Top Stories – June 15 – Saturday Delays

In addition to the bottom half of Knox Mountain Road being closed this weekend, in southeast Kelowna there will be intermittent closures on Saturday. It’s for the wine country half marathon beginning at The Vibrant Vine on Pooley Road, and ending on the lakefront promenade outside the Delta Grand. Flaggers will be at intersections along the route to temporarily hold traffic.

BCAA and FireSmart BC have teamed up on a new multi-year partnership. The goal is to protect more homes in more communities against the spread of wildfires. The Home Partners Program provides free professional home assessments with property-specific recommendations. More info is at firesmartbc.ca/homepartners .

Police in Alberta have issued warrants for Nathan Chasing Horse, a former actor in the movie Dances With Wolves. He’s wanted on nine charges including sexual exploitation, sexual assault and removing a child from Canada under the age of 16. He has been in jail in Las Vegas since his arrest in January, where he’s charged with 18 felonies, including sexual assault of a minor, child abuse and kidnapping.

E-Comm has seen a 21 percent increase in 9-1-1 calls in the first five months of 2023, compared to a year ago, with May marking the busiest month in its history. E-comm’s top tips are: Only call when immediate emergency assistance is required, know your location when you call, and carry your phone carefully to prevent pocket dials. But if you call by accident, stay on the line so they can ensure you are safe.

BC says it is providing universal coverage for opioid agonist treatments that help people with substance use disorders. It involves the use of medications such as methadone. The government says the coverage for anyone with an MSP number removes cost barriers to opioid treatments and will help people ‘stabilize their lives, prevent deaths and stay on their journey to wellness.’

Bell has announced it’s cutting its workforce by 13-hundred jobs and plans to close six of its radio stations as it will change how it delivers the news. The company, which owns CTV, says it can’t afford to continue operating its various brands independently of one another.

West Kelowna council was given the project timelines for construction of a multi-use path for a secondary emergency exit from Casa Loma to Lakeview Heights. The 3.5-meter-wide path will start at Casa Palmero Drive and follow an existing hiking trail to Lakeview Road. Construction is expected to begin in August and be completed in October.

Experts are sounding the alarm on the effects of this year’s wildfires on wildlife, with large blazes possibly reducing or wiping out some animal populations. UBCO biology professor Karen Hodges says birds are an obvious casualty, with nests, eggs and baby animals unlikely to survive a forest fire. She says even if the adult birds escape, they are unlikely to reproduce elsewhere, resulting in many animals not breeding for the entire year.

Canada Border Services Agency says it has confiscated more than 6,300 kilos of meth in BC over the last six months. They were found in four Metro Vancouver seizures in jugs labelled as canola oil and destined for Australia. The agency says it was the result of work between officials in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Sports

Week 2 in the CFL gets underway today with the Calgary Stampeders taking on the Redblacks in Ottawa. Kick off is at 4:30.

The Blue Jays wrap up their set of games with the Orioles this morning in Baltimore. Last night at Camden Yards, Toronto won 3-1.

Last night in Bellingham, the Kelowna Falcons lost 3-1 to the Bells. They’ll play again later today.

The 123rd US Open tees off today at the Los Angeles Golf and Country Club. Matt Fitzpatrick is the defending champion after taking home 3.1 million dollars last year.