Top Stories – May 4 – Cache Creek Flood

The flooding situation in Cache Creek where Highways 1 and 97 meet, got worse yesterday, as flood waters were running through a motel parking lot and directly through the local fire department hall. The mayor says it’s no longer an emergency situation, it’s a disaster. The elementary school was closed and all school buses that travel through Cache Creek were not running.

The Mission Sports Fields will be the site for the “ultimate showdown” this weekend. Often dubbed as Ultimate Frisbee, it features mixed teams working in a race to score points by completing passes into the endzone. 32 teams from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Seattle will be there Saturday and Sunday with the championship game at 1:30 on Sunday.

The BC NDP outperformed the other political parties when it came to fundraising in the first quarter. They took in about $757,000. That compares to BC United at $630,000, the Green Party with $201,000 and the BC Conservatives at $26,000.

Drivers and riders should be prepared for lane closures & transit detours in Mission area on Sunday. It’s the annual Cherry Blossom Triathlon and single lane closures will be in place between 5am and noon. The main roads affected are Gordon, Casorso, Swamp and Dehart.

Dozens more homes have been evacuated or put on evacuation alert in the Parker Cove neighbourhood northwest of Vernon. The Okanagan Indian Band is describing it as a ‘once in 200-year event’. Water levels did recede a bit yesterday but residents are on the alert for what could happen with predicted rain this weekend.

Canada has announced $71 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan and two neighbouring countries that are dealing with a large number of refugees in the wake of a violent crisis. The funds will flow through agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross as well as non-governmental organizations to provide basic food, water and health services.

Kelowna may start charging recreational boaters for the use of Municipal launching facilities. It already charges commercial operators. Details of how such an operation would function are still being determined and will return to Council in the future.

Kelowna Council approved the terms of reference for a Community Task Force on Crime Reduction. It will provide recommendations to Council on community-driven initiatives to reduce crime in the city. The Task Force will be in place for a 12-month term, with the ability to extend, and provide quarterly updates.

Should King Charles replace his mother on some or all of Canada’s currency? So far, Ottawa is remaining mum on the topic. However, it’s a foregone conclusion in the United Kingdom. It was the first country to move forward with new banknotes that will go into circulation in mid-2024.

Sports

In Las Vegas last night an empty net goal in the last minute secured a 6-4 win for the Golden Knights against Edmonton in game one of their NHL playoff series. Former Kelowna Rocket Leon Draisaitl had all the Oiler goals. Game 2 goes tomorrow.
Game two of Toronto’s second round series goes tonight. The Leafs host the Panthers at 4 with Florida up 1-0.

The next installment of The Match will see Steph Curry and Klay Thompson take on Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The duel between the Golden State Warriors and Kansas City Chiefs pairs will take place in Vegas on June 29.

Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia who golf with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, have resigned from the European tour instead of facing financial penalties for playing LIV events without permission.