Kamloops

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...

Charges yet to be laid in officer shooting

ALL BATCHELOR HEIGHTS RESIDENTS ALLOWED HOME KAMLOOPS - RCMP still have not charged the main suspect in yesterday's shooting of a police officer while the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. said today it is considering ending its own investigation of the police officers involved. Police arrested a 36-year-old man yesterday afternoon, nearly 13 hours after...

Property damaged by flood to be fixed following report submission

KAMLOOPS – Numbers are still being crunched as city officials and consultants prepare a damage report to seek a provincial government grant to help pay for repairs. The deadline to submit the report is October. “We have to take our time in order to get the proper funding,” Manager with the city Mike Firlotte says....