Karen Bartko
Online Journalist
Karen has worked at Global Edmonton since 2006, and has been an online journalist covering stories across Alberta for more than 10 years.
She is grateful for the privilege of covering stories in the community she was raised in, at TV station she grew up watching each day.
She got her start as a studio assistant running the teleprompter, before becoming an ENG video editor for four years.
She then spent three years on the overnight team as a writer for Global News Morning Edmonton.
Karen joined the online team in 2014. She lives for breaking news and also enjoys the fast pace of the digital world, creating videos and crafting original content for social media.
She grew up just outside Edmonton in Parkland County and graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program at NAIT in 2008.
Outside of work, Karen enjoys cooking, reading, killing plants gardening, travelling the world and taking in Edmonton’s numerous summer festivals.
Karen is a pop culture geek who indulges in a long list of TV shows and can frequently be found scouring Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit. She would also never say no to a good glass of wine.
Contact Karen Bartko
Video Archives
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Spruce Grove woman takes clothing store on the road
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Making Canada’s wine industry more inclusive
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Volunteer-run Wildroots Coffeehouse fosters community in east Edmonton
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Senior Alberta NDP legislature member Shannon Phillips to resign seat
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Guns N’ Roses autographed guitar to be auctioned off by Sherwood Park Goodwill
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Will Alberta’s renewable energy changes help or hinder development?
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60-year-old Edmonton elementary school set to get 1st playground
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The downside of a snowless winter on Edmonton businesses that rely on it
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Southwest Edmonton school wins Connor McDavid visit after raising $15k
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Alberta premier invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it’s for symbolic effect
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Edmonton’s single-use-bylaw expected to remain even after plastic ban ruling
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Adopt a Pet: Duke the dog
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Peaches the fat, diabetic cat swims to slim down in Edmonton
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Southwest Anthony Henday Drive bridge construction in the final stretch
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Edmonton Titanic historian weighs in on the missing submersible
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Wet, heavy snow snarls traffic on Highway 40 near Grande Cache, Alta.
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Firefighters from South Africa break into song and dance as they arrive in Alberta to help
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200 more South African firefighters arrive in Edmonton
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Deadly stabbing of child, woman in Edmonton believed to be ‘completely random’
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Heat wave driving demand for air conditioners in Alberta
Author Archives
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Baffin the polar bear dies at the Calgary ZooThe Wild Canada zone at the Calgary Zoo was closed Friday after one of the zoo's two polar bears, Baffin, did not resurface from the pool and died.CanadaJul 19
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Suspect arrested after 2 teenage girls stabbed in St. Albert: RCMPSt. Albert RCMP said two teenage girls, aged 17 and 13, were stabbed multiple times and the elder of the two is in critical condition.CrimeJul 19
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Water safety concerns in Edmonton as people try to beat the heatSince 2022, there has been an increase in warnings issued and the need for river rescues, the City of Edmonton said.WeatherJul 18
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Man dies at Royal Alexandra Hospital after showing up with gunshot woundsPolice said the 29-year-old man was dropped off at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in central Edmonton around 3:30 a.m. with injuries consistent with a shooting.CrimeJul 18
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Man beaten unconscious, choked with shopping bag in random Jasper Avenue gas station attack: policeAttempted murder charges have been laid after a 60-year-old man was randomly attacked to the point of unconsciousness and choked at a gas station east of downtown Edmonton.CrimeJul 17
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Fire destroys trailer used in residential school grave investigation, St. Paul RCMP seeking tipsMounties are looking for tips from the public about a fire that destroyed a trailer being used by a team investigating residential school graves northeast of Edmonton.FireJul 16
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Edmonton Elks fire coach and general manager Chris Jones amid dismal start to season'There’s no question we’re a better team today than we were the previous two seasons, but ultimately this is a results-based business and the wins haven’t materialized.'SportsJul 15
