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Kelowna
Rockets new head coach has a winning history
KELOWNA – After nearly a month-long search, the Kelowna Rockets have a new head coach. Brad Ralph, the former head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, has been signed to a three-year contract, Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton announced Tuesday, Aug. 4. Ralph, 34, was a finalist for East Coast Hockey League Coach of...
Custom trike and trailer stolen from Kelowna home
KELOWNA – A Kelowna man is offering a $5,000 reward for information that reunites him with his cherished and unique three-wheeled motorcycle that was stolen over the weekend. Ron Berthelette bought the customized Boss Hoss trike from Texas ten years ago. He says it’s one-of-a-kind, due to it’s custom paint and rear section designed to...
Hot start to August in the Okanagan
RAIN EXPECTED THIS WEEK OKANAGAN - It was a hot and sunny August long weekend in the Okanagan but expect things will cool off a bit during the week. Temperatures easily soared above the 30 Celsius mark every day this past weekend and while today, Aug. 4, will see the mercury hit just above seasonal...
Student highrise numbers too much for Kelowna city staff
KELOWNA - Design deficiencies in a high-rise intended for student housing is threatening the project’s viability. City of Kelowna planning staff are recommending city council not support an application for a development permit and a development variance permit for Cambridge House, a 70-unit six-storey high-rise planned for the corner of Ethel Street and Harvey Avenue....
UPDATE: Wildfire near West Kelowna under control, contained
WEST KELOWNA – B.C. Wildfire hit a blaze near West Kelowna hard and fast yesterday afternoon, bringing the fire under control within hours. The fire was spotted around 2:30 p.m., July 31, above Carre Road off Glenrosa Road on the way to Crystal Mountain. West Kelowna Fire crews backed up 20 firefighters from B.C. Wildfire...
Run away from your smoking addiction
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new program is popping up around the country which will help you run away from your problems. The Running Room is launching a Run To Quit program, which will be backed by federal funding and support from the Canadian Cancer Society. The program is designed to help smokers quit by incorporating running...
ELECTION 2015: MP’s brag about accomplishments as early election expectations mount
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With a federal election less than three months away, local MP’s are ramping up their push to promote their accomplishments over the past year. It’s not unusual for politicians to send releases to the media to show the work they do and the money they’ve secured for their areas, but a breakdown of...
Westbank First Nation’s $7.9 million debt: Following the money trail
WESTBANK – The company that partnered with Westbank First Nation on its first failed attempt…
Urgent dredging at busy boat launch put off until fall
KELOWNA - A mechanical failure in specialized equipment has forced the City of Kelowna to reschedule urgent dredging at the Cook Road boat launch. The city announced just two days ago it’s largest boat launch would close for a week at the height of the boating season, but now says the work will have to...
Province pulls plug on Coldwater River water use
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - In a bid to help struggling salmon populations, water use reduction measures have been imposed on the Coldwater River. The province issued the restriction today, July 31, banning all water use or diversion from the Coldwater River and its tributaries from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. effective immediately. The restriction escalates to a...
Sons of Anarchy actors coming to Konquer Kelowna
KELOWNA – Two actors from the hit TV show Sons of Anarchy will be in Kelowna for a charity fundraiser later this month on August 15. Kim Coates, who played Alex “Tig” Trager, and Theo Rossi, better known as Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz, will be at Konquer Motorcycles on August 15 to help raise money for...
Hot dog reports surging this year, says SPCA
KELOWNA - Even as they staged a demonstration, the B.C. SPCA received a real hot dog call about an animal left for 45 minutes in vehicle in downtown Kelowna. “This one’s for real,” Kelowna SPCA branch manager Suzanne Pugh said. Pugh was demonstrating an infrared thermometer which allows accurate readings of the inside termperatures of...
Okanagan to enjoy a sunny and hot long weekend
OKANAGAN - It looks like Mother Nature will be showing off again this weekend, with hot temperatures and lots of sun expected for the August long weekend. Following highs in the low-30s Thursday, Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to reach 36 Celsius in Vernon and Kelowna today, July 31, and 34 C in Penticton....
Moms say Kelowna bus drivers behaving badly
KELOWNA – A small group of women are banding together on social media to make public their complaints about negative experiences on Kelowna buses after being ignored by B.C. Transit. The women describe situations with bus drivers ranging from rude to potentially dangerous and say these aren't the only stories. “This is something I've been...
Fire risk high and heading higher into B.C. Day long weekend
DON'T BE STUPID WITH FIRE THIS LONG WEEKEND THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There are currently two fires of note and more than a dozen active fires burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre and with yet another hot, dry week ahead of us the fire danger rating is quickly heading into the extreme level throughout the region once...
VIDEO: Kelowna officer being investigated for exchange with driver, passenger
KELOWNA – Kelowna RCMP will investigate one of its own members after the officer stopped…
Kelowna water utility finally adopts watering restrictions
KELOWNA - There is still no compelling reason to introduce watering restrictions but the City of Kelowna water utility is doing it anyway. “It’s based on supporting the provincial drought response, it's political, there is no technical reason,” Adrian Weaden says. The water quality supervisor says the decision was made this week to heed the...
Kelowna to retain control over YLW until 2054
KELOWNA – The City of Kelowna will remain in charge of the Kelowna International Airport until 2054 thanks to a 20-year lease extension by the federal government. Until that time, Kelowna will remain responsible for management, operation and development of the largest airport in the B.C. Interior. Kelowna mayor Colin Basran says the extension is...
Lock it or lose it police say after spike in Okanagan bike thefts
38 BICYCLES RECOVERED KELOWNA - More than 230 bicycles have already been reported stolen in Kelowna this year and yours could be next if you aren't careful. Bike thefts are up 58 per cent over last year so far, and that’s just the thefts that have been reported, Kelowna RCMP Const. Steve Holmes says in a...
Winter storms close Kelowna’s busiest boat launch at the height of summer
KELOWNA - Stormy weather last winter has left behind a sandbar in Okanagan Lake big enough to shut down the city’s busiest boat launch. Located near the mouth of Mission Creek, the Cook Road boat launch will be closed for a week at the height of the summer boating season for dredging, park planning manager...
Formula 1 tunnel boat race team joins fight against mussel infestation
KELOWNA – The Okanagan Basin Water Board is teaming up with Formula 1 Tunnel Boat racer Mike McLellan to raise awareness for their Don’t Move a Mussel campaign. The announcement was made Tuesday, July 28, at the Water Street boat launch in downtown Kelowna. The Don’t Move A Mussel campaign is attempting to raise awareness...
Want quick attention to Fortis over-billing? Go to the media
WORKED FOR THIS GUY KELOWNA – Media attention got an almost immediate result for a local celebrity who went to the news with a $4,500 power bill for a cabin that wasn’t even there. Gary Fong, a world-famous photographer and inventor made headlines last week when he went public with a massive bill for his...
Brent’s Grist Mill heritage site deteriorating quickly
KELOWNA - What do you do when your heritage is crumbling faster than than you can review it? Brent's Grist Mill, one of the city’s premier heritage sites, is rapidly crumbling and cannot wait for council’s heritage review to be fixed, according to a consultant’s report. “So it’s a catch-22 scenario. If we don’t spend the...
Westjet adds extra non-stop flight between Kelowna and Edmonton
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Southern Interior will soon have another option when it comes to choosing a flight to Edmonton. Calling it a vote of confidence in the Edmonton metro region, Westjet has announced increased non-stop service to the Prairie city from B.C. and Saskatchewan. Starting Dec. 15 Kelowna will see one extra flight...