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Kamloops
Murder trial begins for Lytton man accused of stabbing friend 73 times
KAMLOOPS – The second-degree murder charge against a Lytton man boils down to a number, according to Crown Prosecutor Frank Caputo. “This case is about 73 stab wounds,” Caputo told the jury of eight men and four women during his opening statement in Kamloops Supreme Court today, Jan. 19. Cory Peter Bird, born 1987, faces...
More snow is on its way; heavy snow for mountain passes
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – The forecasters at Environment Canada are predicting heavy snow for mountain passes on the Coquihalla and the Hope-Princeton highways. The 20 to 30 centimetres of snow will start to fall late Saturday and continue overnight into Sunday, according to a Special Weather Statement. “A warm front will bring copious amounts of moisture to...
Facing fines for a different kind of murder
KAMLOOPS – It all started with giving a few birds some peanuts on a morning walk. Now, Toby Jackson faces $300 in fines and a possible court case. Jackson started feeding some of the neighbourhood crows after doing some research on the birds’ intelligence. Beyond the ability to use tools, Jackson says the breed of...
Transportation Minister moved to tears by letter from girl whose family died in car crash
KAMLOOPS – Transportation Minister Todd Stone says his ministry is responding to the concerns of a seven-year-old girl who made highway improvement suggestions after her family died in a car crash near Lillooet earlier this month. Stone was reminded of the latest high priority section of Highway 12 earlier this week when he received a...
Kamloops’ teenage designer preparing for fashion school
QTC LABEL CONTINUES TO GROW KAMLOOPS - Gold, fur and stars, the essence of the '70s spirit and '80s edge. The latest collection from a local fashion designer features all this and more and will be on display for Friday night during the teenager’s latest fashion show. Quentin Collier has been designing clothes since Grade...
More snow on the way this weekend
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The temperatures are warming up but we are not out of the woods when it comes to snow just yet, Mother Nature may add another layer of the white stuff before the weekend is over. According to Environment Canada people in Kamloops can expect snow today, Friday, Jan. 16, and Saturday along with...
Volunteers needed for ski championships and Special Olympics
YEAR OF TOURNAMENTS BEGINS KAMLOOPS - As we head into February two groups are hopeful more volunteers will step forward to make the National Cross Country Championships and the Special Olympics B.C. Winter Games successful. The Overlander Ski Club will be hosting the Canadian Masters National Cross Country Championships at Stake Lake Nordic Centre Feb....
Accused cop shooter hires lawyer, still awaits bail hearing
KAMLOOPS - The man accused of shooting a Kamloops RCMP officer has hired a lawyer for his bail hearing on Jan. 29. Kenneth Michael Knutson, 36, was supposed to have his bail hearing today, Jan. 15, but the matter was remanded to later this month. Since his last court date, Knutson hired Victoria-based lawyer Jordan...
TRU student teamed-up to develop smartphone app for youth with mental illness
KAMLOOPS – At the age of 18, a first year Thompson Rivers University psychology student has already achieved something to help many coping with mental illness — and it's a little different because it involves interactive game play. Sara Gillis and 13 others developed Booster Buddy – a free interactive smart-phone app designed specifically for...
Fat bikers take whatever is slung at them
SNOW NO MATCH FOR FAT FOCKERS KAMLOOPS - You love mountain biking. You get out every weekend, at least. Then it snows and your bike goes into hibernation for the winter. That is, unless you are a fat biker. About 50 men and women are part of the Fat Fockers, a group of mountain bikers...
Two months later, family still has no answers how son died in Kamloops prison cell
"HOW CAN YOU LET HIM COME HOME BUT NOT TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?" KAMLOOPS - It's been two months since an Ontario family found out their 20-year-old son died in his cell at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, but they still have no information about how he died. Dylan Levi Judd's embalmed remains bore...
Team Canada gold medallist to be honoured at Blazer’s game
KAMLOOPS – World junior gold medallist, Joe Hicketts will be honoured at this evening’s, Jan. 14, Blazer game. Hicketts was born and raised in Kamloops. He is currently in his third season of his WHL career and is captain of the Victoria Royals. In September, the Detroit Redwings agreed on a three-year entry level contract...
Lack of staffing postpones 55 surgeries at RIH
KAMLOOPS - A total off 55 surgeries have been postponed at Royal Inland Hospital this month as the hospital deals with a shortage in anesthesiologists. Chief of Staff Norm Kienitz says this is actually a small number of surgeries and while it looks like the next couple of months will be okay, recruitment is something...
Gas prices continue to tumble in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - After stalling for a couple weeks at just above 90 cents per litre, several stations have now dropped below that marker as prices continue to fall around the country. Gas prices dropped below a dollar per litre in Kamloops before Christmas and the Costco gas station on Versatile Drive has been sitting just...
Trial date set for teacher accused of possessing child porn
KAMLOOPS - A teacher accused of possessing child pornography will face his Kamloops Supreme Court trial in March. In November, Jerry Waselenkoff, 66, and his lawyer Glen Orris were present for a preliminary inquiry. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for the week of February 9. The trial, expected to take four days long, will begin...
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...
Mental health rehabilitation earns drug dealer lesser sentence
KAMLOOPS - A dial-a-dope drug dealer caught in an undercover RCMP operation was handed a one-year probationary sentence on Monday, Jan. 12 for dealing cocaine. Jeremy Machmer, 27, appeared in Kamloops Supreme Court where he pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine. In September 2013, Machmer sold two rocks of the drug for fifty dollars to a...
Hopeful cross-Canada runner gains financial stride
KAMLOOPS - Since announcing his run across Canada and back, Edward "Fast Eddy" Dostaler has found some new partners to help fund his run and provide some financial security to cover the year it will take to complete his journey to raise awareness and donations for breast cancer and alzheimers research. Dostaler's sponsorships, through Body...
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...
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...
Lights on again after four day power outage at TRU
KAMLOOPS - After a power outage that lasted from Sunday to Thursday afternoon, most businesses on the TRU campus have resumed operations powered by an emergency generator. The Campus Activity Centre and three houses on the grounds were closed after the latest snowfall damaged a transformer, cutting the power. Students looking to buy a semester's...