A teenager in Nanaimo, Canada, has been sentenced for assaulting another youth with bear spray.

The incident occurred on a public bus when the victim was ordered to remove his jacket, leading to an altercation. The teenager, who was known to the police and judicial system, hit the victim with a baton before using bear spray on him.

The teenager was caught with bear spray again a few weeks later and was on probation at the time.

The prosecutor mentioned that there is a concerning problem with the use of weapons, particularly bear spray, among young people in Nanaimo.

The defense attorney blamed the teenager's poor choice of friends and enabling adults for his behavior.

The teenager's behavior improved after living with a family friend who provided housing outside of Nanaimo. The judge praised the family friend for their support.

2. The Nanaimo Systems Planning Organization (SPO) is working to find homes for those in need and prevent homelessness through coordination, diverse housing options, and community engagement.

Approximately 6,000 residents in Nanaimo are living on the edge of homelessness, with a 20% increase in homelessness from 2020, highlighting the urgent need for housing solutions.

The Nanaimo SPO is collaborating with community stakeholders to address the housing crisis, including Island Health, BC Housing, and the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

3. Daily closures are taking place on Hwy. 4 at Cameron Lake to allow for rock scaling work, temporarily disrupting the only highway link connecting Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni to the rest of Vancouver Island.

Westbound and eastbound traffic will be permitted for one hour each day, with the highway closing again in the afternoon and reopening for single-lane alternating traffic in the evening and overnight.

These closures are expected to continue until mid-August, aiming to fully reopen the highway and ensure the safety of motorists.

4. The British Columbia coroner has released a public safety advisory regarding wildfire smoke after verifying that a nine-year-old boy's death was exacerbated by the smoke.

According to the coroner's report, Carter Vigh from 100 Mile House tragically passed away due to a medical condition aggravated by the hazardous smoke. This devastating loss has deeply impacted his family and the entire community.

5. The chief of a municipal police force in Metro Vancouver is criticizing British Columbia's drug decriminalization policies as ineffective in addressing the ongoing overdose crisis.

The early evaluation of the decriminalization policy shows that it has not led to the desired outcome of reducing overdose deaths.

The number of overdose deaths in the province closely resembles the figures from the same period last year, indicating the lack of impact from the decriminalization policy.

6. The Powerball lottery jackpot in the U-S has climbed to one-billion dollars while Canada's Lotto Max lottery jackpot for tonight has grown to 70-million-dollars.