Top Stories – Oct 21 – Stolen Stuff Snagged

A man from Langley and a woman from White Rock are facing numerous charges after West Kelowna RCMP recovered over $30,000 in suspected stolen merchandise. (above) They were told that a man and woman with a cargo van were shoplifting high value stuff from local stores. On Tuesday, a van with two occupants was spotted in the parking lot of a business in Kelowna and the pair were arrested without incident.

BC reported 696 cases of covid-19 yesterday, which included 118 for Interior Health. There are 4,888 active cases with 370 individuals in hospital and 139 of those are in intensive care. Four long term care facilities in the region still have active outbreaks including Cottonwoods in Kelowna.

BC had the second-lowest inflation rate in the country last month at 3.5 percent… the same as August. Only Saskatchewan was a bit lower. Nationally, the inflation rate was 4.4 percent – the highest since 2003. Gas prices have led the rise in inflation, with drivers paying 32.8 percent more in September compared to last year.

Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran met with business owners and managers in the Capri-Landmark urban centre as part of a group organized to learn how they have coped during the pandemic. He said some businesses around there felt the effects of more people who were working from home instead of in the towers. Basran said online, delivery services and other innovations helped businesses succeed in the covid climate.

If you have bloodwork scheduled at Lifelabs for next week, you may get a call rescheduling it. BCGEU employees at the private company have issued 72 hour strike notice to go into effect Monday. It has been deemed an essential service by the Labour Relations Board so while most labs will remain open, some will be closed on a rotating basis.

It’s not just south of the border that people are trying horse medication to protect themselves against Covid. Health Canada says reports to poison centres concerning Ivermectin have increased over the summer. The agency says Canadians should never consume animal health products, including veterinary Ivermectin because of the potential serious health risks.

UBC Okanagan’s freshly minted dining hall in the brand-new Nechako Residence has been named for the founders of The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation in recognition of their generosity to UBC Okanagan. Their latest gift of 1.25 million dollars will create two new endowment funds to support generations of nursing students and fellowships linked to clinical research.

Kelowna RCMP is requesting the public’s help in locating a missing man. 30 year old Sean Scott was last seen on October 10 leaving a home in the 600 block of Clement. Since his disappearance, police have followed up on several leads, however he remains missing.

Description of Sean:

Caucasian male
30 years old
5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
161 lbs (73 kg)
blond hair
blue eyes
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sean Scott is urged to contact their local police, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Drop, Cover and Hold On. That’s what we’re supposed to practise today in preparation for the big earthquake – not that we get a lot in the Valley. Earthquakes are a top hazard in BC because thousands of them happen every year along the coast. If you want to participate, register at shakeoutbc.ca/register .

Sports

Two more games left for the Canucks on this 6 game road trip. Tonight they are in Chicago to take on the winless Blackhawks. Game starts at 5:30.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver Brandon Banks was seen at practice yesterday after missing weeks 4 weeks with a rib injury. The coach is confident that Banks will play this weekend against the Ottawa Redblacks.

It’s a battle of teams that are 3 & 3 so far in the NFL season tonight. The Denver Broncos travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns who will have backup QB Case Keenum in for the injured Baker Mayfield.

The Formula 1 teams are coming to North America this weekend for a race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Drivers will get their first practise on the track tomorrow, with qualifying Saturday and the race on Sunday.

Unvaccinated CFL players who cannot travel with their teams to the East or West Division finals, or the Grey Cup game, will not be allowed to participate. The decision ends weeks of speculation about how the league would handle the ban on unvaccinated passengers travelling by air and rail on November 30th.

The PGA Tour is overseas this week for the Zozo Championship in Japan. Two Canadians have made the trip – Roger Sloan and Mackenzie Hughes. The winner pockets almost 1.8 Million dollars.