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Penticton news
Granfondo event great for the cash register, not so much for travelling public
PENTICTON - Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit is defending Sunday’s Granfondo bicycle race saying economic impacts outweigh complaints from residents and motorists in the region over traffic slowdowns. A number of negative comments surfaced on social media regarding traffic disruptions following the Sunday, July 12 event. RCMP police spokesman Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth also noted police received...
Kelowna senior missing for two weeks
KELOWNA – A 71-year-old Kelowna senior has been missing since late last month. Police are asking for the public’s help locating Benjamin Wolfe, who has not been seen or heard from since June 29. He has no cell phone and there is no vehicle associated with him, according to Const. Steve Holmes of the Kelowna...
Driver gets jail time for driving while prohibited
PENTICTON - A Penticton man faces jail time after being caught one too many times driving while prohibited. On March 6, 2015, Penticton RCMP stopped Paul Chavez Efrain, 21, driving a Honda Civic on Paris Street in Penticton. Efrain was found to be driving while prohibited at the time. A record check also revealed the...
Great Cherry Spit coming up in Naramata
PENTICTON - Naramata’s weekly Wednesday afternoon market is celebrating local agriculture with a special event on July 22. The Great Cherry Pit Spitting Contest is coming back to the market for the sixth time, Market Manager Darren Rettie says. Two years ago a cherry picker working in Naramata took the record from local champion Kim...
UPDATE: Cracks show in testimony of ex-wife of former Vernon Mountie charged with child porn
KELOWNA – The actions and recollections of a woman accusing her ex-husband of downloading child porn in 2013 were put under fire on the second day of his trial this morning, July 14. Valerie Little, 30, says she caught her ex-husband, former Vernon RCMP officer Ryan Hampton, searching for child porn on a pink laptop computer...
Concealed shotgun discovered at Penticton court house
PENTICTON - It's unknown what his intent was but the watchful eye of a Sheriff may have stopped a potentially serious incidents at the Penticton Law Courts Monday after a man was found carrying a concealed shotgun. Penticton RCMP say a man and woman entered the Penticton court house yesterday around noon. The man was...
UPDATE: Police investigation continues at Naramata shooting scene
PENTICTON - Police activity continues today, July 14, at a residence located at the end of Lindsay Road, on the Naramata Bench. Penticton RCMP continue their investigation into a shooting that occurred at the residence at approximately 10:30 last night. According to police, two men were involved in the incident. One is being treated for...
New city manager announced for Penticton
PENTICTON - The city has finally found a permanent replacement to fill the role of city manager after the former chief administrative officer left in February. Eric Sorensen, former president and CEO of Sun-Rype Products and more recently an entrepreneur and consultant, was named the new city CAO today, July 14. Sorensen retired after working...
One injured, one in custody following Penticton shooting
PENTICTON - A single victim is in hospital following a shooting incident on the outskirts of Penticton last night. Penticton RCMP received reports of shots fired around 10:30 p.m. yesterday, July 13. Police responded to a residence near the Penticton-Naramata boundary where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to...
Grist Mill chef takes top honours at Similkameen wine event
PENTICTON - A light rain that turned into a downpour failed to dampen enthusiasm for the Barbecue King competition, Similkameen Winery Association’s premier wine event. The Grist Mill’s Natasha Schooten took home top honours, claiming Barbecue Queen for 2015, winning Judges Choice Award for her wine and food pairing of slow smoked short ribs with...
Agriculture committee wants open deer season within Penticton city limits
PENTICTON - Deer within Penticton city limits could soon be fair game for hunters. Penticton's Agriculture Advisory Committee has made a request to allow First Nation harvesters and other regulated hunters the right to hunt on large private holdings with the landowners’ permission on outlying acreages within the city limits.The recommendation came out of a...
UPDATE: Former Vernon cop accused of child porn faces ex-wife-accuser on first day of trial
ADDICTED TO COCAINE, HEROIN, ALCOHOL KELOWNA – The ex-wife of a former Vernon RCMP officer accused of possessing child pornography in 2013 says she turned him in when she found more than 60 images of child porn on his computer. His lawyer, however, said she downloaded the images in an attempt to smear his image...
