will always be better than barbarity… Because freedom is a universal right… Use the official app to read Charlie Hebdo and to support us by buying the latest issue,” the app’s description reads.

The magazine has been struggling to keep up with demand for the issue; the first since the deadly shooting which killed 12 people, including many of the magazine’s editorial staff.

Copies of the issue have sold for as much as $680 on eBay.

The Charlie Hebdo app is available for Android, Windows Phone and Apple’s iOS platform.

However, Apple’s decision to approve the app stands in stark contrast to its previous opinion on satirical and controversial content.

READ MORE: ‘Je Suis Charlie’ app approved in 1 hour after developers contacted Apple CEO

In 2010, the tech giant banned apps from many editorial cartoonists for breaching its policy against “ridiculing public figures.” Stephane Charbonnier, the Charlie Hebdo editor who died in the attack, publically criticized Apple’s stance on satirical cartoons.

Apple later changed its stance on satirical comedy.

Charlie Hebdo’s cover has sparked protests in several Muslim cities, as many believe the caricature is an insult to Islam.

Protesters have been rallying against the magazine for days in Afghanistan – chanting “Death to France,” burning French flags and demanding the French Embassy in Kabul be shut down.

When it comes to religious content, Apple’s app guidelines state, “Apps containing references or commentary about a religious, cultural or ethnic group that are defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to expose the targeted group to harm or violence will be rejected.”

However, the guidelines now specify that “professional political satirists and humorists” are exempt from these rules.

The app itself is free, but users have to purchase the magazine via an in-app purchase for CAD$3.49. Currently the issue is available in French, English and Spanish.

©2015

WATCH: The jury selection for James Holmes’ trial began Tuesday near Denver, Colorado. Rick Sallinger reports.

DENVER – The first time James Holmes appeared in court, he wore chains and an orange jail jumpsuit and looked dazed, with his hair dyed a comic-book shade of orange.

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As jury selection began Tuesday in the Colorado theatre shooting, it was a far different Holmes at the defence table: The jail uniform was replaced with khakis, an untucked blue shirt with white stripes and a blue blazer. His hair, now a dark brown, was neatly trimmed.

The former graduate student whose attorneys acknowledge he opened fire at a midnight “Batman” movie back in 2012 also had a curly, medium-length beard and wore oval-shaped reddish glasses. No restraints were visible, though the judge had ordered him to be tethered to the floor in a way the public couldn’t see for the trial.

READ MORE: Colorado theatre shooting suspect’s parents plead to spare his life

Holmes’ more conventional appearance was an indication that the case was drawing closer to the time when a jury would see the defendant accused of killing 12 people and wounding 70 others at a suburban Denver theatre. But first attorneys have to sort through thousands of potential jurors.

Court officials initially summoned a jury pool of 9,000 people, the largest in the nation’s history. But that figure later fell to 7,000 after some summons could not be delivered and some people were excused. The pool will be winnowed to a handful in the weeks ahead.

It could take until June to seat the jurors and alternates for a trial that might last until October.

Holmes, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder and attempted murder charges, could get the death penalty if convicted.

The first wave of jurors arrived in court after undergoing two security screenings. They heard instructions from the judge before they would fill out questionnaires.

READ MORE: A year after theatre shootings, Colorado looks for healing

Judge Carlos Samour suggested earlier that attorneys might not have to screen all the prospective jurors before beginning to select panelists. He said the process could stop after a few thousand people are screened if both sides agree they have a large enough pool of people.

The defence objected to the use of a video during the trial, saying prosecutors gave it to them too late. The video is apparently from the jail where Holmes has been held, but its contents have not been made public.

The judge also went over ground rules for jury selection and the trial, urging attorneys on both sides to be professional and respectful.

“We’re going to be spending a lot of time together,” Samour said.

The scope of jury selection and the trial are testaments to the logistical hurdles of trying the rare case of a mass shooter who survives his attack.

“The public is going to get an insight into the mind of a killer who says he doesn’t know right from wrong,” said Alan Tuerkheimer, a Chicago-based jury consultant. “It is really rare. It just doesn’t usually come to this.”

READ MORE: Online ammo sellers sued over Colorado theatre shooting

Shortly before 1 p.m., prospective jurors began walking into the courtroom. Some carried books or newspapers or looked at their cellphones as they waited to pass through a security station in the hallway.

The case has sparked an emotionally charged debate, with Holmes’ parents begging for a plea deal that would save his life, while many survivors and family members of victims have demanded that he be executed.

After the July 20, 2012, shooting, the 27-year-old Holmes was arrested as he stripped off combat gear in the parking lot of the Century 16 movie theatre in Aurora.

If jurors convict him, they must then decide whether to recommend the death penalty. If Holmes is acquitted, he would be committed to the state mental hospital indefinitely.

