Shannon Quesnel

By Shannon Quesnel Greyback Construction Ltd. got the bid to improve Penticton's Lakeshore Drive in a special Thursday council meeting. The Penticton-based contractor submitted the successful bid with the lowest price for conducting the work. The Waterfront Oversight Committee recommended the contract be awarded for $1.8 million. Mayor Dan Ashton is happy. "This is an...

By Shannon Quesnel A former Keremeos man was given a suspended sentence for arson Friday. Inderjit Chima, 37, attempted to burn down his restaurant, the former Riverbed Bistro in Keremeos, on May 26, 2011 using a small jerry can filled with $10 worth of gasoline. Even though no fire was set he was charged with...

By Shannon Quesnel Residents and visitors need to prevent encounters with grizzly bears and their smaller black bear cousins. The warm Okanagan Valley weather has stirred bears out of hibernation and they are looking to guzzle some high calorie food. Bears will go after easy targets such as garbage cans and bird feeders. The Bear...

By Shannon Quesnel A youth-at-risk program came out on top with a $45,000 cheque from Community Gaming Grants. The Summerland Asset Development Initiative works with youth to improve their skills and activities. It topped the list of area programs and groups who work to benefit their communities. In total $193,400 was awarded by the provincial...

By Shannon Quesnel School districts want millions in holdback money from the provincial government. School District 67 will discuss a province-wide school board move at tonight's district meeting to get the BC government to release holdback funds. This includes $2.1 million used to fund BC Public School Employers' Association's operating costs. The Ministry of Education...

By Shannon Quesnel A Hedley man was arrested on Friday in connection to a fatal vehicle accident that occured on March 30. RCMP officers apprehended the 24-year-old man near Keremeos. The arrest followed a motor-vehicle accident on Highway 3, east of Hedley on March 30. Driver Steve Lee Roy of no fixed address was killed....

Penticton city council wants to work more often with School District 67's leadership. Coun. Garry Litke said at Monday's district meeting there is a lot that can be accomplished. He said the school district and the city are already partnering with Dr. Gerry Karr's diabetes prevention program and the 2016 B.C. Winter Games. He added...

Some of Copper Mountain Mine's riches will benefit two Similkameen First Nations. A revenue-sharing agreement has been set up between the mine's developers and the Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands. The two First Nations will get a share of mineral tax revenues collected by the province from Copper Mountain. There is also a consultation...

By Shannon Quesnel People are asked to stay away from goose nests and avoid touching goose eggs. The Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program wants Canada geese to return to their undisturbed nests with eggs inside. The management program has an egg addling project where the eggs are shaken or coated with a non-toxic biodegradable food-grade...

Crime Stoppers wants information about an April 30, 2012 apartment fire in Oliver which left people homeless and without their possessions. Most of the 13-unit complex was destroyed in what Crime Stoppers called, "a reckless criminal act." Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or head to www.sostips.ca for other anonymous ways...

Sentencing for a Penticton man found guilty of selling his stepdaughter for sex and sexually assaulting her will start on April 15. The man cannot be identified because of a publication ban to protect the teenage girl. He was charged and found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, sexual interference with a person under...

By Shannon Quesnel The April-July flood season has started and already several creeks and rivers have been showing signs of rising water. Large floods can cause massive damage. Small floods have negative effects too. Rising waters can wash out roads, damage bridges, down power lines and prevent residents from getting to where they need to...

By Shannon Quesnel The Okanagan Basin Water Board has awarded three area groups $37,500 in grants to better protect the area's water supply and marine life. The Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society received $10,000 for its invasive mussel prevention program. The money will be used for public education on the dangers of zebra and...

By Shannon Quesnel Aboriginal tourism was given a $1 million boost on Thurday in Osoyoos. The money will go to the Aboriginal Tourism Association of B.C. to support provincial tourism marketing under the umbrella of the new Crown corporation Destination British Columbia. During the previous five years the tourism association found travelers in B.C. went...

By Shannon Quesnel Two people are in custody and waiting for their day in court for allegedly stealing a van belonging to the Penticton Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday. Megan Anne Roberts, 26 and Curtis Sopkow, 33 were arrested some time after a witness saw the club's van crash into a parked car late...