Top Stories – Oct 18 – Hospital Hit

No side is admitting responsibility for a blast that hit a hospital in Gaza City yesterday killing hundreds of people. Jordan called off President Biden’s planned summit with Arab leaders after the explosion and he is only visiting Israel. Further Israeli airstrikes in Gaza could prompt more condemnation at a time when Biden is intending to demonstrate solidarity with the United States’ closest ally in the region.
Officials from Egypt say Israel still insists on searching all aid deliveries at its crossing points to ensure that none of the aid will benefit Hamas. Egypt says trucks loaded with aid to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza are waiting for permission to cross and make their deliveries. Negotiations are still underway for a compromise, allowing foreign passport holders to cross into Egypt.

The inaugural Okanagan 48 Hour Film Project competition came to an end, with the short films screened and the winner of the best film announced in Vernon. ‘It’s Not All Right’, by Little Red Hen Studios out of West Kelowna, was named the Best Film out of 13 submissions. It will be screened at the international film festival, Filmapalooza, next March in Portugal.

Digital marketplaces including Amazon and TripAdvisor are teaming up to battle fake reviews. They’re coming together to promote and protect trustworthy consumer reviews worldwide, with a group called the Coalition for Trusted Reviews. Phoney reviews are often posted by brokers in exchange for money, freebies or other benefits.

There will be no swimming for a few months at Parkinson Recreation centre. The pool and aquatic area at PRC will be temporarily closed starting Monday due to an unforeseen boiler failure that requires immediate attention. Repairs are expected to take eight to twelve weeks, with expected reopening in January. Options for swimming include the Kelowna Family Y and H2O.

A free legal service is now available in BC for anyone who has experienced sexual assault. The not-for-profit Community Legal Assistance Society offers up to three hours of free, confidential legal advice to people of any age, sex or income, regardless of whether or not their assault has been reported to police. People can dial a Vancouver number or email Stand Informed to be connected to appropriate advice.

The inflation rate dipped from four percent in August to 3.8 percent in September in Canada as we paid less for phone services, natural gas, air travel, childcare and furniture. Stats Canada says grocery prices were up 5.8 percent year-over-year. Inflation in BC dipped to 3.3% from 3.8.

A recent RCMP traffic blitz in West Kelowna focused on winter tires which are mandatory on Highway 97. In a 4 hour period, four commercial vehicles were taken out of service due to alcohol and drug violations, and 6 were cited for violations and turnarounds, which included inadequate tire treads. For personal vehicles, 16 had insufficient tire tread or no winter-approved tires or chains and 5 tickets were given for speeding in a school zone, while nine warnings including seat belt violations were handed out.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he wishes Canadian grocers would be more forthcoming about their plans to stabilize prices. But the opposition has not welcomed the approach to the problem. The Conservatives have been hammering the Liberals over the cost of groceries, blaming the prime minister for price increases due to his government’s ‘deficit spending.’

SPORTS

The Kelowna Rockets will be hoping to bounce back from a big loss on the weekend when they host the Swift Current Broncos tonight. Pregame show on 1047 the Lizard begins at 6:35 with the face off at Prospera Place at 7:05.

NHL in Philadelphia yesterday, the Canucks began the U-S portion of their road trip with a 2-0 loss to the Flyers. Vancouver is off today before moving on to Tampa tomorrow.

The Calgary Stampeders have suspended Tommylee Lewis after he didn’t return to the team following a recent bye week. TSN reported that Lewis is expecting the birth of a child. The Stamps play BC on Friday.