Top Stories – July 19 – Kelowna Restrictions

Kelowna and other utilities within the city are moving to Stage 1 water restrictions today. So odd numbered addresses can irrigate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while evens are limited to Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Residents on RDCO water systems are now at Stage 3 restrictions which means one day a week watering with even addresses on Saturday and odd on Sunday and there is no car, boat or patio washing.

BC’s wildfire season has set a new record for the total area burned in a year. Almost 14,000 square kilometres have scorched, which is more than twice the size of Prince Edward Island. Canadian Forces troops are joining teams from Australia, the U.S., Mexico and New Zealand. They’re working alongside about 2,000 BC Wildfire personnel.

The latest inflation report shows gasoline prices have fallen nearly 22% since last June, when global energy markets spiked in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Inflation rose just 2.8% last month, slowing from 3.4 in May. However food prices were up 8.3% year-over-year and mortgage interest costs jumped a whopping 30 percent.

Monday evening’s wildfire along Westside Road was started by a tree that came down on power lines in the strong winds according to BC Hydro. The evacuation alert for a few properties in the area was lifted yesterday afternoon after BC Wildfire classified it as Being Held at 4 hectares in size. The 5 kilometres of Westside Road that had been closed to all traffic was reopened to single lane alternating traffic with the next DriveBC update this morning at 9.

Local creator and Indigenous artist/activist Greta Reid has been selected to receive $10,000 of production funding from the Telus STORYHIVE Voices program. It’s to create a visual podcast series that will explore the world of Indigenous art, community and advocacy. ‘New Ground Glory’ will show her journey as she emerges within the Indigenous art world and challenges norms, advocates for change and empowers others.

Ports in BC are back behind picket lines after the Longshore Union rejected a tentative deal that was negotiated with the help of a federal mediator. The employer says the union did not put the offer to its membership for a full vote.

The Kelowna RCMP is asking for help to locate a vehicle and driver involved in a hit and run on Sunday just before noon on Enterprise near Cooper. The white, mid-late 2000’s Ford Freestar collided with a guy riding his bike, stopped briefly, then took off. It has a large dent on the passenger side of the front bumper underneath the headlight and the driver is a white man in his 20s. The cyclist was taken to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The Downtown Kelowna Association’s Block Party will fill four blocks of Bernard Avenue from Kerry Park to St. Paul Street on Saturday. There’ll be family-friendly activities, art, food, shopping and entertainment from 10-4. More at downtownkelowna.com .

More than 285,000 families in BC will see bigger payments in their bank accounts starting this month from the permanently increased BC Family Benefit. It increased by an additional $250 per year for a two-parent family of four and as much as $750 for a single-parent family with two children.

Sports

In Toronto last night, the Blue Jays began three games against San Diego with a 9-1 loss. They will play again today starting just after 4 at Rogers Centre.

The Kelowna Falcons opened their West Coast League series in Corvallis last night with a loss. They will play the Knights again this evening.

Derek Clancey, who was assistant GM with the Vancouver Canucks has moved east. He’ll be assistant general manager of player personnel with the Maple Leafs.

Former NHL goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff will see his number raised to the rafters of the Saddledome when the Flames retire his No. 34 in March. He played for Calgary from 2003 until he retired in 2013.