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Shannon Quesnel
Crown wants dangerous offender status for Penticton man
PENTICTON - David Wesley Bobbitt could be in jail until the day he dies if Crown prosecutors get him declared him a dangerous offender, one of the harshest punishments available in the Canadian justice system handed out to the likes of serial killer Paul Bernardo and Vancouver rapist Dawson Davidson. Bobbitt was convicted in April to...
Fintry Queen owner wants council onboard with Penticton project
PENTICTON - The owner of the Fintry Queen might have to wait for city council's reaction about his idea of parking and operating the 325-person boat from a spot near the Kiwanis Walking Pier. The waterfront advisory committee had an in-camera session last week with the Fintry Queen up for discussion. No details from the...
Damaged dish temporary setback for observatory
PENTICTON - A helicopter damaging a nearly 200-square metre radio telescope will become a learning experience as well as a month-long delay for the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory's role in an ambitious global science endeavor. On Thursday a large helicopter was delivering a thin radio telescope dish from its place of manufacture to the observatory...
Gort’s Gouda given OK to produce some cheeses
VERNON - Gort’s Gouda Cheese Farm has been given the OK by the province to start selling cheeses not affected by a recall due to an outbreak of E. coli. Gort's owner Cathy Wikkerink said she was given the green light by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control recently and hopes to be making deliveries...
Former Mountie wants bail breach charge dealt with sooner than later
PENTICTON - Convicted killer and former RCMP officer Keith Gregory Wiens wants to know why he is still facing a charge of breaching his bail conditions when he is serving a life sentence for murder. Wiens, 58, appeared before Penticton provincial court Thursday via video from prison. He was found guilty in July of the...
PHOTOS: People pile in for preposterous pumpkin patch party
KELOWNA - Thanksgiving is a big deal at the McMillan Farm in Kelowna. The pumpkin patch party was held on Saturday. There were hayrides, movie set visits, a corn maze, pumpkin decorating and even scary hay-spiders. People were smiling at the animals on display and those left to run around the farm, like the chickens....
Would-be copper wire thief gets lethal shock: coroner
KELOWNA - Burns from electrocution killed a Kelowna man last year as he tried to steal copper wire near a power pole north of Luxmore Drive. Steven Ray Brodie Shepel, 35, was found lying on the ground by emergency services in the early morning of April 26, 2012 . Shepel was conscious and in pain....
Woman searches for long-lost father
PENTICTON - A young woman wants to hear her father's voice and if she gets her wish it'll be for the first time in her entire life. "I just want to see him and say hi. I want to tell him how happy I was growing up," Tanehja Dutchak said. "I just want to hear...
Airport shuttle bus service will need passengers to fly
OKANAGAN - An airport shuttle bus service connecting Okanagan communities to Kelowna's airport will never get off the ground if people don't get on board. There might be a desire for seamless transportation from the Kelowna International Airport all the way down to Osoyoos, but South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce transportation chair Robert Linttell said...
SCOOP ON POOP: What not to flush down the toilet
WIPES CLOG PIPES OKANAGAN FALLS - Keeping unflushable crap out of the toilet is the message being dumped on people with bad poop policies. New flushable wipes intended for adults are not only lining store shelves, they are also curling around sewage equipment. What was intended to make things smoother in the bathroom is in...
Barenaked Ladies play Penticton Jan. 19
PENTICTON - If everyone had a million dollars they could afford to follow the Barenaked Ladies on their cross-Canada tour. Those who don't have a million can get a taste of the Barenaked Ladies magic when they perform at the South Okanagan Event Centre on Jan. 19. Since the departure of lead singer Steven Page...
Another small step toward new Okanagan prison
OSOYOOS - The proposed Okanagan prison will open its gates to the public early next month. B.C. Corrections officials will meet with Osoyoos Indian Band members on Oct. 8. They plan to hold public information sessions in Oliver and Okanagan Falls on Oct. 9 and in Osoyoos on Oct. 10. That's when you can get...
