Jessica Wallace
Pedestrian hit with a wave of the hand
A 23-year-old pedestrian was hit in North Kamloops yesterday afternoon after communication confusion by one driver on the road. A Kamloops woman sustained minor leg injuries after being hit by a GMC Jimmy truck while crossing Tranquille Avenue at Yew Street yesterday at about 1:30 p.m. The 47-year old driver of the vehicle remained on...
Dazed and confused over brownie rumour at local eatery
By Jessica Wallace A downtown business is serving up some special brownies, but they're not 'special' brownies. Christina Grono, owner of local cafe and art gallery the Art We Are, was surprised when she heard through the grapevine that her shop was selling special - marijuana - brownies. The rumour traveled to her, like most...
High danger warning for avalanches expected tomorrow in region
By Jessica Wallace The local avalanche centre is warning recreational backcountry enthusiasts that avalanche warnings in the region are expected to tip towards the end of the danger scale tomorrow. Avalanche forecaster for the Canadian Avalanche Centre, Penny Goddard, said these warnings typically increase during this time of the year. "During those periods we don't...
RCMP seeking material witness in murder case
By Jessica Wallace RCMP are seeking a material witness in a double-homicide case due before court in April. B.C. Supreme Court justice Kenneth Ball issued a warrant for a witness in the trial of Roy F. Fraser, charged with two counts of murder. RCMP discovered the bodies of 31-year-old Damien Marks and 24-year-old Kenneth Yaretz...
Arsonist ordered to stay out of town
By Jessica Wallace A 57-year-old Merritt man who lit fire to a Merritt woman's bathroom last year pled guilty today in B.C. Supreme Court and was handed a conditional sentence that includes staying away from his community. Gary W. Barnett pled guilty to the charge of arson to an inhabited property after lighting a match...
Kamloops woman jumps to safety from rolling van
A 66-year-old Kamloops woman jumped to safety from a driverless van before it rolled across a parking lot hitting a parked car and Sahali residence Saturday night. The decision to jump from the 2006 Dodge Caravan before it collided with a 1998 Nissan 200S and the home at 460 Dalgeish Dr. resulted in minor injuries...
Two face charges after slow driving turns drug bust
Two men face drug trafficking charges after a marijuana bust that resulted from a vehicle driving too slowly on the Coquihalla Highway last week. RCMP members pulled over a vehicle at about 7:45 a.m. on March 11 for driving suspiciously slow near Merritt. "In this case, the driver was driving approximately 30 km under the...
Woman in critical condition after roll-over on Coquihalla
THE VEHICLE ROLLED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES BEFORE STOPPING UPDATE: March 18, 2013 - 11:50 a.m. One woman is in critical condition after a single vehicle roll-over on Highway 5 last night. RCMP responded to the accident about three kilometres south of the Ink's Lake brake check stop at about 7:20 p.m. A southbound vehicle...
Judge deems man ‘not criminally responsible’ for violent crimes
By Jessica Wallace A decision in B.C. Supreme Court today finding Mark Lindsay not criminally responsible for violent crimes did not come hastily. "I consider Mr. Lindsay to be a very exceptionally dangerous person," said B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley. Lindsay's sentence came after he attacked both an undercover police officer and his cellmate...
Students return to classrooms during break for police training
By Jessica Wallace The day starts at 6 a.m. - sharp. Morning exercises are followed by breakfast and chores, and rooms are inspected to ensure chores are performed perfectly. And then it's time to hit the books in the classroom. After class, dinner is served - but only before drills begin. Before 10 p.m. curfew,...
Cause of Sahali power outage this morning unknown
WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS? By Jessica Wallace A power outage is being reported this morning in the Sahali area. B.C. Hydro was unable to confirm the reason for the outage, saying it takes time to update in their system. Outage updates can typically be found on the power company's website. B.C. Hydro is, however,...
Petition to local politicians against proposed mine reaches over 600 supporters
By Jessica Wallace Whether it's mothers concerned about the air, residents concerned about the location, environmentalists concerned about the land or a group entirely devoted to preventing it, the proposed Ajax Mine has been highly scrutinized. The latest voice can be heard from a Kamloops resident in the form of an online petition. Over 600...
TRU service tomorrow for international ‘innovator’
Kamloops' university is in mourning this week after learning one of its innovators in international operations died while working overseas. Dr. Wesley Koczka, Associate Vice President, International and CEO Global Operations for Thompson Rivers University, died suddenly over the weekend. "Wes Koczka was a visionary," TRU President and Vice-Chancellor Allan Shaver said in a statement. Koczka...
Semi-truck driver killed in accident identified
A semi-truck driver who's body was recovered from Shuswap Lake near Chase last week has been identified. Thirty-year-old Gurminder Singh Manhas from Grand Prairie, Alta., lost control on a tight curve traveling on Highway 1 east of Chase before the vehicle submerged into the lake. While no one immediately witnessed the event, it was reported...
Tk’emlups Indian Band member disappointed by court ruling
By Jessica Wallace A Tk'emlups Indian Band member who lost her bid as chief last year is disappointed with a court ruling yesterday to deny her civil case and uphold the status quo. "It took quite a bit of time," said Marie Baptise. "I was a bit disappointed when the judge made his decision." Baptiste...