Kamloops

Lytton man awaits sentencing for killing friend nearly 15 years ago

KAMLOOPS – After killing his friend, burying his body and keeping it a secret for nearly 13 years, a Lytton man is expected to spend another six to nine years in prison. In 1999, when the two friends were drinking, William Robert Smith, born 1967, beat Sandy Charlie to death in 1999 after hearing he...

Summer programs at risk

KAMLOOPS - Not only are summer school programs at risk due to the ongoing teacher strike action but now summer programs held on school property are also at risk. The B.C. Teacher’s Federation announced this week teachers would picket outside of schools hosting summer school programs if a deal is not reached by June 30....

VIDEO: ‘Our Voice Our Teachers’

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Two independent film makers under the name TNT Creation have joined the political battle in support of teachers this week with a video showcasing why and how Kamloops residents support B.C. teachers. The video, shot over two days, features Timo Sargent in front of the camera and Tim Unaegbu behind it. In a...

Kesler traded to Ducks

VANCOUVER - Everyone expected change after yet another rough season for the Vancouver Canucks and today months of speculation ended with the trade of Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks picked up centre Nick Bonino, 26, defenceman Luca Sbisa, 24, and the 24 and 85 picks in the 2014 NHL Draft, which begins...

Woman pleads guilty to assaults, shaving heads for her dealer

KAMLOOPS – The lawyer for a woman who kept video footage of herself beating and shaving heads of at least two women, told Kamloops Supreme Court during a sentence hearing his client was acting under the direction of her boss. Mary Lynn Dyson, 30, pleaded guilty last month to charges of assault with a weapon,...

Quebec cheese pulled form B.C. shelves

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A cheese possibly containing a toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria has been pulled from the shelves of B.C. retailers this week as a food recall warning is expanded. The original recall was issued on June 20 for Le Moutier Goat Cheese out of Quebec and Thursday the recall was expanded to include the...

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...

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...

UPDATE: Iker won’t attend teacher rally tonight, Sinclair scheduled to speak at event

KAMLOOPS – Jim Sinclair, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, will address a teacher rally tonight at Riverside Park. Jim Iker, president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation, was expected to attend but due to a bargaining meeting he will not make it in time. Iker and Sinclair have travelled together to speak to teachers...

Two teens suspected of involvement with stolen vehicle, trunk full of guns

KAMLOOPS  - The lead investigators of a case involving an erratic driver, several guns, a stolen vehicle and three men running from police have released the identity of one of the suspects in custody. Around 2 p.m. on June 20, police received reports of a white 1998 Dodge Stratus with Alberta plates driving erratically near...

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...

Thieves targeted non-profit 11 times in a month

KAMLOOPS – “Frustrating” and “disheartening” are two words Jan Lingford uses to describe thieves targeting the disadvantaged. The executive director of the Kamloops Habitat for Humanity non-profit says thieves stole from the branch’s supply storage facility 11 times last month. Copper, aluminum, and steel – metals the organization uses to build houses for those who...

Pedestrian hit by motorist treated for minor injuries

KAMLOOPS - A woman was taken to hospital Tuesday afternoon for non-life-threatening injuries after she was hit by a left-turning vehicle.  The 30-year-old was hit after crossing the street on 6 Avenue and Lansdowne Street.  "It was a fairly minor incident," said RCMP Spokesperson, Cpl. Cheryl Bush. "(The driver) was not travelling very fast." Police...

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...

Driving a van full of pot plants leads to a fine

KAMLOOPS - A two-year court case for a man caught driving a van full of marijuana plants is over once he pays the $2,000 fine handed to him in Kamloops Provincial Court Monday morning. Corey Joseph Eld, 36, was arrested in November 2012 after a routine stop near Barriere revealed he was transporting 73 marijuana...

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...

These wacky pets are looking for homes in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – Finding a pet to suit your needs can be a detailed search process while getting rid of one could be as simple as posting a Kijiji ad. In the interest of discovering what kind of pets are for sale, or are free for adoption, in Kamloops we snooped around and found a menagerie...

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...

World Cup: The “football” fans of Kamloops

KAMLOOPS — Matt Rolan doesn’t look out of place at the bar at the Shark Club early on a Thursday afternoon. To him, it’s everyone else who looks out of place. He was drawn to the largest screen in Kamloops to watch England play in the world’s most-watched sporting event—the World Cup. And he and...

UPDATE: All three suspects in custody following RCMP manhunt

KAMLOOPS – After an eight hour search, sources say the third man wanted in connection with a stolen vehicle who fled from police on Friday afternoon is in custody. The arrest hasn not been confirmed by the RCMP at this time. Around 2:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, police received reports of an erratic driver in...

RCMP bike patrol resuming next week

KAMLOOPS – While the Kamloops RCMP bike patrol is set to officially start next week, officers were spotted breaking in their bikes at Riverside Park on Thursday afternoon. The bike patrol is planned for the summer months. Members along with auxiliary volunteers will monitor parks, the downtown core and areas of the North Shore. “It...

The smell of pot is enough evidence for arrest

KAMLOOPS – A provincial court judge decided police did not need to request a marijuana permit before arresting a man hiding 73 marijuana plants in the back of his van. Corey Joseph Eld, born 1977, and his lawyer John Conroy argued Eld’s arrest was illegal because police arrested him without asking him if he held...