Kamloops Newsmakers 2014

City steps closer to finalizing purchase of Daily News property
KAMLOOPS - It looks like the city is ready to move forward with the purchase of the empty Kamloops Daily News property. In March only 39 city electors returned responses against the loan of $4.8 million required to buy the property. At the time Mayor Peter Milobar said the site was considered a necessary purchase...

UPDATE: Power restored after storm cut off thousands of residents
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Power has been restored to most customers in the Thompson-Okanagan following widespread outages affecting over 16,000 customers at their peak. Sabrina Locicero with B.C. Hydro says power in the Thompson-Okanagan and Shuswap regions is back on for the vast majority of customers. Only ten customers remained without power as of Friday morning. B.C. Hydro...

Intense storm dropped record rain at rapid rate
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Several rainfall records were broken Wednesday but a local meteorologist says it is the rate of the rainfall that is the big story. “A record rain doesn’t really tell the story, the real story is the speed which it came out of the clouds,” Doug Lundquist of Environment Canada says. “You can have...

PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Parts of city flooded after storm rolls through Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - The skies opened up over the city of Kamloops during a brief intense storm creating flooding across the city this afternoon. Kamloops RCMP asked the public to avoid Overlanders Bridge for about an hour because run-off at the south end caused flooding that dumped debris across the road. Officers and city crews closed...
IN PHOTOS: Flood damage at Peterson Creek Park
KAMLOOPS - The rainfall from Tuesday night may have assisted in soaking surrounding wildfires, but didn’t help much with the flood damage at Peterson Creek Park. Staff with the Parks and Recreation department from the City is still assessing the damage caused by the July 23 flash flood. The black-diamond Billy Miner trail has been...

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...

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...
Disaster Financial Assistance available for flood damages
Kamloops – Following the severe rain event that took place on July 23, the City of Kamloops has been diligently working to evaluate the damages that were sustained by the community and surrounding areas. This evaluation resulted in the city applying to the Province of BC for Disaster Financial Assistance. The province has now...

UPDATE: Arrest made after Kamloops Mountie shot
SHOT MOUNTIE RECOVERING AFTER SUCCESSFUL SURGERY KAMLOOPS – Kamloops RCMP have made an arrest outside a residence in Batchelor Heights in connection with the shooting of an officer early this morning. The emergency response team took a 36-year-old man into custody at approximately 3:30 p.m. The arrest took place nearly 12 hours after Cpl. Jean-Rene...

Former Kamloops Mountie: Shooting brings back bad memories
KAMLOOPS - Former RCMP officer Rob Creasser is reliving his nightmare after a Mountie was shot not far from his home in Batchelor Hills Wednesday morning. Creasser was conducting a routine traffic check in the Monte Creek area in 1991 when he was shot at. “A vehicle was actually pulled over and it was a...

UPDATE: Batchelor Heights subdivision reopens after police shooting
KAMLOOPS - An arrest has been made and most residents can again access their homes in the Batchelor Heights area. The area was closed early in the morning Dec. 3 after an RCMP officer was shot. The 40-year-old, 13-year veteran was sent to Royal Inland Hospital for surgery and he is currently listed in critical...

Kamloops RCMP will not be investigated
KAMLOOPS - The independent investigations office will not be investigating after a suspect was injured following the shooting of an officer Wednesday morning. Cpl. Jean-René Michaud was shot around 2:45 a.m. during a routine traffic stop and a backup officer who happened to be nearby exchanged fire with the suspect before the suspect got away. When...

Knutson arrest opens ‘old wounds’ for family of previous shooting victim
COQUITLAM – Family members of a young Coquitlam man who died from a gunshot wound in 2002 are shaken by news the man who killed him is now implicated in the attempted murder of Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Jean-René Michaud. “My whole family is upset... it will always hurt us,” Will Lesniak says. “It’s a very...

Officer shot in Kamloops well enough to talk to family
KAMLOOPS - The officer who was shot last week in Kamloops and rushed to Royal Inland Hospital for surgery continues to improve after waking up from an induced coma. Cpl. Jean Rene Michaud remains in intensive care and is conscious and able to speak to his family according to an RCMP media release. "His medical...

RCMP Cpl. Michaud continues recovery, may be home for Christmas
KAMLOOPS - After enduring two surgeries and awaking from an induced coma, Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Jean-René Michaud has been moved out of the intensive care unit at Royal Inland Hospital where he continues to recover. "Our prayers are that he may be able to spend Christmas with his family," Cpl. Cheryl Bush, a spokesperson with...