Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Jennifer Stahn
STAHN: Doctors brought little clarity to air quality concerns
Are you confused about the fact sheet local doctors released on air quality in Kamloops last week? You're not alone. A group called Kamloops Physicians for a Healthy Environment cobbled together information and data from different sources to ring some alarm bells about air quality and it created plenty of controversy. Their point was Kamloops already...
Kamloops all-star soccer team faces off against Edmonton
Kamloops — Details have been released regarding a planned exhibition soccer match pitting Edmonton FC of the North American Soccer League against a Kamloops men's all-star team. The match, being hosted by the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association as one of its 50 anniversary celebratory events, will kick-off at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 29th on...
Music in the Park
Kamloops — The City of Kamloops and BCLC are proud to present another great season of Music in the Park, from July 1 to August 31, 2014. Now in its 21 year, Music in the Park continues the tradition of providing residents and tourists with 62 free evening performances that showcase a variety of talented...
UPDATE: Man killed in roll over near Paul Lake identified
KAMLOOPS - One man is dead and four others injured after a vehicle lost control on Pinantan Pritchard Road near Paul Lake Wednesday evening. The B.C. Coroners Service has identified the man who died as Barry Wilson Charlie Jr., 27, from Lytton. Staff Sgt. Lane Jumaga says a preliminary investigation shows the westbound mini-van rolled...
Summer school will be picketed if no deal reached this week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The teacher collective agreement will be discussed by both sides at a meeting today but the union president says teachers have agreed to strike through the summer if needed. “Mediation is the only way to bridge the gap between the two sides,” Jim Iker says. “(If no agreement is made) teachers will extend...
Election 2014: Councillors could be chosen out of a hat
KAMLOOPS - Council members were fighting during Tuesday's meeting as if their seats are already on the line while discussing possible changes to the election bylaw for 2014. And the general election — when eight city councillors and a mayor will be chosen — is still almost five months away. Several changes were recommended by...
Heavy rains and thunder hit Kamloops hard
KAMLOOPS — Heavy rains started to fall on Kamloops around 10 p.m. last night and soon after strong winds and thunder rocked the city. Rain began around 10 p.m. and then lightning litt up the sky as the storm moved over the city. Driving winds and thunder then added to the drama as it swept...
UPDATE: Bridge upgrades approved
$9.42 M BORROWING BYLAW UP NEXT KAMLOOPS - The entire Overlanders Bridge deck is set to be resurfaced in 2015 and council has agreed to tag on a multi-million dollar attached sidewalk project as well. In January, council agreed to postpone the bridge construction in the hopes of saving funds by completing the two projects...
Stuart Wood will close
KAMLOOPS - The clock is ticking on Stuart Wood Elementary School after the school district agreed unanimously to consolidate Beattie School of Arts students into one building and shutdown the downtown school by September 2016. The issue has been a hot button issue with the public since an enrolment report suggesting the closure was released in...
Group continues fight to save Stuart Wood
KAMLOOPS - It may be too little too late but a group of concerned citizens are not giving up their fight to save their downtown school. Denis Walsh, the chair of the Downtown and West End Residents Association, admits they were a bit slow out of the gate but based on previous changes within the...
Mosquito season peaking in region
KAMLOOPS - High waters and low temperatures have given mosquitoes a safe haven in the Thompson Nicola Regional District this year but the peak is almost over and we can expect to see them die off soon. “Right now is prime time, through the July long weekend,” Cheryl Phippen of BWP Consulting says. “This year...
Ajax would impact air quality, health: Doctors
KAMLOOPS - The city is already burdened by air quality issues and the addition of more particulate matter via an open pit mine would put the people of Kamloops at risk, according to local doctors opposing the mine. The Kamloops Physicians for a Healthy Environment, which formed about a year ago, said Kamloops need not...
Mosquitoes having a ‘perfect’ year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — No, you are not imagining things, the mosquitoes are actually worse this year, thanks to high water, cooler temperatures and wet weather. If you’ve ventured outside at all over the last month you have swatted at mosquitoes or came away with a bunch of itchy welts. Or maybe you donned your DEET and...
STAHN: Who the strike is really hurting
‘This is not the way I wanted it to end.’ It’s a line I heard over and over again during the teacher strike. It’s applicable to both retiring teachers and the students who saw their school year end with less than 24 hours notice. Many of the students, abruptly told last Thursday would be their...
More savings for city in road rehabilitation
KAMLOOPS - Another road project ready to start, another $1 million in savings for the city. The lone bid for the rehabilitation of Windbreak Street came in at just under $2.3 million, well below the $3.3 million put aside in the 2014 budget for the project. It was originally thought the project just needed some...
Teachers and government ‘not even close’ to a deal
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — There is still a major gap between the teachers' union and the government when it comes to a new collective agreement and the education minister says as it sits the union’s proposal simply is not affordable. “We are not even close to where we need to be to get a negotiated agreement,” Peter...
Council faces off: Is Stuart Wood more important because it is downtown?
KAMLOOPS - More than an hour was spent discussing the merits of keeping Stuart Wood as an elementary school and whether the city should step in to provide ‘support’ to the school district in making the decision. “Where was this passion for John Tod last term?” Mayor Peter Milobar said, “Was it because it was...
Ranford and Regehr win championships
Kamloops, BC – The Kamloops Blazers have two alumni celebrating championships as Robyn Regehr (1996-1999) won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings and Brendan Ranford (2008-2013) won the Calder Cup with the Texas Stars of the AHL. Regehr won his first Stanley Cup in his 14 NHL season. The defenseman played in 79...
Summer Kick-Off celebrations begin June 27
Sun Peaks — Over the past two years Sun Peaks’ summer occupancy has grown by 36 percent from July to September and the high pace of growth is continuing. Much of this success is attributed to the provincial governments’ Resort Municipality Initiative, which the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality has allocated to a strong summer...
Youth Homelessness Plan Set to Launch
Kamloops — On Friday, June 20, the City of Kamloops, in partnership with HomeFree and the Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan, will launch A Way Home: A Plan to End Youth Homelessness in Kamloops at the Interior Savings Centre Parkside Lounge. Starting at 9 a.m., the launch will feature presentations on the project, a gallery of...
Teachers unpaid during strike
FUND HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With salaries cut back during the strike and a fund normally used to cover teachers during strike action exhausted, local teacher associations are now setting up hardship funds for those needing help. “There is a slight fund but it’s exhausted. It’s the same fund we used to fight class...
Bring on the summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Saturday is the official start of summer and so far Mother Nature looks like she will cooperate in allowing us to celebrate in style. Highs of 28-29 C are forecast across the region for Saturday and by Monday we should be seeing highs of 32 C or 33 C. Meteorologist David Jones says...
What the strike means for Kamloops students
KAMLOOPS - We know there is no school while teachers engage in a full strike but what does that mean for report cards, year end dances and items the could not be cleared out of desks and lockers in time? Grade 10-12 students will complete exams as scheduled beginning tomorrow but only Grade 12 students...
More students means fewer daycare spots
KAMLOOPS - Enrolment is going up at the elementary age and that means more jobs for teachers and better use of district space. It also means daycares within some schools must find a new place to call home. Space at two schools will be reclaimed before the next school year and the daycares at each...