Defence attorneys acknowledge Holmes was the gunman in the attack but say he was in the grip of a psychotic episode at the time.

Under Colorado law, defendants are not legally liable for their acts if their minds are so “diseased” that they cannot distinguish right from wrong. Part of the reason the case has dragged on is the battle over whether that standard applies to Holmes.

Few details on those arguments have been made public. Prosecutors and defence attorneys remain under a long-running gag order, and court documents detailing the issue have stayed under seal.

Holmes’ sanity was evaluated by a state psychiatrist but the results were not made public. Prosecutors objected to the findings and persuaded a judge to order a second evaluation. Those results were contested by the defence.

Prosecutors previously rejected at least one plea deal proposed by Holmes’ attorneys, criticizing the lawyers for publicizing the offer and calling it a ploy meant to draw the public and the judge into what should be private plea negotiations.

Survivors of the attack and family members of victims have had a long time to get ready for a trial.

“We’ve all been to therapists and have talked to our families and have our support groups, so we’re prepared,” said Marcus Weaver, who was shot in the arm and whose friend Rebecca Wingo died in the attack. “It’s going to be quite the journey.”

Judge Samour called nearly nine times as many prospective jurors as were summoned in the ongoing Boston marathon bombing trial. That meant the county’s 600,000 residents had a nearly one-in-50 chance of being selected.

©2015

Facing a diminished role with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Richie Hall took on the challenge of becoming the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator. Hall served as Saskatchewan’s defensive co-ordinator the last four seasons.

Saskatchewan’s defence allowed the fewest touchdowns in the CFL while recording the most interceptions to anchor the Riders’ Grey Cup run in 2013.

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But after Saskatchewan posted a 10-8 record last season, head coach Corey Chamblin said in December that Hall wouldn’t continue as the Riders’ defensive co-ordinator.

Chamblin indicated Hall would be offered another role within the organization. Instead, Hall accepted the task of rebuilding a Winnipeg defence that allowed a CFL-worst 135.9 yards rushing per game.

“As a player, in all my years of coaching, the emphasis has always been we’ve got to stop the run,” Hall told reporters during a conference call. “If you’re able to control the run, you’re able to control the line of scrimmage and everything starts up in the trenches.”

“You have to be able to counter everything they do. If a team is able to run the ball effectively against you, it can dictate the flow of the game. Defensively, we want to be able to dictate the flow of the game.”

Hall, 54, a native of San Antonio, has spent all but two of his 20 years coaching in the CFL with Saskatchewan’s defence.

Hall was Edmonton’s head coach in 2009 and 2010 before returning to Regina, where he’d also won Grey Cups in ’89 as a player and ’07 as the defensive co-ordinator.

Hall replaces Gary Etcheverry, who was fired after just one season overseeing Winnipeg’s defence. The Blue Bombers missed the playoffs with a 7-11 record under rookie head coach Mike O’Shea.

“Richie has always had a good plan,” O’Shea said. “There’s no time that he’s entered the game without a good plan.”

“His players always feel solid about the plan. He’s also got the ability to adjust. His knowledge of our game and of the opposition, the various co-ordinators in our game, there’s nothing Richie hasn’t seen or dealt with.”

With former Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille returning as offensive co-ordinator, O’Shea feels well supported by the experience of his two assistants.

“I say this to the coaching staff when we first get together ‘If you see me tripping, catch me,’ ” O’Shea said. “There are mistakes that are going to be made and it’s up to all of us to make sure that we don’t make those mistakes and they don’t cost us games.”

First-year starter Drew Willy, the CFL’s third-ranked passer with 3,769 yards, gave Winnipeg’s offence credibility and the defence did finish the season ranked second against the pass. But only expansion Ottawa (37) had fewer sacks than the Bombers (43), who also allowed a CFL-high 481 points.

Chamblin told reporters in Regina last month he took over Saskatchewan’s defence for the West Division semifinal against Edmonton, a game the Riders lost 18-10 despite not allowing an offensive touchdown.

O’Shea, a former all-star linebacker, insisted Hall would have freedom to implement his defensive packages with the Blue Bombers.

“One of the things I firmly believe in is you hire men you’re going to trust and let them coach,” he said. “I won’t be sticking my fingers in to upset the apple cart. Richie is going to have his systems. He’s going to put the time in to come up with a great plan.”

“As head coach, he and I are going to talk about that plan before the game. I’ll have input and there will be times I get on the headset and I’ll talk about the flow of the game and what I’d like to see. My preference is always to let the coaches coach. That’s what I hired him for.”

Hall was a CFL all-star as a defensive back in the 1980s with both Calgary and Saskatchewan. He says he’ll commute for now between Winnipeg and Regina, where his wife, Helen, is employed.

After so many years of wearing green and white, Hall acknowledged it will be an adjustment wearing different colours on what was once an enemy football field.

