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Glynn Brothen
BROTHEN: Not in our backyards, not in our city’s backyard
The next time you go for a casual walk in the grasslands behind Batchelor Heights, watch where you step, or your next trip will be to get a tetanus shot – there are nails everywhere. And it’s not just nails leftover from people burning pallets for bonfires; there are busted appliances, bullets, condoms, syringes, construction...
This little piggy dug up the neighbour’s yard, this one went on the highway, this piggy’s owner went all the way to court
KAMLOOPS – If pigs could fly, a 77-year-old farmer and his neighbours probably wouldn't be in the predicament that landed them in Kamloops Provincial Court this month. Pig farmer Paul Peter Sabyan received numerous complaints from neighbours about his livestock breaking its barrier and destroying land adjacent to his Louis Creek property, south of Barriere. ...
Bullets, condoms and refuse – see what’s dumped in our protected grasslands
KAMLOOPS – Watching several trucks drive by Batchelor Heights into the province's protected grasslands and not knowing the driver's purpose for visiting makes Park Ranger Amanda Weber-Roy nervous as she prepares for a day of work in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Saturday. She looks for signs of recreational users — an ATV, a mountain...
Distributor of anti-gay flyers in Kamloops says he’s leaving the country for good
KAMLOOPS – The controversial author of a what some have called a 'hate-flyer' will no longer deliver them in Kamloops or any other Canadian city — according to his latest blog post, he's leaving the country for good. Christian proselytizer Bill Whatcott, known across the country for delivering pamphlets targeting and discouraging homosexuality, abortion and...
Federal prison sentence despite drug dealer’s public relations move
KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops judge said she recognized the efforts a convicted cocaine trafficker made to teach young people about the dangers of the industry he was caught up in, but still gave him a four-year federal prison sentence in Kamloops Supreme Court Wednesday morning. Last May, Jean-Claude Auger, 39, pleaded guilty to his involvement...
WASELENKOFF TRIAL: Trial adjourned on second day
KAMLOOPS – The trial for a local man accused of possessing child pornography was adjourned until further notice Tuesday afternoon in Kamloops Supreme Court. Jerry Waselenkoff, a retired teacher, was charged with one count of possessing child pornography in 2012 after RCMP officers seized several compact disks containing sexually explicit images in the floor joist...
Accused in murder case to get psych evaluation; claims he ‘slaughtered a demon’
KAMLOOPS – A man accused of killing a woman in a Cherry Avenue apartment last year will get a psychiatric evaluation before trial after he told a Kamloops provincial court judge there’s “nothing on the law books for slaughtering a demon” at a hearing Tuesday morning. Christopher Frank Butler appeared on his own behalf when...
Vehicle window smashed at popular Kamloops hiking location
KAMLOOPS - A car left at the head of a popular hiking trail near Kamloops was targeted by vandals Monday morning. Officers at the Kamloops Rural RCMP detachment are looking for information to find out who smashed a car window around 11:35 a.m. near the Red Lake Mara Trail Monday. The driver's side window on...
Stuck hiker coached off of trail by emergency crews
KAMLOOPS - An overzealous hiker was coached off a trail by firefighters and RCMP members after he got stuck on a trail near the cliffs overlooking Brock Estates off Ord Road this afternoon. "It wasn't that steep. He kinda just froze on the side of the hill," Capt. Brian Lannon with Kamloops Fire Rescue said....
WASELENKOFF TRIAL: Father and son describe finding child pornography
KAMLOOPS – When Frans Van Der Woning and his son Ray were renovating Frans' McGill Road condominum one Saturday in 2012, they cut a hole in the ceiling and thought they found hidden treasure. They reached between the floor joists shared with the unit above — belonging to retired special education teacher Jerry Waselenkoff —...
Illegal dumping in Lac du Bois ‘everyone’s problem but nobody’s problem’
KAMLOOPS – The illegal dumping happening in parkland behind a city neighbourhood has been an issue for a number of years, and one city manager says the garbage represents a social issue more than a financial one. Streets and Environmental Services Manager Glen Farrow says while tipping fees at the city dump have increased and...
