The Chilliwack
Progress Tuesday
29 Sports
Bruins
Bruins take two of three from Cougars
3
13
News
Life
Dog’s Life Spots big adventure
Learning Elder College back
120 YEARS YOUR COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER
1891-2011
for another term
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T U E S D AY, J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 1
High water sparks river watch How wet was it? See related story, page 11 Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Workers check the flowrate of the Vedder River just downstream from the Vedder Bridge Monday. The river peaked at 3.5 metres early Monday morning. GREG KNILL/ THE PROGRESS
Two years for fatal home invasion The Progress Two Surrey suspects were sentenced to nine years in prison Friday for their part in a Harrison Hot Springs home invasion three years ago that left one man dead and another seriously injured. But because of the “two-forone” rule for time in custody awaiting trial, the pair will spend only another two years and nine months in jail. Robert Hugo Grattan, 25, and Nicole Amanda Birch, 27, pleaded guilty earlier to charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault
and robbery. B.C. Supreme Court Justice William Grist said neither accused was directly involved in the shooting death of Scott Daniel Lee, which took place after several suspects entered the home on Echo Avenue to rob the occupants of drugs and money on Nov. 23, 2007 at about 2 p.m. However, Ronald Thom identified Grattan during a court hearing in November as the man who shot him. Thom said he was in the house fixing the plumbing when the robbery took place. Grist said that Grattan and Birch tied up three of the victims,
"We went to JC for our new TV. The service was fantastic and they really knew the products. It was awesome. Great place, great people!" $1.25
and their use of a taser during the planned robbery “added to the overall terror of the assault.” “At some point during the robbery,” Grist continued, Lee returned to the home and several shots were fired. “Lee was shot in the back, in the driveway, where he died,” Grist said. Four of the home invaders left in a van, but Grattan and Birch left the area on foot. Still wearing body armour, the pair was arrested walking down the street about 20 minutes later, and have been in custody ever since.
The police investigation to locate and arrest the remaining suspects continues. RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr, spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said outside the courtroom Friday that investigators won’t stop until they hold everyone “accountable” for the home invasion. “We’re going to continue to move forward to gather the evidence,” he said. The Chilliwack courtroom was filled Friday by friends of the accused, and by police and court officials. rfreeman@theprogress.com
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
COMPETITIVE
PRICING!
...The future of home entertainment!
INSTALLATION
& DELIVERY
AVAILABLE
46245 Yale Road East, Chilliwack • [604] 792-4667 OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY 9 AM - 6 PM See store for details.
10-09T_JC6
Robert Freeman
Chilliwack River was on flood watch in the early hours of Monday morning after heavy rain drenched the area. The roaring Chilliwack River peaked at about 2 a.m. on Jan. 17 above Slesse Creek and at Vedder Crossing. “Water levels receded overnight, and are continuing to recede today,” according to a release from the B.C. River Forecast Centre. A high streamflow advisory for other areas also ended, just as rainfall warnings were lifted in the Fraser Valley. FVRD emergency program coordinator Lynn Orstad said she and other FVRD staff were on-site overnight during the flood watch, monitoring the Wilson Road dike. “You could hear the water coming down in a rush, with boulders knocking into each other and trees bouncing like toothpicks. There was just a huge roar,” she said. “Thankfully it crested.” They were prepared. “We had also brought in pumps in the event that we needed to pump the flood water back into the river,” she said. The Chilliwack River above Slesse and at Vedder Crossing crested just above a two-year level of 3.38 metres at about 3.5. No evacuations were required in the end. Residents of riverside trailers were warned at about 8 p.m. that they might have to evacuate, but river levels were about a metre away from spilling over the banks. Now staff will be busy watching for debris flow and other blockages on local creeks and rivers. “We’re trying to get a handle on it before the next system arrives. We’re going to keep on top of it,” Orstad said.