Penticton

Fire rips through downtown Penticton businesses

PENTICTON - Penticton firefighters are on scene of a fire at two downtown businesses this morning. The Penticton Fire Department was called to the 200 block of Main Street around 5:40 a.m., Sept. 30, on a first alarm and immediately noticed smoke visible from coming from Fibonacci Roastery and Cafe and the neighbouring Hooked on...

UPDATE: Body of missing man found

UPDATE: 8:28 A.M., SEPT 30, 2015 RCMP has located the body of German Santana and his truck. Santana was involved in a fatal single vehicle crash about 20 kilometres west of Princeton on Highway 3. The investigation has been turned over to the B.C. Coroners Service and RCMP South Okanagan Traffic Services. 7:14 A.M., SEPT....

Construction worker needs help with recovery after severe spinal injury on the job

WEST KELOWNA - Cole Bernier, a construction worker injured last week in a workplace accident, is facing a lengthy recovery after being crushed under some roof trusses. “Cole is someone you’ll never see without a smile on his face and if he’s frowning, it is typically because you changed his music or didn’t leave enough...

Super moon, eclipse delights Okanagan sky watchers

OKANAGAN - Across most of the region the skies cleared in time to catch at least part of the rare super moon and lunar eclipse event Sunday evening, Sept. 27. A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon makes its closest approach to the Earth and appears slightly larger and brighter than normal. A...

Sunny and warm end to September in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - The weekend was filled with typical autumn weather, and a few cooler nights, but we can expect it to warm up a bit during the week as September comes to a close. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to reach as high as 22 C this week. The mercury is expected to reach...

Two Okanagan communities will host upcoming B.C. 55+ Games

OKANAGAN – Vernon and Kelowna have been selection to host upcoming B.C. 55+ Games. The 2017 games will be held in Vernon, supported by the Armstrong and Spallumcheen, and the 2019 games will be in Kelowna. Cranbrook and Kimberley in the East Kootenays will host the games in 2018. Vernon hosted the inaugural games in...

First fall weekend warm and sunny in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - The first weekend of autumn will be a typical one in the Okanagan, with warm days and cool nights. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to be just above the seasonal normal high of 17 Celsius throughout the Okanagan, though overnight we can expect things to cool off a bit more than normal....

Cities aim for the 21st century with Internet advertising law

KELOWNA - Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran is leading the charge to drag the way municipal governments communicate with citizens into the 21st century. Kelowna is sponsoring a resolution at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention underway in Vancouver, which would allow so-called statutory notifications - information cities are currently required by law to publish in...

Rare super moon lunar eclipse over the Okanagan this weekend

OKANAGAN - Not only will the last total lunar eclipse until January 2019 take place Sunday evening, it will also be a harvest, or super, moon, meaning it will appear to be a very large red moon for part of the evening. The moon will completely pass through the Earth’s shadow Sunday evening, Sept. 27,...

Rare super moon lunar eclipse over Kamloops this weekend

KAMLOOPS - Not only will the last total lunar eclipse until January 2019 take place Sunday evening, it will also be a harvest, or super, moon, meaning it will appear to be a very large red moon for part of the evening. The moon will completely pass through the Earth’s shadow Sunday evening, Sept. 27,...

Harlem Globetrotters hitting the court in Penticton

PENTICTON - The world famous Globetrotters will show off their basketball skills in Penticton as part of their 90th world tour celebration next year. The team will return to the South Okanagan Events Centre on Feb. 29, 2016, for a 7 p.m. show. The Penticton stop is one of 320 games that will be played...

Risk of frost in the Okanagan tonight

OKANAGAN - If you haven’t already harvested all your tomatoes you should spend some time covering them up today — there’s a risk of frost through much of the Okanagan tonight. Environment Canada is calling for a risk of frost tonight, Sept. 21, in the North and Central Okanagan with temperatures expected to dip as...

Arson at car shop in Penticton still under investigation

PENTICTON - An arson at Boyd Autobody and Glass last October is still under investigation and RCMP are hoping someone will be able to provide new information to help move the case forward. On Oct. 3, 2014, Penticton RCMP and the Penticton Fire Department responded to an early morning fire alarm at the repair shop...

Wet weekend ahead for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - If you were hoping for one last good hurrah before the end of summer, you may have waited too long — the final weekend of summer is set to be filled with rain. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to be near seasonal normals of 19 Celsius today, Sept. 18, and Saturday before...

Changing trends force Okanagan libraries to seek two per cent increase in budget

KELOWNA – The board of directors for the Okanagan Regional Library have approved a draft of next year’s budget that calls for a 1.98 per cent increase. Half of the extra money would go towards wage increases for staff while the remainder would be used to offset higher rents and utilities, higher book and eResource...

Arrest made in Vernon pet store arson

VERNON - Police have charged a local man with arson in connection to a small fire outside AJ’s Pets & Things earlier this month. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says surveillance footage released by the store showed a man appearing to start the Sept. 6 fire. Police appealed to the public for help locating and identifying...

Bear complaints overwhelming Okanagan conservation officers

KAMLOOPS NUMBERS SLOW DOWN AFTER EARLY SPIKE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Conservation officers in the North and South Okanagan regions are being swamped with bear complaints as the large animals begin to prepare for hibernation. While fall always sees an uptick in bear activity, conservation officer Jim Beck says this year is worse than normal. “It’s crazy...

Driver hopitalized after rolling car into bucket of a Bobcat

PENTICTON – A 26-year-old woman was taken to hospital Wednesday morning after she lost control of her car and rolled down an embankment into the bucket of a Bobcat. The cause of the crash at 1656 Holden Rd. is still being investigated and the medical status of the driver, the lone occupant, is not known....

Fishing reopens on drought-affected Okanagan rivers

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fishermen can again drop a line in streams and rivers that were closed to angling this summer because of drought in Southern B.C. The natural resource ministry announced in a press release the reopening of fishing on the Kettle, West Kettle and Similkameen Rivers and their tributaries, the Middle Shuswap River and the main...

Last day to book super cheap WestJet flights to London

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - WestJet has announced a super-low airfare to London, England with the cheeky slogan 'If that’s not cheap enough, you can always try mailing yourself.' Pricing for a non-stop flight from Vancouver to London’s Gatwick Airport starts at $299, one-way, with similar deals at select airports across Canada, including Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and...

Snow on the Okanagan Connector

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Drivers heading out on the highway should be prepared for a bit of snow at the higher elevations this morning. Drive B.C. is showing snow at several of the higher Okanagan elevations and temperatures are currently sitting around 0 Celsius. At the Coquihalla Summit it is currently raining and temperatures are sitting around...

Water drilling rush in B.C. Interior to get jump on new water regulations

IMPACT UNKNOWN THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Companies drilling water wells in the B.C. Southern Interior appear to be busier than usual and the reason may be the introduction next spring of the provincial Water Sustainability Act and its new well licensing requirements. While hard numbers of how many wells are being drilled are hard to come by...