If you’ve guessed why the sky looks hazy or what that weird smell is, you’re probably right.

With over 600 wildfires blazing across the province and over 30 on Vancouver Island alone, almost all of southern BC can is now privy to some of the effects of the flames.

Therefore as of 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon, Environment Canada has issued a blanket special air quality statement for all of Vancouver Island and the southern mainland.

According to the Provincial Air Quality Health Index, the Greater Victoria area has a low risk rating (3 out of 10 maximum).

However people in the area are still advised to “be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and take necessary safety precautions”.

As always, the public is urged to remain cautious and vigilant while in the outdoors. To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call *5555 on a cellphone, or 1 800 663-5555, toll-free.

As of Monday morning, over 600 wildfires are still raging across B.C. (and over 30 right here on Vancouver Island), and widespread emergency crews have been tirelessly battling the blazes.

Since the hot weather and dry conditions are expected to prevail and lead to further risks of the fires spreading, the province of BC is asking for additional resources from the federal government and assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces.

“This is an urgent situation, and the safety of British Columbians is our highest priority,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

“Due to the increase in the number of wildfires affecting communities and the extreme wildfire behaviour we are seeing, we’re asking for federal assistance for additional resources that may be needed to protect the public, property and infrastructure.”

At the moment, almost 3,500 personnel are working to contain the wildfires, including BC Wildfire Service crews, contractors, municipal firefighters, industry personnel and out-of-province crews from throughout Canada, as well as Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Around 3,100 people have already been evacuated, with an evacuation advisory in place for approximately 17,900 others.

Here is what the province is requesting:

• Two hundred self-sufficient personnel to perform the mop-up and patrol of contained fires, under supervision of the BC Wildfire Service.
• Heavy-lift aircraft to reposition wildfire crews and equipment to new fire starts that threaten communities. These aircraft will assist with the resupply of existing operations (fire camps, air bases, etc.), which will permit BC Wildfire Service aircraft to be directed to the firefighting effort from resupply tasks.
• Aircraft for emergency transport of injured personnel and to help evacuate people in remote areas, should evacuation routes be compromised.

As always, the public is urged to remain cautious and vigilant while in the outdoors. To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call *5555 on a cellphone, or 1 800 663-5555, toll-free.

Comox Valley RCMP are investigating after a woman’s body washed up on the shore near the ferry terminal Saturday afternoon.

Mounties found the body at about 4:30 p.m along the shoreline at Denny Road near the B.C. Ferries Little River terminal.

According to the BC Coroner’s Service, the woman was middle aged and found deceased on Little River Beach.

They have begun a preliminary investigation into the cause of death.

Victoria Buzz has reached out to the Comox Valley RCMP for more details.

More to come.

As of this weekend, there are 31 new lightning-caused wildfires on Vancouver Island.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, the BC Wildfire Service has recorded dozens of these new wildfires across the island, most of which are attributed to lightning storms that occurred over the weekend.

The Coastal Fire Centre is working on assessing and putting out the fires, as we enter a week forecasted to be entirely dry.

As a few of the wildfires have been determined to be human-caused, authorities are encouraging the public to be extremely cautious while outdoors and dealing with flammable material.

The series of wildfires on the island and the mainland have caused a visible haze to settle on Greater Victoria, although no official smoke advisories are in place for the area yet.

Here is the weather forecast for the upcoming week:

As of yesterday afternoon, the provincial government is now accepting licence applications from private cannabis retailers looking to sell non-medical cannabis in the province.

The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) released its application materials and guidelines online. Applicants must be at least 19 years old, and be either an individual (sole proprietor), partnership, corporation, society, or Indigenous nation.

Federally licensed producers are not eligible for a retail store licence, though that may change in the future.

“In addition, cannabis retail stores with a close financial, business or family connection to a producer or processor may not be allowed to sell the producer’s or processor’s products,” the guidelines state.

The B.C. government has previously said that the province will support a public/private mix for cannabis retailers in the province, similar to how liquor is sold currently.

Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, told Victoria Buzz in April that any current retailers who wish to sell recreational cannabis will have to apply and obtain licensing to do so.

Cannabis will be fully legalized in Canada on Oct. 17, 2018.

Do you have a puppy that’s ready for their close-up? Air Bud Entertainment wants to hear from you!

The producer of the well-known Air Bud and Pup Star films is shooting a new TV series, “Puppy Prep Academy,” right here in Victoria, and is holding a casting call for local pups on Wednesday, August 15.

“We are looking for WELL-BEHAVED, friendly dogs. Must be good with other dogs!” reads an Air Bud Entertainment flyer.

Dogs must be 12 weeks or older to be on camera, and must have proof of vaccination. Dogs and owners must have open availability on weekdays from Sept. 11 to Dec. 21, 2018.

If you think your dog has what it takes, head to the Canadian Legion at 292-411 Gorge Rd. E.

Your dog just might become the next big pup star!

On July 9, the Nanaimo RCMP introduced the world to their new unofficial mascot, Nanaimo Bear—or just Bear, for short.

According to RCMP, Bear’s dream has been to dip his paws into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. And very soon, he’s setting out to do just that… with some help from his fellow Canadians, of course.

In the next day or so, Nanaimo RCMP will send Bear to Chilliwack, home of the Pacific Regional Training Centre.

“Who knows where Bear will go to from there, but we hope through Facebook and Twitter, and through #NanaimoBear, Canadians and visitors far and wide will post and share Bear’s many adventures,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.

Seeing that Bear is something of a quiet type, his handlers have sewn a handy guide onto his jacket explaining to other travellers who he is and where he’s going.

“Bear is quite shy and doesn’t say much so we thought the note was a good idea to let travellers know he might need some assistance, and that is it OK pick Bear up and take Bear along with them on their travels,” O’Brien explained.

If you do encounter Bear, post a photo to the #nanaimobear hashtag on Twitter, the Nanaimo RCMP Twitter account @nanaimorcmp, or post it on Facebook at Nanaimo RCMP. Videos or emails can also be sent to Nanaimo_Media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

For the second time this week, Victoria police are investigating a report of an indecent act in the city.

In a media release, police said the man in the latest incident matches the description of the suspect who exposed himself and followed two women on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail Wednesday.

Police say on Thursday around 6:30 p.m. they were called to Bridge Way in Beacon Hill Park, in the area of the rock bridge over Goodacre Lake for a report of a man exposing himself.

It’s alleged the man was walking his bike and approached a woman while she was sitting and reading.  He sat next to her and began to ask her questions which she felt were inappropriate and then exposed himself.

She told the man she had to leave. He then walked a short distance away and remained, watching her.

The woman phoned a friend, prompting the man to leave the area. She then phoned the police who searched the area for the suspect, but could not locate him.

Anyone with information regarding any of these incidents is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers. 

The Comox Valley RCMP detachment is appealing to the public in their search for a missing 22-year-old man. 

Ezra Bukach was last seen Thursday morning on 6th Street in Courtenay. 

According to family, he showed up to his place of employment, JMR Landscaping, at 7:30 a.m. and left in a company truck.

He was headed to Royston where he would be working; however, he never showed up.

The truck is a grey 2006 GMC Sierra pickup and was towing a trailer with wooden sides and has a BC licence plate AM3617.

Bukach is described as:

• Caucasian
• Currently wearing contacts; not glasses
• 6’0, about 150lbs
• Shoulder length brown hair, usually worn down
• Blue eyes
• Wearing a dirty brown t-shirt with colourful board shorts and beige work boot

Anyone information with information is asked to contact the Comox Valley RCMP at (250) 338-132

https://www.facebook.com/shaelynne/posts/10212210066634543

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure released new aerial footage of the McKenzie Interchange expansion project on Friday, along with an update on the project’s progress.

Construction on the interchange has now passed the 20 month mark. Currently, crews are working on the construction of the southbound ramps which will be used as a highway detour while crews construct the new highway bridge. The ramps and detour are scheduled to open in November.

