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Kamloops
Police did not request statement on night of crash: Witness
KAMLOOPS - A Kamloops Supreme court heard Thursday morning about more RCMP errors in the investigation of a fatal accident when a witness who was first on scene said officers told him to leave the accident site and go home. Brittany Plotnikoff, 20, and her boyfriend Ken Craigdallie, 32, died after a truck crashed on...
STAHN: Casino relocation shows the power we hold
Let’s not fool ourselves about who holds the power when it comes to politics, especially at the municipal level. The casino debate at City Hall recently makes clear it's not city staff, it's not city councillors but you—the vocal voting public—who has the power. On Tuesday, I watched a procession of nearly 30 people take...
UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch ended
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The severe thunderstorm watch for today ended at 6:54 p.m. for all regions except Penticton, which saw the watch lifted just before 9 p.m. Today marked the fifth day in the past 10 days a severe thunderstorm was issued for the region. Environment Canada issued the severe thunderstorm watch Thursday morning for the...
Campers rejoice, fire ban rescinded
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Recent cool, wet weather means that as of today, Thurs. Aug. 21, you can once again have campfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre one week ahead of the long weekend. B.C. Wildfire lifted the ban, which was put in place more than five weeks ago, following a decrease in wildfire risk thanks to...
Shooting victim granted bail
KAMLOOPS – A man lucky to be alive following a gunshot wound to the face was granted a $5,000 bail Thursday morning in Provincial Court. Emmanual “Manny” Brooks, 23, sported a neck brace with his prison attire to continue his bail hearing from August 13. Brooks is charged with uttering threats and mischief under $5,000...
VIDEO: A look back at the Lorne Street realignment
KAMLOOPS - The final phase of the Lorne Street project is nearly complete as crews rush to finish up the landscaping at the corner of the busy downtown corner. The fourth phase of the Lorne Street Beautification saw the realignment of Lorne Street with 1 Avenue, Lansdowne Street and Victoria Street. The $2.2 million project...
TCC repairs to be complete this fall
KAMLOOPS - Repairs to the leaky walls and ceilings at the Tournament Capital Centre Fieldhouse will be completed this fall, about a year after council committed to the repairs. The vapour barrier was identified as being ineffective and has been causing condensation when the outside temperature is just above zero Celsius. The water has then...
UPDATE: Victim in fatal crash was ‘ridiculously drunk’
KAMLOOPS – The last two people to spend time with the victims before a fatal crash shared recollections on the evening’s timeline which involved a large bottle of Crown Royal whiskey, during a Kamloops Supreme court trial Wednesday afternoon. Angela Gillis said she and her friend, Michelle Camille, hosted a trio for drinks hours before...
Local bands miss deadline, given extra leeway
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Four bands neighbouring Kamloops have missed the federal government’s deadline for financial statement submissions and could face a block on funding if the numbers aren't submitted this winter. Three weeks have passed since the cut-off date for bands to submit audited financial documents as part of the First Nation Financial Transparency Act. In...
City wants bylaw officers to have more power to protect dogs
KAMLOOPS - Hot dogs, cold dogs and loose dogs — city council wants to give bylaw officers the authority to deal with them all. “This is more complicated than just breaking windows,” Coun. Ken Christian says. “You can’t legislate against stupidity and we keep trying to do that, and we keep trying to do that...
Car and city bus collide
KAMLOOPS - Failure to yield led to a crash between a city transit bus and a car in Pineview Valley Wednesday morning. Just after 8 a.m. the bus and Volkswagon Jetta collided at the corner of Hugh Allan Drive and Copperhead Drive. RCMP Const. Jason Epp says the crash happened when the driver of the...
Witness claims original statement to RCMP inaccurate due to intoxication
KAMLOOPS – On Tuesday morning, the gallery of a Kamloops Supreme courtroom heard differing accounts from two women who claimed to be first on scene at a fatal vehicle accident on March 20, 2010. Wayne Fedan, born in 1961, is charged with impaired driving causing the deaths of Brittany Plotnikoff, 20, and Ken Craigdallie, 38....
