DriveSmart BC: Distracted Driving Laws in B.C.
@KostelecPlan asked a couple of good questions on Twitter this week. He wanted to know what the distracted driving laws in BC are and would I share my thoughts on media outlets using video footage submitted by distracted drivers in their news stories. The video he shared with his questions showed the view out the drivers...
LETTER: We need to take action on Castlegar homelessness
Dear Editor, I would like to open the conversation up on homelessness in our area. We have people who are needing help and understanding. In fact, many of them are people who have grown up here who have just hit a rough patch. Some have never had a run-in with the law and others who are simply poor, which is not a crime. Yes,...
Cops crush Castlegar conflagration before fire crews arrive
Castlegar Fire Chief Sam Lattanzio is praising quick-thinking police for knocking down a blaze Thursday afternoon before fire crews even arrived on scene. He said the call came in at 4:44 p.m. about a wildfire aside a well-travelled path on 12 Street just off Columbia Avenue. “It was actually called in by an RCMP member who...
UPDATED: Suspected murder in Montrose
Trail RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said this afternoon that an apparent homicide in Montrose is not cause for concern for the safety of other residents. "The male and female were known to each other, they both lived at the residence,” Wicentowich reported. “And the public was not at risk at any time in regards to this incident."...
Suspect leads police in foot race through Trail, ultimately loses
A Trail man who was supposed to be serving a sentence for failing to comply with a probation order, and theft under $5,000, made sure local police got their exercise after leading cops on a chase of roughly one-and-a-half kilometres this morning, according to RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich. The man had been at large since his...
KERPA Emergency Response Vehicle Ready to Light Up Kootenay Roads When Called
The KERPA Board is very pleased to publicly announce that as of Jan. 1, 2019, KERPA’s emergency vehicle has been fully operational and responding to calls with lights and sirens, as part of a volunteer service agreement with the BCEHS. The public is invited to the Crescent Valley Fire Department Open House on May 4 from 10 ...
It's time to go after invasive weeds.
Some ask, “What’s so bad about those so-called invasive species? Some of them are so pretty!” Yes, they’re pretty. One example is Himalayan Balsam, also known as “Policeman’s Helmet.” It has beautiful flowers. And it grows SO easily! The trouble with it is . . . it grows...
RCMP: Booze-fuelled grad party fizzles
For many High School Grads, it’s that time of year to celebrate the end of an era and the beginning of another and sometimes that celebrating may involve alcohol and drugs. On Sat., April 27, officers with RCMP West Kootenay Integrated Road Safety Unit and West Kootenay Traffic along with Castlegar and Nelson RCMP Detachments...
Alleged 'dog thieves' nothing more than social media hype
A Facebook trend claiming two women and a man are travelling around the province stealing people’s dogs and horses is, it seems, little more than FB-driven mass hysteria, despite the fact it took local social media by storm this past weekend. Trail top cop RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said that, while police are aware of the ...
DriveSmart BC: "Spring Cleaning" for Surge Brakes
Spring has sprung and trailers that have slumbered through the winter are being dragged out of storage and dusted off for use. Check the air in the tires. Light up the lights. Yes, we're good to go for another season! Experience has taught me that "spring cleaning" seldom includes the trailer's surge brake. I would set up at...
