Friday, November 2, 2018 | Your community newspaper since 1916
CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Ready for business Melissa Puchinger from Pressed Wishes hangs ornaments at her booth at Studio Fair in the Civic Centre. The 42nd edition of Studio Fair opens this morning at 10. There are 130 different artisans and vendors at the three-day event.
Jail term extended due to child porn
Driver faces reduced charges in CNC student’s death Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
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he severity of the charges against a Prince George woman from the death of a College of New Caledonia student, struck and killed this summer while crossing Highway 97, have been reduced. Counts of impaired driving causing death and causing an accident resulting in death against Michelle Denise Dac were dropped on Oct. 10. She now faces the lesser counts of dangerous driving, driving while impaired and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08, all under the Criminal Code. An arraignment hearing on those counts is scheduled for Nov. 21 in Prince George provincial court. Sandeep Kaur died June 6 from injuries suffered when she was hit while trying to cross Highway 97 between 18th and 22nd Avenues, a spot a few hundred metres north of a designated crosswalk. A 310-metre fence along the highway is now in place to prevent another incident of its kind. The head of the College of New Caledonia Students Union, Harman Dandiwal, said the project shows the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure listened to concerns raised by the students and the college. “It’s going to help build a safer campus,” he said. “We’re pretty happy about the outcome.”
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LOCAL HOROSCOPE OPINION NEWS SPORTS
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff
CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
The College of New Caledonia is seen on the opposite side of a fence that has been installed on Highway 97 between 18th and 22nd avenues. The fence and its installation cost $75,000 in total and it has been in place since Oct. 22. Dandiwal acknowledged the mixed feelings about the fence expressed in online forums. Many of the posters contend people should take responsibility for themselves and refrain from jaywalking. “To a point I agree, but it’s been a trouble
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area... especially the drivers will get that extra peace of mind,” Dandiwal said. The work won’t stop there. A ministry spokesperson said improvements to the lights at 22nd Avenue are in store. “It is not anticipated that an overpass/underpass will be constructed,” the spokesperson said.
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A Mackenzie man has been sentenced to a further eight months in jail on child pornography charges brought against him while he was serving time for two other sex-related offences. Christopher Jacob Pronk, 32, was also sentenced to three years probation upon completion of his time in jail and will be prohibited for 20 years from frequenting playgrounds, schools and other facilities where minors tend to congregate. Charges of possessing and accessing child pornography were brought against him while he was serving a 21-month term on counts of sexual interference and sexual touching committed against two girls in the community north of Prince George. While being processed at Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, Pronk told an intake officer he possessed a collection. — see PRONK, page 2
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