One way of looking at the current election is to see it as a massive civic literacy test, not just for those who actually intend to vote but for those who mistake cynicism for sophistication and stay glued to their iPads instead. As David Akin of the Toronto Sun once said, "Bad governments are elected by good folks who don't...

Thanks to a pair of observant Rossland residents, a prolific thief is spending the next 15 months in jail, according to Trail RCMP Sgt. Daren Oelke. “Just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, two Rossland residents came across a male driving what they believed to be a stolen vehicle out of Christina Lake,” Oelke said.“They recognized...

Extreme speed is becoming an increasingly prevalent - and dangerous - issue on Kootenay highways, according to RCMP Sgt. John Ferguson. “On the August long weekend, the WKTS/ Nelson Integrated Road Safety Unit impounded seven vehicles for travelling in excess of 40 km/hr an hour over the posted speed limit,” Feguson said.” ...

By David Suzuki A beloved animal, tagged for tracking by researchers, crosses the invisible boundary between protected and unprotected area and is killed by a hunter who has paid tens of thousands of dollars for the “experience”.  That was the fate of Zimbabwe’s Cecil the lion, whose killing sparked torrents of online and...

Police in Trail are dealing with a rash of property crimes in the Waneta/Beaver Falls/Fruitvale area, according to RCMP Sgt. Darren Oelke. Oelke provided a veritable laundry list of crimes throughout July. “The thefts and break-ins appear to be occurring during the overnight hours,” he said. “Police are urging the public to...

The local RCMP detachment is getting flooded with calls from people who have had threating and abusive calls from people claiming to work for the Canada Revenue Agency, according to Castlegar's Sgt. Laurel Mathew. The callers start out by telling their targets that there was a problem with their tax return, so they need to ...

Fire crews were called out at roughly 5:50 a.m. on Monday to deal with reports of black smoke emanating from the gravel pit on Woodland Drive, according to fire chief Gerry Rempel. “We arrived to find a vehicle on fire,” he said, adding it was fully engulfed in flames. “We put it out in short order, but the vehicle was...

Interior Health and Nelson Police are warning the public in the wake of at least four critical drug overdose cases in Nelson over the last three months. The warning comes as the summer festival season heats up — Starbelly Jam, Shambhala and Unity Music Festival — in the Nelson area. “This is my third year in Nelson, and I’ve...

Did you know that it’s a Criminal Code violation to pull a waterskier without a spotter in the boat? Or that driving a boat drunk will get you the same penalties as driving your car drunk? The Kootenay Boundary Regional RCMP detachment is out on our waterways this summer – many boaters saw the police in their rigid-hull...

BC Provincial Court Judge Richard Hewson reserved decision Friday in the assault trial of Nelson Police Department officer Const. Drew Turner. Const. Turner is charge with assault following an incident on May 1, 2014, while off duty, allegedly punched Tawny Campbell in the face while the woman was handcuffed in a police...