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Adam Proskiw
Adam has lived in B.C. most of his life. He was born in the Caribou, grew up in the Okanagan, went to university on Vancouver Island and worked as a news photographer in Vancouver. His favourite stories incorporate meaningful photography and feature interesting, passionate locals. He studied writing at UVic and photojournalism in California. He loves talking tractors, dogs and cameras and is always looking for a good story.
Adam Proskiw's Stories
NEWSMAKERS 2014: Gangsters on trial
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF 2014. TODAY: NUMBER FOUR KELOWNA – Over this past year, several known and alleged gang members found themselves in court, some staring down long sentences. The first was in late February when John Newcombe, the owner of Cycle Logic in West Kelowna was accused...
UPDATE: Highway reopens after serious accident near Summerland
SUMMERLAND - At least one person has been injured in what police are calling a serious accident on Hwy 97 north of Summerland Tuesday morning. Const. Kris Clark of the Kelowna RCMP says the accident happened around 9 a.m. just north of Matsu Drive and may have involved a semi. At least one person has...
A bigger, better Strathcona Park in the works
KELOWNA – A proposal to replace an old house on Abbott Street could mean the public finally has access to a currently inaccessible part of Strathcona Park. The owners will go before council Jan. 13 and ask permission to replace the house currently there with two new homes. The subject property is within the Abbott...
Record breaking Christmas at Big White
KELOWNA – It was a very busy Christmas at B.C.'s second largest ski resort. The hill broke all-time records for ski and snowboard equipment rentals, water use, day parking and overnight guest bookings in the two days following Christmas, according to a media release from Big White Ski Resort. Equipment rentals topped out at 1,774...
Girl asks guy to prom with Snapchat scavenger hunt
KELOWNA – A Kelowna high school student is breaking with tradition and using a modern approach to ask a friend to senior prom. The student, whose YouTube username is JJMathh, made a video of the “scavenger hunt” she created for fellow KSS student Kaiden. According to the video, she got the idea after watching the...
Arrest made in Kelowna bank robbery
KELOWNA – An arrest was made over the weekend in connection with a robbery at a Bank of Montreal in Kelowna two days before Christmas. Tayler Verhaegen, 23, has been charged with one count of robbery. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the arrest was made after a man stole an undisclosed amount of cash from...
Speed likely a factor in Black Mountain roll over
KELOWNA - Speed is likely the reason a man driving to Big White to go snowboarding rolled his truck Monday morning. A witness to the accident says they were in the passing lane of Hwy 33 when a black pickup truck blew by them "going bonkers fast" in the slow lane shortly after 9 a.m....
MAP: Christmas lights in Kelowna
KELOWNA - From Candy Cane Lane in Springvalley to Rotary's Kerry Park display, residents of Kelowna have stepped up their efforts this year to make it one of the best ever for lovers of light. Although we were unable to get all the light displays in the city on this map, it does represent all...
How a community saved Christmas for young family robbed of presents
KELOWNA – The Beston family Christmas tree is surrounded by presents again, thanks to an outpouring of support from the community. Jason and Jenny Beston, the parents of a family that was robbed of cherished personal items and presents just days before Christmas, say they have been overwhelmed with gifts from the community over the...
COSAR tips for back country travel
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With the risk of avalanche slowly increasing over the last week in the regions surrounding the Thompson-Okanagan, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue have some tips to help keep you safe in the back country. Avalanche.ca reports the risk of avalanche to be “considerable” in the Kootenay Boundary and South and North Columbia regions....
Barricades planned for deadly stretch of Hwy 97
LAKE COUNTRY – A dangerous stretch of Highway 97 where a woman died following a head on collision Sunday is getting some attention from the Ministry of Transportation. “That incident over the weekend was terrible and our thoughts are with the friends and family of the people affected,” says Ministry spokesperson Murray Tekano. “It’s really...
B.C. Coroners Service identifies woman killed in Highway 97 crash
KELOWNA – The B.C. Coroners Service has identified the woman killed in a crash between a semi and an SUV on Highway 97 north of the Kelowna Airport Sunday afternoon. She was Frances Marie Strocher, 48, of Kelowna. Const. Kris Clark of the Kelowna RCMP says Strocher was driving a Volkswagen Tiguan and was the only...
