Penticton news
Gas prices going up in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - Gas prices are rising throughout Canada and the Okanagan is no exception. According to GasBuddy, an online tracking system for gas prices, only about a dozen stations remain below 130 cents per litre this afternoon, Aug. 13, in Kelowna while about seven stations sit at 129.9 cents per litre. Many stations have jumped...
Lightning strikes keep crews hopping dousing wildfires
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Thunderstorms moving through the region ignited several new fires in the Kamloops Fire Centre. The fire danger rating for the Kamloops Fire Centre is high to extreme, with more lightning in the forecast for today, Aug. 13. “We did see lightning move through the area, followed by reports of fires yesterday, so we...
National park proposal part of provincial intentions paper
PENTICTON - As calls for a national park in the South Okanagan continue, the province is inviting public input to provide feedback for an intentions paper proposing how land might be protected in the South Okanagan region. The policies proposed in the paper will be applied only to three distinct areas in the region. The...
Penticton native centre provides cultural grounding
PENTICTON - A First Nations educational initiative that began more than 40 years ago has grown into a cultural institution aiming to connect and strengthen Aboriginal Peoples with their heritage and culture. The En’owkin Centre got its start in the 1970s as the Okanagan Indian Cirriculum Project and provided instruction for native students from Kindergarten...
Two people injured in Lake Country ATV crash
LAKE COUNTRY - A Vernon teenager is in hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries after an all terrain vehicle crash in Lake Country Wednesday evening. The 18-year-old was driving a mini-ATV on Williams Road around 7:45 p.m., Aug. 12, when both the driver and passenger, an 18-year-old Vernon woman, were ejected. RCMP believe the vehicle experienced...
Why you’ll want to reserve your Okanagan red wines this year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - All through the Okanagan region, winemakers are getting excited about prospects for this year’s grape crop. Hot, sunny days that have been relatively constant since early June have brought this year’s vintage along at blazing speed, and Okanagan winemakers believe the conditions are right for one of the best vintages ever. “It’s definitely...
Driver tells Vernon RCMP he didn’t hear alarms, didn’t see flashing lights before hitting train
VERNON - Alarms and flashing lights apparently didn’t stop a man from driving into a moving train Monday evening in Vernon. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says police were notified of the collision just after 6 p.m., Aug. 10. When officers arrived, the train was blocking the roadway at 43 Avenue and 31 Street. All lights...
Reel Peach Fest film festival expected to return
PENTICTON - The first Reel Peach Fest film festival was a success and it's expected it will return again next year. Winning entries were announced at the conclusion of the Penticton Peach Festival on Sunday, Aug. 9. Thirty-two submissions were displayed over the course of Peachfest, consisting of one to three minute videos in two...
Roots and Blues Festival takes over Salmon Arm this weekend
SALMON ARM - The Shuswap will be filled with the sounds of brass and bluegrass as the 'summer destination spot for fans and lovers of music' takes over Salmon Arm this weekend. Now in its 23rd year, the Roots and Blues Festival features an eclectic mix of music from Blues to Bluegrass, Celtic to Cuban...
Close call for Penticton cat caught in leg hold trap
PENTICTON - 'Look at what the cat dragged in' is rarely used to describe something pleasant and for one Penticton couple that was certainly true this weekend. Terri Lynn Stroomer and Chris Whalen’s cat came home Saturday evening, Aug. 8, dragging a leg hold trap. The feline had been caught in the old trap, which...
Peachfest a success in eyes of the law
PENTICTON - It was a relatively quiet Peach Festival week in the city, at least from an RCMP point of view. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says the week was 'fantastic, overall.' “Other than the first evening, the weather cooperated for the rest of the week, there was a good family atmosphere in the city...
Feast of Fields has new location for farm to table festival
KELOWNA – The 7th annual festival celebrating locally grown food is happening in Kelowna this weekend. Okanagan Feast of Fields is one of three chapters started by FarmFolk CityFolk, a Vancouver organization dedicated to celebrating sustainable, local foods. Feast of Fields, which also takes place in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, is a four-hour wandering gourmet...
South Okanagan senior athletes ready for 55+ Games
PENTICTON - Sixty-three seniors from the South Okanagan and Similkameen are taking heed of advice to stay active as they get older. A group of Zone Five participants in the upcoming 55+ Games, formerly known as the B.C. Senior's Games, took part in a photo opportunity this morning, August 10, at the South Okanagan Events...
Psychotic episode resulted from ‘controlling’ house guest: Lawyer
PENTICTON - A Keremeos man will not serve jail time for throwing rocks through a window of the Keremeos RCMP detachment. Robert Polovnikoff faced Judge Gale Sinclair on Wednesday, August 5 facing a mischief charge following a bizarre day in Keremeos. Crown Prosecutor Kurt Frolik said Polovnikoff believed someone had planted a bomb in the...
Penticton getting second WestJet flight
PENTICTON - Tourism Penticton received some good news as the organization welcomes its new executive director. WestJet is adding a second flight to the Peach City. The flight will be added to WestJet's schedule in mid-February, 2016, according to outgoing executive director Chris Bower. Bower says the new flight will depart the Penticton Airport at...