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Kamloops
Pathologist describes victim’s fatal head wounds
KAMLOOPS – Autopsy photos of at least nine blows to a murder victim's head were presented by a forensic pathologist in Kamloops Supreme Court Friday. Robert Donald Balbar is charged with the second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend Heather Hamill. Earlier in the trial, court heard Balbar’s video recorded confession when he told...
Accused in murder case said he embellished confession to impress crime boss; acted in self-defense
KAMLOOPS – The man who confessed to an undercover officer posing as a crime boss said he embellished some of his facts to convince him he was was a trustworthy employee of a false criminal organization. Robert Donald Balbar is on trial for the second-degree murder of his girlfriend Heather Hamill. After Crown wrapped its...
“Do you have any idea how much blood there was?”
PROSECUTOR QUESTIONS MAN ON TRIAL FOR MURDER KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops jury watched today as a prosecutor aggressively cross-examined a man who said he bludgeoned his girlfriend to death in self defence. In Kamloops Supreme Court on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Iain Currie asked question after question, often repeating himself and taking Robert Donald Balbar through...
Prosecutor questions accused on two different testimonies
KAMLOOPS – The pressure continued in a Kamloops Supreme Courtroom Wednesday afternoon as a Crown prosecutor suggested a man accused of second-degree murder lied to a jury in 2009. Robert Donald Balbar told the court earlier he killed his girlfriend Heather Hamill out of self-defence when she threatened him and his son with a machete...
Attempted murder charges change for man accused of shooting police officer
KAMLOOPS - New information has come forward that alleges a man accused of shooting Cpl. Jean-Rene Michaud committed the offense in relation to a criminal organization. In a brief court appearance in Kamloops Provincial Court Thursday morning, Kenneth Michael Knutson, 36, asked to put his bail hearing off for a month while he seeks legal...
Chances of a white Christmas slim
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you live in Penticton, you only have a 36 per cent chance of seeing a white Christmas in town, but in Vernon you have an 88 per cent chance. The current forecast is offering very little hope for a white Christmas through most of the region, unless you plan on heading up...
Christmas grinch steals holiday display from senior couple
KAMLOOPS - Brenda Leblanc and her family will celebrate Christmas this year without their favourite holiday decoration because someone stole their inflatable snow globe from their front yard in Brock Estates last Sunday. “It was one of a kind,” Leblanc says. “We’ve never seen another one like it.” The six-foot tall inflatable display has Santa,...
Cooler, wet forecast could help Thompson-Okanagan fire crews
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A little help is in the forecast for fire crews this week as Mother Nature dials down the temperatures and throws in a little rain. While temperatures will be near normal (26-29 Celsius) across the region for the next two days we can also expect to see rain today with a 40 per...
VIDEO: Smith Creek fire from above and by the numbers
KELOWNA - Take a guess: How much water have fire crews dropped on the Smith Creek fire over the past week and a half? Would you believe more than 1.2 million litres? As of Monday morning helicopters had flown more than 100 hours, skimmers had dropped more than 300 loads of water and foam and...
Kamloops sports club in a pickle
CANNOT FIND SPACE TO PLAY DURING THE DAY KAMLOOPS - Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in North America, but where can you play indoor pickleball in Kamloops? Right now, nowhere. Ron Telford says the club, which currently has about 150 players and is growing every month, had been playing in the old...
Fake $100 bills showing up in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – RCMP are warning local retailers to watch out for funny money. Counterfeit $100 US bills are showing up at businesses in the city and in both cases it was the merchant who wound up holding the bag. RCMP say a man made a purchase at the Salish Road Esso on Dec. 15 with...
Kamloops food bank raises nearly $40K for holiday season
KAMLOOPS - Hundreds flocked to catch a glimpse of the Canadian Pacific holiday train to watch Jim Cuddy and Tracey Brown perform, drink some hot chocolate and cheer on Santa Claus, but the holiday spirit didn't end there. The Tuesday evening event, set up to collect food and cash donations for the Kamloops food bank,...
Snow to impact holiday travel this weekend
HEAVY SNOW FORECAST FOR COQUIHALLA THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you were planning to hit the highways this weekend to visit family and friends, or to head out of town to get your last minute shopping done, beware, Environment Canada is warning of a storm system moving over the Interior highways. Snow is already falling this morning...
Low gas prices a present at the pump
PLAN A KAMLOOPS PIT STOP TO FILL UP THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Spent a little too much on gifts this year? You might still come out flush on your holiday budget thanks to the dropping prices at gas pumps around the country. For those that plan to drive during the holidays gas prices are often a thing...
Kamloops teachers, protesters welcome Clark and cabinet with loud rally
KAMLOOPS - The atmosphere was one of celebration as Premier Christy Clark and her cabinet sat in on a luncheon in Kamloops Wednesday, though outside teachers gathered to continue the rally for a better education system. “A lot of the issues around public education still remain,” David Komljenovic, president of the local teachers’ union and...