Kelowna news
Transit fare increases fall hardest on those with the thinnest wallets
KELOWNA - Council has agreed to raise transit fares in most categories in a bid to increase the amount of money recovered from riders. Some councillors expressed reservations about the move, saying fare increases tend to reduce ridership but in the end all voted to approve the increase. The yes vote doesn't automatically mean the...
Kelowna store employee reports sexual assault
KELOWNA – A local man is being held in custody after an alleged sexual assault of a downtown employee last week. Brian Spencer, 61, is being charged with two counts of sexual assault after he entered a store and began a conversation with a female employee at around 6:15 p.m. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says...
Local vets step up to help solve feral cat crisis
OKANAGAN – As plans get under way to address Kelowna’s growing feral cat problem, five local veterinarians have volunteered their time and facilities to help ensure the problem gets solved for good. Kelowna SPCA branch manager Suzanne Pugh says the city is facing a cat colony “crisis” and estimates there to be approximately 13,000 feral...
Kelowna coalition to tackle growing feral cat problem
ESTIMATED 13,000 FERAL CATS IN THE OKANAGAN KELOWNA – Five years after struggling to get control over a wild rabbit problem, Kelowna now faces a population explosion of another feral species. “There’s definitely a feral cat problem in Kelowna,” says Cheryll Gillespie, an animal welfare advocate and one of the founders of a new group...
Half marathon combines wine and natural Okanagan beauty
KELOWNA – The Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon is based on the success of a similar event held in California’s famous Napa Valley. The Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon first combined a marathon with natural beauty and wine over a decade ago. Destination Races brought the idea to the Okanagan Valley for the...
Lumby students dominate college spaghetti bridge contest
KELOWNA - It came down to a battle between three friends from Lumby at Okanagan College’s 32nd annual Spaghetti Bridge Contest held at the Kelowna campus today. Grade seven student Adrian Schartner from Lumby placed first with his bridge weighing 982.6 grams and supporting 275.6 kilograms before spectacularly collapsing in front of cheering friends, peers,...
What nurse practitioners bring to our health care system: Interior Health wants you to know
KELOWNA - What began as a study to figure out how Interior Health nurse practitioners could be better incorporated into the health system has turned into three instructional videos for the public to help them understand the role of NPs. The study, conducted by Interior Health and the School of Nursing at UBC Okanagan, was...
When to start reserving provincial camping sites
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Camping enthusiasts can set their alarms for the 9 a.m. opening of the online camping reserve system, Sunday, March 15. The interactive reservation website displays availability, layout and amenities for 115 front country campgrounds in 99 provincial parks. Reservations can also be made on the go using smartphones, but you aren't limited to...
Kelowna fire crews quickly extinguish hedge fire
KELOWNA – No serious damage or injuries after a fire in a hedge next to a home in a semi rural area of Kelowna this afternoon. The fire in the 1800-block Heimlich Road in the Mission was reported at about 2 p.m., Friday, March 6. When crews arrived, the flames from the burning hedge had...
BCHL PLAYOFFS: West Kelowna Warriors fall to Vees in marathon thriller
WEST KELOWNA - It was the longest game in West Kelowna Warriors history Friday night, March 6, at Royal LePage Place, as the Penticton Vees scored 9:37 into the third overtime period to win 4-3 and take a 2-1 lead in the first round of the BCHL playoffs. The Vees were hot out of the gate...
Fintry Queen owner lowers the flag on relocation plan, lists dinner cruise ship for sale
KELOWNA - The owner of the Fintry Queen has given up on the plan to move the iconic dinner cruise ship to Pentiction, and has instead listed the boat for sale. Andy Schwab, president of the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, had been trying to raise money to resurrect the Fintry Queen with plans for a...
Patient reported missing from Kelowna General Hospital has been found
UPDATE: Kelowna RCMP say Rebecca Wolfe, 31, has been located and is safe. ——— KELOWNA – RCMP are asking for the public’s help to find a woman missing from Kelowna General Hospital. Rebecca Wolfe, 31, went missing on Thursday, Feb. 5 from the hospital, according to a media release from the RCMP. She is 5’8”...
February home sales best in years says real estate board report
KELOWNA – After a disappointing start to 2015, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board is reporting a 34 per cent improvement in home sales in February compared with the same month in 2014. “After a more than usual slowdown in January, Okanagan-Shuswap home sales rallied along with consumer confidence during February despite weaker economic conditions...
RCMP need the licence plate number of truck in attempted child luring case
WEST KELOWNA - The public is doing a great job phoning in tips about the red pickup truck described in the attempted child luring case in West Kelowna, but RCMP really need help getting the licence plate number and name of the driver. The West Kelowna detachment has been inundated with tips about the red...
Wu-Tang Clan members coming to Kelowna
KELOWNA – Three members of the influential east coast rap group the Wu-Tang Clan are coming to Kelowna this month. Ghostface Killah, GZA and Capadonna are members of the group Rolling Stone called “the best rap group ever.” They burst onto the scene in 1993 and have since released six albums to critical acclaim. They have...