Kelowna

Bystanders tackle armed jewelry store robber

KELOWNA – Two suspects remain at large in Kelowna after an armed robbery at a downtown jewelry store Tuesday evening. The robbery happened just after 5 p.m. when police were called to the 1200 block of Cannery Lane. According to a release sent by Cpl. Joe Duncan, two men entered the store, locked the doors...

Top antique and art appraiser makes stop in the Southern Interior

KELOWNA - Here’s your chance to find out if that old painting hanging in the bathroom is really a Picasso or not. Professional antique and art appraiser Peter Blundell is making a one-day stop in Kelowna where he will appraise those uncertain antiques, collectibles and art pieces and tell you whether they are treasure or...

Daily non-stop flights announced between Kelowna and Victoria

KELOWNA – Travelers to Vancouver Island now have a non-stop flight to Victoria out of Kelowna International Airport. Pacific Coastal Airlines announced the seven day a week service Tuesday, Aug. 15, saying it will benefit communities on the island as well as the Okanagan. Effective Oct. 27, the Saab 340 aircraft will depart YLW at...

So You Think You Can Dance coming to Kelowna

KELOWNA – The top ten finalists from this year’s So You Think You Can Dance will be performing in Kelowna in January. The show is part of a North America tour that features the best dancers from the twelfth season of the 13-time Emmy Award-winning show on Fox and CTV. Judge, executive director and co-creator...

Abusive husband sentenced to jail for assaulting, injuring wife

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND I'M GOING TO BE SMILING AS YOU TAKE YOUR LAST BREATH." KELOWNA – A local man with a history of physically abusing his wife was sentenced to 15 months in jail for an assault that left her with a cut lip, bruises and abrasions on her body. On March...

Dancing cowboy to get permanent memorial at local nightclub

KELOWNA – A local nightclub is honouring one of their beloved regulars who passed away from cancer last year. Arnie Davis was 80 years old when he lost his fight against lung cancer in July 2013. He was a popular fixture at many nightclubs for more than 20 years, with his positive attitude and love...

Missing woman with health concerns found

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - A missing Kelowna woman with health concerns has been located, according to RCMP. Brittany Nelson, 30, has been located and is safe and sound," Cpl. Joe Duncan says in a release sent one day after friends reported her absence. To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or...

Smoky skies continue, no end in sight to fire season

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With smoke-filled skies and reports of new fires almost every day, it begs the question that’s on everyone’s mind: When will this end? “It’s a good question. There is no hard and fast measure that tells us when things are done. Every season is its own animal,” Kevin Skrepnek says. And B.C. Wildfire’s...

Carriage houses may be coming soon to West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA - Residents in the Westbank centre and other select parts of West Kelowna could soon see carriage houses popping up in a nearby laneway. Council is due to give third reading to the draft regulations governing the new category of residential developments, the latest step in a lengthy process that began in 2012....

Mom raises $14K for Cuddle Cots across Thompson-Okanagan

WEST KELOWNA – What started as an idea to bring to Kelowna General Hospital a device which gives parents of stillborn children a few extra days with their child will now help families across the entire Thompson-Okanagan. In less than three months West Kelowna resident Kristin Esmail has raised enough money to buy four Cuddle...

Smoke wreaks havoc on already-weakened hearts and lungs

SOUTHERN INTERIOR - Looks like the smokey skies will be with us until at least tomorrow and that means more discomfort for those with chronic heart and respiratory problems. “When we talk about smokey skies, we’re talking about the tiny solid particles that remain suspended in the air. The major concern is particles smaller than...

Pair of small fires burning in Joe Rich

KELOWNA - A pair of small wildfires have ignited south of Joe Rich, not far from a much bigger fire in early July. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says eight B.C. Wildfire personnel are working the two fires which are burning approximately half a kilometre apart south of Mission Creek near McCulloch Road. Pepper says...

Decision on Kelowna Mountie accused of assault expected in September

LANGUAGE ADVISORY KELOWNA – The judge in the trial of a Kelowna RCMP constable accused of assaulting an elderly bar patron will have to decide if the officer believed John McCormick was obstructing justice when he refused to leave Rose’s pub in downtown Kelowna last summer. Judge Gregory Koturbash heard final submissions in Kelowna Provincial...

Grassland-eating grasshoppers causing grief for Interior cattle ranchers

KAMLOOPS - A district board member hopes to speak with the provincial Minister of Agriculture about "a great number of complaints" about the growing grasshopper population eating away the grasslands near Kamloops and causing concerns for ranchers.  Ken Gillis, the director for the Grasslands area of the Thompson Nicola Regional District, says he plans to...

Pool and gym at Parkinson Rec to shut down for cleaning

KELOWNA - Annual maintenance is leaving pool and gymnasium users out of luck at Parkinson Recreation Centre. The aquatic facilities will be closed from August 31 reopening September 20 should everything work out according to plan. The gymnasium will also be shut down during the same time period. Parkinson pass holders can use the aquatic...

Increased density doesn’t help farmland, says Agricultural Land Commission

KELOWNA - While converting an office to a home may not seem like much, Kelowna city staff are refusing to support a carriage house application because the lush homesite on Mission Creek is still viable for agriculture. Applicants Don and Diane Hickey are asking for support from the city for their application to the Agricultural...

Management team replaces president at Apple Triathlon

KELOWNA - A new management team will be replacing the outgoing head of the Kelowna Apple Triathlon. Long-term Apple Triathlon president Richard Montgomery is stepping down after this year’s event. Replacing him will be a management team of three, Malandi Elmore, Graham Hood and James Young, the same group which runs the Kelowna Cherry Blossom...

KF Aerospace announces more layoffs in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Rebranding the company hasn’t helped KF Aerospace avoid the turbulence of the marketplace which has forced the company to cut jobs in both Kelowna and Hamilton. President Tracy Medve was not available for interviews Friday as the Kelowna-headquartered company announced layoffs equivalent to eight per cent of its workforce. However, Medve said in...

Grandfather wants to know what happened in ATV crash

LAKE COUNTRY - A grandfather is looking for answers after a serious ATV accident in orchard country left his grandson in coma. Kaiden Ross, 18, and an unidentified female passenger, also 18, were thrown from all-terrain vehicle they were driving the evening of August 12. The girl suffered minor relatively  injuries but Ross ended up...

33rd Apple Triathlon set to take over downtown Kelowna this weekend

KELOWNA – Athletes from around the world will be in Kelowna this weekend for the Okanagan’s largest annual triathlon. The 33rd Kelowna Apple Triathlon is B.C.’s only world triathlon championship qualifier with top finishers in each category eligible to enter the 2016 championships in Mexico. The race includes ia 10 kilometre run, 40 km bike...

Tossing note to young girls nets charges for violent offender

LAKE COUNTRY - A local man is facing multiple charges after throwing notes from his car to young girls in Lake Country and Kelowna. James Jonathan Bryshun, 31, is accused of throwing notes with a phone number to young girls he passed in Lake Country, according to a media release from Kelowna RCMP. Bryshun is...