Motorcycle accident sends one to hospital
PENTICTON - Emergency crews were called to another motorcycle accident in the South Okanagan today, July 13. Members of the Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department, the RCMP and B.C. Ambulance service responded to a motorcycle accident near the intersection of Old Kaleden Road and Highway 97 at approximately 3:45 this afternoon. According to a bystander...
Chamber luncheon hopes to inspire Penticton
PENTICTON - Three Penticton men who made it big in the business world are returning to Penticton to inspire others. Penticton Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Chamber Luncheon where guest speakers will be Jim Treliving, Brad Treliving and Rick Kozuback. The three Penticton natives had early business success in the city, and...
UPDATE: Coroner identifies victim in Shuswap house boat accident
SICAMOUS - A young Alberta woman died in a house boat accident last Friday. The accident happened on Shuswap Lake near the Cinnemousun Narrows about 15 km north of Sicamous Friday, July 10. Andrea Mary Jacura, 22, of Edmonton, Alberta died Friday while swimming in Shuswap Lake in B.C.'s Southern Interior. The woman was behind...
Koopmans sentencing delayed
PENTICTON - Crown and defence counsel continue to work toward a date for sentencing in the John Koopmans murder trial. A hearing to fix a date for sentencing was adjourned this morning, July 13, as both counsels await a pre-sentence report. Defence lawyer John Skogstad told Penticton court via telephone he and Crown prosecutor Frank...
Farewell party for second departing Penticton city manager a more frugal affair
PENTICTON - Going away parties for city staffers have been scaled back following a large bill submitted earlier this year. City of Penticton Communications Officer Simone Blais says the farewell party for exiting Interim City Manager Chuck Loewen cost the city $235 last month. “That was the total spent in food, for veggies, meat and cheese...
Top NHL draft pick to play in 2015 Young Stars Classic in Penticton
PENTICTON - The 2015 Young Stars Classic is just around the corner and tickets could be in bigger demand than ever this year. TIcket sales for the tournament, which will take place Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 14, might be exceptionally brisk this year as the number one National Hockey League draft pick for...
Water board wants more control over what people do in watersheds
OKANAGAN - In an effort to put a stop to mud-bogging and pit toilets near reservoirs, the local water board is supporting a call for greater control over source watersheds. “The board wants our members to have more control and the province to give more support to water utilities to protect the quality of their...
West Kelowna mom raises funds to give more parents of stillborn babies a few extra days together
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A West Kelowna woman who lost her baby shortly before giving birth to him has successfully raised enough money to bring a device to Kelowna General Hospital that will give other parents going through the same thing a little bit of comfort. Now she’s planning to do the same for Vernon, Penticton and...
No fishing in several South Okanagan rivers and streams this summer
PENTICTON – Fans of fishing across the province will be disappointed to learn that as of July 15 they will no longer be permitted to fish many rivers and streams in the South Okanagan this summer due to low flows and warming water temperatures. For the rest of the summer all streams and rivers in...
Tile upgrading means no pool in Penticton for the summer
PENTICTON - Penticton residents will have to make do with the two lakes if they wish to swim this summer as the city deals with slippery pool tiles. The Penticton Community Centre Pool will be closed for a seven-week period beginning July 27 in order to have the pool deck’s tiles replaced. It is expected...
Police confirm identity of Black Mountain murder victim but still no arrests
KELOWNA – RCMP have confirmed the identity of the man found murdered in his home on Black Mountain earlier this week. The body of Amardeep Singh Ahluwalia, 47, was found in his home on Feedham Avenue in the early morning hours of July 7. Police have said very little about the cause of death but...
Similkameen Barbecue King tantalizes taste buds this Saturday
PENTICTON - A premier food and wine event will take place at a local winery this weekend. The 2015 Similkameen Barbecue King gets underway at the Grist Mill in Keremeos, beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. Eight chefs from throughout the South Okanagan and Similkameen will compete to provide the most crowd pleasing...