Crews have started work on the abutment pile foundation for the bridge that will carry traffic over the Trans Canada Highway along McKenzie Avenue and Admirals Road.

Once highway traffic is shifted to the detour in November, the pile foundation for the bridge pier will be installed.

Watch drone footage of the project below:

The interchange is expected to open to traffic in summer 2019.

As both the local and national community continue to watch killer whale J35 carry her dead calf, another one of the J-pod orcas has become a cause for concern from scientists.

J50, also known as Scarlet, is a three-year-old killer whale who was identified by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries to be in poor health in early August. 

On August 2, NOAA biologists determined that Scarlet, who appeared emaciated and lethargic, was “in poor condition and may not survive,” and worked to establish next steps to help her.

After five days in which they couldn’t locate Scarlet, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) spotted her with her mother J16 on August 7 near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and again on August 8 in U.S. waters off the Olympic Peninsula.

On August 9, NOAA response teams were able to reach J-pod in Canada, and followed them into U.S. waters near San Juan Island. 

Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian Marty Haulena was able take a sample of Scarlet’s breath to assess her risk of infection, and administer antibiotics.

The next step will be determining whether to move forward with a trial feeding.

DFO has asked that boaters stay at least 500 metres away from Scarlet. 

The NOAA is continuing to update the public on the status of Scarlet and other southern resident killer whales on their website.  

On the eve of the removal of Sir John A. Macdonald’s statue from Victoria City Hall, two opposing groups are preparing to rally for their respective cause.

A rally in support of removing the statue and a rally to save it are both scheduled to take place at noon Saturday.

The first event is hosted by the Indigenous Solidarity Working Group, while the second is hosted by Aaron Gunn, a spokesperson for the right-wing media organization BC Proud.

The event page for the BC Proud event reads, “Instead of learning from history, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, supported by her radical council, is tearing down a statue of our first Prime Minister, Sir. John A. MacDonald WITHOUT ANY public consultation.”

City council formally voted 7-1 in favour of removing the statue on Thursday after Mayor Lisa Helps announced plans to do so on Wednesday.

The decision to remove the statue was reached following a year-long process in which council created a City Family and met once a month with First Nations members.

“As part of this process, decision making with regards to reconciliation (other than budgetary allocations) are made by the City Family with the Songhees and Esquimalt Chief and Councils as witnesses,” Helps wrote in a letter published on her campaign site.

While MacDonald is largely known for being the first Prime Minister of Canada, his legacy is complicated by the fact that he was instrumental in implementing Canada’s residential school system in which thousands of Indigenous children lost their lives.

“Indigenous people do not need to walk past this painful reminder of colonial violence each time they enter the doors of their municipal government,” Helps wrote.

In a video posted to his Facebook page, Gunn asked, “Was [Macdonald] perfect? No, but no one is.”

“That progress we’ve made since is what makes Canada what it is today.”

On the posting for their event, the Indigenous Solidarity Working Group writes that “given MacDonald’s pivotal role in the cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples through the establishment of Canada’s residential schools, the removal of a statue in his honour from City Hall will not ‘erase’ history but is rather a means of reckoning with the injustices of the past.”

“In fact,” the group adds, “the removal of this statue is itself a historic event.”

The BC Coroner’s Office confirmed Friday that the body found behind Lake Cowichan on August 1 was that of missing 82-year-old Gladys Barman.

Barman went missing over a month ago and was last seen fuelling her vehicle at the Petro-Canada on West Saanich Road on July 5.

Her vehicle was found abandoned on July 22, 11 kilometres from where her body was later located.

Foul play is not suspected, and Barman’s next-of-kin have been notified.

Oak Bay police chief Ray Bernoties thanked the department’s law enforcement partners, the media, and Cowichan Search & Rescue for aiding in the search for Barman. He also expressed condolences to her family. 

“As this is a Coroners Service file and out of respect for the loved ones of Ms. Barman, we will not be providing further comment at this time,” Bernoties said.

