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Penticton news
Penticton pilot’s cross-country flight an adventure
PENTICTON - A local pilot made an adventure out of his trip east to retrieve a new aircraft. Mark Humbke of Naramata recently completed a cross-Canada trip in his brand new, German made Auto-Gyro, an unusual looking aircraft that uses a helicopter style rotor for lift and an engine powered propeller to provide thrust. The...
Early warning to Penticton boaters: obey rules or air show will be cancelled
PENTICTON - As preparations get underway for the return of Canada’s premier aerial aerobatic team to Penticton, boaters are being warned to obey the rules or lose the show. The committee overseeing the performance of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team, which will be in Penticton Aug. 5, is advising boaters wishing to view the show...
Regional district study leaving Okanagan Falls incorporation out of discussions
PENTICTON - A study looking at the possibility of a new form of governance for Area 'D' in the Okanagan-Similkameen is underway. Last November the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development approved a $50,000 governance study for Electoral Area 'D' of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. Area director Tom Siddon says six interest groups,...
Jury finds Okanagan women guilty of teaching fraudulent tax scheme that cost government millions
KELOWNA – Two Okanagan women who helped defraud the Canadian government of roughly $200 million in taxes have been found guilty of all charges by a jury in Kelowna Supreme Court. Donna Marie Stancer and Deanna Lynn Lavalley were both charged with making false statements in their own personal income tax returns, counselling others to commit...
Cyclists taking over Penticton this weekend
PENTICTON - Penticton and area roads are filling with cyclists this week, and it’s not just because of the great weather the South Okanagan has been experiencing. The city’s motel and hotel rooms promise to be filled to capacity again this weekend as the area hosts the fifth annual Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan. The...
Why Penticton police hope the city hosts more events like Ribfest
PENTICTON - Penticton RCMP resources are feeling the pressures of increasing call volumes and depleted ranks as this year’s crime statistics defy normal patterns. Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski describes the call volumes as “wonky” this year, as seasonal call volumes in the off season winter months this year reached summer volumes at times. Lozinski says...
$110,000 pontoon boat stolen from Kelowna business turns up in Alberta field
KELOWNA – Thanks to social media a luxury pontoon boat that was stolen from a Kelowna business last weekend has been recovered in Alberta. The boat, a 2015 Campion Biltmore worth more than $110,000, was taken from Banner Recreational Products some time Sunday. Amanda Jefferson, Marketing Co-ordinator at Banner Recreation and Marine, says the suspects...
Report clears way for new Penticton BMX track application
PENTICTON - A 10-acre parcel of city owned property at 630 Munson Mountain Rd. received a failing grade for farmland use, allowing Penticton City Council to move forward in its quest to locate a BMX track and other cycling facilities there. Public Works Manager Len Robson says results of a recently commissioned agrologist’s report revealed...
Missing documents for Westbank audit mysteriously resurface
WHAT IT MEANS TO RECALL PETITION FOR CHIEF AND COUNCIL | In February, Westbank First Nation members demanded an audit of band dealings in the Lake Okanagan Wellness Centre after they found themselves on the hook for $7.9 million. When they failed to get it, they pursued the recall of Chief and council. In our ongoing...
Pilot in critical condition after suffering burns in Osoyoos crash
OSOYOOS - A 46-year-old Surrey man lies in critical condition in a Vancouver hospital a day after crashing his single engine Beechcraft plane on Highway 97 just north of Osoyoos. The pilot has been identified as Todd Lewendon of Surrey, a husband and father with three daughters. He is a veteran pilot with nearly 20...
No, you can’t do that in B.C. right now
‘SOMEONE IN AN INTERFACE AREA WAS USING A BLOW TORCH TO GET RID OF THEIR WEEDS’ KELOWNA – This hot, dry summer makes beach days all the more necessary, but it has taken at least some of the fun out of other favourite Thompson-Okanagan pastimes. By now we should all know that, during fire season...
Concern over safety for proposed hospital parking in Penticton
PENTICTON - More information on safety issues is needed before a temporary use permit for hospital parking on Camrose Street will be granted. City planner Blake Laven explained the request at Monday’s council meeting, where concerns were raised by citizens and counsellors over safety issues stemming from a large number of pedestrians crossing Industrial Avenue,...
