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Kelowna
Take advantage of the harvest this fall by attending some of these events
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Fall is upon us. The new season calls for pumpkin-inspired goodies, warmer coats, leaf raking, choosing the perfect turkey and finding the Halloween costume to help you win the contest. But the season also brings a bounty of fun events, most of which are family-friendly. Take a look and see what communities in...
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,...
Okanagan Regional Library eyes staff and service cuts
OKANAGAN - The union representing Okanagan Regional Library workers is sounding the alarm over proposed staff and service cuts at branches throughout the valley. Deb Dolman, vice president of CUPE Local 1123, says an alarming 375 staff hours at 19 branches are on the chopping block as part of the regional library’s plan to improve...
Millions announced for upgrades to Westside Road
WEST KELOWNA – Premier Christy Clark announced Friday that the province would invest $45 million over five years to upgrade one of the worst roads in B.C. The first step involves widening an 800 metre section from Waterfront Farm to Blue Grouse as well as installation of roadside barriers and rock protection. Construction on...
Bruce Cook back on his bike for first time since tragic accident
KELOWNA – Nine months after Kelowna freestyle motocross rider Bruce Cook was paralyzed attempting the…
Half of all wildfires caused by people this year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A total of 169, or 49.9 per cent, of all wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been human-caused this year. Kayla Pepper of B.C. Wildfire says of the 339 fires in the fire centre we are about as close to half as you can get right now, though usually lightning fires outnumber...
So you want to be a city councillor? Here’s what it takes
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people realize there is a city council in place to help run the city, but few understand just what goes into being the mayor or a councillor. While the roles can change significantly depending on the city, the council member and the needs of the community at that time, we decided to...
Two Kelowna locals fight for the UFC this weekend
KELOWNA – Two MMA fighters from Kelowna will be on the same UFC card this weekend. For one of them, this will be his long-awaited UFC debut. Toshido’s Rory MacDonald and Matt Dwyer are currently in Halifax readying for the televised UFC Fight Night 54 Saturday night. Welterweight contender MacDonald (17-2) will headline against Tarec...
Risk of frost in the forecast
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Cover your fragile plants and get your ice scrapers ready, fall is officially here and with that comes a risk of frost. With highs of 13-15 Celsius Thursday and temperatures expected to dip as low as 2 C overnight at airports throughout the region Environment Canada is calling for a risk of frost...
IN TWEETS: It’s October already
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Autumn may have officially arrived with the fall equinox Sept. 22, but for many, it’s the first day of October that really feels like the start of a new season. Oct. 1 delivered sunny skies across the valley and warm enough temperatures to still get away with shorts and a T-shirt. But on...
UPDATE: Power back on for nearly 22,000 West Kelowna customers
UPDATE - According to the B.C. Hydro website, power was restored at about 3:30 a.m. to nearly 22,000 customers. There's no word yet on the cause of the outage. WEST KELOWNA - Nearly 22,000 customers have been without power since about 6:30 p.m. thanks to a major hydro outage affecting homes and businesses in Westbank,...
Snow tire season is upon us
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Slushy sections hit the Connector for a brief time Tuesday afternoon and as of Wednesday morning winter tires are a requirement on most B.C. highways. While winter does not officially start until late December snow can fall, especially on mountain passes, a lot earlier and as a result provincial regulations require winter tires...
Two men waiting for court date after police seize drugs that look like candies
KELOWNA - Lab analysis of llegal drugs peddled in Kelowna as ecstacy this past summer shows they were actually methamphetamine, RCMP say. Two men from Quebec ages 21 and 20 are facing possible charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking following their arrest Aug. 7, according to a media release. Police were called to...
Some intersections really are accident traps
KELOWNA - Kelowna and Lake Country RCMP have pointed out a number of high-risk collision intersections in an effort to reduce the number of crashes at these locations. "You could pick out almost any intersection in the Central Okanagan and find that it has been the scene of at least one motor vehicle collision," RCMP...
Christy Clark attending two events in the Okanagan today
KELOWNA - Premier Christy Clark is in the Okanagan and will stop in Vernon and Kelowna for a pair of special events. At 2:45, Oct. 1, Clark will speak to the Canadian Association of Retired Persons Okanagan Chapter to celebrate National Seniors Day in Vernon. The event will be held at Sparkling Hills Resort in...
Former NDP candidate running for council
KELOWNA – A controversial former NDP provincial candidate announced her return to Kelowna politics Tuesday. Dayleen Van Ryswyk says she will run for a seat on Kelowna Council in the upcoming November municipal election. Van Ryswyk, a former NDP candidate for the Kelowna-Mission riding, was forced out of the race after comments about First Nations...
Interior Health hospitals middle of pack
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Interior are more likely than other Canadians to drink heavily but they are also more likely to be active, according to recent statistics for the Interior Health Authority that ranked the region in the middle of the pack across the country. A new website compares hospitals, health regions, provinces and...
Hells Angel found guilty on weapons charges
KELOWNA – The public may never know what would have happened had four armed men not been pulled over for speeding two years ago—but what police found inside the vehicle that night was enough to convict two of them of almost a dozen charges. Full patch Hells Angel Joseph Bruce Skreptak and alleged gang associate...
Groundbreaking training will help Vernon search and rescue help you
VERNON - Members of Vernon Search and Rescue are trying something new as they huddle around a helicopter watching a teammate dangle a few feet off the ground. The apparatus they're using is called a winch, and it will allow qualified technicians the ability to descend as much as 300 feet to the ground to...
Fire bans open up as autumn weather settles in
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fall does not just mean sweater weather, it also means open fires are again allowed throughout the region as temperatures continue to drop. Open fires will be allowed in the Salmon Arm Fire Zone as of Wednesday, Oct. 1. The ban was lifted for the Clearwater Fire Zone on Sept. 15. B.C. Wildfire...
Still no sign of man missing in the woods
KELOWNA – RCMP are still looking for a man who has been missing for almost ten months. Terrance Michael Landon, 57, was last seen on December 26, 2013 at a remote campsite east of Kelowna near James Lake. RCMP say Landon had been living in a tent trailer on Crown land for several months and...
PROSKIW: We are not the worst animal
The shockingly brutal attack on three sleeping dogs by a coward with a machete last week has truly shown the best and worse in us all. I admit to wishing very bad things for whoever did this; a swift, violent payback from some anonymous hero. But the better part of me says be patient and...
Tearful testimony from cops who thought they were going to die
KELOWNA – Two RCMP constables, testifying in the Kelowna Supreme Court trial of accused Westside Road shooter Michael Ellis Thursday afternoon, relived a day they will never forget. Const. Tara Schneider was working general duty in Vernon the afternoon of July 31, 2012 when a call that police were in pursuit of a suspect who...
Local musician and Festivals Kelowna coordinator to run for council
KELOWNA – A well-known local musician and programmer of marquee events like Parks Alive, Arts Alive and the Canada Day Festival will run for city council this November. Ryan Donn, 37, will make the official announcement Friday, but has confirmed he plans to file his nomination papers before the October 10 deadline. Best known for...