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Kelowna
Former co-accused in smuggling case will be paid to testify
KELOWNA - A Supreme Court Justice ruled Friday that a West Kelowna man living in Manitoba will be reimbursed for expenses incurred while testifying in a criminal trial in Kelowna. Barry Ready, now 53, was at one time a co-accused in the trial of Clifford Roger Montgomery and Tariz Mohammed Aslam of Surrey. Both men...
Bernard Avenue revitalization is officially over
KELOWNA – After two years of construction the revitalized Bernard Avenue will finally open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Representatives of the city, including Mayor Walter Gray, gathered at the corner of Pandosy and Bernard Friday afternoon to officially announce the completion of the $14.3 million project. Work began in September 2012 and was completed...
Heat coming your way this weekend
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Get your sunscreen ready: the cool, wet week has a reprieve in store for us with higher temperatures for a water park or beach this weekend. Today highs will reach near normals of 21 C to 23 C across the region with a 30-40 per cent chance of thundershowers or storms this afternoon...
Kelowna isn’t as fat as the rest of the country
KELOWNA – Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the abundance of recreational opportunities, but a report released by Statistics Canada Wednesday names Kelowna as the least obese city in the country. Participants in the study, conducted between 2003 and 2012, were asked their height and weight and the numbers were adjusted to factor in misrepresentation...
Martial Arts community kicks back at “offensive” remarks by Vernon council
VERNON - The mixed martial arts community is in an uproar over what they feel were offensive and uneducated comments made about their sport earlier this week by Vernon councillors. The City of Vernon wants to ban mixed martial arts (MMA) events because, as Coun. Bob Spiers put it, “the association with the type of...
Pet snake killed at West Kelowna Buckerfield’s
"IT'S LIKE SOMEONE REACHED IN AND JUST CRUSHED HER." KELOWNA – Staff at the West Kelowna Buckerfield’s are mourning the loss of one of their pet snakes after she was found with her head mysteriously crushed Tuesday afternoon. The body of Miss Cuddles, a 4’ long Corn Snake, was found curled up under her plastic...
Teacher strikes to continue next week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — If you have kids, be prepared to find alternate plans next week because the teachers’ union has announced a second week of rotating strikes, set to take place next week. Students in the Central and North Okanagan School Districts (SD23 and SD83) will be home Monday, June 2. On Tuesday, the strikes rotate...
UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch ended for Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A severe thunderstorm warning for the Central and North Okanagan including Vernon and Kelowna has ended this evening though a chance of heavy rain remains for the entire region. Environment Canada says 10-20 mm of rain is expected by Thursday morning but there is a chance of localized thunderstorms that could bring at...
Food Truck Rally rolls back into Kelowna
KELOWNA – For the second year in a row, the parking lot of Prospera Place will be flooded with hundreds of hungry diners and around half a dozen trucks representing cuisine from around the world. Craig Campbell is the Communications Manager for Prospera Place and the organizer of the second annual Kelowna Food Truck Rally....
Snow on Coquihalla
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Winter has returned to the Coquihalla Highway and the rest of the region can expect heavy rain today. Drive B.C. is reporting slushy sections from the Great Bear Snowshed to the Coquihalla Lakes exit, water pooling north of that section and fog in the section of the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Kamloops....
Kelowna parents join teachers on day of action
KELOWNA – With the second of four planned rotating job action days taking place in Kelowna Tuesday, some parents and teachers are saying they are standing together for students in danger of being left behind. Veronique Broger has two kids enrolled in Ecole de L’Anse-Au-Sable on Gordon Dr. She decided to come out and support...
Study finds multi-million dollar benefits to Okanagan Rail Trail
OYAMA - Converting the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna into a multi-use pathway would drive over $3 million in visitor spending in the first year alone, states a consulting report on predicted benefits. The Okanagan Rail Trail held a press conference Tuesday morning in Oyama to release the findings of a 70 page impact...