Spences Bridge loses its bridge
SPENCES BRIDGE – The old Spences Bridge has finally been dismantled after its closure more than a year ago. Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation had originally agreed to close the bridge off to vehicles but keep it open so foot traffic and bicycles from the neighbouring community could cross the Thompson River. However, after...
No charges recommended against RCMP in parkade death
KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops RCMP officer has been found not criminally negligent after he tasered an 18-year-old man who jumped from the Royal Inland Hospital parkade last summer. On June 11, 2014, two police officers responded to a report of a youth who left the hospital and was in distress. Officers tried to convince Jacob...
Experience a new culture without leaving town
KAMLOOPS – If you’re looking to get a taste of other cultures without leaving town you’re in luck, the annual International Days event is set to take place this week. The event is scheduled to take place at Thompson Rivers University Friday afternoon and international students will share their culture with the community through food,...
Stolen Kamloops mail found in Lower Mainland
KAMLOOPS - Mail belonging to Kamloops residents was among the thousands of pieces of stolen mail recovered at an apartment complex last month. The investigation, which started in February when 8,000 to 10,000 pieces of mail were found in a storage locker, has resulted in an arrest. Sarah Lea Arnet, 36, was a tenant of...
Body found in river was missing woman
KAMLOOPS – A body found in the Thompson River last week was that of a woman who went missing more than three months ago, according to her best friend and the B.C. Coroner's Service. Megan Latchford says the family of 33-year-old Deseree Smith was given the news by the B.C. Coroners Service Tuesday night, five...
Search on for North Shore robbery suspect
KAMLOOPS – A man who produced a knife in a robbery at a North Shore convenience store this morning is on the run and RCMP are now looking for help in finding the man. Police officers are searching for a male suspect after the Mac’s Convenience Store on Tranquille Road was robbed before 5 a.m....
Charges recommended against driver who fled crash scene
KAMLOOPS – Charges are being recommended against a driver of a black Dodge SUV after his alleged involvement in two separate incidents, including a crash that sent two people to hospital yesterday, March 10. Cpl. Cheryl Bush, a spokesperson for the Kamloops RCMP detachment, said the 43-year-old male was involved in a physical altercation with...
Learn about anti-terror legislation at TRU
KAMLOOPS – If you’re curious about how the new anti-terrorism bill might affect you, tonight’s presentation at Thompson Rivers University might give you some insight. The proposed legislation, Bill C-51, would grant federal authorities the power to investigate terrorism by accessing the public’s private information, and allow that information to be shared among intelligence and...
Three areas of Kamloops to stop speeding in
KAMLOOPS – If you can’t police yourself to stop speeding in school zones, the Kamloops RCMP will hand you a hefty fine. “We’ve received numerous complaints of drivers speeding in school zones,” spokesperson Cpl. Cheryl Bush says. The three roads police indicated as “high offender areas” are Parkcrest Avenue, Tranquille Road and Summit Drive. Bush...
How fines are replacing jail for drunk driving
KAMLOOPS – In 2012, Lee Michael Wilson blew a warning on the breathalyzer after a police officer pulled him over in Kamloops. Police gathered no evidence beyond that and he was found guilty on the spot. He was issued a three-day immediate roadside prohibition, a non-criminal penalty that may result in the loss of a licence...
What’s keeping one group from enjoying a favourite spot in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – A small group in Kamloops is working together to clean up one of their favourite locations in Kamloops, behind the Batchelor Heights neighbourhood, that is being continually trashed by people illegally dumping junk. “There’s garbage strewn throughout the whole area,” Tearia Parsons says. “We just figured we’d go and start cleaning it up.”...
Accused in murder case to act as own lawyer, claims mental disorder
KAMLOOPS – The man accused of murdering a 26-year-old in his Cherry Avenue apartment says he will represent himself in his trial to pursue a not criminally responsible due to mental disorder defence. Christopher Frank Butler, born 1973, made a brief video appearance in Kamloops Provincial Court Monday morning where he told a Justice of...
Former mayoral candidate facing assault charges
KAMLOOPS - A mayoral candidate from last year's municipal election is facing an assault charge in Kamloops Provincial Court. Piero Luigi Filisetti, born 1959, is facing one count of assault with a weapon after he allegedly assaulted Brandon Burke with bear spray on Jan. 17. Filisetti, who is more commonly known as Pierre, had his...