Meaghan Archer
ARCHER: Holding government leaders accountable
Government bodies get a bad rap when it comes to spending money, and sometimes the facts prove our tax dollars are not being well spent. But when government officials show us what's in their pockets, it becomes easier for the public to trust their leaders and the decisions they make on behalf of the community....
Residents make formal complaint about beach-going nudists
PENTICTON - A formal complaint has been made to RCMP about nudists at Three Mile Beach making other beach goers uncomfortable. A group of people who live near the beach brought their complaints to Mayor Garry Litke Tuesday who passed them on again to Supt. Kevin Hewco. “Local residents are feeling intimidated about using the...
Council considers sale of liquor at outdoor market
PENTICTON - Local vendors will soon be able to sell packaged liquor for off-site consumption at farmers’ markets, so long as council approves a change of what defines an “outdoor market.” In order to allow liquor sales and tasting at outdoor markets, the city needs to make a zoning amendment to the current bylaw. The...
Penticton considering spreading advanced polling stations around city
PENTICTON - Voters may get more options as to where they can cast their ballots in the upcoming municipal election. Staff recommended council consider changing locations for one of two days of early voting, to better accommodate people living on the south side of town. Ballots have previously been cast at advanced polling stations set...
Councillor wants city to be more transparent about expenses
PENTICTON - Coun. Helena Konanz is looking to make the city more transparent by publicly posting councillor expenses more than once a year. It will be easier to answer questions from media and public about expenses on a more regular basis, rather than having to refer to notes from conferences attended over a year earlier,...
Penticton gets to decide how latest provincial grants will be spent
PENTICTON - New funds are rolling into the City’s bank account from a provincial fund and Penticton gets to choose how it will be distributed within the community. More than $423,000 will be given to the City and surrounding area — just a portion of the $74 million of Strategic Community Investment Fund money being...
UPDATE: Fiery crash leads to 9.6 ha wildfire near Osoyoos
OSOYOOS – Two semis crashed on Highway 3 northwest of Osoyoos around 5 p.m. Wednesday sparking a grass fire that threatened a nearby home and sent one of the truck drivers to hospital. A 46-year-old Kelowna man behind the wheel of the logging truck was taken to Kelowna General by air ambulance. He is seriously...
ARCHER: Hey Boonstock, just tell us what’s going on
Hey kids! Boonstock is only three weeks away! Nothing but fun and sun and music and culture and stuff! It’s all good all the time! Just please don’t look behind the curtain. I know I’ll be accused of being the grumpy old parent shushing the teenagers on their three-day sleepover, but I wish I didn’t...
Victim’s mother gives emotional testimony in dangerous offender hearing
PENTICTON - The mother of a sexual assault victim in the dangerous offender sentencing hearing for David Bobbitt recalled the summer night her daughter went missing for hours, tortured by the man who held her captive. Her daughter hadn't shown up to work or dropped off her then 22-month-old son at his grandparents’ house to...
Penticton Airport gets to work on a new runway
PENTICTON - Aircraft flying into Penticton Airport will have a smoother landing come this fall, once repaving of the airport’s only runway is complete. The construction is part of Transport Canada's airport improvement project. Major fixes will be made at night, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to avoid as much conflict with flights. Construction...
Local school board putting pressure on both sides in teachers strike to settle
PENTICTON - The local school board is writing to provincial education officials urging them to come to a settlement agreement. The board held a special meeting this morning to discuss what information trustees want included in the letter to be sent to the Ministry of Education and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. The idea of a...
Canucks to host Young Stars Classic hockey tournament
PENTICTON - The Vancouver Canucks will be hosting the 2014 Young Stars Classic beginning Sept. 12, 2014 in Penticton. Canucks players won’t be the only NHL stars at the round-robin tournament — prospects from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets will be there too. “We are excited to host the Young Stars Classic,...
ARCHER: Trustees take a stand for students
If you’ve been following the teachers’ strike over the past few weeks, you know negotiations between the provincial government and teachers' federation have not been going… at all, really. We all feel helpless waiting for them to figure it out but think of school board trustees who are used to having some power and control...
PenMar Society receives loan from city for theatre improvements
PENTICTON - The PenMar Community Arts Society was chosen by Council to receive city funds to help with the construction of the theatre’s extension. The society can receive a loan up to $125,000 from the City’s Amenity Fund for improvements made during construction of the PenMar Theatre’s addition. Different organizations submitted applicants to receive the...
The Dropkick Murphys are shipping up to Penticton this fall
PENTICTON - The Dropkick Murphys are bringing their blended sound of adrenaline-pumping American-Irish punk music to Penticton this fall with a show at the South Okanagan Events Centre on September 28. The band was formed in 1996 and members have come a long way from where they started in the basement of a barbershop in...