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Meaghan Archer
Penticton man keeps long-term offender status, appeal denied
PENTICTON - Wilfred Charles Baptiste will keep his criminal designation as a long-term offender after his appeal to have the designation removed was dismissed. Baptiste did not think he fit the long-term offender criteria and appealed to have the designation removed. The appeal was dismissed by Justice Wilcock in Penticton Supreme Court on Sept. 23,...
Surrey man lands himself a year in jail for drug trafficking
PENTICTON - A Surrey man found guilty of drug trafficking will spend the next year in jail. Graham V. Jordan, 50, was found guilty of drug trafficking charges laid against him after his arrest in November 2011 in Keremeos. Justice Selwyn Romilly sentenced Jordan to one year in prison on Monday in Penticton Supreme Court. Jordan...
RCMP arrest four suspects for drug trafficking and production
SOUTH OKANAGAN - Four people were arrested last week after RCMP found weapons and a significant amount of drugs during a search warrant at an Oliver residence. On October 2, the South Okanagan RCMP Regional Drug Section, Oliver RCMP Penticton Police Dog Service and South Okanagan Traffic Services executed a search warrant at a residence...
Warrant issued for arrest of alleged sex offender
PENTICTON - A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Keremeos man who failed to attend his sentencing at the Penticton courthouse Wednesday afternoon. Roy Charles O’Donaghey faces two charges of exposing genitals to a minor, to which he previously pleaded not guilty. The charges stem from two incidents during the summer of...
Litke still has a few tricks up his sleeve
PENTICTON - With two months left in office, Mayor Garry Litke hopes to accomplish a few more things before he walks out the doors of City Hall for good. Before he became mayor, Litke was a city councillor for eight years. Being a part of the team that created the South Okanagan Events Centre was...
The Fintry Queen is coming to Penticton
PENTICTON - The Fintry Queen has found a new home on the south shore of Okanagan Lake, after spending years docked in a Kelowna bay. The city of Penticton agreed to a license with Fintry operators, the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, on Monday night. The five-year agreement will cost a total of $70,000 for moorage...
Residents tell council to fix existing problem before development makes it worse
PENTICTON - Neighbours of a proposed development property raised existing traffic and parking issues with council, and said it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with now rather than later. Neighbours who came forward during a public hearing Monday night said they are pro-development but are concerned about the increase in traffic the new...
Electronic vote counters challenged by Penticton resident
PENTICTON - Election votes are at risk of being miscounted if the city continues to use an electronic counting machine, says one resident who believes votes should be manually counted, even if it takes longer and costs more. Vicki Lightfoot and Kevin Proteau presented to council Monday night their issue of using electronic ballot counting...
Litke is hanging up his mayoral hat
PENTICTON - Mayor Garry Litke is calling it a day and will not run in the upcoming city election. Litke has been mayor for only 13 months, after he was chosen to replace former mayor Dan Ashton in a by-election in fall 2013. Before that, he spent eight years as a city councillor, and 33...
Main Street to get a $2 million makeover
PENTICTON - A $2 million upgrade for a portion of Main Street will be the next project the city tackles as part of the Downtown Revitalization Plan. The proposed plan includes improvements to Gyro Park and Memorial Park along the 100 block of Main Street. Staff proposed a playground, new washrooms, greenery, and expanded sidewalks to...
Hospital expansion plans become a reality
PENTICTON - The dream of an expansion to the Penticton Regional Hospital is becoming a reality with city planners introducing the groundwork and initial planning stages to council Monday. Tentative structure plans (requested by Interior Health to kickstart the budget process), were shown to council for the first time during the City Council meeting, Oct....
Local singer thinks Penticton is quite somethin’
PENTICTON - Karin Vallee's three-year love affair with Penticton was so inspiring she transformed it into a song about the town between two lakes. Last week, Vallee, 28, recorded her song “Penticton, you’re quite somethin’” and posted it to YouTube for all to see. She sings of beaches, wine and the small town vibe Penticton...
