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FALLING MOOSE POPULATION P. 2 EDITORIAL P. 6
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CNC PRESIDENT TO RESIGN P. 5 ELKS DONATE P. 8
E xpress OMINECA
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$1.26 Inc. GST Vol. 36 No. 04
Serving Vanderhoof ● Fort Fraser ● Fraser Lake & Area www.ominecaexpress.com
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
House fire displaces family
Nechako Valley SAR finds its way back
Cameron Ginn Omineca Express
Cameron Ginn/Omineca Express
Nechako Valley Search and Rescue (SAR) purchased new handheld global positioning system (GPS) units last week. Members of the community donated $5,920 for the units. Late last year, more than $10,000 of communications and navigations gear was stolen from the SAR team. From left, Nechako Valley SAR members Terry Thompson, Eric Williamson, Chris Mushumanski, Rick Beatty and Scott Klassen navigate downtown Vanderhoof using the new units, valued at just under $6,000.
RCMP investigate suspicious death The death of Destiny Rae Tom, 21, on Nautley First Nations reserve has been deemed suspicious by RCMP. At around 5:25 a.m. on Saturday morning, RCMP were called to the Fort Fraserarea reserve where they discovered a woman’s body outside a home. RCMP arrested an adult male upon arrival but have since released him without charges. The North District Major Crime Unit are cer? is can What is a r e c n Ca eases of dis group rized te c ra cha lled contro by un d spread n a th grow cells. ormal your of abn ke of a s e ortant for th p , it’s im ze health ri ia il to fam ith the elf w s yours variou about facts er and c n a c of ms. forms ympto their s
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not disclosing further details citing an ongoing investigation. An autopsy has been scheduled this week to assist with determining a cause of death. Anyone with possible information about the death of Destiny Rae Tom are being asked to call Fraser Lake RCMP at 250.699.7777. To remain anonymous, the RCMP advises the public to call Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.8477 (TIPS).
RCMP
It was about 8:30 a.m. on March 8 when Sharon Snell made her first call to 911, shortly after her home caught fire from a clogged chimney. Snell was transferred to the Fire Operations Communications Centre (FOCC) in Prince George, but she said her call for service was received by a dismissive dispatcher who hung up twice and repeatedly pinpointed her Sackner Road home as located beyond the District of Vanderhoof’s fire protection zone. "That was it. They didn't want to talk to us anymore," said Snell. "We were treated very poorly." As the flames continued spreading higher, Sharon Snell's son, Richard, called back a third time from inside the burning home and demanded assistance, smashing his phone on the countertop with frustration when the dispatcher informed him again that the property was located outside the district. “I’m telling her, ‘Lady, I’m standing inside my burning house. Send help,’” he said. Minutes later, the Vanderhoof Fire Department showed up at the two-story house, now filled with smoke. It took the department more than two hours to gain the upper hand on the blaze as they systematically tore the building apart to extinguish the hot spots, said Chief Joe Pacheco. “We had fire in the upper floor of the building and going into the attic. It took some time to knock it down,” said Pacheco.
Destiny Rae Tom, 21, was found dead on Nautley First Nations reserve.
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