Top headlines from Vancouver and beyond for November 1 2011:

It was a busy Halloween for Vancouver firefighters, who responded to several car fires, burning hedges and structural blazes.

The VPD announces 60 charges recommended in relation to the Stanley Cup riots, but The Globe’s Gary Mason is decidedly unimpressed. “After a four-months-and-counting investigation that involved scores of officers and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Vancouver police finally got around to recommending charges in connection with the 2011 Stanley Cup riot,” he writes.

As part of the province’s plan to slow the rapid rise of health care costs, Health Minister Mike de Jong announced legal changes allowing nurses to perform tasks that were previously the domain of doctors alone. Included in the list of proposed duty changes are approval of maternity leave and health exams for prisoner. Skilled Nurse Practitioners can already prescribe drugs and diagnose illnesses, however the province has yet to integrate them fully into the health care system.

The Surrey Leader’s coverage of their upcoming municipal election gives a good sense of who sits where in the pile...

The European debt crisis is back in full swing following Greek Prime Minster George Papandreou’s surprise call for a public referendum on a new bailout package proposed by Eurozone countries. Should the referendum fail, the debt-laden country will surely default, spreading panic and debt concerns into the banking system and neighbouring nations.

BORED AT WORK BONUS: A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs