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Kelowna news

UPDATE: Former Vernon RCMP officer guilty, sentenced for possessing child pornography

"HE HAS... BEEN SUBJECTED TO PUNISHMENT WELL BEYOND THAT... (OF) A USUAL INMATE" KELOWNA - Former Vernon Mountie Ryan Hampton has been found guilty of possessing and downloading child pornography as well as several counts of breaching court orders. Hampton, 37, pleaded not guilty to possessing child pornography, accessing child pornography and six counts of breaching...

Second fossil from the future discovered in downtown Kelowna

KELOWNA - Another fossil from the future can be seen in downtown Kelowna thanks to an Okanagan artist taking part in a controversial public art pilot program. The metallic capsule filled with futuristic debris is suspended above a walkway in Kelowna’s cultural district. It was created by artist Johann Wessels for the Kelowna Art Gallery...

Wet weekend ahead for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - If you were hoping for one last good hurrah before the end of summer, you may have waited too long — the final weekend of summer is set to be filled with rain. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to be near seasonal normals of 19 Celsius today, Sept. 18, and Saturday before...

Hard Knox race to cause traffic disruptions in Kelowna this weekend

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - Drivers in Kelowna’s North End should be on the lookout this weekend for participants in the inaugural Hard Knox run. The 12-kilometre course starts at the base of Knox Mountain on Sunday morning, Sept. 20, and goes down Ellis Street before turning onto the Waterfront pathways, according to a City of Kelowna...

SNELSON: How the sentence for a Kelowna killer breaks down

IS IT 11 YEARS, SIX YEARS OR ONE YEAR? HOW ABOUT ALL OF THE ABOVE KAMLOOPS — Convicted killer Neil Snelson was arrested in 2009, sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison and will likely be released around this time next year. Makes complete sense, right? A jury convicted him earlier this summer of the...

Searchers find body of missing Kelowna woman near Big White

KELOWNA - RCMP confirm the body of the missing Kelowna woman has been found in the Big White area but her death is not considered suspicious. Megan Doyle was last seen Friday, Sept. 11, in Kelowna at around 6:30 p.m. Her sister, Paige Doyle, as well as members of RCMP, friends and family, were in...

Changing trends force Okanagan libraries to seek two per cent increase in budget

KELOWNA – The board of directors for the Okanagan Regional Library have approved a draft of next year’s budget that calls for a 1.98 per cent increase. Half of the extra money would go towards wage increases for staff while the remainder would be used to offset higher rents and utilities, higher book and eResource...

Kelowna to host Canadian University Curling Championships

KELOWNA - The Canadian University Curling Championships will be held in Kelowna next spring and the winning rinks will go on to represent Canada at the 2017 Worlds in Kazakhstan. Curling Canada and Canadian Interuniversity Sport have awarded the 2016 Curling Canada University Curling Championships to the city. The event will be held March 20...

VIDEO: Coach of Okanagan MMA club talks about runaway success

KELOWNA - An online fight website has profiled local MMA coach David Lea about his gym’s remarkable success in the world of professional fighting. David Lea is the coach of Toshido MMA. In the video, produced for MMAmadhouse.com, Lea describes how he started the club in 1998, only five years after the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

UPDATE: Vernon mayor responds to income tax charges

'EVERYTHING WILL BE CLEARED UP" VERNON - Vernon’s mayor is in trouble with the tax man. Mayor Akbal Singh Mund is charged with two counts of failure to comply with the Income Tax Act but he doesn't expect the action to go anywhere. “They’re looking for further paperwork. It’s not like I haven’t paid my...

Bear complaints overwhelming Okanagan conservation officers

KAMLOOPS NUMBERS SLOW DOWN AFTER EARLY SPIKE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Conservation officers in the North and South Okanagan regions are being swamped with bear complaints as the large animals begin to prepare for hibernation. While fall always sees an uptick in bear activity, conservation officer Jim Beck says this year is worse than normal. “It’s crazy...

