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Okanagan
Snow hits Kamloops, forecast for Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Snow has already fallen in Kamloops this morning and more is on the way as a system moving through the region warms the air. A light snow and temperatures hovering near the freezing mark have led to multiple crashes in the city and Kamloops RCMP asking drivers to slow down and drive for...
Penticton, Kelowna renters spending nearly 30% of income on housing
KAMLOOPS, VERNON NOT MUCH BETTER THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new study shows people renting in the region are spending, on average, 24-29 per cent of their income on rent and utilities, putting the rental landscape in the poor to severe category. The B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association released the Rental Housing Index, in partnership with Vancity Credit...
Snow heading to town
SYSTEM COULD CLEAR SMOKE FROM AIR THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Snow has already been accumulating on some highway passes and this week we may see some of the white stuff hit valley bottoms as a system moves over the region. Environment Canada is calling for warming temperatures through the weekend as cloud cover moves in. Highs of...
Set your alarm clocks, Leonid meteor shower peaking
TUESDAY MORNING SHOW IF CLOUDS KEEP AWAY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the clouds part and the smoke clears, we could be in for a great showing of the Leonid meteor shower early Tuesday morning. While the moon, currently in the waning crescent phase, is not expected to interfere with viewing the storm, increasing cloudiness overnight could...
Interior Health employee investigated for alleged sexual assault of ‘vulnerable’ resident
NOT THE FIRST ALLEGATION: POLICE VERNON - Interior Heath Authority is reviewing an employee who was investigated by police for an allegation of sexual assault on a 'vulnerable' care facility resident. Interior Health informed police of the allegations in July 2014 but the incident happened some time before. Vernon RCMP says interior health didn't report...
Air quality advisory remains in place
WAITING ON THE WEATHER TO CHANGE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It is mid-November and yes, that is smoke in the air. Unlike the summer when large wildfires in northern B.C. caused air quality advisories the smoke visible throughout the region is due to open burning. “There are hundreds of burn registrations issued,” Kayla Pepper of B.C. Wildfire...
Top Gear to film in the Okanagan
PENTICTON - Local fans of the British television show Top Gear will be happy to know the series will be shooting highway footage in the South Okanagan and Boundary regions for the popular show. Filming begins in the latter part of November, according to a media release from the Okanagan Film Commission. The group in...
Break in cold snap around the corner
WILL STAY BELOW ZERO A FEW MORE DAYS THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a few days of sub-zero temperatures everyone is looking for a break, but we still have a few more days of staying below zero before it will finally begin to warm up again. Through the Okanagan temperatures only rose to -0.2 Celsius in Penticton...
Vernon council backs down from golf course water rate hike
VERNON – Golf courses who buy reclaimed or grey water from the City of Vernon to irrigate won’t be gouged with an almost doubling of rates after all. City councillors voted unanimously this week to freeze the rates for spray irrigation at 2013 levels. Representatives from the local golf courses pleaded with the councillors at...
Snow possible as cold front moves in
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An Arctic mass of cold air is moving over the region bringing cold temperatures to the region, and as cold as it will get, we still will not be hitting record low temperatures. Temperatures will reach overnight lows of down to -11 Celsius over the next several days but that is nowhere near...
Bundle up: Cold Arctic air on its way
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Winter is coming our way with a vengence as cold Arctic air rushes into the Southern Interior on Monday. Environment Canada has issued a Special Weather Statement warning temperatures throughout the Okanagan and South Thompson will be five to ten degrees below seasonal normals. Forecasters say by Tuesday, daytime highs will be below...
Water board has money to give away
KELOWNA – There is another $300,000 up for grabs for those who need money to fund a project to save water or improve its quality in the Okanagan in 2015. The Okanagan Basin Water Board is back with its Water Conservation and Quality Improvement grant program. It’s the ninth year for the program. The cash...
Okanagan Regional Library axes service in some communities
OKANAGAN - The Okanagan Regional Library has already cut services at some branches, and more are on the chopping block. It’s all part of a process to improve equity at the regional library’s 29 service locations, after a financial audit found some discrepancies. Some branches, including those in West Kelowna, the City of Kelowna, the...
Snow accumulating on TransCanada
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you needed proof winter is coming, you need not look further than Rogers Pass, where the snow is beginning to stick around. Over the past day more than a centimetre has fallen in Albert Canyon between Glacier National Park and Mt. Revelstoke National Park, with even more falling at the higher elevations...
Poppy campaign is underway
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The annual poppy campaign began on Halloween and runs until Remembrance Day. Every year legions around the country sell poppies, the international symbol of remembrance, from the last Friday in October through to Nov. 11. Cadets, veterans and volunteers will be out in the community peddling poppies and donation boxes are going up...
Okanagan sex offender arrested on outstanding warrants
TWO MEN ARRESTED UNDER B.C. FUGITIVE RETURN PROGRAM THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A man convicted of sexual touching in a Penticton court last summer has been arrested by Kamloops RCMP and returned to Ontario on outstanding warrants, while another man with outstanding warrants stemming from an alleged domestic incident was arrested in the North Okanagan and returned...
Ghosts of the Southern Interior
FROM ALBERT OF SAGEBRUSH TO LOYD OF TOWNE THEATRE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If spooky is what you are after this Halloween you are in luck, the region is ripe with ghosts and haunted houses sure to make your hair stand on end. In Kamloops, one of the most famous haunted buildings is Padova, the old sanatorium...
No treats from Mother Nature this Halloween
ENVIRONMENT CANADA PREDICTS AN UMBRELLA IS IN YOUR FUTURE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If makeup is part of your Halloween costume you may want to come up with a plan ‘B’ as it looks like Mother Nature will not be doling out any weather treats Friday. The forecast calls for cool temperatures and rain. The rain forecast...
It’s all about safety on Halloween
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The first thing that comes to mind on Halloween is safety, at least for parents. Kids are only thinking about the candy and costumes, but there are ways to help keep them safe on Halloween night, even if it’s the last thing on their minds. Always make sure young children are accompanied by...
Video showcases Canadian lack of tolerance… for racism
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Canadians have come together over the past week to not only remember the lives of two soldiers who were killed in cold blood on Canadian soil, but to defend the rights of Muslims across the country. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quick to call the man who shot Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the...
Be leery of this email targeting education support payments
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Parents looking to get the $40-per-day temporary education support payment promised by the government during the B.C. teachers’ strike are advised to be aware of a fraudulent email which includes a link to a false Canada Revenue Agency website. A Maple Ridge woman contacted the RCMP after receiving an email which linked to a site...
Why wildland firefighters keep coming back
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It can feel like warfare; heading into a fire, in the middle of nowhere for days on end at the mercy of Mother Nature. Yet something about being on the battle lines draws in wildland firefighters season after season. For Jarvis Manuel, a 14-year veteran with B.C. Wildfire, it’s the people. For Thomas...
Get ready for the snow
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There have been small amounts of snow on mountain passes already this fall, but it hasn’t lasted long or accumulated enough for many people to really take note. Thursday morning Highway 97C saw warnings of slushy and slippery sections near the Pennask Summit and Environment Canada issued a special weather statement warning of...
Penguins fans sing Canadian anthem
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - National Hockey League fans showed their love and support for Canada Wednesday night at a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The team flooded the arena with red light, images of the Canada flag and maple leafs while the words to the anthem were posted on the large screens so...