Kelowna tradesman, Heinz Suess, was sentenced Thursday in Kelowna Provincial Court after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of failing to remit goods and services tax.

Suess was fined a total of $23,591 and given a six month Probation Order, during which he must complete 50 hours of community service.

The fine represents 75% of the income tax evaded and GST he failed to remit.

A Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audit compared income Suess reported on his tax returns with income earned from Montana Construction and Development Corporation and determined there was a significant amount of unreported income.

As a result, the case was referred to CRA’s Enforcement Division.

On further investigation by CRA Enforcement investigators it was discovered that Suess failed to report net self employed business income totalling $139,070 for tax years 2001 to 2004, resulting in $21,274 in income taxes evaded.

The investigation also determined that Suess was not registered for GST which resulted in the failure to collect and remit net GST of $10,181.

“Tax evasion costs all of us,” says Paul Brisson, Assistant Director of Enforcement at CRA’s Southern Interior Tax Services Office.

“The job of our investigators and auditors is to make sure that all Canadians pay the tax they owe.”

When individuals or corporations are convicted of tax evasion or GST offences, they have to pay the full amount of tax owing, plus interest, and any penalties the CRA assesses.

In addition, the court may on summary conviction fine them up to 200% of the taxes evaded and sentence them to a two-year jail term.

Unforeseen delays mean the water park will not open this weekend.

The children’s Water Park in Kelowna City Park was scheduled to open Saturday.

Facility operations supervisor, Don Backmeyer, says a delay in completing scheduled mechanical upgrades is the reason the park won‘t open on time.

“The waterpark at Ben Lee Park will open as scheduled on the May long week-end. The public will be notified once the water park is open, expectations are for a late June opening,” says Backmeyer.

He says the Ben Lee water park’s hours of operation are:

May 17 – May 26...10 a.m.-5 p.m.
May 26 - June 15...12 p.m.- 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekends
June 16 - June 27...12 p.m. - 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. weekends
June 28 - Sept 1...10 a.m. - 8 p.m. all days
September 1 - 7...12 p.m. - 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekends and holidays.

A group of elementary school students are doing what they can to beautify their school.

The grade six students at Quigley Elementary in Rutland are giving the school courtyard a makeover.

The school received a provincial "Yes-2-It" grant along with a private donation for the project.

Students, with some help from parents and staff volunteers, are doing the work, including sanding, painting, restoring and assembling courtyard furniture and planters and creating murals.

Nicole Rotenburger is willing to do just about anything to get her camera back.

Sometime Tuesday night, thieves broke into her two vehicles parked in front of her Scarboro Road home in Rutland.

They made away with a camera which contained a lifetime of memories.

"There was about 1200 pictures on the memory card," says Rotenburger. "We have about three years worth of Christmas pictures and the last big birthday party with my husband's mom before she passed away."

Rotenburger says the memory card also contains birthday pictures of her son and daughter, and most recently, her daughter's prom photos.

"We're offering a reward. I don't even want the camera, I just want the card. They can have the camera, it's worth $600, I don't care."

She says she'll be checking the pawnshops in hopes the camera and the memory card do turn up.

This is not the first time Rotenburger has been the victim of crime.

About six or seven years ago, thieves smashed her car window and stole gifts from a day-long Christmas shopping spree.

Rotenburger says she was able to get most of the gifts back when the thief was arrested trying to return one of the presents.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the memory card can contact Nicole at 878-1202.

Crime Stoppers is asking the public’s assistance in locating the following male who is wanted on a province-wide warrant as of May 15, 2008.

Cameron Peter Capozzi (DOB 1958-11-15) is wanted for one count of assault causing bodily harm and one count of uttering threats.

Capozzi is described as a 49-year old white male, 5’10” tall and 210 lbs. He has grey hair and brown eyes.

Crime Stoppers will pay cash for information leading to the arrest of this suspect. If you see him, do not approach him.

Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or go to www.crimestoppers.net. RCMP File # 2007-66400

The spring freshet has started and snow melt in the mountains means heavy water volumes coursing through local creeks.

Property owners who are in low-lying areas adjacent to creeks, streams and Okanagan Lake should be taking precautions now, before the flood risk increases. Creeks could overflow if the weather brings a few days of high temperatures or there is an unusually heavy rainfall.

Local firehalls are stocked with sand bags which are available to the public residents must supply their own sand.

The City of Kelowna checks potential trouble spots daily Monday to Friday clearing culverts, beaver dams and other blockages that could lead to flooding. Regional District of Central Okanagan Parks employees are also monitoring creeks in Regional District Parks. Anyone noticing a potential problem or flooding concern in the Central Okanagan is asked to call the Kelowna Fire Department at: 469-8801.

Property owners are reminded they are responsible for protecting their own lands.

For those using creekside hiking trails, please be aware that the banks may be slippery and unstable as faster rushing water is filling the creeks. People with small children and pets should keep them safely away from creek banks so they won’t accidentally be swept into the rushing water.

It would seem spring has been a non event in the Okanagan.

After several weeks of below normal temperatures, the May long weekend will bring with it above normal, summer-like temperatures.

Environment Canada Meteorologist, Doug Lundquist, says temperatures through Saturday could approach record highs.

Lundquist expects the hot temperatures to arrive Thursday morning, with highs anticipated to reach the high 20s Thursday and the low 30s Friday and Saturday, a far cry from Tuesday's high of 12.5C.

He says a change in air flow direction is the reason for the sudden rise in temperature.

"Through much of April and the first part of May, in general our flow direction was from the northwest and was bringing cooler air from the North Pacific and Alaska," says Lundquist.

"The flow now is coming from the southwest, so it's originating in a tropical location, actually west of Hawaii. The air mass moving aloft over us is very similar to the subtropics."

You should take advantage of the hot weather while you can, because Lundquist says air flow from the west will cool things down starting Sunday.

"By Monday, the cooler air will most certainly have moved in from the west."

Monday temperatures are forecast in the low 20s.

Over the long haul, Lundquist expects the rest of spring and early summer to be quite unsettled.

"Typically June is unsettled, and it usually starts May 15. We can go from 35C in June to 12C in a matter of a few days or a week. Honestly, I would have to say that we still have to expect that over the next month and a half. That's our normal June."

The warm weekend weather is more than a blessing for sun worshipers. It's also welcome relief to fruit growers in the valley who have also had to endure the cooler temperatures.

B.C. Fruit Growers Association President, Joe Sardinha, says warm weather will allow growers to see how much of their crop has been able to survive the cold.

"We want to see how they develop, what survived the cold and if there were any secondary effects, like frost marks," says Sardinha.

"In many locations there is small fruit showing and we'll be able to gauge whether that fruit is going to be hanging onto the trees."

Sardinha says the warm weather should also allow orchardists to make up some of the time they have lost because of the cooler weather.

He says some orchardists are about 10 days behind where they were last year, but adds, it could be a blessing in disguise.

"When that cold snap hit on the weekend of the 19 and 20 of April, if we had been further ahead, it would have spelled some real gloom and disaster for the industry. There is still a fairly bright outlook for fruit to come of the valley this year."

Sardinha says some growers may be pleasantly surprised at what they see after this weekend's hot spell.

Drugs, weapons and a stolen vehicle have been seized by police.

A search warrant was executed at a home in the 1300 block of Devonshire Avenue around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Constable Julie Rattee says three people were arrested at the scene.

“Two men and one woman were arrested and one of them, a 22-year-old Kelowna man, is facing charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of stolen property under $5,000,” says Rattee.

She says approximately one half ounce of crack cocaine, as well as a quantity of crystal meth and ecstasy were seized.

“A stolen car was located parked at the residence and subsequently recovered by police. Weapons, including pepper spray and knives, were also seized as a result of the search.”

The man facing charges is known to police.