news Kelley Cook receives Diamond Jubilee Award Page 3
Community China Ridge Trails - recreation for all seasons. Page 6
SPORTS
Local Storm players on ice at home. Page 9
SPOTLIGHT $1.10 Includes TAX
The Similkameen
Volume 64 Issue 04
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Proudly serving the community since 1948 • www.similkameenspotlight.com We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
Diamond Jubilee awards presentation Joyce Fraser, Ken Carlson and Edith M. Currie were all presented with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award at the regular meeting of Council on Monday, Jan. 21. Lisa Carleton lisa@similkameenspotlight.com
MLA for Fraser-Nicola, Mr. Harry Lali traveled to Princeton on Monday night to join Mayor Frank Armitage in presenting the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award to three local recipients. To be eligible for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award recipients must have made a significant contribution to a particular province, territory, region or community within Canada, or an achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. Locals Joyce Fraser, Edith M. Currie and Ken Carlson easily fit in to the award criteria. These three are honored for “their service and commitment to their community over an extended period of time,” said Mayor Armitage, “thank you, on behalf of all our citizens.” Fraser and Currie were nominated for the award by the Council of the Town of Princeton and presented their awards by Mayor Armitage. MLA Harry Lali nominated Ken Carlson for the award. “It was pretty tough to choose, Fraser -Nicola is large—a lot of deserving people,” said Lali. “I was allowed four in my constituency and I am pleased to present one of them to Ken Carlson,” he said. Certificates and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals were presented to each of the recipients. See next weeks Spotlight for complete details.
Weather Watch Wednesday
High -1/Low -5
Thursday
High 1/Low -3
Friday
High 2/Low -2
Saturday
High 2/Low -3
Sunday
High 0/Low -3
Lisa Carleton/Spotlight
Mayor Frank Armitage - left and MLA Harry Lali - far right presented the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award to recipients Joyce Fraser - center left, Ken Carlson - center and Edith M. Currie - center right, honoring them for years of dedication to their community.
Judge rejects guilty plea from Badour Kristi Patton Black Press
A guilty plea issued by a high-risk sex offender accused of murdering a Princeton woman has been refused by the court. Roger Badour, 64, admitted to Supreme Court Justice Robert Powers that he shot and killed Gisele Duckham and fled. Badour stated this at a Dec. 20 appearance in Kamloops and the plea was initially going to be accepted until Badour informed the court he wanted to get past the trial because he has cancer and believed he would get better medical treatment in federal prison. He has been in provincial jail since he was arrested on Nov. 8, 2011. “At that time both Crown and the court had concerns that given some statements made in court by Mr. Badour.
Princeton
There were indications the plea was not completely voluntary on his part,” said Neil MacKenzie, spokesperson for the Crown. “Crown counsel did not want to see the accused enter a guilty plea where there is any suggestion that it was not completely free and voluntary and the judge was not prepared to accept a guilty plea in the circumstances.” It is alleged that Badour killed Duckham at her residence in the 2000 block of Osprey Lake Road in Princeton. Victoria police had been searching for the high-risk sex offender for eight months after he disappeared while on parole as part of a seven-year sentence for sexual assault. On the evening of Nov. 8, 2011 Penticton RCMP pulled over a vehicle on Main
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