The countdown is on for Martin McSween, who will soon be heading to the Special Olympic World Winter Games in South Korea.
    McSween is a coach of the alpine skiing coaching team and is getting ready to head out. The athletes, mission staff, and coaches will be gathering in Vancouver for their official send off on January 24, and departing the next day. The competition starts January 29 and runs to February 5.
    Athletes will be competing in multiple sports at the games including alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, figure skating, speed skating, and floor hockey.  They are expecting roughly 3,300 athletes from 120 countries.
    “We hope to have a great showing with our athletes,” said McSween, who has three Alberta athletes on his 15 member alpine team.
    “It’s pretty exciting as it is now less than two weeks away for us. All of our athletes have been working very hard since they got the nod for the Special Olympics Team Canada back in spring 2012. They all qualified at the Special Olympics National Winter Games that were held in St. Albert in February of 2012.”
    The Special Olympics World Winter Games run every four years in the year preceding the Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
    McSween has coached at the national level and went as a coach to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho. He was honoured by Special Olympics Alberta and Special Olympics Canada as coach of the year in 2005.

Martin McSween (centre) is getting ready to head to South Korea for the Special Olympics Winter Games. He leaves later this month as one of the coaches for the alpine skiing team.

    The preliminary hearing for a Hanna man who is charged with two counts of murder began at the Drumheller Court House this week.
    Curtis Rideout is accused of slaying his 47-year-old father Bruce Rideout and 39-year-old Lenette Euteneier.
    The Hanna RCMP were called to a home at roughly 2 a.m. on March 8 of last year in Hanna. There, they encountered a man who said he had killed two people. Police were directed to another home a few houses away where two bodies were discovered. 
    Curtis Rideout was charged with first degree murder in the death of Euteneier and second degree murder in the death of his father.
    There is typically a publication ban at a preliminary inquiry and evidence heard cannot be published until its conclusion.    
    Witnesses are expected to be called this week and arguments are expected to be heard on Friday.