Vancouver Rundown

‘There’s no evidence of extortion’ - that’s what the Surrey Police Service says after a Surrey home was shot up early Monday morning. Police say the homeowner found bullet holes in his door and front window. He did not witness the shooting that occurred near 76th Avenue and 126A Street in the Strawberry Hill neighbourhood. While Surrey’s police chief claims extortion is on the decline now, there have been 77 reports of extortion so far this year.

A man’s been shot dead at a home in Surrey. It happened at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday as neighbours reported hearing gun fire. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made. While there is no word on a motive for the shooting, it comes only days after Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski praised his force saying extortion related violence is on the decline.

The stabbed body of a Vancouver man has been found on a small sailboat off the coast of Belize. Thomas David Harmon, 72, was found on a catamaran - investigators in Belize say a woman rescued from the same boat claims Harmon suffered a heart attack but authorities found the stab wounds and indications of decomposition. Harmon’s son is reportedly making arrangements to return the body to Canada.

A Wednesday evening windstorm has knocked out power to thousands of BC Hydro customers in eastern parts of the Fraser Valley. By about 11: 30 p.m., crews had been trying to restore power for up to 35,000 customers as 100 km/h winds hit some areas. At least one home has been hit by a fallen tree in Mission. Fire crews have been dealing with numerous reports of downed power lines. The storm has dumped close to two feet of snow on parts of the Coquihalla Highway - blizzard conditions are responsible for several crashes.

At least 16 people have been checked out for smoke inhalation and 142 residents are displaced after that massive Monday evening fire at a retirement home in Mission. Crews are being praised for the massive evacuation effort as flames engulfed Chartwell Carrington Place on 7 Avenue. There were no serious injuries or fatalities but a woman, over 100 years old, was found on some stairs close to two hours after the fire started.

A huge fire has engulfed and destroyed a retirement home in Mission. Flames broke out at the Chartwell Carrington House on 7 Avenue early Monday evening and quickly spread to other buildings, prompting a massive response from Mission Fire Rescue as well as departments in Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and North Fraser. First responders and retirement home staff have been trying to determine whether all residents are accounted for. Many of the evacuees have been taken to the Mission Leisure Centre - at least one has been checked out by paramedics. There’s no official word yet on any victims. The Salvation Army is one of several agencies lending assistance to those impacted by the fire.

Breaking News…shots have been fired at a home near Bevan and Cannon Avenues in Abbotsford. Police surrounded area streets and an RCMP helicopter was called-in after people reported hearing the gunfire early Monday evening. There are no early reports of damage or injuries.

The Coquihalla Highway, north of Merritt, has reopened after being shut down for several hours on Sunday following a messy snow storm. Several people have been injured in a serious of crashes on Highway Five. Drivers say conditions changed quickly and switched between heavy snow, slush and rain. Environment Canada continues to warn drivers to beware of more snow and strong wind Monday and Tuesday.

An RCMP officer is injured but in stable condition after a police cruiser smashed into a utility pole and flipped at 208 Street and 74B Avenue in Langley late Thursday afternoon. Langley RCMP say the officer was responding to a call when it happened. No other vehicle crashed. The RCMP have not released any further details.

A ‘fireball’ meteor - that’s what NASA says thousands of people in parts of B.C. and Washington state witnessed on Tuesday evening. Experts say a meteor travelling through the earth’s atmosphere was responsible for the bright light and loud booms heard in many parts of the Lower Mainland including Coquitlam, Burnaby, Port Moody, Delta, Surrey and Langley. The meteor was likely no larger than a softball when it streaked across the sky, at about 9:10 p.m.

Breaking News: Thousands of people in parts of the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern B.C., including Metro Vancouver, have reported seeing a flash of light and/or hearing a large boom. Those on social media say they heard or saw something at around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday evening - local amateur sky watchers say it may have been a meteor. It’s shown up on area seismographs. Nothing has been officially confirmed.