Meaghan Archer
Penticton man sentenced to five years in prison for sex assault
PENTICTON - A local man was sentenced today to nearly five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual and aggravated assault. Darren MacDonald, 42, appeared in Penticton Supreme Court via video conference from Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre where he has been in custody since Aug. 11, 2013. He pleaded guilty this...
Jakubeit tosses hat into mayoral race
PENTICTON - Add Andrew Jakubeit to the list of mayoral candidates for the upcoming election, alongside fellow councillor John Vassilaki. Jakubeit announced Tuesday morning he will run for mayor, which leaves another seat open around the council table. He said his platform will centre on community pride, economic diversity, building a better relationship with the...
Who let the fish out? Penticton Indian Band opens hatchery
PENTICTON - The new sockeye salmon hatchery on the Okanagan River is a First Nations and salmon success story according to the Penticton Indian Band chief. The Penticton Indian Band held a ceremony for the grand opening of the hatchery Sunday. The Band has had a very successful salmon program for over a decade, and...
Dip your paddle in the water this weekend at Steamfest Regatta
PENTICTON - Experience a bit of Penticton history at the Steamfest Regatta this weekend on Okanagan Lake. The Regatta races were held on Okanagan Lake a hundred years ago, and the tradition stays alive today with the community-building event. The Penticton Museum has worked to restore four war canoes it received in 2010, and hopes...
Council meets Tuesday to talk tax exemptions and big hugs
PENTICTON - City Council will be held Tuesday night this week, with an agenda ranging from the biggest hug to tax exemption properties. There are three delegations on the agenda, including a presentation from Scott Mudry, a resident looking for council’s approval to organize the biggest group hug. There will also be presentations on the...
Wildfire burning off Green Mountain Road 80 per cent contained
PENTICTON - The wildfire burning west of Penticton near Shingle Creek and Green Mountain Road is 80 per cent contained as of Tuesday morning. The fire is estimated to be 18.5 hectares in size and was quite visible when it began burning late Monday afternoon. There were five firefighters working overnight, and 26 firefighters are...
Motorcycle crash kills West Kelowna man
PENTICTON - A West Kelowna man was killed when he crashed his motorcycle into another vehicle this past weekend. On Saturday, Sept. 13, a 42-year-old motorcyclist accelerated straight through a yellow light at the same time an oncoming car was making a left-hand turn at the intersection of Main Street and Industrial Avenue. The motorcyclist...
Tax fate for local nonprofits in hands of council
PENTICTON - Four local organizations were added to the list of tax exempt properties, even though they didn’t originally qualify under the city policy. Council made a motion to add four organizations—The Paternal Order of Eagles, The Penticton Minor Hockey Association, Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada, and the Senior’s Drop-in Centre—to the...
City hopes jobs, investment follows these tax breaks
PENTICTON - The local economy may soon get a boost if a new City of Penticton tax scheme for local industrial businesses pays off. The city is offering up tax breaks to industrial businesses hoping it spurs employment and new investment. “Everybody seems to be under the impression that tourism is one of our largest...
Man killed in motorcycle crash identified
PENTICTON - The man killed in a motorcycle accident in Penticton over the weekend has been identified. PENTICTON - Kevin Michael Bradley Vezina, a 41-year-old man from Penticton, collided with a pickup truck at the intersection of Main Street and Industrial Avenue on Saturday afternoon. He was thrown from his bike and suffered injuries which...
Social media comes to the rescue in robbery of local shop
PENTICTON - Social media came to the rescue once again for a local shop owner who was able to confront the man who stole from him. Leigh Follestad, owner of SmartShopper on Main Street, posted to Facebook footage from security cameras of a man stealing form his store Tuesday night. Someone saw the video and...
ARCHER: The trouble with Penticton’s priorities
Penticton has been all about beaches, peaches, wine and scenery for decades. Our little town is sandwiched between two beautiful lakes and fenced in with mountains and blue skies, so of course it makes sense to market it as a tourist attraction—a place to visit and hopefully stay. But in order for people to stay...
Okanagan Lake and S.S. Sicamous get revamped
PENTICTON - The Okanagan Lake waterfront will soon get another new look, thanks to city staff who are putting together a plan to revitalize the area around the S.S. Sicamous. Options for the plan were presented to city council last night, who will ultimately decide what they want to see in the new park. The...
Young Stars may be back to Okanagan again next year
PENTICTON - The stands were full with fans ready for a good ol' hockey game at the South Okanagan Events Centre this past weekend, when the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Young Stars Classic. Young prospects from the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets played a series of games in the tournament, and...
UPDATE: Wildfire burning north of Princeton 90 per cent contained
PRINCETON - A wildfire north of Princeton is 90 per cent contained, as of Tuesday morning. The wildfire has grown to 182 hectares from the 110 ha estimated Monday morning. It is believed to be human caused, said Kayla Pepper, fire information officer with B.C. Wildfire. The fire was first reported Sunday at around 5...