K-W in brief: Feb. 8, 2012

Kitchener man to plead guilty to manslaughter

A local man charged with second-degree murder last year in the death of his four-year-old stepdaughter will plead guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.
According Robert Boettger’s lawyer, Tom Brock, the accused was babysitting Rayna Gagne in a Cambridge townhouse he shared with the child’s mother and two other children on Feb. 3, 2011.

According to Boettger’s lawyer, the girl’s pants were down around her ankles (she was wearing underwear), then she lost her balance during the spanking and hit her head against the bottom stair of a ladder attached to a bed. Brock was quoted by the Record saying that she vomited and then choked on her vomit, which led to respiratory arrest. She was taken unconscious to Cambridge Memorial Hospital, then airlifted to Hamilton. She was declared brain-dead two days later.
–Compiled by Amanda Steiner

Private partner to take on LRT construction

Waterloo Regional council voted 8-1 on Tuesday in favour of working with a private partner for the construction light rail transit.

Councillor Jean Haalboom, who was concerned about the risks involved in trusting a public endeavour to a for-profit company, was the sole vote in opposition.

The partner who is selected will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the system. Those in favour suggested that a private partner would provide more efficient and cost-effective results.

Interested enterprises will be given the opportunity to place bids, which will be considered by local politicians.

Rail transit is scheduled to begin operations in 2017.
–Compiled by Lindsay Purchase