Penticton and South Okanagan

Court file: Man who had sex with teen

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Rene Burke at previous court appearance The crown suggested a sentence of 36 to 48 months plus three months on each breach, minus time served for a man who pled guilty to a sexual offence, Crown Counsel John Swanson asked for the time, minus the 19 months...

Council denies winery application

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer A winery in a residential Penticton neighbourhood was denied the opportunity to expand its services at Monday's council meeting. After several neighbours complained about Perseus Winery's plans to grow its business to include wine and food being served...

Mountain biker injured on trail

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer File photo of a rescue from last year. A mountain biker was injured Sunday while riding on the Three Blind Mice trail network. Penticton Search and Rescue Manager Dale Jorgensen said they were asked to assist in getting the man out by BC Ambulance at...

No sentencing in sexual assault case

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer There was no sentence handed down Monday in a lengthy sexual assault case that has dragged on since  2009. Judge Meg Shaw held off on her decision in a Penticton court room,  saying she appreciated the matter had taken a long time to get to this...

Winery wants food for thought at council

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Wine and dine, Perseus wants a Bistro A winery lounge area at Perseus Winery will be one of the items under discussion at tonight's, Monday, Penticton Council meeting. Under review will be a number of letters expressing such concerns as an increase in...

Man sentenced in violent assault case

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Kevin Woods enters Penticton court house on Monday. A Penticton man accused of a violent assault at an apartment complex was sentenced to 45 days in custody on Monday. Kevin Woods, 42, will begin serving the intermittent sentence, where he is behind bars on...

Sandcastle builders wanted

Photo: Castanet Staff File photo from the Peach Festival's sandcastle competition. The 30th annual RONA Sandcastle Competition is scheduled on Thursday, August 8 at Skaha Beach. The sandcastle event is held in conjunction with the 66th annual Penticton Peach Festival. Proceeds...

Gather for the summer solstice

Photo: Contributed The sun is about to reach its Summer Solstice on Thursday, June 20. To mark the longest day of summer, a gathering will take place at the Pen Henge standing stone array on Munson Mountain in Penticton that evening. The public gathering, organized by the Penticton...

Visitor centre offers brochure service

Photo: Contributed - soec.ca The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Penticton are pleased to announce a brochure racking-only service to the Penticton and area business community. Starting this week, businesses in Penticton can sign up to have their brochure...

Waterfront project opens to public

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer The Penticton waterfron walkway project has been completed and is open to the public Nothing beats a walk along the waterfront in Penticton, unless, of course, it's a new and improved - and rubberized - walk along the lake front. That's right, the...

And they're off! Horse racing is back.

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer After an absence of 15 years, horse racing is returning to the South Okanagan. The Desert Park Exhibition Society is holding its first race Saturday at the Desert Park race track on the west side of Osoyoos Lake. Carol Youngberg, president of the...

Osoyoos Indian Band nixes smart meters

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer - Castanet Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie announced this week that he and all band council members have signed a governing document prohibiting FortisBC, the local utility company, from installing smart meters on the approximately 703 homes and businesses on...

Cyclists discuss health with students

A group of cyclists who are riding across the country to motivate young Canadians to make healthy choices, stopped to visit a Penticton school on Thursday. The message that the four students from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College are sharing is, unleash your...

Trust fund for Olalla burn victim

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer A donation trust fund has been set up at Keremeos Valley First Credit Union to help the man who was badly burned in a fire in Olalla late Sunday. A donation trust fund has been established to help the man who was badly burned in a fire in Olalla...

Penticton Indian Band Fire

An abandoned building on Penticton Indian Band property burned to the ground on Thursday evening. The building near the Sun Leisure Mobile Home Park on the south end of Penticton went up in flames at around 7 p.m., according to witnesses. Firefighters at the scene declined to comment, but...

Firefighter denied his day in court

A Keremeos firefighter will not get his day in court after all. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer - Castanet File Photo Doug MacLeod will not get his day in court. A judge dismissed his wrongful dismissal case against the RDOS in late May. MacLeod is seen here, leaving the courthouse, following an...

Wrapping up work on the waterfront

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Work is wrapping up on the Penticton waterfront with the job to be completed in time for the Peach City Beach Cruise. Work on the West Okanagan Lake waterfront project in Penticton is wrapping up, in anticipation of the first big event of the summer...

Summer camps

Photo: Contributed File photo ​Recreation Penticton encourages residents to register quickly as the Penticton Community Centre gets ready for another jam-packed summer of day camps. Summer highlights include a week or more of JCI Summer Day Camps. Each week-long camp has a...

Fire near Anarchist Mountain

  Raw video of the fire by Deborah Pfeiffer. 6 p.m. Update:  A fire that climbed a hillside on Anarchist Mountain Wednesday afternoon was triggered by flames shooting from a burning semi-truck. According to Osoyoos RCMP Cpl. Jason Bayda, during the afternoon...

Challenges with Family Life Program

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer The elimination of the Family Life Program teacher in School District 67 remains a sensitive issue for many. The matter was discussed at this week 's school board meeting. In May, the South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society and parents sent letters to the...