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Kelowna
Butane heater sparks Kelowna house fire
KELOWNA – Kelowna fire crews quickly dealt with a house fire in north Rutland Sunday afternoon, but not before it was badly damage by fire and smoke. Heavy black smoke and flame could be seen as firefighters arrived at the home at 894 Finns Rd. around 2:33 p.m. Platoon captain Kelly Stephens says in a...
Kelowna hunter rescued after taking tumble down Lumby ravine
LUMBY – A 51-year-old Kelowna man out hunting near Lumby is lucky he had cell service when he took a tumble into a snowy ravine Saturday afternoon. A B.C. Ambulance crew and Vernon Search and Rescue volunteers found the man lying on the ground about 8 kilometres up Harris Creek Road near Echo Lake just...
House destroyed by fire in Kelowna; six homeless
KELOWNA – Six people are looking for a place to spend the night after their home was destroyed by fire Sunday morning in Kelowna. Firefighters were called to the house at 2642 Monford Road in north Glenmore around 9 a.m. They arrived to find flames shooting out of the building and a tower of grey...
Ogopogo art and the origins of the valley
OKANAGAN – Strange etchings at the bottom of Lake Okanagan are among the latest revelations included in the third edition of a best-selling book about the origins of the Okanagan. First published in 1994 and updated in 2004, the first two editions of Okanagan Geology sold more than 10,000 copies. Editor and author Murray Roed...
Deep freeze begins
EXPECT COLD AND WIND THIS WEEKEND THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The system forecast to bring cold temperatures, wind and some snow to the region has engulfed Kamloops this morning and will fully reach Penticton by Saturday. Strong winds began in Kamloops Thursday afternoon and temperatures dropped to -7 Celsius by this morning. Over the day Friday temperatures...
Avalanche risk high this weekend
BACKCOUNTRY WARNING ISSUED THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A warning has been issued to all backcountry users this weekend as the risk of avalanche increases with the quick weather change headed our way. Avalanche Canada has issued a warning for mountains throughout the Interior, including Kootenay Boundary and the North and South Columbia ranges. The warning extends north...
Cold snap on the way
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As heavy snow continues to fall in parts of the region Wednesday and city crews work to keep up with the melt as temperatures move several degrees above seasonal normals we are being warned a cold snap is on the way. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement warning a ‘drastic cold...
UPDATE: SNOWED IN: Weather wreaks havoc on roads, power
SNOWFALL WARNING ISSUED FOR NORTH THOMPSON THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Heavy snow has fallen throughout the region and another 25 centimetres is expected in the North Thompson and Columbia regions by Thursday morning, though the snow will change to rain late tonight or Thursday morning in the more southern regions. While parts of the region struggle with...
Heavy snow continues on Coquihalla, 97C
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Mother Nature seems determined to let us know we are well on our way to winter with yet another round of heavy snow expected to hit area highways today. The system currently over the Interior will continue to drop heavy snow on mountain passes through tonight though the snow will start to mix...
Dierks Bentley headlining in Merritt
MERRITT - Country star Dierks Bentley is the first big act to sign up for Riverfest 2015 in Merritt. Bentley recently released his eighth album, Riser, featuring hit singles I Hold On and Drunk On A Plane. The award-winning star is the first act signed to the music festival, which will run July 30 through...
Municipalities granted one week extension to submit rail trail proposal
KELOWNA – The consortium of municipalities hoping to buy the decommissioned CN rail corridor between Kelowna and Vernon have been granted a one week extension to submit their value assessment proposal to the Canadian Transportation Agency. The acquisition team – made up of Kelowna, Lake Country, Coldstream, North Okanagan and Central Okanagan Regional Districts –...
Heavy snow to continue on highways
NEAR-RECORD HIGHS EXPECTED MID-WEEK THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you are hitting the highways today, beware: Warnings of compact snow and slippery sections have been issued for many areas and more than 30 centimetres has fallen on several mountain passes over the past few days. Now another 15 cm is being forecast over the next 24 hours...
Woman found in Kelowna alley dies from injuries
KELOWNA – An 83-year-old woman found with serious injuries in an alley in downtown Kelowna early Sunday morning has died in hospital. RCMP say the woman was found alone in the lane between the Kelowna Daily Courier building and the McWilliams Centre at 580 Doyle Ave. at about 1:13 a.m. She was rushed to Kelowna...
Native court workers protest for equal pay
OKANAGAN - Native court workers are standing up against the government asking for equal pay after being cut out of a deal five years ago that increased the wages of others but not court workers. Jack Kruger, a veteran native court worker and counsellor, has spent the past two days outside the Penticton and Kelowna...
Get your jingle on; Christmas Kettle campaign underway
KELOWNA – There may not be much snow around to get you into the holiday spirit, but the sound of jingling bells might help as the annual Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign gets underway. Local politicians and celebrities gathered at Kelowna’s Walmart on Friday to take a shift at the kettle outside the department store....
Shipping cats to make room at Kelowna shelter
KELOWNA – The B.C. SPCA in Kelowna has so many cats, staff loaded them into a van and drove them to another shelter in Victoria in hopes of adopting them. With over 100 cats looking for a home at the Kelowna shelter, the SPCA Drive for Lives program transported 21 felines on Thursday. “As soon...
Candidates have up to seven days to remove signs
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The elections are over but there are still some of those brightly-coloured election signs lying around. They should all be gone soon though, candidates are required to remove them by this weekend. The Ministry of Transportation has the strictest regulations, requiring signs to be removed the next working day after the general voting...
Heavy snow hitting the highways
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you plan to head out on the highways this weekend make sure you have your brain switched to winter driving. Several Interior highways are already covered with compact snow and slushy sections and another 20 centimetres of snow is expected by Saturday morning. A system heading over the Interior will bring heavy...
Candidates have up to seven days to remove signs
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The elections are over but there are still some of those brightly-coloured election signs lying around. They should all be gone soon though, candidates are required to remove them by this weekend. The Ministry of Transportation has the strictest regulations, requiring signs to be removed the next working day after the general voting...
Poached pooch returned to rightful owner
KELOWNA – An allegedly pilfered pug has been found and re-united with its owner after a routine traffic stop by an officer with the RCMP Kelowna Integrated Traffic Unit. Anastasia went missing in the Pandosy area in mid-October and Const. Brad Smith spotted a little dog matching the description of the lost dog in the...
Ski season begins this weekend
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you are the kind of person who dreams in white, longs for the feeling of cold wind whipping your face and lives for snow days — you are in luck. Opening day at area ski hills is nearly here. Beginning this Saturday, ski resorts around the province will begin to open. Sun...
Snow hits Kamloops, forecast for Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Snow has already fallen in Kamloops this morning and more is on the way as a system moving through the region warms the air. A light snow and temperatures hovering near the freezing mark have led to multiple crashes in the city and Kamloops RCMP asking drivers to slow down and drive for...
Penticton, Kelowna renters spending nearly 30% of income on housing
KAMLOOPS, VERNON NOT MUCH BETTER THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new study shows people renting in the region are spending, on average, 24-29 per cent of their income on rent and utilities, putting the rental landscape in the poor to severe category. The B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association released the Rental Housing Index, in partnership with Vancity Credit...
Snow heading to town
SYSTEM COULD CLEAR SMOKE FROM AIR THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Snow has already been accumulating on some highway passes and this week we may see some of the white stuff hit valley bottoms as a system moves over the region. Environment Canada is calling for warming temperatures through the weekend as cloud cover moves in. Highs of...