Kelowna family devastated as keepsakes, presents stolen days before Christmas
KELOWNA – When Jenny Beston got home from work Monday evening, an RCMP officer was standing outside her open front door. And her heart sank. Her first thought was that something terrible happened. Her husband Jason is working out of town and as far as she knew, her two kids, ages eight and five, were...
Tuesday morning power outage planned for Glenmore
KELOWNA – Homes and businesses in Glenmore will be without power Tuesday morning as Fortis upgrades equipment in the area. Power to Blondeaux Cr., Gillard Dr., Highland Dr., Calmels Cr., Pinecrest Lane, Coates Ave., Willow Cr., Ridgeway Dr., Mountain Ave. and Little Ave. will be off from 9 a.m. until around noon, according to the...
Christmas dinner comes with a gift bag at Gospel Mission this year
KELOWNA – Christmas is the second busiest time of the year for the Kelowna Gospel Mission and this year more than 50 volunteers were on hand Saturday for their annual Christmas dinner. As was the case in years past, the Mission served around 600 dinners to hundreds of hungry residents between noon and 6 p.m....
Passenger during Westside Road police shootout says he was in charge
LANGUAGE ADVISORY KELOWNA – Michael Ellis, accused ringleader of a 2012 high speed shootout with police, was just doing what he was told. At least that’s what his only defence witness says. Shawn Wysynski, who is also a lifelong friend of Ellis, told Kelowna Supreme Court Justice Ian Josephson that the only reason his friends were...
Two pedestrians hit at downtown intersection
KELOWNA – Two teenagers suffered minor injuries after they were hit by a pickup truck while jaywalking across Bernard Avenue at Richter Street Thursday evening. RCMP Const. Steve Holmes says witnesses saw three males in their late teens cross Bernard northbound at around 5 p.m. before two of them reversed their direction unexpectedly and “bolted...
YLW readies for busiest time of the year
KELOWNA – With a combination of holiday vacation travel and unsafe driving weather, Kelowna International Airport is poised for the busiest time of the year. Airport spokesperson Jenelle Hynes says from now until Jan. 5 they expect more than 100,000 passengers. “To put that in perspective,” she says. “October was a record-breaking passenger month with...
UPDATE: Man missing since end of November found
KELOWNA – The 52-year-old Kelowna man missing missing since Nov. 26 has been found. Kelowna RCMP say Gerald Gordon Heuft has been located safe and sound. "Thanks to the media and public for your assistance," Const. Kris Clark says in a media release. RCMP asked for the public's help to find the missing man on...
Kelowna farmer in trouble for covering land with mystery dirt
"THE CITY CANNOT TELL A FARMER HOW TO FARM HIS OR HER LAND." KELOWNA – A Kelowna farmer is in some trouble with the Agricultural Land Commission for adding untested dirt to his water-logged horse pasture. The 11 acre property is located in the South Pandosy area and is within the Agricultural Land Reserve and the...
Free hugs for all on Boxing Day
KELOWNA – If the stress of the holidays are getting you down here's something that might lift your spirits — a group of kind-hearted people will be downtown on Boxing Day giving out free hugs. The tradition started five years ago when friends of Wayne Cobb decided to honour his memory. Cobb died in 2010 when he hit...
$200k to help women reach their full potential
KELOWNA - Minister of Labour and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Dr. Kellie Leitch, today announced $200,650 in funding for Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC). The funds will be used in B.C. regions to continue discussions which began at the BC Economic Forum: Women as a Catalyst for Growth, held in Vancouver in October...
Sneena Road overpass open to traffic
WEST KELOWNA – The Sneena Road overpass, which has slowed traffic on Highway 97 north of the William Bennett Bridge for close to a year, has finally been completed. The overpass is a $9.3 million dollar connection between Westbank First Nation lands on either side of the highway. In an official ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday,...
Changes to curbside waste collection on Christmas and New Year’s
KELOWNA – Kelowna residents with curbside waste pickup normally scheduled for Thursday and Friday will have to wait an extra day to get rid of their Christmas and New Year’s trash. With no collection on Christmas and New Year’s day, for those weeks Thursday pickup will happen on Friday, and Friday pickups will be made...