Top Stories – Apr 21 – Carport/House Fire

A fire in the 1200 block of Mountain View Street in South Glenmore yesterday morning caused damage to a carport and the roof structure of a home. Occupants were able to evacuate safely and there were no injuries to the residents or firefighters. They will be out of the home until the structure is deemed safe, and while the cause of the fire is undetermined, it is not suspicious.

A local man who is known to police was arrested on Highway 97 near Reid’s Corner on Wednesday following what started out as a routine traffic stop for distracted driving. An RCMP officer noticed the driver constantly looking down towards his lap, and when he pulled him over, saw what eventually turned out to be a replica airsoft gun in the center console. The driver was ordered out of the car and on to the ground at gunpoint in what police called an extremely tense situation.

A top Google executive told a House of Commons committee that the Liberal’s online news bill would create a situation where everybody loses. Google’s vice president for news says it would incentivize clickbait content over high-quality local journalism, and likely require it to pay publishers for non-factual or misleading content. The company would prefer to contribute to a media fund that would align with the government’s policy goals while funding local journalism.

Kelowna General Hospital is getting a new 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine and the replacement of an existing 1.5T MRI machine. The Health Ministry says it will increase the number of MRI scans done at KGH from about 7,000 to 15,000 per year. The machines cost 30 million dollars, with 5 million coming from the KGH Foundation, 10 million from the Central Okanagan Hospital District and 15 million from the province.

A First Nation community on the Sunshine Coast says ground-penetrating radar has identified what are believed to be 40 unmarked graves of children on or near the site of the former St. Augustine’s Residential School. An investigator says they always had enough proof of the remains, and they strongly believe there are many more unmarked graves in the area.

The Vancouver Police Department is promising to upgrade psychological interviews for potential new recruits and to seek funding for annual psych check-ins for all its officers. The pledges are in a report detailing how the department said it plans to implement eight recommendations from an inquest into the suicide death of Const. Nicole Chan in 2019.

On Monday, Kelowna Council will consider the final 2023 budget. It would see a tax increase of 3.78%, or $86.42 based on the average value of a single detached home. That includes the introduction of a 1% public safety levy to fund the addition of six new RCMP members, four firefighters and four bylaw officers.

A UBCO civil engineer is updating his pitch for electric passenger rail service in the Okanagan. Kelowna councillor Gord Lovegrove is trying to form partnerships with communities for an idea to have hydrogen-powered trains moving people from Kamloops to the U-S border. During a meeting in the North Okanagan, he said at 1.7 Billion dollars, it would be cheaper and more sustainable than expanding the highway system.

The federal government and Public Service Alliance of Canada are both warning of major service disruptions as a result of the strike. Yesterday, hundreds of workers headed to the picket line on Parliament Hill armed with signs, megaphones and their dogs. One striker said while the atmosphere seemed friendly with music blasting and people talking with other union members, the strike is serious and it is happening out of necessity.

Sports

The Kelowna Rockets store at Prospera Place is holding its big season ending sale today from 9 until 6. You’ll be able to buy things like new sticks, backpacks and Retail jerseys… and if you’re really lucky, some used socks and practice jerseys.

The Toronto Blue Jays continue their road trip today at Yankee Stadium. First pitch in New York goes at 4.

First the NFL’s Raiders, and now Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s are going to pack up and move to Vegas. The team has signed an agreement to purchase land for a new retractable roof ballpark near the Strip.