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Penticton news

Smoke in South Okanagan from aggressive wildfire

KEREMEOS - A fire is burning in the remote wilderness of Snowy Creek Protected Area and causing smoke that is visible from Highway 3 and throughout the South Okanagan. B.C. Wildfire is estimating the aggressive fire at 90 hectares and says it is burning the high elevation grassland and timber surrounded by natural barriers. Crews...

Boat inspectors at work in Okanagan

PENTICTON - Inspectors are making sure Penticton beaches remain mussel-free this summer. Inspectors Branden Beck and Graham Wheating say it’s their second time to be stationed at the Kaleden scales, inspecting boats for any sign of invasive zebra and quagga mussels, part of a provincial program that has three crews monitoring highways, beaches and boat launches...

Vernon cop charged with possessing child porn nearing trial date

KELOWNA – The trial of the former Vernon cop charged with possessing child pornography will start the middle of next month after a brief court appearance today. Ryan Hampton, 37, faces counts of possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, attempting to obstruct justice and half a dozen breaches of court orders. He was arrested...

The weather record breaker that was June

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – If it felt like weather dominated the headlines throughout June, that’s because if it wasn’t dropping a month’s worth of rain in a day, we were shattering high temperature records around the region. Lisa Coldwells, an Environment Canada meteorologist, says despite the heavy rains that bookended the beginning and end of the month,...

VIDEO: Kenny Vs. Spenny promote upcoming Kelowna show

KELOWNA – The best friends from Toronto who actually kind of hate each other, have put out a video promoting their upcoming show in Kelowna. Both Kenny Hotz and Spencer “Spenny” Rice, stars of the hit TV show Kenny Vs. Spenny, feature in the short video, but it is Spenny who does most of the...

UPDATE: Missing Lumby woman has been found safe

VERNON - Police say a Lumby woman has been found safe.  A family member reported Susan Catt, 54, missing about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, to the Lumby RCMP detachment. She was found sometime Tuesday, according to a RCMP release sent around midnight. An original release said Catt left her home in Lumby around...

Okanagan apples almost ready to cross the globe

OKANAGAN – The general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association says they are about a month away from knowing if Okanagan apples will be bound for one of the largest markets in the world. Glen Lucas says he had hoped they would have the answers to whether or not local apples will be a...

Man found dead in Kal Lake identified; second man still missing

VERNON - Police have launched a full scale search for an individual last seen with a man found dead in Kalamalka Lake over the weekend. In a media release issued in this afternoon, June 30, RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy confirmed what 23-year-old Curtis Wilson’s family announced earlier in the day; that he was last seen...

Penticton Indian Band steps toward self-governance

PENTICTON  -The Penticton Indian Band took a big step forward in its ability to self govern as the band formally announced their participation in the First Nations Land Management Regime today, June 30. The regime will allow the Penticton band opportunity to opt out of 32 land-related sections of the Indian Act in order to...

Campfire bans in effect this weekend for B.C. Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Due to an elevated risk of fire across the Interior of B.C., the Kamloops Fire Centre has banned all open fires, including campfires, as of noon on Friday, July 3. Kelsey Winter of B.C. Wildfire says the step is being taken to prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety around Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon...

Celebrate Canada’s birthday in downtown Kelowna

KELOWNA – Canada turns 148 years old on Wednesday, July 1, and to celebrate Festivals Kelowna has put together more than 50 fun activities and performances for the whole family. The annual Celebrate Canada Day takes place in Waterfront Park, Jim Stuart Park and Kerry Park as well as Prospera Place. Last year more than...

Gyro Park in Penticton the place to be for Canada Day

PENTICTON - There are lots of things planned in Penticton to ensure people can celebrate Canada’s 148th birthday. Main events for Canada Day on Wednesday, July 1, in Gyro Park include the pancake breakfast at 8 a.m., a Public Market and Food Fair at 9 a.m., along with the opening ceremonies and cake cutting at...

Weekend of fires fuelled by lightning

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – There were 35 fire starts this weekend in the Kamloops Fire Centre alone. Of those, 22 were caused by lightning, but the remaining 13 were believed to be human-caused. Penticton was the hottest fire zone in the region with 19 of the 35 starts this weekend, but Fire Information Officer Kelsey Winter says...

Search continues for man missing in Osoyoos Lake

PENTICTON - Search and Rescue volunteers and the RCMP dive team have joined the search for a missing man in Osoyoos Lake today. The 34-year-old man from West Vancouver went missing after falling of a personal watercraft into the lake around 6 p.m., Sunday, June 28, according to a RCMP media release. Police say the missing...

Family pet succumbs to snake bite

CAWSTON, B.C. - A Cawston couple are extending a note caution to rural residents and those walking their dogs in the wild after a rattlesnake killed the family dog in their yard on the weekend. Sally Taylor let the family dog Pickles out into the front yard Saturday morning, June 27. The dog returned bleeding...

UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Southern Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – We could see severe thunderstorms develop in the Thompson-Okanagan region this afternoon and evening. Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch this morning covering the South and North Thompson, Nicola, Shuswap and Okanagan regions and upgraded it to a warning for parts of the South Thompson, Nicola and Okanagan regions for a short...

Penticton helicopter team called to multiple rescues around Okanagan Sunday

PENTICTON - A week-long search in the South Okanagan ended on a positive note Sunday, but Penticton Search and Rescue crews were quickly put to work helping with emergencies in other parts of the region. Search and rescue spokesperson Randy Brown says the search for two lost Ontario hikers had no sooner ended in the...

Record heat in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Several Okanagan cities were among the 30 communities to set a new high temperature record in the province on Sunday. With a high of 39.3 C on Sunday, June 28, Vernon was one of the hottest Okanagan communities, surpassing a former high temperature record of 35.4 C. With a high of 38.7 C...

UPDATE: Semi fire on Coquihalla Highway

MERRITT – A semi burst into flames on the Coquihalla Highway this afternoon, severely restricting traffic for several hours. VSA Highway Maintenance says the route was fully reopened as of 4:30 p.m, June 28. The fire, about 1 kilometre north of the Great Bear snowshed, had forced the closure of one lane. No word on...

Wildfire crews hopping with 16 new fires on weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Almost half of the 16 new wildfires sparked in the Thompson-Okanagan region over the weekend were preventable because people caused them. Kelsey Winter with B.C. Wildfire Management says seven of the fires crews have either put out, or are currently working to put out, have been listed as human caused. The rest of...

Weekend weather made to order for classic cars and the King of Rock and Roll

PENTICTON - Visitors to Penticton might have found themselves thinking about "the good old days" this weekend. Between the Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival and the Peach City Beach Cruise with it’s classic cars, the 1950s, 60s, or 70s didn’t seem far in the past. Hundreds of antique, classic and specialty cars and trucks graced...

Scorching heat sizzles high temperature records

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – The heat wave blasting the Southern Interior cranked the temperature up a notch Saturday breaking high temperature records in the Thompson-Okanagan. Canada’s hot spot June 27 was Osoyoos where the mercury climbed to 40.9 Celsius, snapping the old high temperature record of 37.7 C recorded on the same day in 2000. Kamloops hit...