Members of the Victoria street community are hosting a celebration of life today for Lloyd “Jo” Soluk, who was killed in a garbage truck accident last week.

Soluk was killed after a dumpster in which he was sleeping was emptied into a garbage truck.

A well-known member of the community, Soluk often accessed services at Our Place Society.

“From what I understand, he was a really nice guy,” says Grant McKenzie, Our Place director of communications.

Festivities will begin at 1 p.m. outside the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Pandora Avenue and Vancouver Street.

The incident remains under investigation.

Victoria police are warning the public to be on the lookout for a man who exposed himself and followed two women on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail on Wednesday.

The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. near the Cecelia Road bridge.

According to VicPD, a woman was walking southbound on the trail when she spotted a man sitting on a bench with his hand in his pants.

As she passed the man, he exposed himself, stood and began to follow her.

Moments later, another woman on a bicycle rode up and told the woman the man had done the same thing to her. Together, they left the area with the man following them.

They went into a nearby business and called police. Officers canvassed the area for the man but were unable to locate him.

The suspect has been described as white with long brown hair in a ponytail. He is six-feet tall with a slim build and believed to be in his 40s. At the time of the incident, he was barefoot and wearing a black T-shirt and grey cargo shorts.

VicPD are looking to identify this man and would like to speak with the woman on the bike, who left before officers arrived.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Victoria police non-emergency line at 250-995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

The provincial government announced on Thursday significant changes to ICBC’s rate design that it says will make insurance rates fairer for drivers across B.C.

“We want to modernize ICBC so that British Columbians pay according to their crash history, driving records, and level of risk, and take responsibility for their driving habits. It’s only fair,” attorney general David Eby said.

“Right now, the system is broken. A driver with no crashes could be paying the same premium as a driver with three at-fault crashes in a year. We heard from British Columbians that their insurance rates need to be fair and we agree—good drivers shouldn’t have to continue paying more to cover the costs for those who cause crashes or present a higher risk on our roads.”

The announcement comes after significant public feedback from nearly 35,000 British Columbians on how to make insurance rates fairer.

Key proposals for changes to basic insurance include:

• Moving to a driver-based model in which at-fault crashes are tied to the driver and not the person who owns the vehicle;
• Increasing insurance discounts for drivers with up to 40 years of driving experience, up from the current limit of nine years; and,
• New discounts for vehicles with original, manufacturer-installed automatic emergency braking technology and for vehicles driven less than 5,000 kilometres per year.

Subject to approval from the BC Utilities Commission, the new rates will come into effect in September 2019.

ICBC estimates that based on today’s rates, an estimated 67 per cent of customers would see basic insurance premiums that reflect a lower risk in the first year of transition, while an estimated 33 per cent of customers would see premiums that reflect a higher risk.

More information on the changes are available at ICBC’s website.

BC Liberals criticize NDP for blaming drivers

In response to Thursday’s announcement, BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson said the proposed changes won’t do anything to fix the problems with ICBC.

“All the Attorney General has done today is lay blame at the foot of B.C. drivers, instead of overhauling the broken system that is ICBC,” said Wilkinson, whose party was blamed for leaving ICBC with a $1 billion deficit when it was in power. “It’s time for a complete re-work of the auto insurance framework in B.C., and the NDP is not delivering.”

Wilkinson said the government should look at other jurisdictions that don’t have a government-run insurance company and implement their best practices to help lower rates for British Columbians.

See also:

• Over 40% of drivers failed ICBC’s Drive Smart Refresher Test

Victoria athlete Susan Simmons has rescheduled her attempt at swimming from Victoria to Port Angeles and back after poor weather conditions forced a delay last week.

Simmons initially planned to make her swim—a historic first if she completes it—on August 1. But high winds forced her and her team to reschedule.

She will now attempt the swim on either August 18, 19, or Sept. 1. The route to Port Angeles and back goes 33 kilometres each way.

“There was a bit of a letdown when the first tide window was a no go,” Simmons says. “But I trust my crew, and safety always comes first. In high winds the boat can accidentally hit me or loose sight of me in the water.”