HOUSE WINS: Casino allowed to relocate to Aberdeen
KAMLOOPS - Gateway Casinos is now free to move the downtown casino to the former Rona location after a public hearing last night and approval from Kamloops city councillors. While nearly 200 people showed up for the public hearing at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre, only a handful took to the podium to voice...
UPDATE: South Thompson thunderstorm warning lifted
UPDATE: The storm warning for South Thompson has been lifted. The system has passed through the area. KAMLOOPS - Environment Canada is reporting a severe thunderstorm watch for the South Thompson area. Meteorologists have determined the storm has the potential to produce penny-sized hail and up to 15 to 25 millimetres of rain is expected...
UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch ends
UPDATE: A severe thunderstorm watch for the Okanagan, South Thompson and Nicola areas has been lifted. Environment Canada states the conditions required to produce severe weather no longer apply. THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Torrential rains, strong winds and hail are all possible as an unstable airmass moves over the region. Environment Canada has again issued a severe...
Pay by phone finally arrives
KAMLOOPS - Drivers now have another option for paying for downtown parking, their cell phones. The pay by phone system is aimed at offering convenience to drivers, but you’ll need to register with telepark.com before you can use it. Once registered you can text or phone in your start and stop times for downtown street...
Large SPCA fundraiser ready to roll
KAMLOOPS - One of the key fundraisers for the local SPCA branch is less than three weeks away and organizers say they have faith the people of Kamloops will once again come through for the shelter. “They always seem to go smoothly, you have to have faith,” Michelle Virdee says of fundraisers. “The people of...
Tragedy and success for rescuers on busy Monday
KAMLOOPS - After two months with only a few calls for service local search and rescue members were called out on three separate searches Monday, including one requiring a rope team to recover the body of Barriere man from a rolled SUV. Kamloops Search Manager Alan Hobler says they were first called out shortly after...
Band financials for neighbouring Kamloops areas
KAMLOOPS – The July 29 due date has passed for First Nations to submit reports on financials including chief and council salary, remuneration and expenses as part of the First Nation Financial Transparency Act. So far, InfoNews has reported on the numbers for bands near Osoyoos, Enderby, Vernon and Kamloops. Numbers for the Penticton Band have...
Group wants stiffer penalties to help protect pooches
KAMLOOPS - A group of citizens, veterinarians and local business owners are asking the city to implement heavy fines for leaving a dog in a vehicle during hot or cold weather. A bylaw in Calgary, which allows bylaw officers to check inside temperatures using an infrared thermometers, is pointed to as a good example of...
Wine would be winning addition to markets
KAMLOOPS - The province now allows liquor to be sold at farmers markets but city staff are not quite ready to make the leap, suggesting council move to a public hearing first if they wish to explore the possibility. Shawn Haley, co-chair of the Kamloops Regional Farmers Market Society, is requesting the city approve a...
Witness describes truck driving erratically the night two passengers died
KAMLOOPS – Tailgating, highbeaming and lane changing is how James Schneider, the first witness called in a dangerous driving causing death trial in Kamloops Supreme Court, described a truck’s driving patterns the night two people died in a single vehicle crash. Wayne Fedan, born 1961, is charged with dangerous and impaired driving causing the deaths...
Mixed feelings about casino relocation
KAMLOOPS - While Gateway Casinos representatives say the people coming out to the information sessions have been mostly supportive of the plan to move the Lake City Casino from downtown to Aberdeen, the opinions in the feedback the city has received so far has been mixed. In advance of the Tuesday night public hearing on...
Northern B.C. forest fires blamed for smoky Kamloops skies
KAMLOOPS – Hopefully the smoky air in Kamloops will be short-lived as a change in the weather is predicted early in the week. The skies are smoky in the Tournament Capital thanks to smoke from all the forest fires burning in the Prince George and Cariboo Fire Centres, according to B.C. Wildfire Management fire information...