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Jennifer Stahn
Clean up after snow storm costs city $400,000
KAMLOOPS - Between regular city staffing hours, overtime, hiring contractors and the cost of hauling snow about a quarter of the snow removal budget has already been spent less than two weeks into the new year. Public Works Director Jen Fretz says the city spent $160,000 on regular staffing and another $240,000 on overtime, contractors...
District to look at fresh adult education options
PROVINCIAL FUNDING CUT KAMLOOPS - Adults looking to upgrade their schooling through the Kamloops Thompson School District may soon need to look at other options. In December the Ministry of Education announced it will not be funding graduated adults enrolling in ministry courses as of May 1. They will still fund the 26 foundation courses...
Kelowna garage damaged by fire
KELOWNA - Crews arriving at the scene of a residential garage fire were greeted by heavy black smoke early Monday evening. The Kelowna Fire Department was called to Carruthers Street around 6:15 p.m., Jan. 12, and while they were able to quickly extinguish the fire the interior of the garage was already destroyed. In total...
UPDATE: Anti-tethering bylaw not on agenda for Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - The City of Kamloops will not be joining the ranks of the 14 municipalities and two regional districts that have alread put restrictions on tethering dogs outdoors. The B.C. SPCA has been lobbying councils across the province to adopt bylaws that help promote animal well-being and human responsibility. In late 2013 the Regional...
Lorne Street will no longer be part of official truck route
KAMLOOPS - City staff is looking to amend the traffic bylaw to remove several downtown streets from the official truck route. Low-clearance underpasses, a roundabout, road improvements and park areas are listed as some of the many reasons for wanting to remove Lorne Street, River Street and 10 Avenue north of Victoria Street from the...
Temperatures continue upswing
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a dump of nearly 40 centimetres of snow in many parts of the Southern Interior we are now looking at temperatures above seasonal normals all week. According to Environment Canada we can expect to see highs of about 2 Celsius Monday and Tuesday and of 0 C Wednesday and Thursday. By the...
Rescue volunteers average 240 hours per year
KAMLOOPS - More than 10,000 volunteer hours were put into Kamloops Search and Rescue in 2014 with some volunteers putting in as many as 800 hours alone. Search Manager Alan Hobler says the team was called out on 36 tasks during the year, 20 of which were operational on the ground. One of the most...
Strong building year in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - More than $190 million in permits were issued in 2014, up nearly 28 per cent over 2013 but it wasn't quite a record year. The year ended strong, with more than double the value of permits issued in December 2014 over December 2013. With a total of 14 residential units issued permits in...
STAHN: Yes it snowed, now get over it
We had a bit of snow this week. In fact we saw upwards of 40 centimetres over a two-day period, an amount not seen for between 77 and 87 years here in the Thompson-Okanagan region. Yes, that’s a lot of snow, but that’s all it was - snow. I’ve heard a lot of people exclaiming...
Local film industry 10 times stronger in 2014
KAMLOOPS - About $3 million was brought into the Thompson-Nicola region thanks to the film industry in 2014 and according to the local film commissioner the financial impacts realized could be as much as $9 million. More than 100 project enquiries came through the office in 2014 and that resulted in some big films being...
Aberdeen casino project set to start next month
KAMLOOPS - Construction of the new casino in Aberdeen is being accelerated and will now begin in February, the company announced Thursday. Even though city of Kamloops staff advised councillors the project went against current community plans, Gateway Casinos received rezoning approval from city council after a large public hearing in August. The company was originally planning...
New Kamloops Labour Council president has her eye on the future
KAMLOOPS - Barbara Nederpel is the new president of the Kamloops and District Labour Council after being acclaimed this week. First vice president Nederpal was acclaimed Jan. 6 after former president Peter Kerek stepped aside earlier this week. Kerek ran for a city council seat in November but ultimately lost. Nederpel says she plans to...
Fast melt following massive snow a concern
KAMLOOPS - The next challenge the city could face following this week's snow storm is coping with rapid melting as temperatures rise. It has been more than 87 years since Kamloops has seen two-day snowfall amounts nearing the 40 centimetre mark and the storm had city crews scrambling to keep up earlier this week. The...
Snow removal continues tonight
KAMLOOPS - City crews will again be working to clear accumulated snow in the Downtown and North Shore business areas Wednesday night through Friday. Work began in the areas Tuesday night but with nearly 40 centimetres of snow over a two-day period a lot more snow still needs to be cleared. On Wednesday, Jan. 7...
Highway 1 remains closed because of avalanche risk
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A storm system that left behind upwards of 40 centimetres of snow in our region and closed some schools for two days has also shut down Highway 1 in several spots. Avalanche control took place between Craigellachie and Revelstoke Monday because of the high risk and that section of highway was again shut...
UPDATE: 1,200 still without power in Shuswap
SALMON ARM - More than 1,200 customers are still without power in the Shuswap area after power was restored to about 1,700 customers earlier today. A few customers have been without power since Tuesday afternoon but for many the power went out early Wednesday morning. B.C. Hydro is blaming the snow storm that buried the...
Most of Thompson-Okanagan well shy of record snowfall amounts
ONLY KELOWNA COMES CLOSE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Nearly enough snow fell on Kelowna to set new two-day snowfall records this week but it was nowhere near the amount that fell on Penticton in 1932. The storm began late Saturday evening and had ended in much of the region by Monday evening. After two days of solid...
School back on in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - In case there was any doubt in your mind, yes schools are set to reopen in School District 73 Wednesday after two snow days in a row. Students have been out of school since Dec. 19 when winter break began. Schools were ready to reopen Monday, Jan. 5 but Mother Nature had other...
MAP: Sun Peaks has top valued properties in region
KAMLOOPS - The four most expensive properties in the Thompson Cariboo region total more than $11 million in value, and they are all located in Sun Peaks. The most expensive property is once again 4141 Douglas Crt at $3.51 million, though the value fell from the $3.545 it was pegged at in 2014. In total...
UPDATE: Freezing rain warning ends for Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A freezing rain warning issued earlier this afternoon for Kamloops has ended Kamloops is still digging out after early 40 centimetres of snow fell at the Kamloops Airport over the course of the snow storm Sunday and Monday. Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning shortly after noon with temperatures set to remain...
Kamloops Airport cleaning up after storm
KAMLOOPS - There were nine flight cancellations at the airport Sunday and Monday but the break in the storm means flights are back to normal and crews have been able to start cleanup on additional taxiways. A total of 35 centimetres fell at Kamloops Airport over the course of the storm and airport manager Fred...
Fentanyl-laced heroin still in Kamloops
WARNING COMES ON HEELS OF VERNON OVERDOSES KAMLOOPS - The tainted drugs that have Vernon RCMP concerned following a recent rash of overdoses have been in Kamloops for awhile already but people have ‘learned how to use it’ according to an outreach worker. There have been six overdoses, including two fatal ones, in Vernon since...
Winter storm shuts down highways
BACK TO SEASONAL NORMALS BY END OF DAY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm warning is over for much of the Southern Interior, but it has left toppled trees, black ice and high avalanche risk in its wake. A winter storm warning remains in place for the Shuswap and regions north and east of the Shuswap,...
UPDATE: Second day of school closures in Kamloops, TRU reopens
KAMLOOPS - After two days of almost constant snow, School District 73 will close schools for a second day on Tuesday, Jan. 6 though Thompson Rivers University is set to reopen. At 6:30 a.m. Monday the school district made the decision to keep schools closed because of the heavy snow and by later in the...