Penticton

Litke is hanging up his mayoral hat

PENTICTON - Mayor Garry Litke is calling it a day and will not run in the upcoming city election. Litke has been mayor for only 13 months, after he was chosen to replace former mayor Dan Ashton in a by-election in fall 2013. Before that, he spent eight years as a city councillor, and 33...

Arrest of alleged drug traffickers ruled ‘unlawful’

KELOWNA - Drug charges against three men are in doubt after a Kelowna Supreme Court Justice ruled RCMP officers, after committing resources to a lengthy investigation, erred in their arrests of three men believed to be trafficking heroin. Justice Gordon Funt, in his Oct. 2 voir dire ruling, ruled the arrests of Joshua David Lambrecht...

Your chance to see a blood-red moon this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Not only do we get to view a full moon and a minor meteor shower this week, we will also be treated to a total lunar eclipse that will give the moon a blood red colour. In our end of the world, the eclipse is expected to be visible from start to finish,...

Mark Donnelly trips and falls during anthem in Penticton

PENTICTON - Known as "Mr. Oh Canada", opera singer and ever-the-pro Mark Donnelly didn't miss a beat when he tripped over the ceremonial red carpet while skating and singing the national anthem to open Friday's Vees game in Penticton. Donnelly is well known to hockey fans for singing renditions of the national anthem for Vancouver...

Sentes decides not to run for mayor; seeks another term as councillor

PENTICTON - She was tempted to run for Pentction mayor but after taking some time to reflect, Coun. Judy Sentes has decided to seek re-election instead. With three council seats definitely empty going in to the race, Sentes says it’s important for there to be a mix of experienced and new councillors around the table....

What does a school board trustee do?

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people have heard of a school board, and school trustees, but what exactly is the role of a trustee? Nominations have opened in advance of the municipal elections throughout the province on Nov. 15. Keep in mind that school districts are a huge employers with big, taxpayer-funded budgets, so even if you...

Take advantage of the harvest this fall by attending some of these events

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Fall is upon us. The new season calls for pumpkin-inspired goodies, warmer coats, leaf raking, choosing the perfect turkey and finding the Halloween costume to help you win the contest. But the season also brings a bounty of fun events, most of which are family-friendly. Take a look and see what communities in...

Half of all wildfires caused by people this year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A total of 169, or 49.9 per cent, of all wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been human-caused this year. Kayla Pepper of B.C. Wildfire says of the 339 fires in the fire centre we are about as close to half as you can get right now, though usually lightning fires outnumber...

So you want to be a city councillor? Here’s what it takes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people realize there is a city council in place to help run the city, but few understand just what goes into being the mayor or a councillor. While the roles can change significantly depending on the city, the council member and the needs of the community at that time, we decided to...

Risk of frost in the forecast

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Cover your fragile plants and get your ice scrapers ready, fall is officially here and with that comes a risk of frost. With highs of 13-15 Celsius Thursday and temperatures expected to dip as low as 2 C overnight at airports throughout the region Environment Canada is calling for a risk of frost...

IN TWEETS: It’s October already

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Autumn may have officially arrived with the fall equinox Sept. 22, but for many, it’s the first day of October that really feels like the start of a new season.  Oct. 1 delivered sunny skies across the valley and warm enough temperatures to still get away with shorts and a T-shirt. But on...

Snow tire season is upon us

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Slushy sections hit the Connector for a brief time Tuesday afternoon and as of Wednesday morning winter tires are a requirement on most B.C. highways. While winter does not officially start until late December snow can fall, especially on mountain passes, a lot earlier and as a result provincial regulations require winter tires...

Chamber loses Campbell to council campaign

PENTICTON - Council candidate, Campbell Watt will take a leave of absence from his posts at downtown business organizations during his campaign. Watt has requested formal leaves from his presidency positions at the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Penticton Association. If he is elected to council he will fully resign, he says. Both boards...

Interior Health hospitals middle of pack

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Interior are more likely than other Canadians to drink heavily but they are also more likely to be active, according to recent statistics for the Interior Health Authority that ranked the region in the middle of the pack across the country. A new website compares hospitals, health regions, provinces and...

Wild horse carcass left by South Okanagan roadside for three days

PENTICTON - Last week, a feral horse was struck and killed by a passing motorists and left on the side of the highway for three days just south of Penticton, according to Global Okanagan. The young animal was discovered in the ditch beside Highway 97 Monday afternoon. It had two broken legs. It was later...

Sentes contemplating running for mayor

PENTICTON - The mayoral race could get a little heated by the end of the week, depending on whether one councillor decides to follow her peers and run for mayor. Coun. Judy Sentes says her name will be on the ballot, but she's not sure yet if she'll run for council or the mayor's seat....

Fire bans open up as autumn weather settles in

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fall does not just mean sweater weather, it also means open fires are again allowed throughout the region as temperatures continue to drop. Open fires will be allowed in the Salmon Arm Fire Zone as of Wednesday, Oct. 1. The ban was lifted for the Clearwater Fire Zone on Sept. 15. B.C. Wildfire...

Litke says election rumours are ‘terrible’

PENTICTON - Mayor Garry Litke is keeping his lips sealed about whether he will run for reelection despite the circulating rumours he does not want to be mayor any longer. Litke will still announce his decision on October 7 — three days before nominations close — whether he will seek more time at the head...

Homophobic, sexist Facebook comments sink Penticton mayoral campaign

PENTICTON – Just hours after announcing he was going to run for mayor in Penticton, Edson Chan withdrew from the race. The 26-year-old posted the news to the Facebook group Educate Encourage Empower #Penticton after members of the forum called him out for homophobic and sexist slurs on his personal Facebook page. In his post...

Empowered Penticton citizens won’t back down from political mission

PENTICTON - A group of citizens want to educate, encourage and empower the people of Penticton. Back in August, Pentictonites congregated on the Facebook page Time For Change Penticton to engage in conversation about how to improve the city. The Facebook group was deleted this week after the page was “hijacked” by member Jennifer Taylor...

Chamber president Campbell Watt will run for council

PENTICTON - Campbell Watt has announced he’s running for a seat on Penticton city council and says his experience in local organizations and the business sector will give him a leg-up in the competition. Watt has entered the race with hopes of making a positive change to the city, for example by finding an easier...

B.C. Wine Awards to take advantage of new Penticton college centre in 2015

PENTICTON - The recently opened B.C. Wine Information Society Sensory Centre at Okanagan College's Penticton campus will host the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society's professional judging segment of the 2015 B.C. Wine Awards.  “Each year, the Fall Wine Festival brings some of the continent’s best palates to the south Okanagan to judge the entries for the...

ELECTION 2014: Innovation changes everything in this campaign

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Knocking on doors, shaking hands, advertising and putting up signs: If you ran for council anytime before the last 10 years, that’s how you got exposure. If you ran in 2011, you probably added Facebook and Twitter to your arsenal. But this year, candidates have all the tools of a major political party...

Prolific fraudster at it again

KELOWNA - A man known as a serial scammer is believed to be behind the latest string of reports in Kelowna. Police investigators say it appears a 40-year-old Kelowna man with a long list of convictions appears to be at it again, often using the story of a broken down truck or claiming he's a...