“I think it’s going to be strange but you also understand its football,” he said. “You become committed to the jersey you put on.”

“That’s the life of a coach, that’s the life of a professional athlete.”

©2015

Watch the video above: Twins Mark and Scott Kelly talk about their role in NASA’s year-long mission in space.

TORONTO – If humans are going to embark on a journey to other worlds in our solar system, more information on the effects of space — with its dangerous solar and cosmic rays — is needed. And Mark and Scott Kelly are doing their part.

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READ MORE: American and Russian astronauts prepare for one-year mission in space

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is preparing to launch to the International Space Station next month (along with Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka) where he will stay for a year. Meanwhile, his twin brother and former astronaut Mike Kelly will remain on Earth, living his day-to-day life.

Throughout the year, various samples of blood, saliva and other material will be collected from both subjects. Both will also undergo various psychological and physical tests.

Research is always being done on the effects of living in space. But this will be NASA’s first long-duration mission (the typical stay is six months) and the first opportunity to study its effects. As well, there has never been an opportunity to compare the effects of living in space with someone who is almost genetically identical.

The data is part of NASA’s One Year Mission and Twins Study, part the Human Research Program which studies the effects of spaceflight on humans.

Follow @NebulousNikki

©2015

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s early intervention programs will see their funding nearly double over the next three years.

A review of the programs released Tuesday by Education Minister Karen Casey recommends the government improve them and provide better access to them.

Casey said $2.6 million will be invested in the programs over the course of the government’s mandate, in addition to the $2.7 million already allocated for them.

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The increase in funding is intended to reduce waiting lists and offer better access to early intervention and support staff.

“We have gotten a lot better in the province at early identification. The key now is the intervention,” Casey said.

According to the review, the issue of long wait times is preventing many children from accessing the programs. There are currently 1,000 children receiving early intervention services in Nova Scotia, while more than 300 are on waiting lists.

There are currently 38 interventionists looking after those cases, and Casey said the province is looking to hire 10 to 16 more.

“We will begin to hire immediately and those hires will be to address the areas where we have the greatest wait list,” she said.

The review also raised the issue of wages — the average salary for an early interventionist in Nova Scotia is about $32,000, which is the lowest in Canada. Casey said the government will commit to increasing wages over the next three years.

“I can tell you that the wages will improve,” she said. “They have to improve.”

Read the review’s recommendations:

View this document on Scribd

©2015

TORONTO – You ate it at birthday parties, school lunches, and weekend dinner. Pizza is a classic staple food in childhood and now doctors are hoping to use the dish to teach kids about nutrition and healthy eating.

American researchers say that pizza is the second-highest source of calories in kids, next to cookies, cakes and sweets. The cheesy, portable food isn’t good for you – on the days teens graze on pizza, they eat an extra 365 calories.

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READ MORE: This anti-obesity ad may scare parents into stashing the junk food away

“Not only is pizza one of the things children and teens eat most often, it is packing on extra calories, extra fat and extra sodium, or salt,” Dr. Lisa Powell, of the University of Illinois, told Healthline.

“If we could help kids eat less pizza, or help them eat healthier pizza, we could have a huge impact on their diet, their nutrition and their health,” Powell said. She suggests including it in nutritional counselling could be the start.

Powell’s study is based on data from a U.S. national health and nutrition survey that took a pulse of the eating habits of kids two to 19 years old between 2003 and 2010.

The researchers say that about 20 per cent of kids eat pizza on any given day. That “surprised” the researchers.

READ MORE: What happens if you live off of pizza alone for 25 years?

On days when children ate pizza, they took in an additional 84 calories, three grams of saturated fat, and 134 milligrams of sodium than they did on no-pizza days.

The situation worsened as they got older: as adolescents, they ate an extra 230 calories, five grams of saturated fat and 484 milligrams of sodium.

It made up 22 per cent of caloric intake among kids and 26 per cent of total caloric intake in preteens in a calendar year.

When they were snacking on pizza, and not eating it as a meal, they were eating an additional 365 calories a day.

READ MORE: How this Danish doctor is battling childhood obesity around the world

The researchers warn that these extra calories, sodium and unhealthy fats applied across the board, regardless of race, gender and income.

They say that the dish could be “an important contributor to the obesity epidemic,” and that parents need to scale back on how often they’re feeding pizza to their kids.

Powell’s report, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, isn’t the first to dole out advice to parents. Last year, North Carolina scientists told parents that their feeding habits could be creating bad eating habits in their children later on in life.

READ MORE: Parents’ feeding habits may be increasing childhood obesity

Regardless of race and ethnicity, parents are cutting corners in feeding, University of North Carolina researchers warned. In that case, they said that parents were feeding babies fruit juice, leaving their toddlers in front of the TV with a bottle propped up to their mouths or even introducing solid foods too soon and forcing their kids to finish their meals.

Read Powell’s full findings here.

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