VANCOUVER - CHILD AND SPOUSAL SUPPORT PROGRAM AUDIT REVEALS PROBLEMS

B.C.'s auditor general says a program that enforces child and spousal support in the province isn't giving taxpayers the best value for their money.

Carol Bellringer's report says the Ministry of Justice didn't follow good procurement practices in 2006 when it agreed to the latest contract for the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program.

It says in 2015-2016, the province paid $18 million to the contractor, while $210 million in support payments were made to families.

The ministry says it has already implemented two of the recommendations in the report and disputes the value for money comment, saying the audit didn't look at the quality of services delivered.

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WILDFIRES DESTROY 4,900 SQUARE KILOMETRES OF LAND

A B.C. Wildfire Service official says this year is the second-worst on record in terms of land lost due to fires in the province.

Kevin Skrepnek says just over 4,900 square kilometres of forest, brush and grassland have been destroyed so far this year.

But he says it's too early to tell whether this year will surpass the 1958 season, when more than 8,500 hundred square kilometres were lost to flames.

Skrepnek says wind patterns are forecast to shift in the coming days, which should help reduce the smoky haze that has been settling over much of the coast.

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FORMER FIRE CHIEF RECALLS 2003 OKANAGAN WILDFIRE

Former Kelowna fire chief Gerry Zimmerman says current dry conditions with no rain in sight seems to be the new normal in the Okanagan region.

Zimmerman was the face of a fire that roared through the southern part of the city in 2003, destroying more than 230 homes.

He says seeing the fire danger rating as "severe" across the entire Okanagan is very scary but he thinks the region is better prepared should such a fire happen again.

The 2003 fire was caused by a lightning strike during one of the driest summers on record.

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BYELECTION FOR VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD IN OCTOBER

Education Minister Rob Fleming says a byelection will be held in October to restore the Vancouver School Board.

The school district has been without a board of education since October 2016, when the existing board was removed from office by the previous provincial government.

Dianne Turner was appointed as the official trustee of the board in an effort to bring stability to the district and improve financial stewardship, and Fleming says she will remain as a special adviser.

Fleming says holding the byelection on Oct. 14, which is the same day as a city council byelection, will save the school district up to $1.5 million.

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WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN BURNED-OUT CAR RECENTLY HAD KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

Investigators say the victim of a homicide in Surrey has been identified as a 19-year-old college student who recently received a kidney transplant.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the body of Kiran Dhesi was found in a burned-out vehicle on Wednesday.

She was last seen leaving her family's home in Surrey on Tuesday, and police say evidence from the scene suggests her killing wasn't random.

Investigators are hoping to speak with any of Dhesi's friends or acquaintances, or anyone who may have seen her before she died.

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GROUP CONCERNED ABOUT NO PROVINCIAL CHARGES IN MOUNT POLLEY DISASTER

A First Nations group says many concerns remain on Friday's third anniversary of the Mount Polley tailings disaster.

The First Nations Summit, which represents those involved in treaty negotiations in B.C., says the Aug. 4, 2014, incident should have been a wake-up call for the province and the mining industry.

The failure of the tailings storage facility at the gold and copper mine sent 24 million cubic metres of mine waste and sludge into nearby waterways.

The group says despite numerous reports and investigations, no charges have been laid in the matter and little has been done to quell fears that such a disaster could be repeated.

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(The Canadian Press)

News from © The Canadian Press, 2017