Kamloops

Local teachers’ union called out for lack of harassment policy

KAMLOOPS - A lack of policy to deal with harassment and bullying has the local teachers’ union in hot water with WorkSafe B.C. The Kamloops Thompson Teachers’ Association was handed an order in April for not having a policy in place, which came after WorkSafe looked into a complaint about bullying. David Komljenovic says it...

Kamloops federal Liberal Party candidates debate the issues

KAMLOOPS – It's your chance to check out the three federal Liberal Party nominees for the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding at an all candidates panel discussion Thursday night. Steve Powrie, Niki Remesz and Peter Mutrie will all share their thoughts on key issues and the party’s platform. Powrie is an elementary school teacher. Remesz owns her own...

Hot Wednesday hits records, cools off for long weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It was the last hot day of August Wednesday with temperatures soaring into the 30s across the region, and while several cities closed in on record highs only Vernon hit the mark. Yesterday Vernon hit 33.5 Celsius, hot enough to tie the record set in 1986, and Kelowna also came close but couldn’t...

Teachers asked to ‘voluntarily stand down’

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - In an effort to get negotiations moving, Education Minister Peter Fassbender met with the lead negotiators today and asked teachers to ‘voluntarily stand down and let classes start while the parties are in mediation.’ Fassbender met with B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker and B.C. Public School Employers’ Association representative Peter Cameron Wednesday...

Glover looks for city council seat

KAMLOOPS - After 18 years as a school trustee, Annette Glover is looking to make the jump to city councillor in the next election. She made the announcement this week as nomination forms became available for pickup. Glover, a former medical lab technician, has also been involved with different city committees and a volunteer with...

Manhunt for report of armed man ends quickly

KAMLOOPS - A man police believed was armed with multiple guns was the subject of a brief manhunt in Kamloops this afternoon. RCMP Cpl. Cheryl Bush says police responded to a complaint of 'an individual (who) is somewhat distraught (and) may be in the possession of a firearm’ around 12:30 p.m. Bush says they were...

UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch ends

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A severe thunderstorm watch issued this morning has been lifted for Kamloops, Vernon and the Shuswap. Environment Canada issued the watch for nine different regions, include the North and South Thompson, the North Okanagan and the Shuswap, this morning. The watch extended north through the Cariboo and east to the Alberta border in...

Aspiring Kamloops actor to appear in popular cable TV franchise

KAMLOOPS – Although he already manages two successful careers as a locomotive engineer and an artist, Dennis Cound decided to set the bar higher as he tries to break into the acting field. “I love playing characters that I’m not,” says Cound, 46. His latest extra gig involved growing out his beard and donning leather...

Crews chasing abandoned campfires after ban ends

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The first weekend after the campfire ban was lifted, B.C. Wildfire crews were called to put out abandoned campfires across the region that could have resulted in much larger fires. “We had nine abandoned campfires, we definitely did see the number of calls go up,” Fire Information Officer Kayla Pepper says. “It is...

Kamloops teachers back to picket lines

KAMLOOPS - The pickets are back up as we close in on the last week of summer break, and with that the hope of being able to start school on time is dwindling. After a break over the summer, teachers hit the pavement again Monday and plan to be there every day until a deal...

Heartland stars rolling through town

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you are a fan of Heartland get your cameras ready, the stars of the hit Canadian show tour Southern B.C. raising funds for Sophie’s Place during a six-day motorcycle marathon. The Cruise with a Cause marathon began Monday and first stopped in Whistler. Tuesday the stars will make their way to Cache...

Budget talks begin early

KAMLOOPS - It is only August but Kamloops city staff are getting a jump on the 2015 budget discussions by asking council to approve several items for the upcoming budget requests. It does not mean these items will be be part of the budget, it simply means staff was asking council to approve them to...

Sun Peaks saying goodbye to summer with style

KAMLOOPS - The Arkells, Hey Ocean! and Elliott Brood will be among those taking to the stage as part of the Sun Peaks Summer Send-off weekend. The free concerts will take place Aug. 30-31 on the main stage, slope side of the Village Day Lodge, while other free events and performances will take place at...

OOPS: Man accidentally released on bail on domestic violence charges

KAMLOOPS – A man held in custody on a string of domestic violence charges was mistakenly set free on bail from the Kamloops Law Courts and a Supreme Court judge was asked to fix it last week. "Confusing," was how Justice Hope Hyslop described the situation surrounding Jeremy Allen, born 1980. It's not clear exactly...

Farmers’ market now offering local brew

KAMLOOPS - A typical crowd formed during the Saturday morning farmers’ market but they weren't just lining up for fresh produce — it was the first time wine sampling was allowed at a Kamloops market and people were more than willing to stand in line for a sample. The farmers’ market was given the green...

Accused in drive-by shooting granted bail

KAMLOOPS – One of two men accused in a fatal drive-by shooting in Salmon Arm was granted bail Friday morning in Kamloops Supreme Court. Jeremy Davis, 24, was released on a $100,000 surety. He and Jordan Larry Barnes, 27, are charged with the second degree murder of Nicolas Larsen, 24. RCMP statements say Larsen was...

Longboard park welcome addition to Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - A city-designed longboard track has been installed at an Aberdeen park and while some detail work is yet to be completed the longboard community is flocking to try out the long awaited track. “They’re a lot of fun,” boarder Ben Peacock says. “It’s also the world’s first longboard park as far as I...

New project stems from love of wildflowers

KAMLOOPS - Hands up everyone who likes to explore our diverse region. Hands up everyone who takes pictures of pretty and odd looking flowers while out exploring. Now keep your hands up if you can actually identify the flowers. Anyone? Now you can find some local help online as longtime nature lover and educator Doug...

Stanley Cup in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - If you want to get up close and personal with Lord Stanley’s Cup head to the Interior Savings Centre on Saturday. Kamloops native and Los Angeles Kings Assistant Coach Davis Payne will be bringing the cup with him to the arena from 2-4 p.m. The Kings beat the New York Rangers in five...

Election season officially here

KAMLOOPS - While current council members and several others have already announced their intention to run for city council this fall they can now make it official. As of this week nomination packages are available at City Hall and online for those wishing to run for mayor, council or school trustee. The packages must be...

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...