UPDATED: Agreement ends FortisBC lockout of 225 electrical workers
Both sides of the FortisBC lockout will be getting an early Christmas present: an end to what has been a long and bitter parting of ways. Mike Flynn, business manager of IBEW local 213, said the 225 locked out electrical workers should be looking at an immediate return to work, with some back on the job as soon as this...
RCMP officer takes creative approach to release bobcat from Nelson basement
Following a long day working with students, the next item on the agenda for Nelson’s Leanne Kalabis was to collect her 1-1/2 year old son and head home. Did we say Kalabis was five months pregnant? However, relaxation was the last thing the Nelson mother got to experience after a wayward bobcat found its way into the basement...
Accident claims life of 61-year-old Rossland resident
A 61-year-old Rossland man has died after a single-vehicle crash yesterday afternoon. West Kootenay Traffic Services Cpl. John Ferguson said Trail RCMP got a 9-1-1 call at 2:23 p.m. on Dec. 15 regarding an accidents on Gelesz Road. “A 2013 GMC pickup driven by a 61-year-old male resident of Rossland failed to negotiate a curve...
'State of the Basin' report released
Leaving no stone unturned in its 8.6 million hectare territory, the Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute (RDI) has released the 2013 State of the Basin report. In the works for several years, the 2013 report updates and builds on the work produced in the 2008 State of the Basin report. The 75-page long report and 16-page...
Strike averted in Kootenay Lake School District as sides reach settlement
Members of CUPE Local 4165 in the School District 5 (Southeast Kootenay) and CUPE Local 748 School District 8 (Kootenay Lake) both achieved settlements with their respective employers and will be voting on ratification of collective agreements early this week. “It was thanks to the dedication and solidarity of our members that we were able […]
Two Albertans killed in plane crash near Tofino
The Tofino RCMP and BC Coroners Service are currently at the site of a fatal plane crash on Vargas Island, located northwest of Tofino, BC. Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, the Tofino RCMP were notified by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre that a twin engine 'Cessna 421 B' aircraft had gone missing in the area of Vargas...
No winners in Friday's Lotto Max draw, potential $100 Million up for grabs in next draw
Rats. We all need to go to work again Monday. Friday’s Lotto Max jackpot draw of $50 Million once again went unclaimed, meaning the next draw will have as much as $100 Million in prizes up for grabs. The last time the Lotto Max was won happened November 1, when two tickets shared the $50 Million prize. One of the tickets...
PART TWO: What does 'crime reduction' look like in Castlegar and Trail?
Last week, we discussed the overarching goals of a specialized RCMP Crime Reduction Unit in Castlegar, as presented to city council by CRU non-commissioned officer in charge Cpl. Darryl Orr and his supervisor, Sgt. Mike Wicentowich (To read Part One, click here). Those goals/priorities include in-depth or long-term investigations,...
Actions of logging truck driver saves elderly woman from major injuries
Staff at Nelson Toyota got a major surprise Thursday morning when a loaded logging truck swerved to miss a truck outside the Highway 6 location south of the Heritage City, ending up in the ditch and blocking the road. The accident happened at approximately 8:15 a.m. when an elderly woman was pulling out of a […]
West Kootenay Friends of Refugees Welcome the San Family to Mountain Kingdom
After a long flight from Kuala Lumpur, the San family arrived at the Cranbrook airport on Dec. 10, and were welcomed by WKFoR chairperson Kathy Moore. To facilitate their transition, arrangements were made for them to spend their first night with a Burmese family who have been living in Cranbrook for some time and who had ...