If you are a parent in the process of helping your child plan his or her post-secondary education, there has been a recent report giving high praise to Canadian community colleges for their ability to effectively deliver programs and get people on the fast track to rewarding careers. The Hechinger Report, an American non-profit...

I was encouraged, I really was, when Interior Health Authority (IHA) representative Linda Basran came to Castlegar to offer city council, and residents, an unqualified apology for the closure of Castlegar’s emergency ward for eight hours on Feb. 4. She acknowledged that communication around the closure was totally unacceptable,...

A local Conservation officer was forced to destroy a cougar this morning after a car accident left the animal injured near Blueberry, according to RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew.   "At approximately 6 a.m., Castlegar RCMP responded to a motor vehicle accident in which a vehicle had struck a cougar on highway 22 in the Blueberry/Fairview...

In a rare split vote, city council decided 4 to 2 against sending a delegation to Castlegar’s sister city, Embetsu, Japan. Councillor Gord Turner, who serves as the chair for council’s Cultural and Civic Pride Committee, argued in favour of the expenditure at last Monday’s regular meeting, explaining that Embestu sent a large...

Over 20,000 Canadians have joined with online campaigning organization Leadnow.ca to call for a full and independent public inquiry into an alleged systematic voter deception phone campaign that targeted likely non-Conservative voters in key ridings during the May 2011 election. Since the campaign launched on Friday, 20,000...

For the third time in five years the Grand Forks Curling Centre will be playing host to a provincial curling championship. In 2008 the B.C. Senior Men’s competition was held in Grand Forks,  two years ago it was the Men’s and Women’s Masters and in a few days, Mar. 1 -4, masters curlers from around the province will once again...

There’s smoke hovering over Whitewater this weekend . . . and it’s Coldsmoke of the powder kind. Kootenay Coldsmoke Powderfest to be exact. The annual grassroots gathering where both experienced and rookie backcountry skiers and snowboarders can celebrate life nestled in breathtaking scenery and world-renowned snow. Based at...

A teen dance at the Element Night Club Sunday had many local parents concerned after a similar dance last month saw public drunkenness and drug use, but local officials who attended are saying this event was a paragon of good, clean fun. City councillor Deb McIntosh said the event was far less-attended than its more controversial...

Two incidents in Castlegar this weekend would seem to incidate that alcohol is not the ideal lubricant when developing a relationship with police, especially if you're operating a motor vehicle. The first incident, according to Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Deb Postnikoff, began Friday evening, during a snow storm that left limited...

Local MLA Katrine Conroy had little to praise after the Liberal government unveiled its budget on Tuesday. "Even the things you want to like ... a good example is that they announced that a senior who renovates their home will get a $1,000 credit ... the fine print says that's only if you spend $10,000 or more," she said....