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Penticton news
Those red light cameras? Apparently they work pretty well
THOMSON-OKANAGAN - There’s no question drivers run red lights on the highways and byways of the Southern Interior but compared to the Lower Mainland, they’re amateurs. A story this week in the Vancouver Sun shows the worst 25 intersections for red-light running out of the 140 intersections where ICBC operates red-light cameras account for more...
Southern Interior water beat by Chilliwack in tap water taste test
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Waterworks staff in the Okanagan and Kamloops will be drowning their sorrows tonight after losing out to Chilliwack in a tap water taste test which wouldn’t have looked out of place at a winery. “It’s a clear winner,” joked Tanja McQueen, CEO of the B.C.Water and Waste Association, who hosted the tasting and...
Got Bats initiative works to save furry night fliers
PENTICTON - There is no reason for residents of the Okanagan to "go batty" over problems they might have with the furry, nocturnal flying creatures this summer. The BC Community Bat Project is getting ready for a busy summer educating and instructing Okanagan residents on how to handle bat issues. The “Got Bats” initiative is...
Local bands seek musical peak in B.C. contest
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Two bands from the Thompson-Okanagan are in the running for the musical opportunity of a lifetime. This year’s chosen dozen for the Peak Performance Project include Vernon-based artist Windmills, and Kamloops-based Van Damsel, the only musicians from the B.C. Interior. The rest of the Top 12 are dominated by artists in the Lower Mainland...
Kelowna company expands delivery to Europe and Asia
KELOWNA – The company formerly known as Kelowna Flightcraft is expanding its cargo routes overseas. Now called KF Aerospace, the Kelowna-headquartered aviation services company will have routes four times a week between Toronto and Europe via Brussels and daily service between Toronto and Atlantic Canada. Within two months the network will expand to include all...
Nine salmonella victims in B.C. Interior contracted from live chicks
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The Interior Health Authority is bearing the brunt of a B.C. salmonellosis outbreak connected to live poultry distributed from a hatchery in Alberta. The health authority has dealt with nine of 13 confirmed cases within the province and one of the two that required hospitalization, according to Althea Hayden, a public health physician....
Laundry privatization decision expected this summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Hospital Employee Union members who filled the Interior Health Authority board meeting yesterday to show their concern about laundry service privatization got a polite but firm message from chairman Erwin Malzer. “Thank you very much for bringing your concerns to us but no decision will be made until we receive the request for...
Aboriginal health strategy hopes to improve care outcomes
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Tailoring healthcare for the 54,000 First Nations living within the Interior Health Authority will improve the quality of life and health outcomes and ultimately save money by reducing the need for services amongst a population that is overrepresented within the system. That’s the message behind the aboriginal health and wellness strategy adopted yesterday...
Campapalooza campacacancelled
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A first-of-its kind event that gives parents a chance to get a taste of all the different summer camp options in one place has been cancelled. Campapalooza was to be held at Okanagan College May 30, but according to their website has been 'postponed until April 2016.' The event would have brought together...
Health authority continues to monitor possible Ebola cases
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the ongoing Ebola epidemic has a human face within the Interior Health Authority, it’s that of Patrice Gordon, a nurse practioner who returned from West Africa last December and promptly began displaying the early signs of of the disease. Gordon tested negative for the virus, but since then the health authority has...
Amazing Race Canada returns to the Okanagan
PENTICTON - The Summerland area is about to get some nationwide publicity thanks to a popular national TV show that just finished taping in the area. The Amazing Race Canada recently wrapped up a shoot in the South Okanagan with a segment that is expected to air sometime in July. The Summerland Waterfront Resort was...
UPDATE: Police chase on Channel Parkway
PENTICTON - A police cruiser was damaged by an erratic driver while officers tried to pull over a cargo van Monday evening. At approximately 4 p.m., May 25, police were alerted to a complaint of erratic and possibly impaired driving involving an older cargo van on the Channel Parkway, Penticton RCMP confirms. Police located the...
