Corrections

Kamloops man shares his grizzly attack survival story

"WHEN I WAS HIKING OUT, I KEPT SAYING TO MYSELF: 'DON'T PASS OUT. DON'T PASS OUT.'" KAMLOOPS - Local hunter Ralph Smith planned to get the elk he was tagged for when he took his mid-September hunting trip in Sparwood, B.C. He’d seen grizzly bears before, but he wasn’t expecting the violent scenario he ended...

UBCO students to vote on fate of low-cost transit program

KELOWNA - The fate of the U-Pass transit program at a local university is in the hands of the students, who will vote over a fare increase next week. Students at the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia are holding a referendum over a fare increase for the program next week, which if...

Keeping the homeless safe during extreme winter nights in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Anyone needing a warm place to sleep during extreme weather nights this winter will not be turned away from the Emerald House Emergency Shelter. The shelter, which has a divided space for both men and women, is run by the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Kamloops chapter downtown, is the designated extreme weather emergency...

UPDATE: Kamloops teen located

UPDATE: 6:17 A.M., OCT. 29, 2015 RCMP say Taylor Donald has been located and is safe. 11:19 A.M., OCT. 28, 2015 KAMLOOPS - RCMP are hoping to confirm the well-being of a teen refusing to go home. Taylor Donald, 13, has not been home since the morning of Oct. 24 and has refused to return...

Judge won’t save Kelowna Mountain from dealing with regional district

KELOWNA - Kelowna Mountain Resort got no help from a Supreme Court justice in one of its longstanding disputes with the Central Okanagan Regional District. Justice Heather Holmes denied a challenge of the regional district’s interpretation of ‘agritourism' by developer Mark Consiglio and the resort. If successful, the resort could theoretically get full use on...

Zombies to take over entire UBCO building

KELOWNA – An entire building at UBC Okanagan will be transformed into a zombie-filled nightmare at the Asian Student Association’s Haunted House next Friday. The second annual haunted house is organized by the president of the Association Peter Teng with help from the UBCO student union and the UBCO residency advisors. UBCO student union vice...

Former Okanagan MPs to earn millions in pension

OKANAGAN - Colin Mayes may have retired, and Ron Cannan may have been defeated in the 2015 federal election, but with pensions set to pad their bank accounts to the tune of between $1.3 million and $2.3 million over their life-times, taxpayers are not quite done with them yet. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released the...

Employee bear sprayed by shoplifter in downtown Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - A loss prevention officer attempting to stop a shoplifter was bear sprayed outside a Kamloops drug store this morning. Cpl. Cheryl Bush of Kamloops RCMP says the male suspect was leaving the Cooper's Foods store on Lansdowne Street around 11:15 a.m. with goods that had not been paid for. When the loss prevention...

New officer takes the reins at Vernon RCMP detachment

VERNON - There’s a new top cop in the City of Vernon. Insp. Jim McNamara has been the acting superintendent of the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP since Reg Burgess retired in March 2015, and on Wednesday, Oct. 14, he was officially promoted to the position. "On behalf of Council and the staff of the City of...

Lumby company’s hemp-base doggie chews to hit shelves by end of month

VERNON - Dog lovers are lapping up a new hemp-based pet product made by a North Okanagan company. True Leaf Medicine International Ltd. launched its nutritional dog-chews, which contain hemp, at a pet industry trade show in Toronto Sept. 20, and CEO Darcy Bomford said pre-orders are already bounding in. “The last two weeks have...

ELECTION 2015: Albas defends, Scott attacks at West Kelowna culture forum

WEST KELOWNA - Conservative incumbent Dan Albas was on the defensive at a Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola all candidates meeting in West Kelowna yesterday, Sept. 26, facing tough questions about his government’s record on the CBC, environmental protection and dealings with First Nations. The three challengers to his left (figuratively) took turns receiving applause from arts supporters...

Water drilling rush in B.C. Interior to get jump on new water regulations

IMPACT UNKNOWN THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Companies drilling water wells in the B.C. Southern Interior appear to be busier than usual and the reason may be the introduction next spring of the provincial Water Sustainability Act and its new well licensing requirements. While hard numbers of how many wells are being drilled are hard to come by...

UPDATE: Young boy hit by vehicle in Penticton dies; RCMP driver investigated

PENTICTON - The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is investigating after an off-duty RCMP officer hit and killed a five-year-old pedestrian walking with his family. At roughly 5 p.m. yesterday, Sept. 15, the boy was with his family crossing the road when he was struck.  RCMP originally said the boy was four years old but...