West Kelowna councillor arrested (for charity)
WEST KELOWNA – A West Kelowna councillor was placed in handcuffs Monday morning for uttering threats of retiring. The “arrest” took place ahead of a Cops for Kids fundraiser where members of the public can file a summons, forcing them to pay bail that will be donated to kids suffering from medical, physical or traumatic...
Road safety highlighted during Bike to Work Week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This week is Bike to Work Week, a celebration that kicks off a season of more cyclists on the roads, and both cyclists and motorists are being reminded to do their part to help keep everyone safe. ICBC notes an average of nearly 1,000 cyclists are injured during the warmer months of May...
Country music legend coming to Kelowna this fall
KELOWNA – Country music singer and songwriter Alan Jackson brings his unique combination of honky tonk and mainstream to Prospera Place this fall. Jackson, 55, has more than 30 number one hits and won two Grammy’s in his 25-year career. He will perform hits like Here in the Real World, Don’t Rock the Jukebox and Chattahoochee...
Trap catches excessive speeders on 97c
West Kelowna – More than half a dozen excessive speeders were stopped and their vehicles impounded during a speed trap in West Kelowna last Friday. Const. Kris Clark says seven vehicles were stopped by members of the Kelowna Integrated Road Safety Unit who were looking for aggressive drivers along Hwy. 97c on May 23. “The...
This is what methotrexate looks like
"I WANT TO RUN AND IT WON'T GO AWAY." KELOWNA – It all started with a pain in nine-year-old Liam’s leg. His parents, Shilo Lauinger and Amber Bigelow, took him to their family doctor in Kelowna expecting a diagnosis of a pulled muscle. A PET scan was scheduled and instead of a pulled muscle, they...
Mapping Okanagan travel habits
KELOWNA – A survey of local travel habits reveals a number of insights into how Okanagan residents get where we need to go. Conducted by the City of Kelowna, City of Vernon, Districts of Lake Country, West Kelowna, Peachland, Westbank First Nation and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, the survey shows the travel...
New meteor shower to put on a show tonight
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new meteor shower is set to light up the sky around midnight on Friday and predictions are it could be quite the show. NASA says the shower could rival the well-known Perseids meteor shower that happens in August, even though no one has ever seen the Camelopardalids before. The Camelopardalids are caused...
Sheep-eating cougar killed in East Kelowna
KELOWNA – A male cougar was destroyed by Conservation officers after an East Kelowna resident complained it killed three of his sheep. Officers attending the June Springs property decided the cat could not be relocated and were forced to shoot the animal in the interest of public safety. It is the policy of the Ministry...
Arsonist admits to burning down West Kelowna Lion’s Hall
KELOWNA – Kerry Robert Cooper pleaded guilty Thursday morning to burning down the West Kelowna Lion’s Hall. Cooper, 30, entered the plea from North Fraser Pre-Trial, declining legal representation. Crown prosecutor Dave Grabavac says Cooper admitted to the Sept. 1 arson after seeing video footage of him buying gas, walking in the direction of the...
Found amongst the damage; beaver poached at Headwaters bush party
"WE USUALLY FIND SOME GARBAGE BUT THIS SITE WAS PRETTY DISTURBING." SUMMERLAND – A weekend party at Headwaters in Summerland caused thousands of dollars in damage and may result in poaching charges if the culprits are caught. South Okanagan Conservation officer Sgt. Jim Beck says he received several complaints of gunfire and damage over the...
Representing the Lower Class of car enthusiasts
"IT'S NOT ABOUT THE GROUP, IT'S ABOUT THE PASSION." KELOWNA – When Aaron Noble decided to start a car club that doesn’t discriminate against what type of vehicle you drive, he had no idea how popular it would become. Noble is the founder of LowerClass Car Club, a group with over 300 members and a...
Child found in home with 11 litres of date rape drug
KELOWNA – When police raided a house in Mission last week, not only did they find a massive amount of drugs, cash and stolen property, but a two-year-old child as well. The child belongs to Desiree Kovacs, 24, one of four people arrested after a three-week investigation resulted in a search of the home that...