Simmons, as previously reported, has swam the Strait of Juan de Fuca once before. But that trip only took her one way, and doing it twice comes with significant risk.

“There are very few athletes who have successfully achieved a single crossing. Susan keeps company with icons of the sport—Vicki Keith, Marilyn Bell,” says Brent Hobbs, a British Columbia swimmer who swam the English Channel solo ten years ago.

“The tides are very tricky,” he continues. “You basically have the open Pacific colliding with the inland waters of the Strait. And if the winds pick up, which they surely will during a 24-hour period, Susan may have to swim through what I call the ‘washing machine’—a mix of swell from the Pacific and wind waves/current in the middle of the Strait.”

Simmons, who has Multiple Sclerosis, swims to raise awareness about the disease and environmental issues. She’s lived with MS for more than 20 years, and uses cold-water swimming and a vegan diet to control its symptoms.

In preparation for the double-crossing, Simmons has swam more than 1,000 kilometres since September. She’s currently swimming 10 km several times a week, and will also be paddling with the MS Warriors dragon boating team this weekend at the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival.

When asked if having the date of her swim delayed made things any harder, Simmons was casual in her response.

“Is it easy? Difficult? As a person living with MS, I have learned to take one day at a time as I never know what tomorrow night bring,” she says. “I try to have a sense of calm with all I do to keep me moving forward.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a recall Thursday for Pinty’s brand oven roasted chicken breast strips due to concerns of listeria contamination.

The recall applies to one kilogram packages with the best before dates “2018 AU 09” and “2018 AU 15.”

The CFIA says that the recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Symptoms of listeria can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.

The CFIA warns that although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

There have been no illnesses reported from consumption of the recalled products so far.

Ten months after he was elected leader of the federal NDP, Jagmeet Singh announced Wednesday that he will run for a seat at the House of Commons in an upcoming byelection in the Burnaby South riding.

“I’m running because the Liberals haven’t done what people need, and the Conservatives won’t do what’s right,” Singh said.

Singh was elected leader of the federal NDP on Oct. 1, 2017, replacing Tom Mulcair; but not being an MP, he did not get a seat at the House of Commons.

The seat will be vacated by NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, who announced on August 1 that he will be running for mayor in the upcoming Vancouver municipal election.

Prior to his election as leader, Singh was elected to the provincial parliament in Ontario in 2011, and later served as both the Deputy House Leader and Deputy Leader of the Ontario NDP from 2015–17.

As leader of the federal NDP, Singh has made income inequality, electoral reform, Indigenous reconciliation, and climate change central tenets of his platform.

He is also an outspoken critic of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which has been met with significant protest in Burnaby.

A date for the byelection has not been set. Singh said that should he win the byelection, he will move to the area.

Vancouver Island’s beaches are going to be looking a little dry this weekend as tides recede to some unusually low heights.

According to the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s seven-day tide forecast, tides in Victoria are expected to go as low as 0.1 metres at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 11.

Other parts of Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island will see similar low tides that same day.

The last time tides were this low was just a couple months ago, as tides receded to zero metres.

During that time, a pod of orcas made their way into Victoria’s Inner Harbour in search of prey.

If you can get out to a beach, you’re likely to see parts of the seabed that don’t often see  air for months—even years—at a time.

Here’s a list of when and where tides are lowest this Saturday:

• Victoria: 9:45 a.m.
• Port Renfrew: 7:39 a.m.
• Sidney: 10:56 a.m.
• Nanaimo: 12:12 p.m.
• Sooke: 10:26 a.m.
• Brentwood Bay: 11:34 a.m.
• Cowichan Bay: 11:31 a.m.
• Oak Bay: 9:59 a.m.
• Port Alberni: 7:15 a.m. (Port Alberni tides will be particularly low, forecasted to register at negative 0.2 metres)

*All times based on forecast at time of writing.

A 48-year-old man has sadly succumbed to his injuries following a motorcycle crash that took place in Parksville on Monday, August 6.

