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Kelowna

Carjacking and stabbing may be linked

KELOWNA – A man who stopped to help what he thought were stranded motorists was instead beaten and had his car stolen Tuesday morning. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the man stopped on Gordon Dr. at around 6 a.m. after he saw three men and one woman pulled to the side of the road. “When...

Home invasion suspects arrested after standoff with RCMP

KELOWNA - A pair of suspects accused of an armed home invasion were arrested Monday following several hours of negotiation outside a home on Bernard Ave. The men are accused of breaking into a home on Findlay Road and robbing at gun point a 41-year-old Kelowna man who was sleeping in his home early Monday...

UPDATE: Teacher strikes begin Monday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers announced today they will conduct a rotating strike next week in an effort to move along negotiations with the province. The strike begins Monday, May 26 in School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and will be followed by the Central Okanagan (SD23) and North Okanagan-Shuswap (SD83) districts Tuesday. On Wednesday, May 28 teachers...

All signs point to pet poop problem in public parks

KELOWNA - Poop has long been a source of endless humour with kids, now a new sign strategy by the RDCO is attempting to make it funny for adults as well. Rather than warning about fines, the doggy doo-not plan uses friendly reminders to educate pet owners and encourage responsibility. Communications officer Bruce Smith says...

Crews respond to lightning-caused fire near Fintry

VERNON - Efforts are underway to extinguish a fire sparked by lightning in the Fintry area Friday afternoon. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says a three person attack crew and an air tanker were deployed to the area around 2:30 p.m. The Wildfire Management branch is standing by in case further resources are required. The...

Eleven parked vehicles damaged by elderly driver

KELOWNA - A medical emergency is the likely reason an elderly man crashed his car into almost a dozen vehicles in a busy parking lot Friday afternoon. The series of accidents happened at around 3 p.m. in front of Save-On-Foods in Orchard Plaza. Police say the 75-year-old driver likely suffered a medical issue and was...

Knox Mountain Hill Climb claims first victim

KELOWNA - The Knox Mountain Hill Climb hasn’t even begun yet, but already one person has been sent to hospital with injuries sustained while apparently making preparations for the annual race. According to a report on Global Okanagan, a man was working under a Chevy truck when he became pinned underneath Friday afternoon. The man...

Wet weather won’t stop Kelowna’s weekend of events

KELOWNA – It’s the first busy weekend of the year for events in Kelowna, but those attending the Knox Mountain Hill Climb and Rutland May Days will want to bring jackets and umbrellas. Showers are expected Saturday through Sunday combined with lows of only 8 Celcius, but that won’t stop these two marquee Kelowna events...

What fans, players and organizers have to say about the 2014 RBC Cup

VERNON - It seems everyone involved in the RBC Cup can’t help but tweet about it. Players, organizers and fans shared their experiences this week on Twitter. Their tweets take us into the grandstands, beyond the locker room doors, and behind the scenes of the ten day Junior A Championship event held at Kal Tire...

Gas prices skyrocket for long weekend

THOMPSON OKANAGAN - Gas prices have skyrocketed just in time for the long weekend. Many pumps across the Thompson-Okanagan are advertising a ten cent jump today. In Vernon, many gas stations are selling at 143.9 cents per litre. It’s the same story in Kelowna, with most places selling at 143.9 and one, the Superstore on...

Teacher negotiations moved forward

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — The province announced Thursday it would remove the 10-year term from the table and the teachers’ union president says it’s a relief to finally see it off the table. “It shows the government is willing to get more serious about it and we are happy about that,” B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker...

Suspected gas leak prompts evacuation order

KELOWNA – A natural gas leak forced the evacuation of more than 50 people on Ellis St. Thursday morning. Residents of the Canery Lofts reported an odour of gas before noon and the leak was isolated to a unit on the fourth floor. The cause of the leak has not been identified but gas was...

Local fighter signs with UFC

“IT’S PRETTY MUCH MY DREAM COMING TRUE.” KELOWNA – A local MMA fighter will make her official debut in the UFC this summer. Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras, 26, first gained attention after she made it to the semifinals of The Ultimate Fighter, an MMA reality show and competition on the FX network. Moras, who is originally...

Two convicted in botched armed robbery

KAMLOOPS – Two Kelowna men were convicted while a third was acquitted on charges related to a botched robbery involving a duffel bag full of weapons. Rick Herd, born 1984, and Joel McLean, born 1987, were convicted of possessing a restricted firearm and ammunition without a proper license. The two were involved in an attempted invasion...

Security, impact on residents take centre stage in planning for COG

KELOWNA - In an effort to broaden appeal, heighten security and reduce negative impact on residents, Center of Gravity is making some changes for 2014. This year will mark the 7th in a row the summer sports and music festival has come to Kelowna courtesy of Wet Ape Production. While the festival certainly helps promote...

Victim’s brother was driving in weekend crash

VERNON — The 14-year-old Vernon boy who died in a head-on collision last weekend, was being driven by his older brother. Rodney Boring, the passenger in a Pontiac Sunfire involved in a head-on crash with a pickup truck on Highway 97 near Oyama, died at the scene, while the 17-year-old driver was airlifted to Kelowna...

UPDATE: Foerster senior sentenced; pleads guilty to accessory in teen’s murder

HELPED SON GET NEW IDENTITY, AVOID POLICE KELOWNA - Stephen Roy Foerster was sentenced to three years in jail for helping his son Matthew Foerster avoid detection by police following the murder of Armstrong teen Taylor Van Diest. Foerster, 60, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact Wednesday morning in a Kelowna Supreme...

Vernon teen killed in weekend crash identified

VERNON - The boy who died in a crash on Highway 97 near Crystal Waters Road May 4 has been identified. He was Rodney Michael Boring, 14, of Vernon.  Boring was the passenger in a Pontiac Sunfire involved in a collision with a full-sized pickup truck at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday. He died at the...

Marijuana balcony cookery draws drug squad

KELOWNA - An outdoor marijuana cook off on a Sunset Drive balcony drew police from around the province Monday night. Police got a complaint about a possible lab in an 18th floor apartment in the 1000 block of Sunset Drive. They told police the occupants of the unit were cooking something on the balcony that...

Delays in Snelson manslaughter re-trial

KAMLOOPS – A Kelowna man awarded a new trial for manslaughter—scheduled this time in Kamloops—is still waiting to set a re-trial date as he now searches for a new lawyer.  Neil Snelson said his trial lawyer, Wade Jenson—also the lawyer who argued the new trial should be moved to Kamloops—is no longer representing him. Snelson was...

Halley’s Comet debris trail sets the sky aglitter tonight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A peak at the annual debris trail from Halley’s Comet may be possible tonight and early Tuesday morning if skies clear. Every spring bits of the debris trail burn up resulting in the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. This year the peak will occur tonight, Monday, May 5, through Tuesday morning. The bright...

Dental clinic brings more services to those in need

KELOWNA - Poverty can limit access to services many take for granted, but with the help of the Gospel Mission Dental Clinic, there's three new reasons to smile in Kelowna. The dental clinic is expanding from their current two chairs to five so more patients who would typically be excluded from care because of hardship...

Spring cleaning on the Coquihalla

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — If you plan on hitting the highways this week plan for delays as crews clean and fix highways hit hard by a cold, wet winter that left potholes and frost heaves on many roads in the region. Work has already begun on some highways and over the next week drivers can expect to...