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Kelowna

Walk to fight Ebola at Mission Creek this weekend

KELOWNA – A local non-profit is on the front lines battling a microscopic foe that threatens tens of thousands of West Africans. Hope for the Nations is a Kelowna-based charity that focuses on empowering at-risk children around the world. They are currently in 20 countries, including Liberia, the country hit hardest by the Ebola virus....

ELECTION 2014: Innovation changes everything in this campaign

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Knocking on doors, shaking hands, advertising and putting up signs: If you ran for council anytime before the last 10 years, that’s how you got exposure. If you ran in 2011, you probably added Facebook and Twitter to your arsenal. But this year, candidates have all the tools of a major political party...

Prolific fraudster at it again

KELOWNA - A man known as a serial scammer is believed to be behind the latest string of reports in Kelowna. Police investigators say it appears a 40-year-old Kelowna man with a long list of convictions appears to be at it again, often using the story of a broken down truck or claiming he's a...

Bear dies in four-car crash in Kelowna

KELOWNA – Darkness and the animal’s natural camouflage are listed by police as the reasons behind a four-car crash involving a bear in Kelowna Sunday night. At about 8:20 p.m. RCMP were called to the crash right by Duck Lake, RCMP say. Each of the four vehicles hit the bear, one after the other. Police...

Air tankers hitting wildfire in Joe Rich

KELOWNA – Fire crews are hitting a wildfire in the Joe Rich area of Kelowna hard Sunday afternoon. A report of smoke in the trees sent a Kelowna and Joe Rich fire crews to the 8000-block of Sun Valley Road off Highway 33 east. B.C. Wildfire Management fire information officer Kelsey Winter says doesn’t know...

What Monday will look like for back to school

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Schools across the province are  set to reopen to students Monday now that the provincial government and teachers have successfully negotiated a new contract. Many districts are adopting ‘normal opening day procedures’ for Monday, Sept. 22 and here is a breakdown of what you can expect in each district. Individual schools may adopt...

The agreement that got teachers back to school

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers agreed to a new contract with the government after more than 18 months of negotiations and while not all the details have been released a picture of the deal is starting to emerge.  Negotiations began in February 2013 and by the end of the school year the contract expired. Negotiations continued through...

Final weekend of summer bringing the heat

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The first day of fall is around the corner, but before it arrives, we get the chance to bask in the final weekend of summer. The autumnal equinox falls on Tuesday, Sept. 22 in our part of the world, marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Before that can happen...

Teachers vote yes, school back in session next week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The teachers vote is in and school will be back in session next week. A total of 75 per cent of teachers cast ballots Thursday with more than 27,000 voting to accept the agreement. The number of teachers voting was up significantly from ratification votes in 2006 and 2012 and on par with...

Kelowna native stabbed to death in Calgary

CALGARY - A woman from Kelowna who was living in Calgary died over the weekend, stabbed to death during an alleged domestic assault, and now her friends are hoping to raise the money to help her father travel to pick up his daughter's ashes. The gofundme.com fundraiser "For Suzie" was put together for 39-year-old Susan...

Okanagan Sun linebacker dies

KELOWNA – A linebacker with the Okanagan Sun has died but the team isn’t saying how. J.T. Fernandez, 21, is being called one of the best linebackers in BCFC team's history according to president Paul Carson. “This is a tragic day for our organization,” Carson said in a media release. “J.T. was a wonderful person...

Districts planning for back to school

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As teachers make their decision today whether to ratify a contract agreement with the province, school boards are busy making plans in the hopes that students will be back in school next week. Several districts have already reached out to parents to let them know the plan for next week and most are...

Kamloops teachers, protesters welcome Clark and cabinet with loud rally

KAMLOOPS - The atmosphere was one of celebration as Premier Christy Clark and her cabinet sat in on a luncheon in Kamloops Wednesday, though outside teachers gathered to continue the rally for a better education system. “A lot of the issues around public education still remain,” David Komljenovic, president of the local teachers’ union and...

Unprecedented interest in Mayor’s chair

KELOWNA – It’s looking like voters will have an unprecedented number of choices for mayor this November. With the opportunity to file still a month away, the numbers are far from final, however outgoing Mayor Walter Gray says there does seem to be more interest this year than at any other time he can remember....

Tough as nails councillor announces his retirement

KELOWNA – After three years on council and 15 as fire chief, Coun. Gerry Zimmermann is stepping down from public office. Zimmermann was first elected to council in 2011, was Fire Chief from 1990 to 2005 and also served one term on the Agricultural Land Commision. “I had a hard time making this decision but...

UPDATE: Historic 6-year term, more teachers part of new agreement

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A tentative deal has been reached between teachers and the province and that means students could be back in school as early as Monday. Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Association President David Komljenovic sits on the bargaining committee for the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. He confirmed following a marathon bargaining session ending early Tuesday morning that Monday...

Second crossing of Okanagan Lake begins with a three-year study

KELOWNA - A consulting firm was chosen recently by the province to carry out a three-year transportation study looking for the best way to get people across Okanagan Lake. Delcan Corporation was selected by the B.C. Ministry of Transporation and Infrastucture to undertake the planning assignment. The study will cost $2 million. Delcan will look...

Bryan Adams fans will find Heaven and more at Prospera Place this winter

KELOWNA - Recording artist Bryan Adams will make a stop in Kelowna as he tours the country in January to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his multi-million selling album, Reckless. The concert takes place January 15 at Prospera Place. It features a set dedicated to pieces included in the 1984 Reckless album, such as "One...

Witness shot at three times, continues following

KELOWNA – A witness who took the stand in the attempted murder trial of accused Westside Road shooter Michael Ellis was shot at three separate times, but still refused to stop following him. Michael James Scott is an onsite construction supervisor with the Ministry of Transportation. He was in his work truck on Westside Road...

Masterchef responds to claim she stole thousands from restaurant

KELOWNA – A dispute between a local reality show chef and her former business partner at Krafty Kitchen may be headed to Supreme Court. Kaila Klassen, a semi-finalist in the TV show Masterchef Canada, says she was removed from the company, Krafty Kitchen and Bar Ltd., after she broke off a personal relationship with owner...

Teacher strike 2014: The timeline

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A lot has happened since negotiations began on the latest contract for B.C. teachers and it’s easy to lose track of how we got to where we are today. Here we take a look back at the basics, where we are and what steps the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Public School...

Small children inside car that crashed on Hwy 33

KELOWNA - Two small children were riding in a car that crashed into a power pole on Highway 33 Friday afternoon. A 33-year-old woman and her two children, a four-year-old and a five-year-old were travelling east on Highway 33 when the vehicle veered right and off the road, hit a Fortis line and flipped over...

Stronger showing of northern lights expected tonight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’re getting a second chance at the northern lights tonight thanks to a second blow from the sun, and this one could be even stronger thanks to the storms combining as they hit the Earth. The National Space Weather Prediction Center says a ‘moderate’ storm hit Earth late Thursday night (in the Pacific...