Top Stories – Oct 19 – West K Police Shooting

A police-involved shooting in West Kelowna yesterday. It happened in the area of Skyline Lane in Lakeview Heights where a suspect went into a porta-potty on an empty lot and stayed there for about 20 minutes. Witnesses told Global News he eventually tried to make a run for it and was shot and taken away in an ambulance. The Independent Investigations Office has taken control of the case. No further details including the condition of the suspect have been released.

Kelowna Council adopted a bylaw to advance the $241 million loan authorization for the recreation and activity centres project. It also adopted a resolution declaring a climate crisis to demonstrate Council’s concerns regarding the impacts of climate change. Staff are now developing a Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy, which is expected to be completed early next year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says limited humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza from Egypt by tomorrow at the earliest, following a personal request from US President Joe Biden. Doctors in Gaza City performed surgery on floors, often without anesthesia, in a desperate bid to save wounded victims of a blast that killed civilians sheltering in a hospital. Biden says the US will provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians affected by conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.

Time is running out for Kelowna residents to share their thoughts on three concepts for the North End neighbourhood at the base of Knox Mountain. Locals can complete the survey on Get Involved before Sunday to identify which aspects of the three concepts they like best for the neighbourhood, along with what could be improved.

Canadians are planning on reining in their holiday spending this year. Deloitte’s fifth annual holiday retail outlook survey has found that Canadians are expected to spend 11 percent less for the holiday season than compared to last year, for an average of $1,347 per person. This year’s season shows signs of stagnation in e-commerce growth as consumers plan to spend 41% of their holiday budget online vs. 55% in stores.

Insolvency firm M-N-P’s consumer debt index improved slightly in the latest quarter, with 51 percent of Canadians surveyed saying they are 200-dollars or less away from not being able to meet all their financial obligations. That’s down from 52 percent in July. Eighteen percent believe their debt situation will be worse a year from now, up 3 points from the previous quarter.

Former residents of Lytton are up in arms over the latest roadblock to the rebuilding of their community. Mayor Denise O’Connor says archeological work is now preventing the village from rebuilding after the deadly wildfire that tore through the area in June of 2021. However, a statement from the consulting firm doing the work, says the assertion that the work has delayed recovery in Lytton isn’t true and work is happening alongside recovery.

Hospitals in Merritt, Oliver and Salmon Arm will get 7.5-million-dollars in permanent funding from the province to help stabilize doctor emergency-room coverage. Interior Health says a new compensation model for physicians in rural communities will pay them for their time spent at the hospital caring for patients, rather than the fee-for-service payment model.

Wab Kinew is now the premier of Manitoba after being sworn in as the first, First Nations premier of a province. He swore his oath to King Charles at a ceremony in Winnipeg. His cabinet included, for the first time in Manitoba, First Nations women.

SPORTS

At Prospera Place last night, four straight goals in the second period, which included four assists from Andrew Cristall helped the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-3 win over Swift Current. Next up for the locals is a road game tomorrow in Tri Cities.

The Vancouver Canucks road trip continues today in Tampa Bay. Face off against the Lightning is at 4.

NFL Thursday Night Football has the 4-2 Jacksonville Jaguars in New Orleans against the 3-3 Saints. Kickoff at 5:15.

Five members of the Blue Jays were named finalists for American League Gold Glove Awards. Pitcher Jose Berrios, catcher Alejandro Kirk, third baseman Matt Chapman, left-fielder Daulton Varsho and centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier were among the finalists at their positions.