Penticton Scottish Festival has something for everyone
PENTICTON - If you enjoy everything Scottish, from kilts to haggis and tartan to bagpipes, then the Scottish Festival in Penticton could be right up your alley. While haggis may not actually be on the menu, the Second Annual Penticton Scottish Festival and Highland Games will celebrate Celtic culture with a variety of Scottish oriented...
UPDATE: Southern Interior severe thunderstorm watch expanded
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Environment Canada has expanded its severe thunderstorm watch to include the South Thompson, North Thompson and Nicola regions, including the city of Kamloops. The original watch issued early this morning, May 24, covered the Okanagan, Shuswap and Boundary regions, including Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and Salmon Arm. Forecasters say conditions are favourable for the...
South Okanagan provincial parks name change reflect aboriginal culture
PENTICTON - Two South Okanagan parks have been renamed to reflect traditional First Nation place names. Environment Minister Mary Polak and Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie made the official announcement, renaming Haynes Point and Okanagan Falls Provincial Parks. The name changes coincide with the Osoyoos band taking over management of the two parks. McIntyre...
Okanagan diners reap the rewards of an early spring
OKANAGN – The early spring across the Okanagan this year is not only good for your tan but for local restaurants and family kitchens as well. Across the valley, farmers are busy harvesting crops which normally wouldn't be ready for weeks. Fruits, berries, veggies and field crops all got a jump start this year, which...
Okanagan Correctional Centre stimulates local economy
PENTICTON - The $200 million Okanagan Correctional Centre has entered it's second year of construction with a completion date in the fall of 2016. The facility is rapidly taking shape as one of the three cell “pods” nears completion and the prison’s administration building begins to take shape. More than 375 people have worked on...
Hot dog calls on rise as weather heats up in Southern Interior
THOMSON-OKANAGAN - Though summer isn’t even officially here, the unseasonably warm weather in the Interior is already prompting concerned calls about dogs left unattended in cars. “We’ve had three or four already this morning (May 22) and yesterday we had half a dozen before lunch,” Cam Buksa, spokesman for the Central Okanagan branch of the...
Bumper crop of itchy, scratchy poison ivy in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - There’s a good reason for outdoor enthusiasts to stay on the trail when hiking in the South Okanagan this spring. Cyclists and pedestrians using the Kettle Valley Railway trail are noticing an abundance of poison ivy this year, particularly on the trail between Penticton and Kaleden. Regional District Okanagan Similkameen parks coordinator Justin...
Penticton man found badly beaten on side of road
PENTICTON – A man is in police custody after what police are calling “a serious assault” that left a Penticton man badly injured on the side of the road Thursday morning. According to a release, Penticton RCMP were called to the 3 km mark on Shingle Creek Road off Green Mountain Road shortly after 8:30...
Study at UBC Okanagan seeks breast cancer survivors
OKANAGAN - A researcher from UBC Okanagan is hoping to find survivors of breast cancer for a study on the effects of increasing physical exercise after treatment and rehabilitation. Cristina Caperchione, an assistant professor with the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, is leading ProjectMOVE which has secured a $200,000 research grant from the Canadian...
Early spring both good and bad for local farmers
OKANAGAN – The early heat felt across the Okanagan this year has local farmers springing into action. Producers of vegetables, fruit, hay and alfalfa crops say the warm weather came at least two weeks early this year, meaning they can plant earlier, expect higher yields and very likely harvest earlier as well. At the Kelowna...
Second crossing 20 years out but planning now is essential, transportation ministry says
WEST KELOWNA - If you ask project director Murray Tekano, the current study about where to put a second Okanagan Lake crossing is not just a public relations exercise to be seen doing something. Tekano says 20 years for planning a major infrastructure project such as the second bridge is standard for the industry and...
Canucks to host Young Stars Classic in Penticton
PENTICTON – For the fifth year in a row, Penticton will play host to the Vancouver Canucks Young Stars Classic. The four teams taking part in the tournament at the South Okanagan Events Centre in September are made up of prospects from the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. “We have great fans...