Kelowna

Watch out! Cars back on Knox Mountain road

KELOWNA - Another sign that spring is coming early — the road to the top of Knox Mountain Park has reopened to vehicles, a week ahead of last year. “We’re definitely a bit early this year,” says Blair Stewart, urban forestry supervisor with the City of Kelowna. While the upper portion remains closed to vehicles...

Increased power bills protest planned for this weekend

KELOWNA – A group of moms and concerned citizens are gathering in front of Premier Christy Clark’s West Kelowna office Saturday to protest what they say are exhorbant power bills. Shannon Christensen is one of the speakers at the rally. She says hundreds of women in her non-profit group Mamas for Mamas have been hit...

Suspect wanted in Kelowna 7-Eleven robbery turns himself in

KELOWNA - A 17-year-old Kelowna boy turned himself in to police Wednesday in connection with the robbery at the 7-Eleven at Bernard Avenue and Gordon Drive. The robbery in progress was reported March 9 at 1:55 a.m. According to a media release, a suspect entered the store alone wearing a mask and brandishing a knife....

Another record day in the Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This will probably come as little surprise, but it was another record day in the Southern Interior, with a handful of communities setting new records Thursday. At 19.6 Celsius Penticton just surpassed a century-old record Thursday while Summerland hit 19 C, well above the previous high temperature record of 16.7 C also set...

Local Jammery will air on Food Network next month

KELOWNA - A local restaurant that has the spirit of a winery with their on location jam factory will make it's debut on the Food Network April 10. The Jammery, located on Highway 97 between Kelowna and Lake Country, is not only a great local restaurant with a lot of homey appeal, but is also...

What goes down, must come up — city crews begin annual street-sweeping program

KELOWNA - With such a mild winter, city crews put down less sand and salt this winter, but what they put down they still have to pick up. “We’ve been holding back until this week because we’ve still had some temperatures below freezing,” said roadways supervisor Stephen Bryan. “You can’t sweep and do a good...

High temperature records continue to fall

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Though the spring equinox is still just over a week away the spring-like weather has resulted in temperatures reaching the mid- to high-teens most days this past week, warm enough for several new records. On Wednesday, March 11, Kamloops hit 19.9 Celsius, shattering previous weather records of 17.8 C last recorded back in...

Central Okanagan school district to find out its share of provincial budget pain

KELOWNA - Central Okanagan school board officials are meeting tomorrow with the Ministry of Education to learn what its share of $29 million provincial budget cuts will be and where they might hit. Secretary treasurer Larry Paul is expecting a budget cut of aproximately $1.1 million, based on similar reductions in the last few years,...

Young gear-heads say they are being unfairly targeted by police

KELOWNA – Several young car enthusiasts in Kelowna say police are forcing them to get vehicle inspections despite passing roadside inspections. Recently, RCMP in the Okanagan have stepped up their enforcement of traffic laws, but Owen Kuipers, 17, is a first year automotive technician apprentice who says he was unfairly targeted by police because he...

West Kelowna declines request to support breast-feeding initiative

WEST KELOWNA - A delegation from UBC Okanagan seeking support for a breast-feeding initiative got a rough ride from West Kelowna council, despite its support from other local governments. The group was seeking council’s endorsement for the Baby Friendly initiative, plus a pledge to make district facilities breast-feeding friendly and educate employees and local businesses...

Social housing starting to rise on Central Green site

KELOWNA - Ground-breaking on one of the first phases of the long-awaited Central Green development should take place within a few months after city council approved a long-term lease with the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society to develop affordable housing on the site. In a report to council, Graham Hood, strategic land development manager for the city,...

More high temperature records in Southern Interior

SNOW FORECAST FOR HIGHWAYS THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - One more day of record weather was had this week before temperatures dropped slightly in the Southern Interior. While the entire region hit temperatures in the mid-teens Tuesday, March 10, at 15.6 Celsius, Vernon was one of the lucky ones in setting a new high temperature record for the...

Seasonal flooding unlikely this year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the lack of snow, even at alpine levels, is any indication, we could be in for a very dry year. The River Forecast Centre is reporting all but two snow basins are below normal as of March 1. The North and South Thompson basins are near-normal at 96 per cent and 91...

West Kelowna takes aim at medical marijuana dispensaries

WEST KELOWNA - Enquiries about setting up a medical marijuana dispensary on the Westside have prompted the district to close what they describe as a loophole in their business licensing bylaw. “We are adding a sentence into the bylaw that essentially says a business must be in compliance with both the Criminal Code and the...

Suspect wanted on Canada-wide warrant arrested thanks to good neighbour

KELOWNA – A break and enter attempt was thwarted by the quick actions of a local citizen Monday morning. According to a media release from Cpl. Joe Duncan, Kelowna RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter in progress at a home on the 1900 block of Abbott Street on March 9, 2015,...

Profanity spray painted on North Glenmore Elementary

KELOWNA - Police are looking for possible witnesses after "profanity and vulgarity" was spray painted on a school in North Glenmore last month. The incident was reported Feb. 14, 2015 at 8 a.m. at North Glenmore Elementary school. An investigator on the case doesn't think the graffiti was created by an artist but believes it...

Customer injured trying to stop armed robbery

KELOWNA – Police are looking for a teenager who hurt a bystander while trying to rob the clerk at a convenience store on Bernard Avenue early this morning. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the boy, who appeared to be around 17-years-old, entered the 7-Eleven at 1115 Bernard Ave. at around 1:55 a.m., Monday, March 9...

New weather records set in Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With temperatures reaching the high teens this week the spring-like weather we have been experiencing is leaving several new records in its wake. According to Environment Canada temperatures of more than 18 Celsius Monday were enough to set new records in several communities including Kelowna, Summerland and Penticton. With a temperature of 18.1...

Okanagan Spirits headed to Denmark for another World Spirit Awards

OKANAGAN – A local distillery has been called to Denmark to hear if they will once again be called out as one of the best in the world. Okanagan Spirits was named World Spirits Award Distillery of the Year in 2013 and Senior distiller Peter von Hahn is on his way to Denmark this week...

Transit fare increases fall hardest on those with the thinnest wallets

KELOWNA - Council has agreed to raise transit fares in most categories in a bid to increase the amount of money recovered from riders. Some councillors expressed reservations about the move, saying fare increases tend to reduce ridership but in the end all voted to approve the increase. The yes vote doesn't automatically mean the...

Kelowna store employee reports sexual assault

KELOWNA – A local man is being held in custody after an alleged sexual assault of a downtown employee last week. Brian Spencer, 61, is being charged with two counts of sexual assault after he entered a store and began a conversation with a female employee at around 6:15 p.m. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says...