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Kamloops news
Judge to decide on guilty plea after accused says he killed his ‘possessed’ ex-girlfriend
KAMLOOPS - The accused in Kamloops’ only murder of 2014 pleaded guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend but now a judge will have to decide whether to accept it after hearing the accused's belief he killed a 'demon' to protect himself. Christopher Frank Butler, born 1973, pleaded guilty in Kamloops Supreme Court today, Aug. 5 after...
Foam Fest leaving Silver Star, heading to Sun Peaks next year
SUN PEAKS – Based on the success of this season’s event, Foam Fest will return to the B.C. Interior, but the race will be at Sun Peaks for the next three years instead of Silver Star. This year the fun run, made up of five kilometres of obstacles, slip and slides and lots of foam,...
Coroners service names man killed in collision with tour bus
CHASE - The B.C. Coroners Service has released the name of a young man killed in a vehicle collision with a bus on Friday, July 31. He was Sascha Dieter Hedrich, 19, of Pritchard. Hedrich was the driver of a vehicle travelling west just outside of Chase Friday. He struck a tour bus around 4 p.m....
Missing Chase teen last seen in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – RCMP are asking for the public’s help to find a missing teenager. Skyler Sampolio, 18, of Chase was reported missing by his family on Saturday, Aug. 1 and was last seen in the Kamloops area, according to a media release from the RCMP. Sampolio is described as a Native male, 5’8” tall and...
Dancers and drummers shine at Kamloopa Pow Wow
KAMLOOPS - The 36th annual Kamloopa Pow Wow is wrapping up today at the Tk'emlups Indian Band Pow Wow grounds. Tk’emlups Chief Shane Gottfriedson, who will be stepping down after four consecutive terms to take on the role of B.C. Regional Chief, hosted the men’s fancy Saturday evening, one of the most athletic of all the...
Run away from your smoking addiction
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new program is popping up around the country which will help you run away from your problems. The Running Room is launching a Run To Quit program, which will be backed by federal funding and support from the Canadian Cancer Society. The program is designed to help smokers quit by incorporating running...
ELECTION 2015: MP’s brag about accomplishments as early election expectations mount
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With a federal election less than three months away, local MP’s are ramping up their push to promote their accomplishments over the past year. It’s not unusual for politicians to send releases to the media to show the work they do and the money they’ve secured for their areas, but a breakdown of...
Westbank First Nation’s $7.9 million debt: Following the money trail
WESTBANK – The company that partnered with Westbank First Nation on its first failed attempt…
Province pulls plug on Coldwater River water use
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - In a bid to help struggling salmon populations, water use reduction measures have been imposed on the Coldwater River. The province issued the restriction today, July 31, banning all water use or diversion from the Coldwater River and its tributaries from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. effective immediately. The restriction escalates to a...
Sons of Anarchy actors coming to Konquer Kelowna
KELOWNA – Two actors from the hit TV show Sons of Anarchy will be in Kelowna for a charity fundraiser later this month on August 15. Kim Coates, who played Alex “Tig” Trager, and Theo Rossi, better known as Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz, will be at Konquer Motorcycles on August 15 to help raise money for...
Stolen food, car, identification lands jail time
KAMLOOPS – A man arrested for a raft of charges in several different cities will…
Family hopes inquest will dispel mystery surrounding death of Kamloops inmate
KAMLOOPS - This winter an east coast family hopes to get answers on what caused the death of Dylan Levi Judd — an inmate found dead in a Kamloops jail cell last year. The B.C. Coroners service will hold an inquest on the deceased this November. Twenty-year-old Judd was found unresponsive in his cell during...
Kelowna to retain control over YLW until 2054
KELOWNA – The City of Kelowna will remain in charge of the Kelowna International Airport until 2054 thanks to a 20-year lease extension by the federal government. Until that time, Kelowna will remain responsible for management, operation and development of the largest airport in the B.C. Interior. Kelowna mayor Colin Basran says the extension is...
Fishing suspended along Middle Shuswap River
VERNON - Another body of water has been closed to fishing due to ongoing drought conditions in Southern B.C. Warm water temperatures and a low flow rate are two reasons why the provincial and federal governments decided to suspend angling in Middle Shuswap River from Mabel Lake to Shuswap Falls. The suspension will last from...
Why you found out about the card skimmer found at a Kamloops gas station two weeks later
KAMLOOPS - Local RCMP say it’s unclear whether any card information was compromised at the skimmer found in Valleyview nearly two weeks ago, but decided to inform the public of it yesterday, July 28, as a 'heads up.' Const. Jason Epp, a spokesperson for the Kamloops detachment, says this type of fraud is ‘pretty rare’...
Formula 1 tunnel boat race team joins fight against mussel infestation
KELOWNA – The Okanagan Basin Water Board is teaming up with Formula 1 Tunnel Boat racer Mike McLellan to raise awareness for their Don’t Move a Mussel campaign. The announcement was made Tuesday, July 28, at the Water Street boat launch in downtown Kelowna. The Don’t Move A Mussel campaign is attempting to raise awareness...
Want quick attention to Fortis over-billing? Go to the media
WORKED FOR THIS GUY KELOWNA – Media attention got an almost immediate result for a local celebrity who went to the news with a $4,500 power bill for a cabin that wasn’t even there. Gary Fong, a world-famous photographer and inventor made headlines last week when he went public with a massive bill for his...
Migrant workers still missing from Okanagan farm a month later
VERNON - Four migrant workers from Mexico have still not been found a month after an Okanagan farm owner reported the men missing. Huizar Soto Uriel, 37, Isaac Jimenez, 28, Juvenal Rios Binedo, 39, and Juan Manual Sanchez Gallegos, 30, entered Canada on June 16, 2015. On June 26 the foursome departed the farm where...
Kamloops jail ordered to flag inmates with a history of violence: WorkSafe B.C.
KAMLOOPS - WorkSafe B.C. ordered administrators at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre to flag or identify violent offenders after an inspector discovered there wasn't a proper system in place to warn corrections officers of a potential assault. Inspector Vincent Strain prepared his report and order to create a new flagging system after an inmate assaulted...
Kamloops dental surgeon appeals regulator decision, issues counter claim in medical malpractice suit
KAMLOOPS - A dental surgeon accused of causing a patient’s severe brain injury will fight the allegations against him in two separate tribunals after announcing his plan to appeal a dental regulator's decision prior to his penalty hearing. On July 17, Dr. Bobby Rishiraj indicated his plan to appeal the decision made by the College...
Readers respond to #maninbluesuit
KELOWNA – An InfoNews story about a recent visit by Prime Minister to the Shelter Cove wildfire last Friday has ignited a debate about political photo ops and our decision to not name the Prime Minister during a brief visit last Thursday. The story, “Man in blue suit thanks firefighters,” was shared nation-wide and drew...
Drought level increased in South Thompson, three other areas of southern interior
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Extremely dry conditions and low stream flows have forced the province to raise the drought level in four areas of the southern Interior today. A Level 4 drought rating has been announced for the South Thompson, Similkameen, Kettle and Skagit areas, July 27. Further declines in stream, lake and aquifer levels could lead...
You face multiple fines for that one cigarette butt or campfire, even if it doesn’t start a wildfire
KAMLOOPS - That cigarette butt tossed on the ground, the sparks from your off-road vehicle, that campfire you were sure was safe. You can be fined by multiple agencies for any of these transgressions if you’re caught. And in the midst of a major fire season, the agencies in charge of fining you are not...
UPDATE: Serious, multi-vehicle crash on Coquihalla south of Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – Emergency crews were on the scene of a crash involving multiple vehicles on the Coquihalla Highway south of Kamloops Sunday, which sent six people to hospital. RCMP say just before 11 a.m., July 26, they were called to the series of crashes in the northbound lanes of Highway 5 near the Inks Lake...