In response to the second intake of the $75-million BC Rural Dividend, 289 applications were received from communities, not-for-profit associations and First Nations throughout the province.

Comments are being accepted until Jan. 11, 2017, on a discussion paper released as part of a comprehensive timber supply review for the Fort St. John Timber Supply Area.

Oct. 23-29, 2016, is Hungarian Cultural Week in British Columbia, acknowledging the role and contributions Hungarian refugees have made economically, socially and culturally to the province.

Firefighting aircraft will be visible in the skies above West Kelowna at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, as part of an aviation demonstration associated with the Wildland Fire Canada 2016 conference.

Rural communities working to develop projects are reminded that the submission deadline for the second intake of applications under the BC Rural Dividend is Monday, Oct. 31, 2016.

BC Wildfire Service crews will be conducting a series of controlled pile burns in the Pemberton area in October and November to remove logging debris and reduce the risk of wildfires in the area.

An updated inventory of spruce beetle-damaged forest in the Prince George and Mackenzie districts shows an increase in the number of hectares that have been affected compared to this time last year, according to preliminary results of aerial surveys over the summer.