Kamloops

No one came even close to Milobar in election spending
KAMLOOPS - The mayor outspent his closest competitor by nearly $37,000 and the top-spending councillor candidate fell more than 1,100 votes short of securing a council seat, according to financial disclosure records made available today, Feb. 23. Councillor candidate Mike O’Reilly was the biggest spender behind Mayor Peter Milobar, coming in at nearly $20,000. More...

Serial gas thief on the loose in Westsyde
KAMLOOPS – Someone began siphoning gas from vehicles in Westsyde last weekend and police are now on the lookout for the gas thief, or thieves. According to Cpl. Cheryl Bush she is aware of five vehicle owners who have come forward to report they had fuel drained from their gas tanks on Feb. 15. She adds...

Orchards Walk turns focus to seniors
KAMLOOPS - A development at the east end of Valleyview continues to grow at a quick rate with a 193-unit seniors' housing development next on the agenda for the ever-growing neighbourhood of Orchards Walk. The independent living complex, which developers are currently seeking a development permit for, will be situated on just over 15 hectares...

Suspicious bag leads to firearm arrest
KAMLOOPS - One man is in custody and another expected to face charges after RCMP found a duffle bag with a loaded firearm inside. Cpl. Cheryl Bush says RCMP noticed two males, one carrying a duffle bag, along the frontage road in the 1800 block of East Trans-Canada Highway round 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19....

Police took his stuff without a warrant, now he is fighting to get it back
KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops man went before a provincial court judge today with an unusual request—he wants his marijuana plants back. A Kamloops RCMP officer removed ten plants after she found them in Henry Rhode’s apartment while dealing with an unrelated matter involving his daughter, last summer. He was never charged, despite the fact his...

Convicted gunman gets prison time credited through appeal
KAMLOOPS – A drug dealer who was convicted of shooting a man in the shoulder won his appeal to have each day he spent in jail awaiting trial count as a day and a half towards his total sentence. Brandon “Cheddar” Clifford Schell, was one of five convicts who had their sentences changed by the...

Kamloops Fire sees busiest season ever
220 FIRES, NO FATALITIES KAMLOOPS - A total of nearly 160 staff members took on more than 9,400 calls to service in 2014, including 220 fires and nearly 5,200 medical responses, making last year the busiest season ever for Kamloops Fire Rescue. While it was a busy year Fire Chief Dale McLean considered the year...

Aging willow removed from Riverside Park
KAMLOOPS - An iconic tree, known for its graceful boughs that provide enough shade for several families next to Riverside Water Park, is no longer. City of Kamloops parks crews are removing the 50-year-old willow because it was quickly dying and posing a risk to public safety. “It was a beautiful tree… But over the...

Spring-like weather may be interrupted by snow
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ve been experiencing spring-like weather here in the Southern Interior and while that is not set to change we may see another blitz of snow before Saturday. Environment Canada is still calling for above seasonal normal temperatures during the day but with overnight lows close to seasonal normals of -3 Celsius and a...

Anti-tethering activists to take another shot at Kamloops council
KAMLOOPS - A petition asking city council to impose a time limit on tethering of dogs has garnered more than 2,200 signatures and is set to be presented to council Feb. 24. At the beginning of January council members discussed the practicality of looking into an anti-tethering bylaw. A letter from Claudine Sleik was the...

City gets more room to grow
COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM EXPANDING KAMLOOPS - More than 80 new community garden plots are in the works and if approved, we may even see a community orchard, public greenhouse and additional workshops. Shelaigh Garson, the community garden program coordinator for Interior Community Services, says the city has approved two new locations for community gardens and...

Detective mom still waiting to hear back from RCMP
KAMLOOPS - After tracking down her stolen wallet all on her own Alyssa Parent received a lot of praise on social media but still has yet to hear back from the officer investigating the file, even after supplying all the information she gathered to the RCMP. “I definitely haven’t heard anything at all from them,”...

City hopes to solve quorum issues with technology
KAMLOOPS - Last year the city tried to fix an ongoing problem of getting enough members to show up for the meetings by merging the arts and heritage committees but when there was pushback staff was asked to look at another way to fix the problem. Now city committees do have another tool in their...

Security tightened at ministry office
KAMLOOPS – Enhanced security, including locked doors and a security guard, was put in place at a Brocklehurst ministry office recently but officials are staying tight-lipped as to what led to it. The Ministry of Children and Families office on Southill Street had 'enhanced security' for an undisclosed period. “Based on information received by the...

Tokyo Police Club coming to Sun Peaks
KAMLOOPS – Canadian band Tokyo Police Club will be at Sun Peaks next month for the Dew Tour Am Series competition. The concert will take place at the base of the mountain after two days of slopestyle and big air competitions on March 27 and 28. “The weekend will be absolutely packed with talent, both...