Kamloops

Changes to handicap parking on Nicola

KAMLOOPS - Complaints over inadequate space for dropping off or picking up of disabled persons at 321 Nicola St. has city staff looking at options for changing the parking in that area. The issue first arose in November when People in Motion complained about the inadequate space, which often left the HandiDart having to stop...

Wet long weekend could be filled with rainbows

KAMLOOPS - May long weekend could be filled with showers but it is set to be punctuated by the sun on holiday Monday, great news for anyone looking to take in one of the many outdoor activities happening in Kamloops. For those searching for adventure Friday, rain late in the afternoon or evening might cause...

Kamloops man sentenced to U.S. prison

LOS ANGELES – A Kamloops man found guilty of operating a gang-related cocaine-smuggling operation from Mexico received an 11 and a half year jail sentence in the United States on May 12, according to the Vancouver Sun. U.S. District Court Judge George H. Wu delivered the sentence to John Darrel Krokos, 43, of Kamloops, B.C....

RCMP seize extensive cache of firearms, stolen property

KAMLOOPS – Cocaine, marijuana, a crossbow, flat-screen TVs, dozens of guns, ammunition and more are the latest cache grab stored at the Kamloops RCMP detachment. Insp. Brad Mueller shared the results of a three-month investigation into what RCMP believe are gang-related drug activities and led to seven arrests May 7 and 8. Six were released on...

Police hunt for man wanted for child porn charges

KAMLOOPS - A man wanted on child pornography charges may be lurking around Kamloops. Joseph Samuel Sackaney, 49, is wanted by Prince George RCMP after failing to show up for court. He's wanted on possession of child pornography, possession of child pornography for the purpose of distribution and accessing child pornography. Police believe Sackaney, formerly...

Gas prices skyrocket for long weekend

THOMPSON OKANAGAN - Gas prices have skyrocketed just in time for the long weekend. Many pumps across the Thompson-Okanagan are advertising a ten cent jump today. In Vernon, many gas stations are selling at 143.9 cents per litre. It’s the same story in Kelowna, with most places selling at 143.9 and one, the Superstore on...

Teacher negotiations moved forward

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — The province announced Thursday it would remove the 10-year term from the table and the teachers’ union president says it’s a relief to finally see it off the table. “It shows the government is willing to get more serious about it and we are happy about that,” B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker...

Infotel contest winner plans family trip

KAMLOOPS - Eva Ujiye and her family were not planning a big trip this year, they couldn’t think of what to do. So when she was named the grand prize winner of the InfoTel Multimedia’s houseboat vacation contest she knew it was the perfect opportunity for a family getaway. “I’m so excited,” she says. “We...

UPDATE: Power largely restored

KAMLOOPS - Traffic lights were not working and more than 1,400 customers were without power in downtown Kamloops following a large power outage this afternoon. The first outage came just before 2:30 p.m. and hit the area of Sahali Terrace and Pemberton Terrace. More than 70 customers are affected in that area. B.C. Hydro identified...

High school trades students face delays

KAMLOOPS - A significant number of students will be affected by a delay in the construction of the new NorKam Trades Centre of Excellence. School District 73 Superintendent Terry Sullivan says they were expecting the centre to be ready for the beginning of the school year but construction delays mean it won’t be ready until...

Chase man drowns after capsizing

KAMLOOPS — A 74-year-old Chase man is dead after the boat he was in capsized in the frigid waters of Niskonlith Lake Monday afternoon. Walter Sylvester Oleksyn was fishing about 30 metres off shore with a family member on May 12. The14-foot aluminum skiff overturned and they were tossed in the lake. The other person...

Traffic, noise top casino concerns

KAMLOOPS - Concerns heard from those who attended the open houses for the proposed Aberdeen casino are much in line with what the company was expecting to hear and was already planning to look in to, according to a company spokesperson. Tanya Gabara, the Director of Public Relations for Gateway Casinos, says attendance has been...

UPDATE: Temporary North Shore payment office approved

KAMLOOPS - McArthur Island residents won't need to travel to City Hall this year to pay taxes after a pilot project for a local payment site was approved. Staff asked council to approve the project allowing for a payment processing site at McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre for the 2014 property tax season. Part...

Coop coup at council

KAMLOOPS - Six hens are being allowed to roost at their Heffley Creek home a little longer thanks to some chicken-loving council members. Lyann Wourms lives in a semi-rural area in Heffley Creek. Her property backs onto a large treed portion of crown land and about a year ago she brought home six laying hens....

Kamloops residential construction continues to grow

KAMLOOPS - Kamloops continues to be a leader in single family building permits for 2014, up by about 65 per cent over the same time period last year. There was a slight gain in permit numbers in April over last year, up to 14 from 12. The year to date numbers sit at 48 this...

Coroner identifies man in fatal accident near Grindrod

ENDERBY - The B.C. Coroners Service identified a man who crashed his motorcycle near Grindrod May 11. He was Herman Gerrits, 64, of Enderby. Gerrits was driving a motorcycle north on the Enderby/Grindrod Road at about 10:30 a.m. when he collided with a southbound vehicle.  Gerrits' family was notified of his death. The B.C. Coroners...

School district bans e-cigarettes

KAMLOOPS - Without much discussion the school district board easily passed an amendment to the smoke-free policy banning e-cigarettes and related items on school grounds. Staff recognized the need to change the policy, which is intended to keep the school grounds smoke-free, to include electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) based on advice from health agencies. “They’re not...

Oil spill drill

KAMLOOPS - Kinder Morgan runs regular emergency response training exercises for staff and this year they decided it's time for a lesson on how to clean up the river in an oil spill. On Wednesday, May 14, Kinder Morgan staff, local officials, emergency planners, first responders and First Nations representatives will be on hand at...

Help these kittens get the care they need

KAMLOOPS - While staff and volunteers at the local B.C. SPCA branch rally to work towards the goal of $40,000 in the City Challenge fundraiser, several cats in dire need of special, and expensive, care have come into the shelter recently, increasing the need for those funds even more. Wesley came in with a fractured...

Water rising in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Rising and rushing water has the city asking people to be careful near smaller tributaries as well as near ditches and culverts. Peterson, Tranquille and Campbell creeks are among the creeks already affected by high water flow and this fast moving water not only makes the water unsafe, it also can cause the...

Incentives to build affordable housing

KAMLOOPS - Builders in Kamloops now have even more incentive to provide affordable housing thanks to a city initiative meant to help eliminate homelessness in our community. The city, in partnership with the Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan and HomeFree, is now offering packages for developers providing affordable housing. The package outlines all the current incentives...

Screams deter would-be robber

KAMLOOPS — A woman's screams warded off an armed man who tried to rob her Sunday evening. The woman was talking on her phone while waiting for the bus on Columbia Avenue near Greenstone Drive around 7 p.m. on Mother’s Day when a man with a knife demanded she hand over her purse and phone....

Child’s stolen Mothers’ Day gift returned

KAMLOOPS – A young girl would have been heartbroken if the RCMP had not found and returned her stolen backpack. Early Saturday morning, police were investigating after a thief was spotted breaking into a car on the North Shore. The RCMP weren’t able to track down the suspect but they did find a backpack during...

Injured hiker shares story of fear and rescue

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME ADDS TO STRESS KAMLOOPS — An infatuation with actress Emma Watson helped a 28-year-old man get through six hours of waiting for help after a dislodged boulder broke several of his bones while hiking on Mt. Savona. Matthew Corcoran, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome as a teen, was hiking with a friend...