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Glynn Brothen
TRU to receive $265K for more spots in trade programs
KAMLOOPS – To combat growing worker demand for the liquefied gas industry among others, the B.C. government has agreed to allocate $265,000 for Thompson Rivers University to add a total 52 spots to its welding, carpentry and electrician training programs. The amount funded to the university is part of a $6.8 million provincial wide program....
Drowsy drivers do have options
THOMPSON - OKANAGAN - July and August are peak months for driver fatigue-related incidents. While you may be bumper to bumper with everyone else rushing for the best beach spot, it’s important to recognize the signs of tired driving. “Living in Kamloops, I know how hot B.C. summers can get,” says B.C. Minister of Transportation...
Heading for the hills this weekend? Here are 11 ways to keep it safe
THOMPSON - OKANAGAN - If you're looking to dodge the tourists and get a more peaceful outing on your long weekend, a hike or a campout in the backcountry may be the best way of achieving a relaxing getaway. To keep it safe, members of the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue team have some tips...
Warrant pulled for high-risk offender with ties to Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – A warrant for a convicted rapist with former ties to Kamloops was rescinded July 29 after the man was at-large for five days. Police issued the warrant for Donald Sabey, 48, after he left his halfway house in Vancouver. Sabey was arrested by the Vancouver Police Department’s high risk offenders unit. He was...
Keep your dog safe when you take a stroll through rattlesnake country
KAMLOOPS - When it comes to hiking trails with your pup, Wildsafe B.C. says to keep your dog on a leash; it’s the best way to ensure its safety in rattlesnake country. “I’ve been noticing a lot more rattlesnakes and a lot more people mentioning that they’re seeing them,“ says Wildsafe BC’s provincial coordinator Frank...
Trails at Peterson Creek closed due to flooding
KAMLOOPS – The Billy Miner Trail at Peterson Creek Park has been closed since last week when a flash-flood damaged walkways. The City is now working to repair the trails and assess the level of damage. Hikers are asked to respect signs and temporary re-routing to existing trails. The access road beside Escape Trail is...
Fire across from Tobiano golf course 100% contained
KAMLOOPS - The grass fire which started across the lake from Tobiano golf course Thursday afternoon is completely contained as firefighters remain on site for mop up. "It's barely smouldering," says fire information officer Melissa Klassen. Klassen says five firefighters remain on site and no longer need heavy equipment. The fire was quickly knocked down...
VIDEO: Band features Kelowna bookstore, model in latest music video
KELOWNA - Any booklover in Kelowna would know the first location in band PRTY H3RO’s latest music video is Ted’s Paperbacks on Sutherland Avenue. As for the man walking through the used bookstore, those who recognize him might remember his face from somewhere a little more posh. Justin Sterling is a model and can be...
Body recovered from truck submerged since June
VERNON – After waiting a month and a half for the Shuswap River to calm the South East district dive team recovered the body of a man whose truck plunged into the water. The 1994 Ford truck sank in the river on the evening of June 14. A witness said the driver veered off the...
A look at your long weekend weather, dry lightning expected
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Make sure to keep a watchful eye under those sunshades this weekend; despite sunny forecasts, B.C. Wildfire is expecting dry lightning to hit the area. “We’re heading into a period now where we’re seeing the potential for more naturally occurring wildfires to pop up, but with lightning tracking in the region it’s common...
B.C. Wildfire responds to grass fire near Tobiano
KAMLOOPS – Seven firefighters are on the scene of a small grass fire which broke out across the lake from Tobiano golf course Thursday afternoon. “It was growing pretty steadily,” said fire information officer Melissa Klassen “we responded by sending air tankers initially... a total of three aircraft laying retardant.” Klassen added a helicopter was...
Search continues for Coldstream man who jumped off bridge into Revelstoke Lake
REVELSTOKE – Local RCMP members along with Revelstoke Search and Rescue are continuing their search for a Coldstream man who never resurfaced after jumping into Revelstoke Lake. B.C. ambulance received a call Wednesday evening around 7:30 p.m. and received a report of a 28-year-old man jumping off the Laforme Creek Bridge. The man’s name is...
