Witness places Adam Drake at bar where Pat Stay was stabbed
As Blair Rhodes reports, the witness says she was even accompanied by Drake to the bar that night.
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CBC
34 minutes ago
- CBC
Oilers defenceman Jake Walman fined for roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct in Game 3
The NHL has fined Edmonton defenceman Jake Walman a total of $10,000 US for his role in two separate incidents in the Oilers' 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Walman was fined $5,000 for roughing after he punched Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk in a scrum in front of the Oilers' goal at 14:44 of the third period of Monday's game. Walman was assessed a pair of minor penalties for roughing and another minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. He was also fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct after he attempted to squirt water at Panthers players on their bench from his place on the visiting side. That incident occurred at 16:49 of the second period. Game 4 of the final goes Thursday in Sunrise, Fla., with the defending-champion Panthers leading the best-of-seven series 2-1.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Baltimore jail staff failed to protect a deaf man killed by his cellmate, lawsuit says
BALTIMORE — In the days before Javarick Gantt was strangled to death in jail, he was forced to share a cell with a first-degree murder suspect whose violent behaviour had already alarmed his previous cellmate, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Gantt, who used sign language because he was deaf, struggled to communicate with corrections officers and other detainees, making him especially vulnerable to violence, his family alleges. Their lawsuit sheds new light on the circumstances surrounding the 2022 jailhouse killing, which raised significant concerns about operations in the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center. Gordon Staron, 36, was awaiting trial in an apparently random stabbing attack that prosecutors called an 'axe murder.' Gantt, by comparison, was facing minor charges. Attorneys for Gantt's family argue the two men never should have been assigned to the same cell, saying in court papers that his death was 'entirely predictable and preventable.' The family wants to know how the state-run detention facility let this happen, but they've been stonewalled from the beginning in their attempts to get information, said Gantt's father, Rick Barry Sr. 'Nothing, zero, no answers,' Barry said in a phone interview. A spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which runs the jail, said the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation. Staron ultimately pleaded guilty to strangling Gantt after a jury convicted him in the axe attack. He was sentenced last year to life without parole. Gantt, 34, weighed little over 100 pounds (45 kilograms), records show. Most significantly, he wasn't able to call for help because he communicated primarily by sign language, according to court papers. The lawsuit argues he stood little chance against a cellmate who was experiencing serious mental health issues, displaying paranoid and volatile behaviour, and being treated for alcohol and substance abuse. Staron was initially arrested after he drove into Baltimore from the suburbs and attacked a homeless man at a bus stop, according to prosecutors. Nonetheless, records show he and Gantt received similar security classifications, the scoring system jail administrators use to determine where detainees are housed. About two weeks before Gantt's death, Staron was involved in an altercation and punched two other men, according to police reports. Afterward, his frightened cellmate asked to be moved, leaving an empty bed that would soon be occupied by Gantt, the lawsuit says. Gantt was transferred into Staron's cell after reporting that his previous cellmate 'had been bullying him and attempting to assault him,' according to the lawsuit. He communicated the message in sign language after flagging someone down from his cell window. A corrections officer then asked administrators to move Gantt 'to a safer cell,' which landed him with Staron, according to jail records. 'With his disability, I feel he was overlooked,' Gantt's father said. That was nine days before Gantt was found unresponsive when he didn't get up for breakfast. Other inmates reported hearing him 'making noises and banging on his cell door' during the night, according to police, but several hours passed before corrections officers noticed something was wrong. Gantt's family says he should have received special accommodations and safety precautions. They also allege that corrections officers failed to properly monitor the dorm the night of his death. The lawsuit against the state corrections department and staff members seeks damages in excess of US$50 million. Gantt, who left behind a young daughter, was jailed for months amid a backlogged court system. His charges stemmed from a 2019 domestic dispute in which no one was seriously injured. But largely because he missed court dates and probation check-ins, he was ordered held without bail and remained behind bars awaiting trial. A judge decided to keep Gantt incarcerated even after he explained that he was struggling to navigate the bureaucracy of the courts. 'This was my first time on probation,' he said through a sign language interpreter during a bail hearing, according to the lawsuit. 'They didn't tell me what to expect, what to do.' Despite his hearing impairment, Gantt was gregarious and open-hearted, with many friends in the deaf community and beyond, loved ones said. He formed close bonds wherever he went — including in the Baltimore area, where he had moved somewhat recently after growing up in Florida. But his father said Gantt became helpless and confused when the legal system failed to properly accommodate his disability. 'The tragedy is that no one has told this family anything, at any time,' said Baltimore attorney Andrew Slutkin, who represents the family. 'There's been no communication of what happened, how it happened and what they're doing to prevent it from happening again.' Lea Skene, The Associated Press
