Kelowna

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...

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...