Planning for your fire-free long weekend
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you’re planning to go camping this long weekend, B.C. Wildfire says your fun will have to be fire-free unless you have an approved fire-safe stove. “All of the (Thompson-Okanagan) locations fall under the same campfire ban,” says Kelsey Winter, a fire information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre. The only location without...
The flames you see around Mission Flats are likely controlled flares
KAMLOOPS - If you happen to see a fire around the Mission Flats area, it’s likely you’re watching flares at the City’s wastewater treatment plant. Members of Kamloops Fire Rescue have received several reports of grass and trees on fire in the area. Representatives from the City say the flares are controlled and are used...
Pick your fruit before the bears do it for you
KAMLOOPS – The pungent smell of garbage isn't the only thing that might convince bears to wander into neighbourhoods during the hot summer months. Fruit left too long on trees is a delicious smelling attractant and something Wildsafe B.C. recommends we deal with sooner, rather than later. Provincial Coordinator for Wildlife B.C. Frank Ritcey says fruit...
Councillors at Tk’emlups te Secwepemc make nearly three times the salary of Kamloops City counterparts
KAMLOOPS – Tk’emlups te Secwepemc is one of just a handful of First Nations councils to comply with new federal regulations disclosing its finances — and some of the results may surprise you. The band paid its chief and seven councillors $723,822 in salaries and expenses last year, according to statements filed under the new...
Shooting victim pleads for more information, urges community should be protected from his attacker
SPENCES BRIDGE - A cyclist who was a victim of a random shooting at Spences Bridge eight weeks ago pleaded with the public on Tuesday morning to step forward with any details on the attack which left him waiting for help on the side of the road. “I am making a personal appeal to anyone...
UPDATE: Several agencies respond to bank fire in Cache Creek
CACHE CREEK – The cause of Monday night's fire at the downtown RBC is still unknown, but the bank remains standing this morning. The bank caught fire around 5:30 p.m. A bank employee drove past the building and noticed smoke coming from its back corner. The fire then escalated to the building’s roof, and transformer...
Fake gun triggers RCMP response downtown
KAMLOOPS – There was swift action downtown this morning after RCMP received a call that a man was walking near Interior Savings Centre with a sawed-off shotgun. The report came in just before 10 a.m. and soon after officers discovered the man with two others behind the building located near the corner of 3 Avenue...
Botanie Creek fire further contained, staff moving to larger fires
KAMLOOPS - The fire camp for B.C. Wildfire workers is downsizing day-by-day as the Botanie Creek fire comes closer to extinction. Colette Fauchon, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Forests says the fire is now 65 per cent contained, and is currently mapped at 1,240 hectares. She says the fire will be turned over to...
City focuses on flood cleanup, tallying property damage
KAMLOOPS – While the flooding may have stopped, the City of Kamloops now has cleanup to worry about after buckets of rain scattered debris and poured through several buildings around town – including City Hall. “I don’t know the extent of (the damage),” City of Kamloops Manager Mike Firlotte says about the flooding at the...
Evacuation order lifted for Botanie Creek
LYTTON – An evacuation order for Botanie Creek Road north of Lytton has been lifted by the Thompson Nicola Regional District. The nearly 150 residents were staying in and around Lytton to evade a wildfire near the area. While an evacuation order has been rescinded, an evacuation alert remains in effect. Residents can return home,...
No charges laid after man was run over in parking lot
KAMLOOPS - A father accused of running over his son in the Royal Inland Hospital parking lot will not face a judge. “The file was concluded without any charges,” said Cpl. Cheryl Bush, a spokesperson for the RCMP. Last week, officers heard the father was bringing his son to the hospital when an argument broke out...
Ashcroft fire engine burns out during last weekend’s blaze
ASHCROFT – The fire which destroyed several buildings near the Ashcroft Manor on July 18 also burnt out the fire department's engine when it overheated at the scene. “It’s just an old girl that worked hard,” Fire Chief Brian Henderson said Tuesday afternoon. He said the crew coming in that night would strip the truck...