SASKATOON – From tragedies to oddities, there was no shortage of headlines that captured your attention over the past year. Here are the top 10 stories from our newscasts and online that caught your eye during 2014.
10. Million-dollar baby
A vacation that left a Humboldt family with a medical bill totalling almost a million dollars had people wondering what good is travel insurance. Jennifer Huculak was six-months pregnant when her water broke while in Hawaii in October 2013. Her baby was born two months premature, leaving her with a $918,000 bill and Blue Cross refusing to foot the bill.
MORE: Hawaii vacation leaves Sask. parent with massive medical bill
9. Animal cruelty video
A video posted on Facebook had Saskatchewan wildlife officials wondering if it was a case of animal cruelty and viewers expressing outrage. The video showed a hunter riding down a hill on what looks to be a wounded deer. The Crown decided not to pursue charges after determining there was little likelihood of a conviction.
MORE: Sask. wildlife officials looking into suspected animal cruelty video
8. Myles MacIntosh disappearance
A witness reported there was someone on the ice of the South Saskatchewan River in the early morning hours of Feb. 2. Later that day, Myles MacIntosh was reported missing after last being seen at a bar celebrating his bachelor party. His body was recovered in May near Melfort and a bouncer pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after a disturbance on a bus moments before MacIntosh was spotted on the ice.
MORE: Gregory Myles MacIntosh disappearance
7. Rare identical triplets
It was a one-in-a-million, perhaps even a one-in-ten-million, for Saskatoon. Wendy Winiewski met Aubrey, Madeline and Sophie, three identical triplets born at Royal University Hospital.
MORE: Rare identical triplets born at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital
6.Saskatoon Transit lockout
It was an issue that percolated for months and came to a head in September, leaving thousands scrambling for ride. The City of Saskatoon locked-out transit drivers on Sept. 20 after the two sides were unable to agree on a new contract. The lockout was ruled illegal and a second lockout notice was rescinded hours after it was issued, putting buses back on the streets almost a month later.
MORE: Saskatoon Transit lockout
5. Two teens killed in stolen truck crash
Three families were devastated after the driver of a stolen pickup truck trying to elude police slammed into a car on 22nd Street, killing two teens and leaving a third seriously injured. Saskatoon police Chief Clive Weighill called it one of his saddest days since becoming police chief and there were renewed calls from the public for tougher penalties. Two women in the truck have pleaded guilty to a number of offences and will be sentence in the new year.
MORE: 22nd Street fatal crash
4. ‘Mini dwellings’
A 136 square foot “mini dwelling” is all Lydia Holden needs to live in and it’s completely legal. Holden says her $30,000 home is energy efficient, eco-friendly and is an amazing way to live – so much so, she has taken hundreds of calls from others interested in following in her footsteps.
More: ‘Mini dwellings’ gaining momentum in Saskatoon
3. Three sons killed on farm
It was a story that touched the hearts of many people. When one of her children was killed six years ago, Anne Arnal never dreamed she would have to go through the same pain again. And again. Three of her six children – her freckle-faced, youngest boys – died in separate accidents on the family’s farm. The pain is too much for their father, who hasn’t been back to the family homestead since burying two of his sons in 2013.
MORE: Parents cope with deaths of three sons on Saskatchewan farm
2. Tim Hortons snake
It was an odd crime that captured a lot of attention. A dispute over diced onions led to a snake being tossed over a counter at a Tim Hortons. The non-venomous snake was captured and will be released back to the wild when warm weather returns.
MORE: Snake thrown in Tim Hortons after diced onion dispute
1. Weather
Nothing caught your attention more than Saskatchewan weather. From flooding to terrifying twisters and a polar vortex, Saskatchewanians had their fair share of battling the elements over the past year.
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