Top Stories – Nov 1 – Tentative Teacher Deal

Teachers in BC have reached a tentative contract agreement with the province after almost 50 meetings since March. The BC Teachers’ Federation employs nearly 49,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 teachers. The next step in the process will have both the Employers Association and teachers ratify the agreement which is expected to take several weeks. No details were released.

The Kelowna RCMP have received a complaint regarding a fight which occurred on Friday evening at the Kelowna Community Theatre. It happened as entertainer Steve-O headlined the show. Police say a number of people were involved and they would like to hear from anyone that attended the performance, or has photos or video footage of the altercation.

Bars and pubs in BC can temporarily extend operating hours during the FIFA World Cup that starts later this month. Victoria says it will give fans extra time at their venue of choice to watch the Canadian men’s soccer team play during early morning hours. While there will be no change to the hours of liquor sales, bars, pubs and restaurants will be able to remain open and serve non-alcoholic drinks.

The work continues in the Lakeshore/Richter/Lanfranco area. Today, Thursday and Friday, Richter will be closed between Lakeshore and Lanfranco. Tomorrow, Richter will be closed for night work and water shut down from 7pm to 7am. Starting Saturday, Richter and Lakeshore will be single lane alternating traffic between 9am and 3:30pm for the duration of project.

Now that Halloween’s over and your pumpkin has done its duty, the Regional District Waste Reduction Office encourages you compost it. Cut them into small pieces and add some fall leaves, they will break down much faster so by next spring they’ll be a great nutrient-rich soil. If you can’t compost, put them in your curbside yard waste cart for your next pickup.

The province has reached a tentative agreement with members of the Professional Employees Association under the Shared Recovery Mandate. The PEA represents nearly 1,300 people working as foresters, engineers, agrologists, geoscientists, psychologists and others.

Kelowna RCMP is investigating a hit and run on Saturday about 3:10pm near the intersection of Lewis Road and Gardner Road in the Black Mountain area. A car collided with a 59-year old man riding an electric scooter. Police say he suffered significant injuries and is in hospital. The suspect vehicle is believed to be small-ish and possibly green in colour.

Family doctors in BC are getting a big raise under the province’s new compensation model as part of a plan to address the crisis in the health care system. A full-time family doctor will be paid about $385,000 a year, up from the current $250,000, under the new three-year Physician Master Agreement. The goal is not only to stabilize family practice, but to make it sustainable and rewarding.

The outgoing mayor of Surrey is on trial for a charge of public mischief, two weeks after his defeat at the polls. Last year Doug McCallum told police that a woman collecting signatures to keep the Mounties in Surrey ran over his foot outside a grocery store. But instead of the woman being charged, it was McCallum, following an investigation by the RCMP’s Major Crime Section. He pleaded not guilty.

Sports

They’ll try to get game 3 of the World Series in Philadelphia played today. Yesterday’s attempt to break the 1-1 tie was rained out.

The Toronto Raptors picked up a big 139-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks with 6’8″ Pascal Siakam notching 31 points for the home team.

In the Monday Night Football battle of Ohio, it was a Halloween treat for Cleveland fans as the Browns beat the Bengals 32-13.

The Vancouver Canucks will be looking to extend their 2 game winning streak tonight when they host New Jersey at 7.