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• Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Florida Department of Health reported 257 new COVID-19 deaths in Florida on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive day the state has surpassed its own daily death record.

The state’s total amount of lives lost to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic in March now nears 7,000, with 6,843 Florida resident deaths and 123 non-resident deaths. July alone saw 3,409 COVID-19 related deaths recorded – nearly 50 percent of the state’s total COVID-19 deaths.

The health department added another 8,989 new cases in Florida on July 30. The number of cases in Florida since the beginning of the pandemic in March now totals 470,386.

While the state’s fatality toll continues to rise daily, the numbers presented each day do not necessar...

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If you are as concerned as I am, please write or talk to your MLA, or to Jason Nixon, minister of the Environment and Parks, or add your name to a petition on this matter.

Rosemary Neaves, Athabasca

Health more than services, care

In the Journal on July 28, Minister Tyler Shandro states he is “not content with an increasingly expensive health-care system that does not result in better services for Albertans.” AMA president Christine Molnar says that “Our priority is, and always will be, your care.”

I suggest that Minister Shandro also speak about better health outcomes for Albertans, not just better services. And that president Molnar also speak about patient/citizen outcomes and not just care.

Without Albertans (who are sometimes patients) there is no n...

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• Graphic courtesy NOAA
• The latest forecast on July 31

Hurricane Isaias is expected to bring tropical storm and hurricane conditions to the east coast of Florida beginning Saturday.

Isaias is currently heading over the Bahamas at 16 mph with a maximum sustained wind speed of 75 mph, according to a report from the National Hurricane Center. While the storm’s center is not predicted to hit mainland Florida, its winds extend 45 miles from its core, and its tropical-storm-force could potentially stretch out over 205 miles.

Many of the Sunshine State’s east coast communities from Fort Lauderdale to Titusville received a hurricane watch Friday morning, according to the 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Although Isaias is a Category 1 hurricane, the ...

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A look at today’s Edmonton weather by Environment Canada.

Friday morning temperatures at the Edmonton Blatchford station measured 18.9 C with 10 km/h winds out of the southeast.

It’s downright cool compared to previous days.

I have every window in my house open right now trying to get that cool breeze reverberating throughout the entire home. The humidity is still there, but a forecast high of 25 C (28 with the Humidex) we’re right in that Canadian sweet spot that some of us love so very much.

Enjoy today’s little reprieve because Saturday and Sunday are going to be hot-hot once again with a forecast high of 29 C tomorrow (34 if you count the Humidex) and 31 C Sunday. Depending on who you ask, that’s hot-hot. Quite hot. Somewhat hot. Fairly hot? No, definitely hot...

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Wood Buffalo RCMP are investigating multiple alleged hate crimes in Fort McMurray that may be linked.

Police say that on July 22 between 3:45 p.m. and 5 p.m., in a parking lot near Timberlea Landing, an individual’s truck tires were slashed and racially-charged writings were left on the victim’s vehicle. Timberlea Landing plaza includes the Independent grocery store, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, a municipal office, a Jiffy-Lube and a Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The owner of the vehicle, who shared his experience with Mix 103.7 FM earlier this week, believes he was targeted because his wife is Filipino.

Police spokesperson Const...

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• Photo via Orange County Classroom Teachers Association/Facebook
• Photo from March 2019

Contending that the school district has “failed to put the proper safety protocols in place,” the Orange County teachers union on Thursday asked a court to block the reopening of school campuses next month.

The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association is seeking an injunction to prevent the planned Aug. 21 reopening of classrooms until an arbitrator can rule on a grievance filed by the union.

Thursday’s complaint, filed in Orange County circuit court, contends that the district has not taken adequate steps to protect staff members and students from COVID-19 and has not released public records that include the names of schools that have had COVID-19 outbreaks and what ...