kamloopsthisweek.com kamloopsthisweek kamthisweek
FRIDAY
JANUARY 3, 2020 | Volume 33 No. 2
ASSESSING THE NUMBERS
BC Assessment has released the updated property values — and the larger increases of recent years appear to be tempered A6
YOU CAN HELP KTW Christmas Cheer Fund aids four city charities A3
ON THE ICE
Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tourney is on A23
WEEKEND WEATHER:
Sunny, with flurries later High 10 C Low -4 C
Suspected drunk driver crashes into Red Nose vehicles
Madden Wood, Kamloops’ new year’s baby for 2020, is welcomed to the world by parents Dani Knutson, dad Cody Wood. Madden’s 2.5-year-old sister, Layla, is ecstastic about having a little brother. INTERIOR HEALTH PHOTO
JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
WELCOME TO THE WORLD, MADDEN! KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
The first baby born in Kamloops in 2020 arrived at 2:58 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Madden Wood was born in Royal Inland Hospital, greeting the new year at five pounds and seven ounces. Madden was welcomed by mom Dani Knutson, dad Cody Wood and big sister Layla — all Kamloops residents.
KAMLOOPS DL#8989
kamloopsmazda.com
Sister Layla, who is 2.5 years old, is said to be ecstatic to have a little brother. Meanwhile, the first baby born in British Columbia in 2020 arrived at 12:01 a.m. in Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. Parents Claire and Jahamel Tabuada of Coquitlam are thus far referring to her as Clarita, who arrived four weeks ahead of schedule, weighing in at four pounds, 10 ounces.
A New Year’s Eve highway crash involving an alleged drunk driver has left Operation Red Nose volunteers shaken and further underscoring the need for the annual safe-ride service. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported after a speeding pickup truck crashed into two vehicles being driven by Red Nose volunteers. On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the final day on which the service operates during the Christmas season, a team of red-vested Operation Red Nose volunteers were dispatched to drive a trio of New Year’s Eve revellers home to Barnhartvale. En route east via the Trans Canada Highway, however, plans for a safe ride home were
unhinged by none other than an alleged drunk driver. “It’s just unfortunate that people are still making that decision to drive impaired,” Operation Red Nose coordinator Katie Klassen told KTW. “We have these wonderful volunteers who are trying to stop that, stop people from being impaired and driving, you know, donating their time, late into the night, until 3:30 in the morning because they really want to keep Kamloops safe. It’s just unfortunate we had one person make a bad decision and it’s too bad that it was our volunteers and clients, who did make the right decision, it affected them.” Kamloops Fire Rescue platoon Capt. Darryl Cooper said the fire department was dispatched shortly before 11 p.m. to Grand Boulevard at Orchard’s
Walk, where a black Dodge pickup truck had struck a blue Ford Focus car from behind. Cooper said firefighters were on scene until after midnight. Klassen confirmed the Ford Focus that was struck was being driven by an Operation Red Nose volunteer, who was following the car carrying a Red Nose driver and navigator and the people they were driving home. “They were going at really high speeds,” Klassen said of the driver of the pickup truck that slammed into the car. “Our escort driver was thinking that they were going to pass them. But they just came and hit our escort driver from behind at really high speeds, took her off the road, then continued on to hit our client’s vehicle.” See DRIVER, A13
AUCTION YOUR TRADE | JANUARY 17, 18 & 19 All dealers across Canada bidding on your trade for
MAXIMUM TRADE VALUE!
POWERED BY