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Police search continues for second crash victim
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Chilliwack RCMP are continuing to search for what they believe is a second victim in a crash that has already claimed the life of a 36-year-old Chilliwack woman. The incident occurred late Sunday night after a Ford F-150 truck smashed through a concrete barrier on Ballam Road and McDonald Road and plunged into the Fraser River. At the time, the RCMP dive team was called in to assist as the vehicle was pulled from the water. The initial search recovered just the body of the woman. Police now believe, however, she wasn’t alone. “We are doing everything possible in an effort to locate what we believe is a second victim in this tragic accident,” said Cst. Tracy Wolbeck. “We want to be able to bring closure to the families involved in this and will continue to do whatever is necessary to recover him.” The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team will be attending the scene [Thursday] morning with sonar equipment in an attempt to locate the missing man.
Chief Wannawin and Chilliwack Chiefs president, Glen Ringdal, ride the Fanboni along Yale Road as the team gears up for the BCHL playoff season. First game of round one in the playoffs begins tomorrow (Friday) at 7 p.m. at Prospera Centre where the hometown Chiefs faceoff against the Prince George Spruce Kings.(See story, page 37.) JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Policy clears way for resumption of Bible distribution Alina Konevski The Progress
glossy, in colour, description of the Christian organization, along with a request for parental approval to receive a free Gideon Bible. At that meeting, the school board had deleted the note granting special permission to the Gideons to distribute Bibles, and resolved to create a new policy by March 2013. The superintendent of the school district, Evelyn Novak, says she consulted extensively with the community about this policy. This included talks with the aboriginal and education policy advisory committees, consisting of students, teachers, staff, and parents. Novak also met with Gideon representa-
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The Chilliwack Board of Education unanimously approved a broad new policy for distributing materials and information in schools at Tuesday’s board meeting that satisfied the religious community, but triggered complaints about the separation of church and state. According to new policy 518, “Recognized charitable organizations and other organizations having educational or community service attributes may be authorized by the superintendent of schools
or the superintendent’s delegate to have information or materials distributed.” Members of the board and the gathered public took this to mean that the status quo will remain, and that non-profit religious groups will be allowed to distribute bibles to children at school, upon parental approval. The issue of materials and information distributed in Chilliwack public schools ignited when local parent Richard Ajabu complained at the Nov. 13, 2012, school board meeting about a permission slip his child received from Gideons International. The paper was a
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tives, who expressed support of the final draft. Finally, Novak reviewed petitions that the community has submitted over the last few months. This included 403 signatures on an online petition started by the BC Humanist Association to “Prevent the distribution of religious materials in public schools,” and a similar letter from the BC Civil Liberties Association. BCHA says that distributing bibles in public schools contravenes Section 76 of the B. C. School Act, which requires that education be strictly secular. In doing so, such a policy “represents an attempt to use public schools for
religious proselytizing.” Novak also received petitions from First Avenue Church (with 150 signatures), Chilliwack Alliance Church (380 signatures), Central Community Church (unspecified number of signatures), and 311 signatures from an online petition started by parent Mike Unruh. These groups support a policy in which parents have the option to approve their child receiving a Bible at school. In total, there were 841 signatures in support, and 403 against. Of the BCHA signatures, only 69 were from Chilliwack residents. Continued: BOARD/ p4
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