Downtown revitalization and controversial construction on tonight’s council agenda
PENTICTON - There’s a packed agenda for tonight’s city council meeting, including a public hearing, economic development opportunities and new plans for the revitalization of the downtown centre. Council will look at options for the first phase of the revitalization of Main Street, which includes new sidewalk plans for the 100 and 200 block of...
Wine festival a ‘grape’ success
OLIVER - Hundreds of people gathered in Oliver this weekend to test some wines, enjoy the sun, and make a mess stomping grapes at the Festival of the Grape. Wineries from all over the Okanagan set up to sample some of their best vintages, which were well recieved by festival attendees, judging by the comments...
Channel Bridge project moves a step closer to reality
PENTICTON - Another step forward for the Channel Crossing bridge as the Penticton Indian Band accepts bids on the multi-million dollar project. Companies will give their best estimates of how much it will cost to build the five-lane bridge, traffic signals and highway improvements. Engineers have created detailed designs and specification books for bidding companies...
Sentes decides not to run for mayor; seeks another term as councillor
PENTICTON - She was tempted to run for Pentction mayor but after taking some time to reflect, Coun. Judy Sentes has decided to seek re-election instead. With three council seats definitely empty going in to the race, Sentes says it’s important for there to be a mix of experienced and new councillors around the table....
WestJet encourages winter season in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - The arrival of WestJet in Penticton is encouraging the City, tourism and other organizations throughout the South Okanagan to focus on what the region as to offer in the winter season. AirCanada will no longer be the sole airline flying out of Penticton once WestJet joins the ranks at the end of October,...
Penticton lifestyle will be the cure for job retention
PENTICTON - It’s going to take a creative touch for businesses to acquire the skilled trade workers and permanent training resources needed to satisfy the demands of the growing industrial sector in Penticton. Job retention isn’t just about economic development opportunities, says economic development director, Colleen Pennington—it’s also about investing in the arts community, the...
RCMP investigate car fire at Boyd Autobody
PENTICTON - Police are investigating two arson cases from a local auto body shop, one which was successful in setting a car on fire. RCMP received a call around 4:40 a.m. Friday from a security guard at Boyd Autobody in Penticton. Someone broke into the shop and started a car fire, which has caused smoke...
ARCHER: Facebook can make or break a politician
It’s no secret that during an election, a candidate's skeletons can be pulled out from the closet and displayed in the light for all to see. It’s happened on all levels of government, and makes a juicy plot twist for Hollywood movies and HBO shows. But it’s hard to think it could happen to you.
Boonstock presents Safe In Sound Music Festival in Penticton
PENTICTON - Spin tables, LED lights, floor-rattling bass, and sick beats will be pumping out of the events centre when Safe In Sound Festival rolls into town next weekend. The electronic music festival is being promoted by Boonstock Music & Arts Festival, which is offering a discount on tickets and a chance to win VIP...
How the Penticton Indian Band is handling wild horses
PENTICTON - Wild horses are becoming a greater problem in Penticton as they continue to wander off band land and onto highways, causing injury to themselves and drivers. But despite the need to remove hundreds of horses, the band chief says there will always be horses on their land. There are over 600 horses on...
Boil water notice issued for Trout Creek
TROUT CREEK - A boil water notice was issued on Wednesday for Trout Creek residents and businesses. It's possible contamination entered the water system on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, according to Interior Health. Residents should boil water for at least a minute before using it for drinking water, cleaning, or cooking. To contact the reporter...
Fruit picker who fell to his death identified
SOUTH OKANAGAN - A fruit picker who died following an accident last week has been identified as Gabriel Gendreau-Martineau. Gendreau-Martineau, 23, of St. Agathe, QC, spent his summer working on a farm in Osoyoos. While he had concluded his work there, he tented on the property until he planned to leave on Sept. 26. On...