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Fake Edmonton taxi stealing debit card info, police warnEdmonton police said the suspects in the fake taxi reportedly work together to steal victims’ debit cards and personal identification numbers.CrimeJul 15
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BMW SUV equipped with flashing lights suspected of impersonating police in EdmontonThe Edmonton Police Service released videos and a photo of a BMW X5 SUV equipped with flashing red, blue and white lights that it said was being used to impersonate police.CrimeJul 12
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Thick, black wildfire smoke rolling into Fort McMurray prompts RCMP warningHeavy, dark smoke is moving into the Fort McMurray area from the south, where several wildfires broke out this past week due to lightning strikes.WeatherJul 11
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Right to be cool? Edmontonians call for mandatory air conditioning, cooling measures'It makes perfect sense that we treat access to cooling as a fundamental human right, the same way we think of access to warmth in winter as a fundamental human right.'WeatherJul 11
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Soaring temperatures trigger fire ban across Alberta’s forest protection areaThe province said it is crucial that Albertans avoid any activities that fall under this ban to prevent new wildfires from breaking out.WeatherJul 10
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Police presence boosted as Hells Angels roll into Lethbridge to open new chapterBetween 200 to 300 Hells Angels members and supporters of the outlaw motorcycle gang are descending upon Lethbridge to hold a grand opening party for a new chapter of the gang.CrimeJul 10
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Wildfire threatening road access forces evacuation of Garden River in northern AlbertaAn evacuation order was issued at noon Wednesday for Garden River, also known as Garden Creek, a settlement that's part of the Little Red River Cree Nation near High River.WeatherJul 10
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Edmonton police shooting of Matthew Arkangelo criticized: ‘Seems like he was just gunned down’The final moments of Matthew Arkangelo's life found him standing in front of an EPS officer, with his hands up, before a bullet went through the young man's body and he died.CrimeJul 9
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Leduc council revisiting winter shelter plan after approving emergency spaceIn the two months since The Hub was forced to close its doors, it said eight homeless people in Leduc have died — adding that is the same amount lost during the previous year.HealthJul 8
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Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid wins Conn Smythe Trophy after Game 7 lossEdmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is just the sixth player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy but not the Stanley Cup.SportsJun 24
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19-year-old man dies of gunshot wound after being found injured in downtown EdmontonPolice responded just before 4 a.m. on June 14 to 102nd Avenue and 103rd Street, where a 19-year-old was found suffering from a gunshot wound that quickly claimed his life.CrimeJun 20
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Arson charges laid in October 2023 fire at Zebra Child and Youth Advocacy CentreAn Edmonton man has been charged after a downtown building was broken into and a fire lit inside a space where children who have experienced abuse receive help.CrimeJun 17
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Cover your plants or move inside: Frost expected overnight across central AlbertaClearing skies overnight, combined with a cold air mass, will bring about overnight temperatures near or below zero and patchy frost is expected across central Alberta.WeatherJun 17
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Motorcycle rider dead after 3-vehicle crash on Anthony Henday Drive in northwest EdmontonThe Edmonton Police Service responded to a fatal collision on the northwest corner of the city's ring road Thursday night.TrafficJun 14
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Edmonton residents call for scaled-back neighbourhood renewal, say city is wasting money'We want the basics. We want our potholes filled. We want our sidewalks fixed. We don't need fancy sidewalks. We don't need the bike lanes that start somewhere and end nowhere.'CanadaJun 12
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Severe thunderstorm warning issued from Edmonton to Calgary on TuesdayEnvironment Canada predicted much of central Alberta would see severe summer weather on Tuesday afternoon, when a severe thunderstorm warning was issued from Edmonton to Calgary.EnvironmentJun 11
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Police say gun violence is going down in EdmontonIn May there were 10 reported shootings, which is down 50 per cent from May of 2023 when there were 20.CrimeJun 11
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15 kg of coke, MDMA seized during $1.5M drug-trafficking bust in Edmonton regionJeremy Manuel is facing over a dozen charges after coke, ecstasy, LSD, meth, Oxy and other drugs, along with guns and cash, were seized during raids in Leduc, Edmonton and Calmar.CrimeJun 11