KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK TUESDAY
kamloopsthisweek.com kamloopsthisweek thisweek hiswe eek k kamthisweek th hiswe eek ee
30 CENTS AT NEWSSTANDS
|
MARCH 17, 2015 | Volume 28 No. 33
WEATHER Sun/clouds High 12 C Low 4 C
SUN PEAKS SNOW REPORT Mid-mountain: 122 cm Alpine: 158 cm Snow phone: 250-578-7232
COLIN’S CLIMB BACK
THE FINEST WINE FROM THE VINE
KYSA director’s recovery from brain abscess
Kamloops Wine Festival has entered the digital age
A17
B1
MOUNTIES CLEARED IN DEATH AT RIH
Kamloops Mounties have been exonerated in connection with the death of a man at Royal Inland Hospital last summer. The man was Tasered in an unsuccessful attempt to stop him from jumping from the third level of the hospital’s parkade. The Independent Investigation Office of B.C,’s (IIOBC) report, authored by civilian director Richard Rosenthal, has found RCMP officers did not commit a criminal offence and that a report to Crown counsel will not be forthcoming following a probe that included interviews with three Mounties and four witRead the report nesses. in its entirety The incident online at occurred on June 11, 2014, when kamloops an 18-year-old thisweek.com. patient at the /iiobreportrih hospital left the building in a distraught state. Responding Mounties spoke with the man on the third level of the parkade for about 40 minutes, according to the report. Concerned he might jump from the parkade, the man was Tasered, but officers told IIOBC investigators the Taser had no effect. “The CEW [conducted electrical weapon, or Taser] ended up being ineffective and the affected person ‘began fighting’ to get away,” Rosenthal wrote in his report. “Subject officers 1 and 2 attempted to gain control; however, the struggle lasted mere seconds before the affected person broke free. “The affected person ran and went over the ledge.” See REPORT A6
NO-NAME PROTEST
A series of weekend protests against the federal government’s anti-terrorism bill (Bill C-51) included this Saturday demonstration outside MP Cathy McLeod’s Victoria Street office. Some protesters, including this signcarrying opponent, did not want their name in print, expressing a concern the Conservative government could in some way punish them. Bill C-51 is also on the minds of KTW readers. Turn to page A9 to read the letters. ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW
Child pornography was found by chance TIM PETRUK STAFF REPORTER tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
A retired Kamloops teacher accused of stashing discs of child pornography in the floor beneath his Sahali condo was suicidal after discovering the stockpile was gone, a judge has been told. Jerry Waselenkoff is facing one count of possession of child pornography. The 66-year-old’s trial began in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday, March 16. In a brief opening statement, Crown prosecutor Frank Caputo called the case against Waselenkoff “a straightforward one.” Caputo said a father and son performing minor renovations in the unit beneath Waselenkoff’s in October 2012 uncovered a collection of discs hidden beneath a heating duct in the ceiling. Franz van der Woning said he and his
son were fishing electrical wire through the ceiling of his condo unit to install a fireplace. Van der Woning said he cut a hole in the drywall to pull the wire through. When he put his hand in the hole, court heard, his hand touched something. “I think I told my son, ‘There’s something in here,’” Van der Woning said. “We took out what we found.” Van der Woning said they pulled a book of discs out of the ceiling and his son put one into a nearby computer. “I looked over his shoulder and the conclusion from what we saw, because there were very young girls, I didn’t make study of it,” he said. “That was enough for me. I thought it was a very young girl.” Van der Woning said his son phoned police and an officer later arrived and discovered more discs stashed in the ceiling.
5O% OFF ANTI-REFLECTION LENS UPGRADE
Without Anti-Reflective Lenses
WITH ANTI-REFLECTIVE LENSES
Van der Woning said he never confronted Waselenkoff, an acquaintance, about the discovery until days later. Court heard van der Woning was in his home office when he heard rustling in the ceiling where the discs had been found. “My conclusion was somebody was trying to get into the floor — trying to retrieve where the packages were,” van der Woning said. “Shortly after that he knocked on my door or rang the bell and he said, ‘I would like to have a word with you.’” Van der Woning said he went to Waselenkoff’s apartment and the two began to talk about the discs. “I indicated that those things went to the RCMP and the discussion went on over what was there,” Van der Woning said. “Jerry said, ‘Well, that was bad. That was not good.’” See TRIP A6
Anti Reflective Lenses reduce glare that causes eye fatigue and helps you see more clearly.
OFFER INCLUDES:
•Any Single Vision Lens •Any Bifocal Lens •Any Progressive Lens
Buy one complete pair of RX glasses (frames & lenses) at regular price of $200.00 or greater before discount and get 5O% OFF the DIFFERENCE of a Anti-Reflective lens upgrade. Hurry offer ends March 31, 2015.
INTERNATIONAL
331 Victoria Street
Licensed Optician
25O-851-8992
www.eyesinternationalkamloops.ca
VISION E X A M I N AT I O N S
Free with min.purchase. Call for details! (Not an eye health exam)