Top Stories – Sept 22 – Second Seizure

Another dangerous driver has been busted for speeding, his motorcycle was impounded for a week and he faces a bunch of charges. It started with a cop trying to pull him over for expired insurance, but the guy took off at speeds up to 100 in a West Kelowna residential area, swerving past other vehicles. The officer stopped the chase and went to the bike owner’s home and found his wife heading out to pick him up. The driver and his bike were found and he was ticketed for Excessive Speed, No Insurance and Failing to Stop for police.

Westcorp is going to try again with a big hotel development in Kelowna. Permits had been issued by council twice before, but they expired before any work was started. The plan now is to build a 33 storey hotel and residential tower in the Kerry Park/Queensway area.

The Kelowna RCMP have recently received a number of reports of fraud involving investments scams. Examples of opportunities being used are cryptocurrency, art, comic books and sports memorabilia. The fraudsters say they will provide contracts that appear legitimate, offering a higher rate of return than what might be available with traditional investments.

Kelowna Council OK’d a development permit for what will be the city’s tallest building. UBCO’s 43-storey downtown campus will be built at the corner of St. Paul Street and Doyle Ave. It will include 10 floors of academic use, 473 units of apartment housing, ground floor commercial use and underground parking.

In July, Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops RCMP along with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, got together to reduce opportunities for gang violence in high risk places. The result was the seizure of almost 2 kilograms of illicit drugs including enough fentanyl to produce 29,000 lethal doses. They got more than 50 weapons and 12 thousand dollars in cash. Kelowna RCMP Inspector Beth McAndie says the operation was essential to increasing safety in public spaces.

The Snowbirds have been cleared for takeoff after a crash in BC last month forced the aerobatics team to cancel appearances at several air shows. Investigators say the crash near Fort St. John was caused by an improperly assembled oil filter. No one was injured but the plane sustained serious damage.

A 72 unit townhouse and duplex development in West Kelowna next to Shannon Lake is a ‘go’. City council issued development permits for four duplexes and 9 townhouse buildings. The developer has also promised a bunch of amenities and improvements such as a fishing dock and picnic tables.

The Kamloops Fire Centre has seen 412 fires so far this season, which is close to the 445 last year, but the big difference is in the size of the fires. Just over 21-thousand hectares has burned, which is a fraction of the nearly half-Million consumed last year. The Wildfire Service credits the quick work of initial attack crews for limiting fire spread this summer, with 84 percent being stopped before reaching one hectare.

The Province has received recommendations that will help connect people who have been committing repeat offences with the supports they need to break out of that cycle. The investigation makes recommendations in several areas, such as addressing repeat offending and improving public confidence in the justice system and creating more opportunities to divert people from the criminal justice system.

Sports

It’s week 3 in the NFL and it kicks off with Thursday Night Football. The Steelers are in Cleveland to take on the Browns with both teams having a win and a loss so far this season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are inducting receiver Joe Poplawski to the Ring of Honour at IG Field. He played nine seasons for the Bombers, winning one Grey Cup in 1984. Poplawski was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 1978, Most Outstanding Canadian in 1981 and 86 and was a 5-time all-star.

The Blue Jays have a very important set of games in Tampa starting today that could determine who will have the best chance of finishing second in the A-L East. Start time against the Rays is 3:40 this afternoon. Yesterday the Phillies scored in the 10th inning to take the win.

Suspended Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver is beginning the process of selling both franchises. The NBA handed Sarver a one-year ban and a $10 million fine, the maximum allowed, for “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies.”

It’s the United States versus the rest of the world this week in golf with the President’s Cup. This year’s event begins today at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. Canadians Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith are on the International team.

He got a punch in the head but it was running off at the mouth that led to BC Lion receiver Lucky Whitehead getting belted by a Calgary player after last weekend’s game. Whitehead says he was trash-talking at Stampeders’ linebacker Cameron Judge, but figures Judge, who was suspended for this weekend’s rematch, was more upset about losing the game.