Penticton news
Penticton court appreciative of man’s insight into his own behaviour
PENTICTON - A Penticton man showing promise at straightening out his life received a conditional sentence in Penticton court this week for charges stemming from a vehicle theft more than a year ago. Clifford Robert Dranchuk was charged with two counts of theft under $5,000, possession of break-in instruments and driving while prohibited, after police...
Holidays and weather doesn’t stop flow of blood donations in Penticton
PENTICTON - With a blood donor clinic taking place in Penticton this week red has come to signify more than the Christmas season for many South Okanagan and Similkameen residents this year. Canadian Blood Services held a two day clinic in Penticton earlier this week and turnout for holiday clinics can be hard to predict...
Man back in custody minutes after leaving Penticton court
PENTICTON - A man found sleeping in a truck filled with stolen items made a court appearance yesterday, and then was taken back into custody just minutes after leaving the court house when he was witnessed stealing a cash box. The man, who is well known to police, was arrested Dec. 23 after residents reported...
Earthquake 19 km northeast of Victoria
VICTORIA - A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Sidney, Vancouver Island Tuesday evening. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the three second quake happened just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, 19 kilometres northeast of Victoria and almost 60 kilometres below the earth’s surface. There have been no reports of any damage or injuries. The...
Penticton couple became millionaires on Boxing Day
PENTICTON - A lottery ticket purchased at Penticton’s Cherry Lane Shopping Centre let a local couple keep the celebration going the day after Christmas. Lindsay Slobodzian and Grzegroz Slobodzian checked their lottery ticket while Boxing Day shopping, Dec. 26, just an hour before hosting a family get together, and found out they won one of...
Theft and snowball fights keep Penticton RCMP busy Christmas week
PENTICTON - Penticton thieves were especially active Christmas Eve last week. Police responded to 52 files on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Among the calls were a rash of thefts from vehicles reported Christmas Eve, including: - safety equipment stolen from a vehicle parked on Canyon Court - a vehicle on Wellington Street was rifled through,...
‘My roommate used my toothbrush’ and other reasons to not call 9-1-1
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C. has released its top ten worst reasons people used their service this year. E-Comm is the primary 9-1-1 answer point for 24 regional districts and other communities from Vancouver Island to the Alberta and U.S. borders, to north of Prince George. With nearly 3,400 9-1-1 calls...
Faulty fireplace results in close call at Naramata home
PENTICTON - A Naramata resident is fortunate damage to his house wasn’t greater following an unusual fire yesterday evening. Naramata Fire Chief Tony Trovao says the fire department responded to a call of a structure fire on Granite Place around 8:50 p.m. Monday, Dec.28. Travao says the resident had the fire mostly out by the...
Twin Lakes crime spree leads to police chase
PENTICTON - Penticton RCMP spent a busy day prior to Christmas tracking down thieves in the Twin Lakes area. Police responded to calls of break and enters on Grand Oro Road in the Twin Lakes area on Wednesday morning, Dec. 23, RCMP media spokesperson Don Wrigglesworth says. While investigating the break-ins, police were alerted by another Grand...
No day off for Soupateria volunteers in Penticton
PENTICTON - While many people in Penticton took today off, not so for the volunteers at Penticton Soupateria. They were kept busy through the noon hour serving clients at the Martin Street kitchen, Dec. 28. Soupateria cook Pat Witzraney says the kitchen has been serving a few less people in the last week, down from...
Penticton digging out after heavy snowfall
PENTICTON - Penticton residents with mobility issues faced difficulties getting around today as city crews tried to get a handle on the weekend snowfall. Many sidewalks and street curbs remained snow covered or slushy early Monday afternoon, Dec. 28. City Hall was closed for the Boxing Day stat, so there was no official word available...
Weather mellowing out in the Okanagan this week
OKANAGAN - It looks like snowplows will get some time to catch up this week with much less white stuff expected to fall. Communities across the Okanagan got hit with a large dump of snow over the holiday weekend, prompting a snowfall warning from Environment Canada, which ended Dec. 27. Between 7 mm and 10 mm...
Penticton firefighters douse car fire
PENTICTON - Firefighters were called to downtown Penticton this afternoon to put out a car fire. Fire crews arrived at the intersection of Wade Avenue and Martin Street at approximately 12:50 p.m., Dec. 28, to find a Honda Civic parked at the curb with smoke billowing from the hood and flame from the engine compartment....
Pickup truck dislodges concrete barriers after losing control on Highway 97
PENTICTON - Frozen, snowy roads continue to take their toll on traffic in the South Okanagan. The driver of a Toyota Tundra pickup narrowly missed plunging down a steep, 300-foot embankment when her vehicle went out of control and struck several concrete barriers lining Highway 97 late Sunday afternoon.The truck dislodged two of the barriers,...
UPDATE: Snowfall warning ended for Okanagan and South Thompson
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS IN WINTER DRIVING CONDITION THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A dump of snow overnight and this morning is making the busiest travel day of the year a challenge for drivers. The snowfall warning issued by Environment Canada for the Thompson-Okanagan earlier this morning was ended at about 10:15 a.m., Dec. 27. Forecasters say significant snowfall...