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Kelowna

Kesler traded to Ducks

VANCOUVER - Everyone expected change after yet another rough season for the Vancouver Canucks and today months of speculation ended with the trade of Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks picked up centre Nick Bonino, 26, defenceman Luca Sbisa, 24, and the 24 and 85 picks in the 2014 NHL Draft, which begins...

Quebec cheese pulled form B.C. shelves

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A cheese possibly containing a toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria has been pulled from the shelves of B.C. retailers this week as a food recall warning is expanded. The original recall was issued on June 20 for Le Moutier Goat Cheese out of Quebec and Thursday the recall was expanded to include the...

Woman killed in head-on collision

PEACHLAND – A woman was killed in a head-on collision in Peachland Thursday afternoon. The accident happened shortly after noon at the intersection of Highway 97 and Trepanier Bench Rd. RCMP Sgt. Wade Severson says a northbound SUV hit a southbound semi. Global Okanagan reports a witness says the SUV crossed the centre line and hit...

Summer school will be picketed if no deal reached this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The teacher collective agreement will be discussed by both sides at a meeting today but the union president says teachers have agreed to strike through the summer if needed. “Mediation is the only way to bridge the gap between the two sides,” Jim Iker says. “(If no agreement is made) teachers will extend...

Munson Pond won’t be a park any time soon

KELOWNA – It’s a perfect place for a public park, wouldn't cost much and councillors love the idea—but Munson Pond will not open to the public any time soon. Munson Pond is roughly three hectares of city-owned property, hidden from view by cottonwood trees on the corner of KLO Road and Benvoulin Rd. Kelowna City...

Police hunt for bank robbery suspect

KELOWNA - Mounties are looking for information about a man who robbed the Bernard Avenue CIBC Monday afternoon. The man went into CIBC located at 328 Bernard Avenue at about 2:30 p.m. June 23 and demanded money from the attendant, Sgt. Wade Severson said in a press release. The teller handed over the undisclosed amount...

Suspicious fire near senior care home

KELOWNA – Arson is the suspected cause of a late night fire behind Cottonwoods Care Centre over the weekend. The investigation is in the early stages, but Const. Kris Clark says it looks like a type of fuel was poured onto the ground near a chain link fence that separates Cottonwoods and a private residence...

Bouldering competition rolls through Kelowna this weekend

KELOWNA – For the second year in a row, rock climbers from around the world will come to Kelowna for Rock the Blocs Bouldering Festival. Bouldering is similar to traditional climbing, except instead of mountains, climbers scale large rocks as quickly as possible. The Okanagan is getting a reputation for having some of the best...

Club wants more money for 2014 Christmas light display

KELOWNA – If the Capri Rotary Club wants to do another Kerry Park light display this Christmas, they will likely have to do it with the same amount of money as last year. Capri Rotary has requested a $5,000 increase to their budget this year, but city staff are expected to recommend against the increase....

Mosquitoes having a ‘perfect’ year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — No, you are not imagining things, the mosquitoes are actually worse this year, thanks to high water, cooler temperatures and wet weather. If you’ve ventured outside at all over the last month you have swatted at mosquitoes or came away with a bunch of itchy welts. Or maybe you donned your DEET and...

Teachers and government ‘not even close’ to a deal

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — There is still a major gap between the teachers' union and the government when it comes to a new collective agreement and the education minister says as it sits the union’s proposal simply is not affordable. “We are not even close to where we need to be to get a negotiated agreement,” Peter...

Million dollar Lotto ticket bought in Kelowna

KELOWNA – Someone in Kelowna is $1 million richer after winning the Lotto 6/49 Guaranteed Prize Draw Wednesday. The winner did not have to choose any numbers or scratch any cards, instead their 10-digit number, unique to every $3 ticket, was chosen at random. According to the B.C. Lottery website, everyone who purchases at least...

Arrrr you coming to Boat for Hope this weekend?

KELOWNA – Batten down the hatches and hoist the mainsail, the 8th annual Boat for Hope pirate adventure is just over the horizon. Sponsored by several local charities, Boat for Hope is a day of fun and adventure for kids with special needs. Volunteer captains dressed like pirates will decorate their boats and take 200...

Teachers unpaid during strike

FUND HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With salaries cut back during the strike and a fund normally used to cover teachers during strike action exhausted, local teacher associations are now setting up hardship funds for those needing help. “There is a slight fund but it’s exhausted. It’s the same fund we used to fight class...

SD23 provincial exams will continue as planned

KELOWNA – For students in School District 23, the teacher’s strike has cast a cloud of uncertainty over how their year will end. SD23 Superintendant Hugh Gloster says regardless of whether or not the dispute is resolved, provincial final exams will go ahead as planned and all students will likely receive some form of report...

Bring on the summer

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Saturday is the official start of summer and so far Mother Nature looks like she will cooperate in allowing us to celebrate in style. Highs of 28-29 C are forecast across the region for Saturday and by Monday we should be seeing highs of 32 C or 33 C. Meteorologist David Jones says...

Liquor store robbery licked by fate

KELOWNA - A Kelowna man's robbery of a liquor store was thwarted by bad timing when an officer investigating a different incident happened to see him as he fled the scene last week. At about 11 a.m. June 9, a Kelowna RCMP officer was in the parking lot of Berezan Liquor Store located on Highway...

Another local fighter signed by UFC

KELOWNA – We’ve already got the most popular female MMA fighter in Canada calling Kelowna home and superstar welterweight Rory MacDonald is also from Kelowna, now add another local name to the list of UFC fighters representing the Okanagan Valley. Matt Dwyer, 24, has lived in Kelowna since he was two-years-old. A few weeks ago...

City gives green thumbs up to Benvoulin farmers market

KELOWNA – Kelowna is one step closer to having a new farmers and crafters market, but not downtown or on Springfield Road. City councillors voted unanimously Monday to waive several conditions it set out on July 2012, including requiring a 25-year lease and a development plan for a company that seeks to use two properties...

Government responds to BCTF accusations with proposal details

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — The teacher’s union had its turn this morning to voice displeasure with the government but this afternoon the government put exact details of proposals by both parties up for inspection. B.C. Teacher’s Federation President Jim Iker said this morning the union tabled a ‘fair, reasonable and balanced’ proposal and said it was ignored for...

Arrests made in three year old drive-by murder case

KELOWNA – A pair of arrests have been made in a drive-by shooting that left a Shuswap man dead in 2011. Jeremy Wayne Davis, 24, of Williams Lake and Jordan Larry Barnes, 27, of Mission, have both been charged with second degree murder for the killing of Nicholas Larsen, 24, who was shot while driving...

No deal reached over weekend, teacher strike imminent

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Though the teachers union presented a revised list of demands to the provincial bargaining group over the weekend, a deal was not reached and the union is prepared to wage a full scale strike starting tomorrow. However, there is still hope on both sides that a deal can be reached before the end...