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Glynn Brothen
Bandits break-in to Bikini Bills in downtown Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Thieves shattered a downtown store window with a fire extinguisher last night, Dec. 29, and made off with three swimsuits from a display. “It could have been a lot worse,” Bill Sanesh, owner of Bikini Bills on Victoria Street, says. Sanesh says he received a phone call from the RCMP around 7 a.m....
Refugee family from Syria set to arrive in Kamloops today
KAMLOOPS - One of the Syrian families moving to Kamloops will arrive today after successfully entering Canada as refugees. Refugees and Friends Together (RAFT), a group which helped sponsor four families through the United Church, will pick up the arriving group — a couple and their three children — from the airport today, Dec. 30,...
Theft highlights true meaning of Christmas for Kamloops business-owner
KAMLOOPS - A local business-owner whose store was broken into and her Christmas presents stolen is happy to report her family managed to have one of their best holidays yet despite the setback. Diane Stetar, who owns the Aberdeen store A Favor to Remember had several items along with her four children’s Christmas presents lifted...
Penticton couple became millionaires on Boxing Day
PENTICTON - A lottery ticket purchased at Penticton’s Cherry Lane Shopping Centre let a local couple keep the celebration going the day after Christmas. Lindsay Slobodzian and Grzegroz Slobodzian checked their lottery ticket while Boxing Day shopping, Dec. 26, just an hour before hosting a family get together, and found out they won one of...
UPDATE: Five-vehicle collision on Highway 5 in Kamloops sends four to hospital
KAMLOOPS - A crash on the highway between Sun Rivers and Mount Paul Way sent four to hospital earlier today and traffic on Highway 5 is still reduced to a single lane in each direction. Officers investigated a five-vehicle crash that occurred at 9 a.m. this morning, Dec. 29. Cpl. Cheryl Bush, a spokesperson for Kamloops...
Kick off your new year with a dip in the South Thompson at the Kamloops Polar Bear Swim
KAMLOOPS - Whether it’s on your bucket list or if you want to wash 2015 off with icy cold water, the annual polar bear swim will happen in Kamloops on Jan. 1. Linda Gayfer, who helps arrange the event, says no matter why you choose to jump in the South Thompson River the event is...
Displaced Kamloops family looks to donations for support after boxing day fire
KAMLOOPS - A bit of smoke in a closet turned into a Boxing Day nightmare for a family of four living in the Brocklehurst neighbourhood, but thankfully some support is rolling in to help them rebuild their home. Gin Donovan is accepting donations of household items and money for her sister Heather Wilton’s family who...
Here are some family fun activities to enjoy in Kamloops over your holiday break
KAMLOOPS - If you’re basking in an extra long-holiday vacation or are looking to keep the kids entertained during winter break, there are activities to enjoy beyond snacking in front of the TV or last-minute Christmas shopping. From Christmas Eve to New Years’ Eve, the Sagebrush Theatre will host Beauty and the Beast, the Panto...
How TRU international students are celebrating Christmas at a closed campus
KAMLOOPS - While most of us are packing our bags or prepping guest rooms for visitors this weekend, there are some who will be spending their white Christmas in a foreign country. Of the 1,750 international students at TRU, more than 100 will be spending their holiday season on campus, which will be closed for...
Kamloops residents ready to help Syrian refugees
KAMLOOPS - The Syrian refugees destined for Kamloops have not arrived just yet, but many locals are already offering support for when they do get here. Paul Lagace from Kamloops Immigrant Services witnessed the amount of support available when the society hosted a informative talk on Dec. 18 to educate locals about Syrian culture and...
UPDATE: Kamloops Search and Rescue find snowmobiler near Wells Gray
KAMLOOPS - Members from the Kamloops Search and Rescue Team have found a snowmobiler who went missing near Wells Gray Provincial Park yesterday, Dec. 22. Alan Hobler, a manager with the local team, says three members travelled to Dunn Peak, a trail area east of Wells Gray Park, today, Dec. 23, to help search for...
Pharmacy robbed at gunpoint in downtown Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Mounties are on the search for a male suspect after a downtown pharmacy was robbed at gunpoint this morning. Kamloops RCMP received a call around 8:45 a.m. today, Dec. 23, for a robbery at the Kipp-Mallery Pharmacy at the corner of Third Avenue and Victoria Street. Cpl. Cheryl Bush says the male entered...
