UPDATE: Trust fund set up to help family of Surrey hockey mom
Anyone wanting to help the family of Julie Paskall, the Surrey hockey mom killed outside the rink in Newton on December 29, can now donate to a trust fund. Any money will be used to help the Paskall family and to assist with any additional expenses. Paskall is survived by a son, 16, two adult daughters and her husband, Al...
Alberta man killed in avalanche near Kicking Horse Mountain
A man from Alberta is believed to be the first avalanche victim of the winter outdoor season. RCMP said in a press release they received a report from Kicking Horse Mountain Resort officials at 2:30 p.m. MT Friday (December 20) of an out-of-bounds avalanche. The 29-year-old Alberta man was located in avalanche debris and...
Man convicted of killing former LVR student given new trial
The 20-year-old cold case of a former Crescent Valley resident is now heading back to trial. The B.C. Appeal Court agreed in a unanimous decision released Thursday to set aside the decision to convict Neil Snelson of Kelowna in the cold case killing of Jennifer Cusworth and order a new trial. Cusworth, a L.V. Rogers High...
Trail police nab prolific offender after foot chase
A prolific offender is facing jail time after a brief altercation with police, according to Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) C/O Cpl. Darryl Orr. "On Dec.12, members of the Trail Crime Reduction Unit received information that a local prolific offender was hiding in an East Trail residence," Orr said. "The offender,Trevor Isenor (35...
Trail RCMP foil getaway after armed robbery of 7-11 this morning
An armed robbery was thwarted this morning when police apprehended the suspect outside the 7-11 he had just robbed, according to Trail top cop Sgt. Rob Hawton. "On Dec. 19 at approx. 5:15 a.m., police were called to the 7-11 in downtown Trail for a robbery in progress," Hawton explained. "The lone suspect wielded a knife and...
RCMP ask for public info after rash of attempted car thefts
A rash of attempted car thefts have police asking the public for assistance, according to Trail RCMP Cpl. Kelly Hall. "Between the evening hours of Dec. 14 and the morning of Dec. 16, a number of vehicles in the West Trail area were damaged during theft attempts," said a press release issued by Hall. "During the incidents two...
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,...
UPDATE: New information on pedestrian fatality in Winlaw
West Kootenay Traffic Services Cpl. John Ferguson has shed some light on last night's pedestrian fatality, and the causes thereof: "We're pretty sure it's not a suicide," he said. "The physical evidence we can see (would indicate) that he was trying to wave the vehicle down for a ride, but was doing so in the middle of the...
PART ONE: Why spend a quarter million $ on a Crime Reduction Unit? Castlegar can answer
With a municipal election cycle looming less than a year away (November 2014), city council checked in on one of its most publically-visible investments – namely the RCMP Crime Reduction Unit (CRU). A specialized unit which the city agreed to help fund back in 2008, the CRU costs local taxpayers roughly $218,400 per year,...
UPDATE: Coroner releases name of victim in Satuday's fatal crash
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died following a motor vehicle incident in Montrose, near Trail, on Nov. 30, 2013. He was Bernard Harold Doherty, aged 52, of Montrose. Doherty was a passenger in a car which left the road and went down an embankment on Highway 3B in Montrose, about 10 kilometres...
