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Kelowna news
UPDATE: Costco, IGA chicken salad recall; possible Listeria contamination
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Salads made with pre-cooked chicken have been pulled out of the coolers at Costco and IGA stores in B.C. in a recall triggered by an inspection by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Originally the recall covered in Kirkland Signature brand roasted chicken salads at Costco in Kelowna, Kamloops and the company’s stores across the country. It...
Local electronics retailer expands as big box stores close shop
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If Andre Blanleil gets any satisfaction from the demise of his retail competitor, electronics giant Future Shop, he doesn’t show it. “They were good competitors. They did a good job for the market they were going after,” the president of Andres Group of companies says. The regional chain operates 21 locations under the...
Low snowpack could mean a dry Okanagan summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Current snowpack levels suggest the Okanagan could be in for a dry year, while the South Thompson should fair better. According to Tobi Gardner with the River Forecast Centre, snowpack is at 76 per cent of normal in the Okanagan — the lowest in five years. “What that translates to is a lower...
Support from church members no help to Kelowna child pornographer
"I'VE DESTROYED FAMILIES. I REALIZE WHAT I'VE DONE." KELOWNA – A man who admitted to having more than 500 images of child pornography on various computers and hard drives was sentenced to two years in jail in Kelowna Provincial Court Friday, April 10. David Gerald Smart, 43, pleaded guilty to making and possessing child pornography...
Forestry crew mopping up wildfire near Okanagan Connector
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A human-caused wildfire sparked south of the Okanagan Connector Saturday afternoon is being mopped up by a Wildfire Management crew today. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says an initial attack crew of 13 firefighters responded to the blaze which grew to 11-hectares in size near Starshine Way Road, north of Missezula Lake yesterday...
Remembering Const. Neil Bruce 50 years after his murder
WEST KELOWNA - The death of Const. Neil Bruce, 50 years ago today, was similar to what Kamloops experienced in 1962 or Mayerthorpe in 2005; the murder of local RCMP officers and the shocking realization for local residents that the men and women who serve and protect our communities can also end up as victims...
School bus users could bear the brunt as Central Okanagan school trustees balance budget
KELOWNA - Central Okanagan school board trustees got their first look at recommendations on how to cut $1.3-million from next year’s $117-million budget last night. Chief amongst the recommendations from district staff is the doubling of the $100 annual fee for kids who use the school board’s bus system, an increase that will raise $400,000,...
Story of former Cap News publisher battling newspaper barons hits bookshelves
KELOWNA - A lot of people have heard the story of the rise and fall of Conrad Black and David Radler but not many will know that one of the first threads in the unravelling of their media empire Hollinger Inc. was pulled here in Kelowna. That sordid tale is laid out in A Costly...
No injuries as fire destroys garage in downtown Kelowna
KELOWNA - The Kelowna Fire Department responded in force this morning to a garage fire on Laurier Avenue in downtown Kelowna. When they arrived, firefighters found thick black smoke and visible flames shooting from the garage’s interior. They were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the house, but the garage and contents...
Rockets lead series 3-0
KELOWNA - The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Victoria Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night in Victoria, taking a three game lead in the second round the Western Hockey League playoffs. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist as four different Rockets scored in the win, the first of two straight games in Victoria. Kelowna scored...
Robbery starts in bank, ends in bathroom
WEST KELOWNA - RCMP have arrested two men in connection with the robbery of the CIBC branch on Louie Drive in West Kelowna yesterday afternoon. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan said in a press release that a man walked into the bank at 2000 Louie Dr. on Monday, April 13, threatened a teller and demanded...
Tourism continues to thrive in Central Okanagan
KELOWNA - It was a banner year for tourism in Kelowna, with both occupancy and revenue up at local hotels, a key indicator of a successful season. Tourism Kelowna president Nancy Cameron told Kelowna council Monday afternoon the number of room nights in local hotels and motels was up four per cent while revenue from...
Airport names former Kelowna mayor and councillor to advisory committee
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The group that advises Canada’s largest municipally-run airport will soon be joined by a couple of new faces familiar to people in the Central Okanagan. Kelowna’s former mayor Walter Gray and former city councillor Andre Blanleil, along with industry representative Meryle Corbett were all appointed to four-year terms on the Kelowna Internnational Airport...
Old dynamite blown up by RCMP bomb squad in Kelowna
KELOWNA – Several sticks of dynamite found in Kelowna’s Joe Rich area on Sunday have been destroyed, but the police are concerned there may be more of the explosive out there. RCMP say they were called to the 8000-block of Sun Valley Road around 6:05 a.m., April 12 to a report of found explosives. “Police...
VIDEO: Surprise marriage proposal at Rockets playoff game
KELOWNA – Rockets fans got more than a playoff win in a close game this weekend, they also got to witness a marriage proposal in the stands. Peter, who is seen sitting next to a woman identified as Karen, had front row seats for game two of the second round of playoffs Saturday night, April...