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TUESDAY JULY 24, 2012
Proudly serving Williams Lake and the Cariboo-Chilcotin since 1930
VOL. 82. No. 59
$1.34 inc. HST
Loran C broken into Crime Stoppers and the Williams Lake RCMP are asking for the public’s assistance in the investigation of a break, enter and theft at the Loran C site located on Highway 20 west of Williams Lake. Some time during the last week, someone broke the gate at the site and entered the property. Two of the outbuildings were broken into and a spill kit was stolen as well as aluminum grating. The grating is described as 10 inches by four feet in size. Anyone with information regarding wanted subjects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or the Williams Lake RCMP at 250 392-6211. Crime Stoppers also subscribes to web tips at www.bccrimestoppers.com.
Inside the Tribune NEWS Pot plants seized.
A2
SPORTS A8 BC Summer Games wrap up. COMMUNITY A11 A kiss from Kevin Costner. Weather outlook: Mix of sun/ cloud today, high of 23 C. Mix of sun/cloud Wednesday, high of 26 C.
Brenda Weekes photos
Environment Canada says a dust devil, rather than a tornado, is likely to blame for the damage done to the Howells property in Chimney Valley Saturday night. The event even ripped off the garage roof. For more photos, visit wltribune.com.
Weather wreaks havoc Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer Environment Canada says it was most likely a very strong dust devil that caused thousands of dollars of damage to a property in Chimney Valley Saturday evening. “There can be what are called dust devils that are almost as strong as a weak tornado. They can create damage and Saturday would have been the day for a very unstable air mass between the first set of storms and the next ones in the region,” Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist explains. At around 6:10 p.m., Karina Howell was sitting at her computer in the basement of her home in
Chimney Valley, located near Highway 20, when she heard the sound of the wind picking up. “I looked outside and saw trees lying over sideways. I stood up and heard a big sound, like thunder and whistling. I opened up the door and a piece of plywood came flying at me,” Howell says. Something was swirling by and things were flying all over the place. “Part of the garage roof landed on our walkway. Things were falling everywhere and then the thing headed up toward the mountain with a whole bunch of our stuff. I’m actually missing a couple of kennels.” The wind sucked the tail lights
out of her truck and ripped the canopy off. “It lifted a one-tonne support beam and threw it. That’s how strong it was. At first I thought lightning had hit something in our yard … but the noise didn’t stop. Then when I went out there and things were flying around I realized what was going on.” Gerald Ryan lives across the road from the Howells and was outside painting his woodshed. “I could feel the wind blowing and I looked over and could see a mini dust storm and started to notice objects flying around. Then I realized they were small, plastic kennels,” Ryan says. The wind then went behind the
garage and lifted its back roof and brought it forward. “It was like something you see in the movies. You don’t normally see something like that around here. It lifted the roof and dropped it down and debris kept flying around,” he recalls. “The dirt and debris had to be 20 feet in diameter. When I could see objects flying at the back before it lifted the roof off I could see the objects making 10, 15 feet circles.” Ryan and other neighbours did not experience any damage to their properties. “It was gone as quick as it came. When the wind finally stopped it headed northwest into the fields and then there was silence,” Ryan says.
People protest pipeline project Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer A few dozen people gathered at Herb Gardner Park Thursday for the Kootenay to Kitimat Caravan’s rally to gather support protesting the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project. The Caravan’s four members, dubbed the “geezer gang,”all hail from in and around Nelson. They left Nelson last Monday and are on a 10-day venture, stopping to connect with communities along the way. At the helm is Keith Wiley who, back in February, began hosting a number of informational events in Nelson to raise awareness about the tar sands and pipeline project.
Monica Lamb-Yorski photo
Enbridge pipeline protest rally at Herb Gardner park Thursday. “People there said we should do something more and send a delegation along the pipeline route,” Wiley said. “We’re having a great time and
meeting a lot of supportive people.” On Wednesday the group marched up and down the market in Kamloops chanting, “No pipeline, no
tankers, no problem,” the slogan used by groups opposing the pipeline project. In Williams Lake people also repeated the slogan, as Wiley called it out. Describing Wiley as the lead singer, and the other three as the chorus, Tom Nixon credits Wiley for leading the caravan. “It was all his idea to go to the people that live along Highway 16 all the way to Kitimat to find out what they want us to do. What can the south end of the province do to help? We’re collecting contacts and names of people. It’s been great,” Nixon said. See WHISTLER Page A3