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Keloha music festival takes the stage this weekend

KELOWNA – The annual Keloha music festival is back for the third year in a row, and organizers have managed once again to secure some of the top up-and-coming names in indy, alternative and rock music today. The three day festival features more than 70 live acts, but Wet Ape entertainment director Kelly Shepherd says...

Diner en Blanc Okanagan is back for the second year

KELOWNA  – The second annual pop-up picnic known as Diner en Blanc is back in the Okanagan and bigger than ever. Diner en Blanc is a worldwide event where guests dressed all in white gather to be whisked off to a secret location where they dine, drink and socialize. Event organizer Alison Love says 850...

Cause of Tolko mill fire likely accidental

KELOWNA  – A fire that started at Tolko mill Monday evening was likely set accidentally by transients camping in the area. The fire was contained to a pile of sawdust and bark mulch between the mill and Manhattan St., an area Kelowna Fire Capt. Tim Light says is frequented by transients. “We found some home-made...

Investigation into cause of rockslide continues

SUMMERLAND – The section of Highway 97 that was hit by a rockslide between Peachland and Summerland Sunday will remain partially closed until at least Tuesday. Murray Tekano of the Ministry of Transportation says until the 500 cubic metres of debris is cleared, highway traffic will be down to one lane in each direction. “Right now...

Lions Hall arsonist tells court to hurry up and sentence him

"IT'S RIDICULOUS. I PLED GUILTY." KELOWNA – The man who pleaded guilty to burning the Westbank Lions Hall last September has opted to represent himself in court in an apparent effort to speed sentencing. Kerry Robert Cooper, 30, appeared before a Justice of the Peace via video Thursday morning, saying he didn’t care what the...

Changes coming to 911 service

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Starting this fall, the first person you talk to when you dial 911 will not be in your city. Emergency calls placed from the Regional Districts of Central Okanagan, North Okanagan, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola, Columbia-Shuswap, Squamish-Lillooet (North), Central Kootenay, East Kootenay and Kootenay-Boundary Regional Districts will be answered through E-Comm, the emergency communication centre...

Meet Ballet Kelowna’s new artistic director and CEO

KELOWNA – Ballet Kelowna has a new artistic director. Simone Orlando has danced professionally with the National Ballet of Canada and Desrosiers Dance Theatre. She worked as principal artist for Ballet British Columbia and has created several commissions for Ballet Kelowna. Orlando will take over for retiring artistic director David LaHay at the start of the...

IN PHOTOS: Baby farm animals that will make you go ‘awww’

KELOWNA - As the weather warms up new crops appear and baby animals take their first, uncertain steps. Here are a few photos of baby animals starting their lives at some of the many farms around Kelowna.  Send your best seasonal photos to news@infonews.ca. %%Embed1%% To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw...

Inflatable downtown water park opens to public

KELOWNA – Just in time for Canada Day weekend, Kelowna’s newest water attraction is open to the public. Consisting of interlocking inflatable modules with a maximum capacity of 60 at a time, Wibit Water Park is anchored approximately 20 metres off the shores of City Park. City councillors approved the attraction earlier this month, granting...

Don’t bee afraid of prime swarms

WEST KELOWNA – It came over the horizon like a cloud of black smoke. Fast moving and unified, the swarm of around 40,000 honey bees crossed the Snyastan mall parking lot and settled in a tree only metres from the main entrance of Bosley’s Pet Food. Bosley’s manager Michelle Bell says she saw the swarm...

Gellatly Road will be even more closed during fireworks

WEST KELOWNA – Gellatly Bay is one of the most popular spots in West Kelowna to view the Canada Day fireworks, but drivers and pedestrians will have to take a different route to get there this year. Gellatly Road was closed to traffic May 2 after residents noticed the bank supporting it had eroded to...

House party killer appeal shot down

KELOWNA - A 29-year-old Kelowna man convicted of shooting and killing a high school student at a house party in 2007 will not be granted appeal, according to a hearing summary released Thursday. Trevor Shannon, who was 22 at the time, was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. He maintains he was trying to...

Woman escapes out window of her own moving vehicle

KELOWNA – A Kelowna woman had to jump from her own moving vehicle Thursday morning after the man she allowed to drive decided he wasn’t going to stop. Sgt. Wade Seversen says the woman, 32, alleges she let the man drive her pickup to a residence in Kelowna with her as a passenger. When he...

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...

Our Rutland final project plans revealed

KELOWNA – The Our Rutland community engagement process on how best to spend $100,000 has concluded with the city finding a way to combine two of the top five suggestions into the final plan. Roxby Park will be upgraded and Rutland residents will get their own year-round public market. The Our Rutland project was announced...

Elderly pedestrian hit crossing Dilworth

KELOWNA - Driver inattentiveness is the suspected cause of an accident that injured an elderly man on Dilworth Wednesday. Witnesses say the man, in his 80’s, was walking south down Dilworth Dr. when an SUV leaving the liquor store parking lot hit him and knocked him to the ground. Const. Paul Bentham says the man was...

Subject of police warning pleads guilty to sexual assault of children

WEST KELOWNA – A man police have been investigating since 2012 has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually touching children. Jason Antonio White, 35, was the subject of a public warning issued in March. The warning said investigators have “reasonable grounds to believe White of West Kelowna is offending against children and that there may...

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...

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....

PROSKIW: Emotion has no place in a fight

KELOWNA - I saw my first UFC fight in 1995, only two years after it launched in the U.S. I found the VHS tape tucked away on the bottom shelf of the sports section at a 24-hour video rental store that closed down a decade ago. I was 17 and the description on the back...