Vancouver

What a Kamloops man discovered about himself on a long and difficult road

KAMLOOPS – Hal Bennett shouldn’t be alive. For years, he ignored his own diabetes and destroyed his kidneys with decades of alcohol, heroin and cocaine abuse. At one time, he couldn’t even stay clean long enough to save his own life and remain eligible for a transplant. But this fall, with nearly four years’ sobriety,...

Kamloops band in finals for Peak Performance Project

KAMLOOPS - A Kamloops band might just be on the brink of stardom and a serious cash prize. The top three artists from B.C.’s PEAK Performance Project were announced yesterday, Oct. 29, and include Van Damsel; a Kamloops indie-pop band. The winner will be announced at the finale concert on Nov. 19 at the Commodore...

Police investigating apartment fire that left two Vernon men with severe burns

VERNON - A pair of Vernon men were airlifted to Vancouver last week after suffering serious burns in an apartment fire. The two men, ages 20 and 21, were inside an apartment building in the 3400 block of Okanagan Avenue when a fire started in the bathroom. Deputy Vernon Fire Chief Jack Blair says they...

Mother of boy run over by van says he is out of intensive care

KELOWNA – The 8-year-old boy run over by a work van in his West Kelowna neighbourhood earlier this week is out of the Intensive Care Unit at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver. Jonah Pevach was airlifted to Vancouver after he was allegedly run over by an employee of Abstract Design and Painting the evening of...

Fewer rentals available in Thompson-Okanagan as prices rise

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It's getting harder to find an apartment to rent in most Thompson-Okangan cities, and those that are available cost significantly more than they did one year ago. Kelowna and Kamloops saw minor adjustments in rental availability rates this year compared with the B.C. average. Between April 2014 and April 2015, the provincial average...

Sentence reduced for 63-year-old man convicted of bringing cocaine to Kelowna

KELOWNA – A 63-year-old Kelowna man convicted of conspiring to traffic cocaine from Vancouver to Kelowna in 2008 had his sentence reduced in Vancouver Court of Appeal Monday, June 1. RCMP wiretaps revealed Thanh Hai Tran, 41, of Vancovuer was trying to find “good-quality cocaine” for King Ting Yung, 63, to bring to Kelowna. On...

Hell’s Angel gives up on appeal

KELOWNA - Daniel McRae, one of the three Hells Angels associates convicted of beating to death a Kelowna father in front of his sons in 2011, is not going to appeal his sentence. According to the Vancouver Sun, the victim's son, Kody Phillips, told Justice Mark McEwan that the attack on his father lasted only seconds,...

Kelowna pretty satisfying place; Vancouver not so much

KELOWNA – Kelowna holds a solid 12th place when it comes to life satisfaction while Vancouver found itself at the bottom of the list, according to a survey recently released by Statistics Canada. The life satisfaction survey, published this month, looked at 33 metropolitan areas in Canada with data gathered from 2009 and 2013. Kelowna...

Let there be rock: AC/DC Rock or Bust tour coming to Vancouver

VANCOUVER - Legendary rock band AC/DC is spending the first half of the Rock or Bust World Tour in Europe but has announced plans to tear down the house at more than a dozen North American venues at the end of the summer. With Edmonton and Vancouver on the roster for the end of September,...

Sex offender released in Kamloops heads for Vancouver

VICTORIA – A high-risk sex offender released in Kamloops earlier this week is heading for Vancouver instead of Cranbrook. B.C. Corrections issued a public notice Saturday, after Jason Beaudry, 37, changed his plan to live in the Kootenays, opting for the Lower Mainland instead. He was released from the Regional Correctional Centre in Kamloops on...

Sharpen your skates for the Young Stars Classic this weekend

PENTICTON - Playing in the NHL is a dream for many young hockey players, and a bunch of young stars will get closer to making that dream a reality at the Young Stars Classic this weekend in Penticton. Prospects of the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets will be playing at 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...

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...

Snelson seeks bail before manslaughter re-trial

KAMLOOPS – A Kelowna man is seeking bail in a hearing tomorrow in advance of his second trial for the 1993 rape and murder of a college student. Neil George Snelson, 47, is awaiting a new trial ordered by the B.C. Court of Appeal. His trial was delayed again today. Snelson requested more time for...