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
SmartLess comedians launch U.S. cellphone service with Canadian backers
The trio of actors behind the popular SmartLess podcast have launched a U.S. discount cellphone service promoted through their irreverent comic personas and backed by Canadian executives and investors. On Tuesday, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Toronto-born Will Arnett lifted the curtain on SmartLess Mobile, a service premised on cutting cellphone bills by helping subscribers avoid paying for data they don't need. SmartLess Mobile's marketing campaign will use the trio's humorous exchanges to show cellphone users can save money by dropping expensive data plans. 'If you own your phone, spend most of your day on Wi-Fi, and are on an unlimited data plan, moving to a SmartLess Mobile plan could literally cut your monthly bill in half,' Mr. Hayes, a comedian and star of the sitcom Will & Grace, said in a press release. He said: 'Honestly, if your phone bill knew how often you're on Wi-Fi, it would be embarrassed.' Canadian telecoms quietly raise cellphone plan prices and fees after years of better mobile deals All three actors are equity investors in the wireless company. Mr. Bateman, whose credits include Arrested Development and Ozark, said: 'Our SmartLess podcast now reaches millions of listeners each month, almost all of whom listen on their phones. Extending the SmartLess brand into mobile is a logical next step.' The trio are following a script written by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, co-founder and brand ambassador at discount cellphone service Mint Mobile. Launched in 2016, Mint Mobile sold to T-Mobile in 2023 for US$1.3-billion. The chief executive officer at Smartless Wireless is Paul McAleese, former president of Calgary-based Shaw Communications Inc. and head of its Freedom Mobile wireless service, which is now owned by Quebecor Inc. SmartLess Mobile's chief brand officer is his wife Jeni McAleese, a telecom veteran. SmartLess Mobile's lead investor is Thomvest Asset Management, a fund manager owned by Toronto-based billionaire Peter Thomson. Mr. Thomson's family owns The Globe and Mail through holding company Woodbridge Co. Ltd. SmartLess Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator or MVNO running on the T-Mobile US Inc. network. Piggybacking on one of the largest U.S. wireless providers allows the founders to launch their service with minimal network costs. Telecom giants taking action to address the debt elephant in the room In the telecom industry, SmartLess Mobile is referred to as a flanker brand, marketed to cost-conscious customers. As part of the launch on Tuesday, Arrested Development star Mr. Arnett said: 'We're pretty sure that Big Wireless isn't going to let you know that your phone isn't using their network 90 per cent of the time. So, we'll say it: If you're using less, you should be spending less.' SmartLess Mobile has no plans to launch in Canadian markets, Mr. McAleese said in an interview. The major Canadian telecom companies run flanker brands such as BCE Inc.'s Virgin Plus, Koodo Mobile at Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc.'s Fido service. U.S. telecom regulations allow most wireless subscribers to switch providers, while keeping their phone number, by simply scanning a QR code. SmartLess Mobile said its sign-up process only takes a few minutes. The SmartLess podcast launched in 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. The show draws millions of listeners each week to a conversation between the three actors and a guest. Episodes that drew large audiences include sessions with Will Ferrell, Wayne Gretzky, George Clooney and Mr. Reynolds. What business leaders can learn from Earth's most rizz-tastic human, Ryan Reynolds In 2021, the founders signed a broadcast deal with Inc. valued at up to US$80-million. Last year, The New York Times said SmartLess 'remains one of the rare cultural tent poles that were born during the pandemic era and have continued to thrive.' In January, the SmartLess founders signed a three-year contract with satellite radio network SiriusXM worth an estimated US$100-million. The mobile phone venture is their first foray outside show business. Numerous celebrities have profited from co-founding companies with industry operators, then lending their names to marketing campaigns. This month, model Hailey Bieber sold her cosmetics brand Rhode to e.l.f. Beauty for US$1-billion in cash and stock. In 2014, Apple Inc. paid US$3-billion to buy music platform Beats Electronics, launched by rapper Dr. Dre and music executive Jimmy Iovine.
