HEU Files Grievance over Suspension
The Hospital Employees Union is upset that a nurse in Parksville has been suspended for a week and a half without pay.
HEU Spokeswoman Margi Blamey says Tina Irvine spoke recently at a public meeting about the impacts that staff shortages and turnover are having at Stanford Place.
Blamey says the union has filed a grievance to have Irvine's suspension reversed. She says it's outrageous, and it seems like it's nothing more than an effort to intimidate HEU members and keep them from speaking out about working conditions.
Stanford Place has yet to return phone calls seeking comment.
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Changes at Wembley Mall?
The first of what could be big changes at Parksville's Wembley Mall were unveiled on Monday night.
Ian Holmes reports.
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Officer Hired to oversee Community Policing in Oceanside
An RCMP officer has been hired at the Oceanside detachment to oversee community policing.
Corporal Jesse Foreman says he wants to strengthen their relationship with local students, teachers and administrators. He says it's important to maintain the programs and find out from school staff what they need from the police, as opposed to telling them what they are going to get.
Corporal Foreman is also serving as Oceanside RCMP's media relations officer.
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Debit Card Skimmer Scam Hits Qualicum Beach
A debit card skimmer scam has been uncovered at Qualicum Beach.
Saturday afternoon Oceanside RCMP received a report of a card reader installed at a Royal Bank ATM. They then found another one in the CIBC.
Card readers are used to store the victim's bank card information, and a small camera records the PIN numbers. With this information, the criminals can access and use funds from the victim's account.
Oceanside RCMP is still working to determine how many victims were impacted by the scam and urge anyone who has used these ATMs to check their banking records.
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Candles Blamed for Nanoose Blaze
Candles being used to provide light during a power outage have been blamed for causing the January 25th fire on the Nanoose First Nations reserve.
7 year old Devon Drake and his 9 year old brother Jordan died in the blaze.
Fire officials say a candle was knocked over and caught a couch on fire. The residents tried to put out the couch, but couldn't before the flames spread.
Nanaimo RCMP have concluded their investigation and have ruled out foul play.
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Morning Fire Destroys Coombs Trailer
An early morning fire has destroyed a mobile home in Coombs and sent a man to hospital with smoke inhalation.
Coombs-Hilliers Fire Department Captain Erik Lacey responded to the call at around 7:30. He says when he arrived on scene the trailer was fully engulfed in flames and the occupant was just being taken into an ambulance.
Lacey says it appears the fire started in the living room area but says the cause is unclear.
He adds there was damage to a neighboring trailer.
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Charges Laid in Coombs Police Chase
Charges have been laid in this week's art theft and car chase in Coombs.
40-year-old Nelson Meggitt of Qualicum Beach is facing 5 counts, including three assault charges.
Two of those stem from an alleged altercation with police in the interrogation room.
Meggitt will undergo a psychiatric assessment.
A 47-year-old woman facing theft charges was released from custody and has a court appearance on the 21st.
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VIHA Named Top Employer
A new survey puts the Vancouver Island Health Authority as one of the top employers in the province.
The Authority was recognized in areas like employee development, education subsidies, maternity leave programs and alternative working arrangements.
This is the third straight year VIHA has been honored.
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Regional Leaders Meet with Ferry Boss
Regional government leaders on the coast had a meeting with B.C. Ferries Commissioner Gordon Macatee.
His review of the Coastal Ferry Act had 24 recommendations, including tying fare increases to the price of inflation and more financial support from the province.
RDN board Chair Joe Stanhope says he believes B.C. Ferries can be run more efficently. He says in some cases some destinations are over served. He points to an instance when Macatee took a ferry ride and him and his assistant were the only people on the boat.
Stanhope says increasing fares was the main topic of this week's meeting in Victoria.
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Four Vehicle Crash Closes Highway in Coombs
A man and woman were arrested following a police chase which closed Highway Four in Coombs for nearly five hours.
RCMP Sargeant Darrell Robertson says a car spotted in the Coombs area matched a suspect vehicle linked to the theft of art from a Qualicum Beach business this Wednesday morning.
Robertson says the suspect vehicle turned around and chased the police cruiser in downtown Coombs. He says it approached the police vehicle from behind and rammed it twice, pushing it into another two vehicles.
Robertson says an RCMP officer and a bystander in one of the vehicles were taken to Nanaimo Hospital with minor injuries.
Robertson says charges are pending against a 40-year-old man and 47-year-old woman, both from the Qualicum Beach area.
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RCMP Look for Hit and Run Suspect
Police in Parksville are turning to the public for help after a women was hit by a car.
The 21 year old was walking into the Shoppers Drug Mart in Parksville on Tuesday evening when she was hit. The driver then fled the scene.
The vehicle is described as a newer Pontiac G5 or Chevy Cobalt. The driver was white, in his 60's with gray hair, glasses and possibly a mustache.
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Parksville Re-Launches OCP Process
Parksville is re-launching its official community plan process.
Consultant "Urban Systems Limited" has been selected by city council to take over from "HB Lanarc" after one of the company's key planners left the firm last summer.
Parksville's Chief Administrative Officer Fred Manson says this doesn't mean the work that's been done up until now is lost. He says the previous work is being studied and will be used going forward.
Manson says a series of public events on the OCP process are forthcoming, adding its hoped the document will be approved by the end of this year.
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