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Penticton
Bond to serve jail sentence in community for grow op
PENTICTON — A Princeton man will serve a conditional jail sentence for a 'highly-sophisticated' marijuana grow operation he ran on his property for three years. James Bond, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of producing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.In Penticton Provincial court today, Judge Meg Shaw ordered Bond to serve an 18-month conditional jail...
UPDATE: Teacher strikes begin Monday
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers announced today they will conduct a rotating strike next week in an effort to move along negotiations with the province. The strike begins Monday, May 26 in School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and will be followed by the Central Okanagan (SD23) and North Okanagan-Shuswap (SD83) districts Tuesday. On Wednesday, May 28 teachers...
Petcetera officially closing
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — There were suspicions and rumours circulating that local stores would be shutting the doors following an announcement in March Petcetera had filed for creditor protection and now we know for sure both Kamloops and Penticton are among the stores to be shut down over the next six weeks. The company announced Monday the...
All signs point to pet poop problem in public parks
KELOWNA - Poop has long been a source of endless humour with kids, now a new sign strategy by the RDCO is attempting to make it funny for adults as well. Rather than warning about fines, the doggy doo-not plan uses friendly reminders to educate pet owners and encourage responsibility. Communications officer Bruce Smith says...
Businesses stuck with graffiti cleanup
PENTICTON - Downtown business owners have a mess to clean up because of a recent spike in graffiti in the city. The tags were scribbled all over Penticton, on buildings and most commonly in alleys over the past week. RCMP say tags appear to have a distinct style, possibly created by the same person, according...
Gas prices skyrocket for long weekend
THOMPSON OKANAGAN - Gas prices have skyrocketed just in time for the long weekend. Many pumps across the Thompson-Okanagan are advertising a ten cent jump today. In Vernon, many gas stations are selling at 143.9 cents per litre. It’s the same story in Kelowna, with most places selling at 143.9 and one, the Superstore on...
Teacher negotiations moved forward
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — The province announced Thursday it would remove the 10-year term from the table and the teachers’ union president says it’s a relief to finally see it off the table. “It shows the government is willing to get more serious about it and we are happy about that,” B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker...
John Fogerty playing down on the corner in Penticton
PENTICTON - John Fogerty probably wasn't Born on a Boyou unless Berkely California's climate was far wetter back in 1948, but his years with Creedence Clearwater Revival suggest there was something about the sound of swamp pop to capture his soul — and he's bringing that sound to Penticton in November. Fogerty's "Creedence Clearwater Revival...
Years of boiling tap water over
PENTICTON – The people living on the West Bench are drinking water right from the tap in the first time in years. Interior Health says the water from the new West Bench Water System is safe following a $9.8 million dollars in improvements. The permanent boil water advisory was lifted on Friday. The new supply...
City makes substation upgrade deal with FortisBC
PENTICTON - The City has come to an agreement with FortisBC to purchase and upgrade the Westminster substation. The deal is part of the city’s 2011 Electrical Distribution System Plan that outlines required electrical upgrades, including the installation of a 12 kilo-volt transformer at the Westminster Station. The purchase will cost the city $4,967,000 plus...
Man caught near Osoyoos with eight bricks of cocaine
OSOYOOS - A 19-year-old Mexican National arrested at the border with a backpack full of cocaine faces sentencing later this month. RCMP and the United States Border Patrol combined efforts, arresting two men near the Boot Lake area east of Oroville/Osoyoos Lake January 3, 2014. Andy Garcia-Macias was arrested soon after he and the other...
This judge means business
PENTICTON — A Penticton Provincial judge laid into an offender for not following the rules of his conditional sentence. Judge Gregory Koturbash was stern as he spoke to Kevin Forgaard, who was under house arrest for a break and enter offense last year. A condition of the sentence was that he not leave the confines...
Halley’s Comet debris trail sets the sky aglitter tonight
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A peak at the annual debris trail from Halley’s Comet may be possible tonight and early Tuesday morning if skies clear. Every spring bits of the debris trail burn up resulting in the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. This year the peak will occur tonight, Monday, May 5, through Tuesday morning. The bright...
Doobie Brothers lighting up Penticton in October
PENTICTON - Music icons The Doobie Brothers will celebrate the fall harvest in Penticton this year, with a concert planned at the South Okanagan Events Centre. The rockfest is scheduled for October 27, 7:30 p.m., and they'll be performing all the classic hits you know and love. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The first seeds...
Spring cleaning on the Coquihalla
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — If you plan on hitting the highways this week plan for delays as crews clean and fix highways hit hard by a cold, wet winter that left potholes and frost heaves on many roads in the region. Work has already begun on some highways and over the next week drivers can expect to...
WITH PICTURES, VIDEO: Injured geocacher rescued off Mt. Savona
SAVONA — A geocacher was rescued off Mt. Savona by helicopter early this evening after he was left injured by a displaced boulder. Around 1 p.m. two hikers were on Mt. Savona, about 12 km south of Savona, Friday afternoon and took a short cut to get to a geocache close to the caves. While...
Penticton farmers market season starts Saturday
PENTICTON - Believe it or not, it’s now May, which means warm weather, relaxing on the patio and the return of farmers markets. The Penticton Farmers Market sets up this Saturday, May 3 for its first day of the season. The 100 block of Main Street will be blocked off for the market, open from...
GOG: How you can help me help you survive this damn flight
I recently had to be somewhere else in a hurry, and the only way of achieving that is, of course, by flying. It’s been a while since I had to travel by aeroplane, and I had forgotten just how dreadful an experience it is. First one must face the ritual humiliation of “security” where in...
Career criminal commits to cleaning up his act
PENTICTON — A career criminal faces a less severe sentencing after telling a judge he is committed to improving his behaviour through rehab and counselling programs. Nicholas Paul Mazzone, 43, will serve 15 months in prison after his sentence was reduced from 30 months for time served in jail prior to a conviction. Mazzone pleaded...
Worst Roads survey gets in gear
THOMPSON OKANAGAN - If you’ve got a gripe with a road near you, it’s time to pipe up. Until May 26, B.C. motorists, cyclists and pedestrians can cast a vote for their 'Worst Road' nominee. Voters can pinpoint the stretch of road they feel is the worst in B.C. and specify what infrastructure issue they're...
Wildfire regulations to limit open burning
KAMLOOPS - Wildfire Management Branch is cracking down on open burning regulations, to help reduce the risk of wildfires in the Kamloops region. The size of open fires will be restricted starting at noon on May 15, 2014 in most areas of the Kamloops Fire Centre. Clearwater and Salmon Arm Fire Zones are excluded from...
Ticked off: How to protect against ticks
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Warmer weather is upon us and that means shorts, sandals and maybe even a hike or two, but you may want to stop and rethink wardrobe choices if you're heading out. It's also tick season. “Ticks are most often found in tall grass and wooded areas so covering up before you head outdoors...
Measles kept at bay in Interior
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Saturday marks the beginning of a nation-wide event promoting immunizations and while the latest outbreak of measles has been kept out of the Interior Health region, people are still encouraged to make sure they are up to date. Dr. Sue Pollock says the Interior Health region strives for a 95 per cent coverage...
SD67 proposes fixing deficit by cutting jobs
PENTICTON - The school district has proposed a plan to cut staff jobs in order to deal with the roughly $1 million deficit the district’s budget faces for the next school year. The plan, proposed to the school board this week, includes cutting 11.5 full-time equivalent jobs — a decision that secretary-treasurer Bonnie Roller-Routley said...