Kamloops party store crushed by Christmas thieves
KAMLOOPS - At a time when the holidays are about gifting, a local business-owner was targeted by thieves who stole multiple items from her store, along with her four children’s Christmas gifts. Diane Stetar says thieves robbed her Aberdeen store, A Favor To Remember, the evening of Dec. 15 by entering through a construction site....
The best drunken drive-home stories from Kamloops’ Operation Red Nose team this year
KAMLOOPS - It’s been a busy driving season for the 220 volunteers at Operation Red Nose in Kamloops, but as the group winds down their nineteenth year, there’s plenty to reflect on. Katie Klassen leads the local initiative and says the group’s close to its fundraising goal of $32,000 by New Year’s Eve — their...
22 books from local authors to gift for Christmas
KAMLOOPS - Trends may come and go, but you can almost never go wrong when you give someone special a book for Christmas. Choosing the right book for the right person can be a challenge. But if you'd like to make your gift unique, consider choosing a local author. Whether the person you're shopping for...
Vancouver man convicted for illegal moose hunt near Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A Vancouver man will have to pay over $7,000 in fines to a Conservation Foundation after he was convicted of killing a moose out of season, along with two other charges under the B.C. Wildlife Act. The Conservation Officer Service started an investigation of the two men Nov. 5, 2013 after witnesses reported...
Kamloops police searching for man behind Instagram scam
KAMLOOPS - Police are on the lookout for a man accused of illegally obtaining a stay and food at a Kamloops hotel by pretending to be an Instagram advertising executive. The man stayed at a hotel and ate for free by promising to promote the business on the phone photo sharing app Instagram, but he...
Gift of dress, community spirit, thrills Salmon Arm mother and daughter
KAMLOOPS - The mother of a young girl whose community rallied to get her a dress for the winter formal says she’s amazed by the generosity and Christmas spirit of strangers. “I am amazed and in utter shock,” Janet Perry says. “I could not believe it." Perry’s daughter Olivia Perry-Coultas, 17, is a student in...
Massive gun-bust case tossed due to numerous mistakes by Kamloops Mounties
KAMLOOPS - After RCMP raided a Kamloops trailer filled with guns and ammunition in December 2013, they displayed their haul at the RCMP detachment where the city’s top cop posed for pictures and told reporters about the dangers of illegal firearms. They got multiple weapons including shotguns and chopped up, rebuilt long guns, ammunition, drugs...
UPDATE: Kamloops teen located
UPDATE: 7:39 A.M., DEC. 22, 2015 RCMP says the 16-year-old girl has been found safe and sound. All personal information has been removed. 9:04 A.M., DEC. 3, 2015 KAMLOOPS - Police are searching for a 16-year-old after her family reported her missing nearly a month ago. People have been in contact with the teen, but police...
School and seamstress spin holiday magic for Salmon Arm student
SALMON ARM - Things were looking grim when Olivia Perry-Coultas and her teachers started looking for something she could wear to the Salmon Arm Secondary winter formal dance — few things fit and time was running out. But the generosity of her community and strangers helped her feel like a princess for the special day....
Kamloops area food banks receive record donation; labour council says more help still needed
KAMLOOPS - Generous donations and deliveries have helped local food banks this year, but according to the president of the Kamloops District Labour Council there needs to be a shift in government to meet the increasing needs of British Columbians accessing the food bank. The council participated in the Protein for People program, a non-profit...
Emails show escalating tensions between authorities on downtown rail crossing
SAFETY INSPECTOR BLAMES CITY FOR FAILING TO CONSIDER PEDESTRIANS WHEN LICENCING NEW BUSINESSES IN AREA KAMLOOPS - When pedestrian safety became an issue at a downtown railway crossing last year, city officials initially denied responsibility despite a railway safety inspector's suggestion the city's approval of new developments created the 'rogue pedestrian issue,' according to emails...
Award-winning film shot near Kamloops now available on DVD
KAMLOOPS - A local film shot in the Thompson Nicola Regional District is now available on DVD after making the rounds at film festivals around the world. Shana: The Wolf’s Music was filmed in locations close to Merritt by Swiss director Nino Jacusso. The film’s leading cast members were from the Scw’exmx branch of the...