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Lauren Kustas (right), Bobbe MacKenzie, Upper Room Misson board chair, and Kelly Fehr, board of directors, let their creative juices flow as they carve pumpkins at the Upper Room Mission on Halloween. Sid Sidhu of Bella Vista Farm Market dropped off four truckloads of pumpkins for their day of carving.
Officer acquitted of charge MARTHA WICKETT Black Press
Hugs and tears followed Judge Anne Wallace’s decision Thursday in the Salmon Arm Law Courts. The provincial court judge acquitted Salmon Arm police officer Micah Chan of a charge of dangerous driving. Intense emotion in the courtroom was evident on the faces of the police officers present as well as Helen and Ian Eggen, parents of Courtney. Just before midnight on June 20, 2013, a white Chevrolet Cavalier driven by 21-year-old Courtney Eggen of Cherryville crashed into a parked dump truck in the Salmon Arm industrial park, killing her. Shortly after, a police cruiser driven by Const. Chan went off the road nearby, sliding backwards down an embankment. Chan was charged in December 2013 following an investigation by the police Independent Investigations Office, a civilian-led body that conducts investigations into police-involved
incidents that result in death or serious harm. Ian Eggen, who shook hands with Chan at the courthouse, said following the ruling that he and his spouse don’t blame Chan for their daughter’s death and they appreciated the judge’s in-depth decision. “I am relieved that he wasn’t guilty – that the court was very deliberate that he was not guilty,” said an emotional Ian Eggen.”We weren’t here looking for vengeance. We wanted information on what happened.” He said he considered this a great exercise of the legal system, in that police are held to the same standards as others. “We don’t blame him for our daughter’s death – she was at fault,” he said, adding that Courtney was probably an over-confident driver. The Eggens do, however, have suggestions for improvements. They would like to see more of an ongoing visible police presence, rather than “entrapment.” They would also like to see dashboard cam-
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eras in all police cars, as well as time-stamping on all radio transmissions, so evidence is more detailed – whether it be used to prove innocence or guilt. Helen Eggen said she, too, feels no animosity. She emphasizes that Courtney was a good girl whose life was going well. She was taking pre-apprectice training to be an electrician and had a big test coming up the next day. “She wouldn’t have done anything to jeopardize it… In her life, things were good.” In a detailed ruling, Wallace went over the evidence presented. She acknowledged that the evening of June 20 had had a tragic outcome, and nothing that happened in the court case could take away the grief of Courtney’s family. She said the legal test of dangerous driving is whether the driving, viewed objectively but with all circumstances considered, is markedly different from what a reasonable, prudent person would do in the circumstances.
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Most North Okanagan library branches are preparing for service cuts. Okanagan Regional Library has initiated a process to link services received to the amount of taxes a community pays, and as a result, expenditures will be trimmed at the Vernon, Lumby, Falkland and Cherryville branches. “There will be some reduction in service,” said Michele Rule, ORL communications manager, adding that the scope of the cuts will be known in about a month. “The board has said it will make any changes over a couple of years because it wants to lessen the impact on staff. We hope to do everything through attrition.” In Enderby, there has already been a decision to reduce student page time by two hours. “They were getting more services than they were paying for,” said Rule of Enderby. “The impact on branch services will be that staff are busier but it will not result in a loss of open hours.” The status quo will continue at the Armstrong and Oyama branches. “This means that for these branches, no changes to staff levels or hours are required at this time nor are there any expected additions to service,” said Rule. Improved service levels will be initiated at the Lake Country (Winfield) branch. “That will be up to the community,” said Rule when asked what upgrades could occur in Winfield. “We will consult with the community on what may be of interest.” Whether services are being reduced or being enhanced, Rule insists ORL administration is working with the unions representing employees. “We haven’t finished staffing level changes for those branches yet,” she said of Vernon, Lumby, Falkland and Cherryville. “There will be some changes but we don’t know what they are.”
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