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Vancouver went down for Friday, October 18, 2024.

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Advanced voter turnout has been heavy and BC may have a dramatic shift in government.

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Those are two of the realities heading into General Election Day.

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Many pundits have been expecting a toss-up between the governing NDP and the newcomers, the BC Conservatives.

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Polls open at 8am on Saturday morning.

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Other news, a former Olympic snowboarder from Coquitlam has been charged in a cross-border drug ring.

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43-year-old Ryan James Wedding is charged with eight felonies in the states, including three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and four drug counts.

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It follows the arrest of 16 people in a drug smuggling operation that moved cocaine from Colombia through Mexico, California, and BC.

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Wedding competed for Canada back in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

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Three teen girls have now been charged with assault and separate attacks on SkyTrain and a bus.

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The girls, a 15-year-old from Abbotsford, a 13-year-old, and a 17-year-old from Surrey, are accused of punching and kicking a 16-year-old on a train crossing SkyBridge back in July.

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An 18-year-old was attacked on a bus in Surrey a short time later. All three accused have been released to the custody of their parents until their next court date.

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Well, over the past week, people from right across the lower mainland have posted a number of photos to social media showing a rare comet.

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Most of those photos show a bright light, followed by a long tail.

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Astronomers say there could be some more opportunities to spot the comet this month. Of course, that depends on the weather.

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A rainfall warning remains posted for much of the south coast, with downpours expected to start at around noon on Friday.

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The weekend will have strong wind and even more rain.

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For all the details on these local Vancouver area stories, along with those links, go to vancouverundown.substack.com.