B.C. Wildfire crews find weed in the Okanagan wild
PENTICTON - A grow-op in the woods above Naramata was discovered by B.C. Wildfire crews who were called to the area to fight a small wildfire yesterday. RCMP Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski says members were called after firefighters tending a small wildfire made the discovery on Tuesday afternoon, July 7. The firefighters were in the...
Local produce retailer caught in competitive Penticton grocery market
PENTICTON - Penticton lost another small business last week, just as seasonal farm producers begin looking for local outlets. The Old Town Farm Market, located at 104-2100 Main St., closed its doors July 1. Market owner Dave (Doc) Willoughby says the rise of big box stores made the location uneconomic. He says the store got 'tons...
South Okanagan gets on board with transit plan
PENTICTON - A plan to see transit improved in the Penticton area is moving forward after getting the green light from city council this week. The Okanagan Similkameen Transit Future Plan received thumbs up from Penticton City Council, clearing the way forward for initial steps in the implementation of a plan that attempts to project...
Vehicle thief handed nine months jail for stolen truck, ATVs
KAMLOOPS - A 22-year-old with a taste for stolen vehicles will spend the next four-and-a-half months in jail after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen pickup truck and two all terrain vehicles last spring. Justice Gary Weatherill handed Waylon Faulhafer a nine-month sentence yesterday, July 6 for his involvement in two separate stolen property files....
The power of information during electrical failure
WHO HAS IT, WHO DOESN'T THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - When the power goes out, so do most of the things we depend on for life and business — lights, refrigerators, internet, air conditioning, point-of-sale machines, cash machines — and depending on which power company you use, so does information. The Thompson-Okanagan is divided between Fortis B.C. and...
Court case could determine naturist use of Three Mile Beach
PENTICTON - The impasse over naturist use of Three Mile Beach could be decided by the courts with Penticton RCMP recommending public nudity charges. RCMP Staff Sergeant Kurt Lozinski says police responded to a public nudity complaint at the beach on July 1. They arrested an individual for obstruction and public nudity after the person...
If you missed the deadline on your favourite Okanagan produce this year, you weren’t alone
SO EARLY, IT'S UNHEARD OF OKANAGAN - Many crops in the Okanagan have come and gone much earlier than normal, and that’s leaving consumers with mixed emotions. Cheryl Rohrer with Good ’N’ Plenty Produce in Armstrong says some customers are thrilled to see their favourite foods out earlier than usual, while others are left disappointed...
UPDATE: Pilot survives small plane crash on highway near Osoyoos
OSOYOOS - A pilot is burned but alive following a small plane crashed on Highway 97 near Osoyoos and then burst into flames earlier this evening. As of 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 7, emergency crews have left the scene of the small plane crash but the highway remains closed, according to Osoyoos Fire Chief Rick...
Smoky skies advisory issued for entire Thompson-Okanagan region
THOMPSON OKANAGAN – If the visible smoke in the sky wasn't enough to warn you, a smoky skies advisory has now been issued for a large portion of the Southern Interior. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has issued a smoky skies advisory for the Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Fraser Canyon,...
Suspicious fire damages businesses in Osoyoos
OSOYOOS - A fire at the back of a fitness facility and bowling alley on Highway 97 last week was deliberately set, according to Osoyoos RCMP. Around 3:45 a.m. on July 2 RCMP members noticed smoke coming from the rear of Vengeance Fitness and Kobau Lanes Bowling Alley on Highway 97. They found flames starting...
Convicted killer Snelson on bail until sentencing this fall
KAMLOOPS – Convicted killer Neil Snelson will spend the rest of his summer living in…
Man accused of running down paper carrier during police chase won’t face judge until 2016
KELOWNA – A preliminary inquiry of prolific offender Donald Maxwell Brodie, accused of critically injuring a paper carrier while evading a police road block in 2013, has been set for early 2016. Brodie, 35, is charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, flight causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing bodily harm and two counts of...