The crash happened at around 10:20 p.m. on Smithers Road.

According to police, the motorcyclist crashed into the side of a privately owned bus that was being moved and blocking the entire road at the time of the crash.

The motorcycle rider from Parksville succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

The file remains under investigation and charges are being considered.

Almost a year after the subject of its removal sparked public debate, the statue of Canada’s first prime minister John A. Macdonald that adorns the front steps of Victoria City Hall will be removed this weekend.

The statue will be removed on Saturday, August 11, and a plaque will be installed immediately.

Mayor Lisa Helps announced the statue’s removal on her campaign website on Wednesday.

“Indigenous people do not need to walk past this painful reminder of colonial violence each time they enter the doors of their municipal government,” Helps wrote.

The decision was reached following a year-long process in which the city started a Witness Reconciliation Program.

“As part of this process, decision making with regards to reconciliation (other than budgetary allocations) are made by the City Family with the Songhees and Esquimalt Chief and Councils as witnesses,” Helps wrote. “Witnesses, in Lekwungen tradition, listen to the story of the family and give their input and guidance to find a good way forward.”

Removing the statue was the first concrete action that the City Family chose to take.

John A. MacDonald left complicated legacy behind

While MacDonald is largely known for being the first Prime Minister of Canada, he was also instrumental in the implementation of residential schools, government-sponsored religious institutions schools that were made to assimilate Indigenous people into Canadian culture.

In 1879, MacDonald said that “Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.”

An estimated 150,000 First Nations children were forcibly removed from their families and kept at those schools, and thousands died as a result.

The last residential school closed in 1996, and their effects are still felt within the Indigenous population today.

Plaque to stand in statue’s place until replacement is decided

Helps says that the statue will be removed and stored in a city facility “until an appropriate way to recontextualize MacDonald is determined.”

“After an appropriate amount of time has passed (as determined by Elders from the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations) a cleansing, blessing, and healing ceremony will be held in the space where the statue formerly stood,” she wrote.

In the meantime, the statue will be replaced by a plaque to explain the decision-making process behind the statue’s removal.

“In the longer term, as determined by motion of Council in late 2016, a piece of art representative of Lekwungen culture will likely go in this space,” Helps wrote.

The plaque’s wording, approved by the Chiefs and Councils of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, is as follows:

“In 2017, the City of Victoria began a journey of Truth and Reconciliation with the Lekwungen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, on whose territories the city stands. 

The members of the City Family – part of the City’s Witness Reconciliation Program – have determined that to show progress on the path of reconciliation the City should remove the statue of Sir John A. MacDonald from the front doors of City Hall, while the City, the Nations and the wider community grapple with MacDonald’s complex history as both the first Prime Minister of Canada and a leader of violence against Indigenous Peoples.

The statue is being stored safely in a city facility. We will keep the public informed as the Witness Reconciliation Program unfolds, and as we find a way to recontextualize MacDonald in an appropriate way.  For more information please visit www.victoria.ca/reconciliation.“

One tourist’s gloomy perception of Victoria was improved after police recovered his one-of-a-kind motorcycle that was stolen from a downtown hotel where he was staying.

The man, who police did not name, stepped out of his hotel room early in the morning to discover his unique ride had been stolen.

He had spent a significant period of time restoring and customizing the “café racer” style bike and had journeyed to Vancouver Island for a road trip.

Surveillance footage from the hotel showed a man loading the motorcycle into his van.

In a release, police said they were able to track down the registered owner of the van, who indicated that he’d lent the van to his daughter.

Officers then located the registered owner’s daughter, who in turn indicated a friend had borrowed it to presumably to “run an errand.”

“Officers were able to track down the Victoria man who had taken the motorcycle and located it outside a shop in downtown Victoria at approximately 3:30 p.m.,” police said in the release.

The owner of the bike says the motorcycle was already in the process of being dismantled.

He was extremely grateful of the outcome and insisted on posing with the officers for a photo with the recovered bike.