Local News

NEWS STORY OF THE YEAR: THE DOWNTOWN FIRE

The downtown fire blazed its way to the top of our online reader’s poll for Story of the Year. Out of 145 people who weighed in (at press time), 65 votes (45 per cent of the total vote) found it to be the single most important issue of the year.

Karim Meskine turned 19 years old on Dec. 20 - the same day his family gathered at Royal Columbian Hospital to take the young man off life support. The day that should have been a happy occasion for Meskine and his family was marked by tragedy.

The New Westminster board of education has brought in a recruiting company to help it find a replacement for outgoing superintendent John Woudzia.

Murder charges have been laid against a 16-year-old suspect in the violent death of a Surrey resident on Dec. 17.

It may, perhaps, be the four words we say most often here in the Record newsroom. No, not Who Ate The Doughnuts? (Although that may be a close second.) We're talking about our favourite phrase: Only In New West.

The good, the bad, the ugly and the unusual all make our list of memorable moments and people of the past year

Charges have been laid against a New Westminster police officer after his police cruiser allegedly crashed into a van causing harm to the civilian driver. Richard A. Rosenthal, chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

Queen’s Park residents are keen on working with the city to address heritage issues. City council has directed staff to begin creating a Queen’s Park neighbourhood heritage working group.

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well at the Union Gospel Mission in New Westminster. The mission held its Christmas dinner earlier this month, serving up turkey dinner with all the fixings to more than 300 people.