Thousands try for high-five world record
PENTICTON - Thousands turned out for the high-five world record attempt at the South Okanagan Event Centre but it didn't appear any record was broken. The Guinness world record attempt occurred just before the Penticton Vees home opener on Friday. Dozens of cameras were used to capture the record attempt. Hands were smacked together several...
Wiens files appeal: “That’s just who he is”
PENTICTON - Convicted killer Keith Wiens should "be a man and do his time" instead of appealing his conviction for second-degree murder, according to family members of Lynn Kalmring, his common-law partner who he shot in the face in an argument over money. Former Mountie Wiens, 58, filed an appeal on Aug. 23 Crown spokesperson...
Kelowna-to-Osoyoos airport shuttle could be big boon
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There are 120,000 reasons why a shuttle should ferry people from as far south as Osoyoos to Kelowna International Airport. Kelowna airport director Sam Samaddar says it's people. There are more than 100,000 out-of-region tourists and residents who use the airport and either live in the valley or visit the valley. But there's...
RCMP want drivers to slow down when passing police cars
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Drivers are still not getting the message about slowing down or pulling over for police cars. In response the RCMP will step up their campaign this month, enforcing the slow-down and move-over rules, Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says. RCMP traffic services officers and other personnel are reporting being involved in some very close calls...
Fintry Queen owner to make sail for Penticton
OWNER TO MAKE SEPT. 23 COUNCIL PRESENTATION PENTICTON - The SS Sicamous might get some company if the owner of the MV Fintry Queen has his way. The boat does not have an official home and is currently moored in Sutherland Bay, just north of the Tolko mill in Kelowna. It was once docked off...
West coast man finds wedding treasure in Chain Lake
PRINCETON - A Maple Ridge man thought he would never find precious metals at the bottom of a lake and he's lucky he did—it was his lost wedding ring. While vacationing with his family on Chain Lake last month, Rich Workman felt the loose ring slip off his finger while he was swimming. The family was...
Child sex crimes takes toll on officers as well as victims
TWO RCMP PROGRAMS TARGET CHILD PORN, REPEAT SEX OFFENDERS THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Child victims of sexual crimes and their families aren't the only ones scarred; the pain often extends to those who reach out to help, such as the police officers who investigate the crimes. Surrey RCMP Staff Sgt. Bev Csikos says the work is not...
More caution for drivers as children go back to school
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - RCMP want the new school year to go smoothly and that means drivers need to slow down and watch for children. Children will be back to walking or biking to school or getting on and off a bus next week. Unless otherwise posted a 30 kilometre per hour speed limit is in effect...
High heat, hot brakes can lead to burning cars, wildfires
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Your cool car can become an even hotter ride if it catches fire thanks to bad brakes and leaking oil. Fire departments in Osoyoos, Penticton, Okanagan Falls and Oliver responded to seven reported vehicle fires since the beginning of August and on July 31 the Penticton Fire Department drenched a burning Jeep Cherokee...
UPDATE: Osoyoos area wildfire human-caused
OSOYOOS - A human-caused wildfire, which prompted residents from two homes on Old Richter Passage Road to evacuate and assemble at Sonora Community Centre in Osoyoos, has been fully contained. Evacuation orders have been lifted. Investigators will be on scene today to determine the specific causes. B.C. Wildfire spokesperson Michaela Swan says crews worked overnight to...
Runners overrun Penticton next week for triathlon
PENTICTON - Some of the fittest people in the world will be racing all over Penticton next week for the Challenge Penticton triathlon. It's not quite got the same ring as Penticton Ironman, which had the biggest circle on the calendar here for the past 30 years. This is the first year for the new...
Strong chances of rain Friday, Saturday
REGION - A chance of rain from Wednesday to Sunday might be mixed blessings for the region. On one hand it will be reduce the chances for forest fires but it might also rain on the parades of tourists and sun worshippers. Wednesday afternoon will kick things off with a chance of clouds in Penticton,...