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Penticton news

Racing bathtubs raise more than $18K for Penticton hospital

PENTICTON - A fledgling fundraiser featuring bathtubs did better than expected for the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation last month. The Aug. 22 running of the inaugural Great Ogopogo Bathtub Race raised more than $18,000 for the foundation, money that will go towards providing medical equipment for the proposed Patient Care Tower at Penticton Regional...

Man wanted on Canada-wide warrant picked up in Oliver

PENTICTON - A man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant is now in police custody following an arrest by Penticton RCMP Drug Task Force and Oliver RCMP members this week. Marcus Wilfred Sheena was apprehended on Sept. 9 for breaching conditions of a two-year sentence for a violent assault four years ago. Sheena and a female...

Province suspends fishing in Salmon Arm Bay

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The province is suspending fishing in Salmon Arm Bay where the Salmon River and Shuswap Lake meet. This action is because of conservation concerns and low stream flows. Effective this weekend, Sept. 11, until the end of the year, all fishing in Salmon Arm Bay west of Engineer's Point and Sunnybrae Point is...

Injured man found at downtown Penticton intersection

PENTICTON - An injured man found in the downtown core area this weekend has police asking for the public's help in determining exactly what happened. Police responded to a call of an injured man found at the intersection of Nanaimo Avenue and Main Street on Saturday, Sept. 5 at approximately 4:30 a.m., Penticton RCMP media...

Overdone dinner results in fire call in Penticton

PENTICTON - A dinner a little too overcooked prompted a response from Penticton firefighters yesterday afternoon, Sept. 9. Penticton firefighters responded to a call for a structure fire on Barton Court at approximately 2:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon. Two trucks and six crew members arrived at the scene to find a smoke-filled kitchen. Upon entering the...

CBC’s Ron MacLean bringing Hometown Hockey Tour to Penticton

PENTICTON - Kamloops won’t be the only Interior community celebrating the National Hockey League with Ron MacLean this season; Penticton has been named one of the stops on the second annual Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour. The tour will make 24 stops this year, four in B.C., and features NHL alumni, hometown heroes and local entertainment...

RCMP issue warning over persistent phone scammers in the Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Residents are being reminded to watch for red flags if they get a call from someone claiming to be from Revenue Canada. Clues the call may be a scam include getting pressured by the person to pay taxes immediately over the phone, or being threatened that police will come and arrest them if...

Here’s your first look at the Hopkins movie shot around the Okanagan

VERNON - Enderby debuts on the cinematic world stage this week at the Venice Film Festival, but for those of us without a plane ticket, at least there’s a sneak peak video to be seen. A teaser from Go With Me, produced by Enderby Entertainment and filmed locally, is now available. It offers up a...

Much of Penticton’s aging water infrastructure facing corrosive buildup

PENTICTON - Penticton’s aging water delivery infrastructure has forced city staff to rethink a recently introduced maintenance program for its cast iron water pipes. Public Works Manager Len Robson asked council to reallocate the remaining 2015 budget for the city’s cast iron water main cleaning and inspection program in order to implement a water utility...

Big Brother Canada stars spend the weekend in Peachland

KELOWNA - Stars of the Canadian version of the TV game show Big Brother were in Peachland over the weekend, meeting fans and signing autographs. Davis Cove Lakeshore Resort manager Shelley Peach originally arranged for 13 houseguests to come to her resort after missing an opportunity to meet them in Vancouver in the spring. She...

Police patrols respond to impaired octogenarian and other offences in Penticton

PENTICTON - It was a busy week for local RCMP as they dealt with a variety of infractions while patrolling area highways last week. Police received several complaints of an erratic driver behind the wheel of a grey Chevy Cobalt on Tuesday afternoon, Sept.1. The vehicle was located shortly after it struck another vehicle, but...

RDOS board scuttles economic development bylaw

PENTICTON - Plans for a regional economic development fund came to a sudden end at last week’s regional district board meeting. Directors at the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen voted to rescind and abandon a new economic development bylaw at last Thursday’s regular board meeting. West Bench Director Michael Brydon spearheaded the effort to create a...

ELECTION 2015: Harper to visit Kamloops next week

KAMLOOPS - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is tentatively scheduled to come to Kamloops next week. The Conservative Party of Canada is releasing limited information, but a spokesperson confirmed the Conservative leader will be in the region on Monday, Sept. 14. Details on if and when an event is to take place will be confirmed 24...

Penticton looks at automated garbage collection system

PENTICTON - Automated garbage pickup could be coming to the curbs of Penticton as the city contemplates the idea of moving to a more modern system. Penticton City Council heard about a mechanized garbage collection system at a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, Sept.8. Penticton Public Works Manager Len Robson says the cart program,...

Kamloops and Kelowna among top places in Canada for job seekers

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Kamloops and Kelowna have managed to crack the top-20 in a survey noting 50 of the hottest local job markets in Canada. Express Employment Professionals, a staffing agency with operations in Canada, the U.S. and South Africa, released its second annual Top 50 Hot Job Markets survey this week. The survey looks at the number...

MacMaster and Leahy bringing Celtic flair to Penticton

PENTICTON - Fiddle and piano will come together for one memorable night in Penticton this November. Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy: Two Fiddles Two Pianos will be at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre Saturday, Nov. 28. MacMaster is a globally-acclaimed fiddle player from Cape Breton while Leahy is part of the double platinum-selling Celtic...

Theft, unusual odours and annual grad party all part of Penticton RCMP work week

PENTICTON - Thefts kept police busy this week, along with some mischief and an annual unsanctioned graduation event. Tuesday, Sept. 1, a suspect was arrested by the drug task force after stealing men’s jeans from Mark’s Work Wearhouse at 2607 South Main St., according to Penticton RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth. The man was identified...

Stolen Lake Country boat and truck recovered in Kamloops

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An observant off duty cop helped police recover a boat and truck stolen out of Lake Country Sunday night. The astute officer noticed a boat and trailer being unloaded on the side of the highway in the Dallas area early Monday morning, Sept. 7 and turned around to keep an eye on the...

Health authority moves on residential care bed promise

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Construction of 100 new residential care beds will begin this fall in Kelowna and another 85 are soon expected in Vernon as well. The Interior Health Authority announced in a press release it has awarded the contract to Baltic Properties, an existing contractor who is already providing residential care services in Kamloops, Lake...

Young Stars Classic begins with Canucks training camp in Penticton

PENTICTON - Hockey season is almost here again, and nowhere will that be more evident than Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre this week. The roster and schedule for the Vancouver Canucks Young Stars Classic Tournament was announced today, Aug. 31. The tournament begins with the Canucks training camp on Sept. 10. Practices on the arena's main...

Temperatures to heat up again in Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Back to school is kicking off with a little rain this morning but by the end of the week we can expect highs well above seasonal normals throughout the Southern Interior. Temperatures will remain below seasonal normal lows of 21 Celsius today, Sept. 8, but it's expected to reach 23 C Wednesday before...

Bogus American money circulating in Okanagan

OKANAGAN – RCMP are warning people to be on the lookout for counterfeit American currency in the Okanagan. Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a media release there have been numerous reports of bogus $20 and $50 bills. She is urging businesses to carefully check the authenticity of any currency before they accept it as payment....