Adventure Club to headline UBCO Frosh party Friday

KELOWNA – To celebrate the start of another school year the University of B.C. Student Union is holding their annual Frosh Concert this Friday, Sept. 18. With artists like Adventure Club and Big Data performing, tickets to the outdoor concert are expected to sell out soon, according to the UBCSUO Facebook page. Last year Canadian...

Driver hopitalized after rolling car into bucket of a Bobcat

PENTICTON – A 26-year-old woman was taken to hospital Wednesday morning after she lost control of her car and rolled down an embankment into the bucket of a Bobcat. The cause of the crash at 1656 Holden Rd. is still being investigated and the medical status of the driver, the lone occupant, is not known....

Fishing reopens on drought-affected Okanagan rivers

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fishermen can again drop a line in streams and rivers that were closed to angling this summer because of drought in Southern B.C. The natural resource ministry announced in a press release the reopening of fishing on the Kettle, West Kettle and Similkameen Rivers and their tributaries, the Middle Shuswap River and the main...

Trial coming to an end for former RCMP officer accused of downloading child porn

KELOWNA - A former RCMP officer accused of possessing child pornography will soon find out his fate. Closing arguments were made Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Supreme Court trial of former RCMP officer Ryan David Hampton, who is accused by his wife of downloading child porn during a messy separation. Hampton pleaded not guilty to...

High bacteria levels prompt swimming advisory at Vernon’s Kal Beach

VERNON - That last swim of the summer might not feel so refreshing after you read this. An advisory is in effect recommending people not go swimming at Kal Beach due to high counts of E. coli in the water. Jennifer Jacobsen, a team leader for environmental health with the Interior Health Authority, says the...

SNELSON TRIAL UPDATE: Kelowna killer sentenced; only 19 months left to serve

KAMLOOPS - It took two trials and nearly 22 years for the case and the jail doors to close on Jennifer Cusworth’s killer, but it will only be one year and seven months before his release. Neil George Snelson, 48, was sentenced to 11 years today, Sept. 16, in Kamloops Supreme Court. Since he was...

Last day to book super cheap WestJet flights to London

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - WestJet has announced a super-low airfare to London, England with the cheeky slogan 'If that’s not cheap enough, you can always try mailing yourself.' Pricing for a non-stop flight from Vancouver to London’s Gatwick Airport starts at $299, one-way, with similar deals at select airports across Canada, including Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and...

Witnesses sought in crash that left Kelowna cyclist in coma

KELOWNA - RCMP are looking for witnesses in crash that left a Kelowna cyclist in a coma. Trevor Bohac, 42, was riding his bike eastbound on Robson Road West with his dog on Sept. 1 shortly after 4 p.m. when he was struck by a vehicle turning into a driveway. His leg was broken and...

Kelowna nightclubs granted extra long opening hours for special occasions

KELOWNA - Night owls can soon look forward to a few extra extended bar nights in downtown Kelowna. Councili has endorsed a staff recommendation that allows certain nightclubs and bars three extra extended hours openings per year, on top of the three already allowed. The nightclubs will be responsible for extra policing costs on those...

Why Kelowna Green Party selection Gary Adams wants you to vote for someone else

Editor's Note: Kelowna-Lake Country Green Party candidate Gary Adams has remained largely silent while his party figured out what to do with a local constituency association decision to support Liberal candidate Stephen Fuhr. He released this statement last night. To my supporters and other interested parties, At our most recent meeting, Kelowna Lake Country Greens...

West Kelowna singer named best new artist at Indigenous Music Awards

WEST KELOWNA - A local First Nation singer and songwriter has won Best New Artist at the Indigenous Music Awards in Winnipeg. Kelly Margaret Derrickson, daughter of Grand Chief Ron Derrickson, beat out five other artists for the prestigious award on Friday, Sept. 11. Her debut album, Warriors of Love, was released in 2013 and...