Top headlines from Vancouver and beyond for July 4 2011:

A bear is suspected in the death of an elderly Lillooet woman after a search party discovered a bloody jacket and a badly mauled corpse 300 metres from the woman’s home. If confirmed, the death would mark the first bear-related fatality in British Columbia in four years.

The HST referendum deadline has been extended by two weeks in observance of the Canada-wide postal lockout and strike. The deadline to request a voting package has been extended to July 22nd, and the close of voting has been extended until August 5th. If you haven’t already, get your voting package here.

A deluge of accidents involving pedestrians resulting in the deaths of four people in just ten days, has the Vancouver police department announcing a crackdown on jaywalking.

A technical problem has shut down Skytrain service between the downtown core and the Commercial Broadway station. “Technicians are working on the problem,” says Translink spokesperson Drew Snider.

Port Metro Vancouver has begun “pre-consultation” on the proposed expansion of the Robert’s Bank port. These preliminary sessions are intended to consult the public on what they’d like to be consulted on.

BORED AT WORK BONUS: The Clock in the Mountain