RDOS: Olympic spotlight shines on region The 20-by-40-foot tented area that the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen was allocated on B.C. Street for a $50,000 commitment during the O Zone festival held in Richmond over the Olympics (Feb. 12-28) was a success. 3/8/2010 5:06:50 PM

Tories to unveil public service efficiency plan The Harper government will launch a campaign this week to freeze-and-squeeze the public service, but Treasury Board President Stockwell Day says he is looking to avoid a major battle with front-line federal workers who will be most affected. 3/8/2010 6:29:07 AM

KVR art students among those to recognize World Women’s Day The creative works of a group of arts club students from KVR Middle School commemorating International Women‘s Day is currently on display at the Penticton Public Library. Teacher Lindsey Mennell said she collaborated with Chandra Wong of the Penticton and Area Women‘s Centre on the project. 3/8/2010 5:52:11 AM

Expect delays: Highway 97 upgrades are back in full swing With the return of spring-like weather, construction on the Highway 97 upgrade north of Summerland has resumed and some minor traffic delays may be encountered. Work is now concentrating on the “rock slip” area, where some off-road work is to begin this week. 3/8/2010 5:36:16 AM

Grand opening — Learning centre planned for Oliver When renovations to South Okanagan Secondary School are complete in 2012, the building will be getting more than just a facelift. It will also be home to a Neighbourhood Learning Centre, one of the first in a series scheduled to open throughout B.C. 3/8/2010 5:27:20 AM

Good news for the College expansion There‘s good news in the federal budget for colleges, according to Okanagan College president Jim Hamilton. The federal government is doubling the amount of money in the college and community innovation program, which commercializes the fruits of research, he noted. 3/8/2010 5:17:22 AM

Day defends finance minister's late-night flight The federal government's plan to set a positive economic example for Canadians by curbing its own operational spending was not harmed by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's flight to London, Ont., this week, the treasury board president said Sunday. 3/7/2010 12:33:35 PM

New Location for Penticton’s Cardiopulmonary Wellness Program Almost a year-and-a-half after the South Okanagan Events Centre opened its doors, plans for a wellness centre at the facility have finally come to fruition. "When the events centre was just being built, this was part of the dream," said Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff. 3/7/2010 6:49:49 AM

Penticton Council converts centre pool upgrade contract Due to a lean time frame, Penticton city council voted unanimously to convert a contract for the community centre to a fixed-price agreement. John Kirbyson, director of parks and recreation, outlined the details of his report during a special council meeting on Friday. 3/7/2010 5:49:03 AM

Police rack up arrests The Penticton RCMP Drug Task Force racked up another series of arrests last week. A 35-year-old Mexican man was arrested Feb. 24 after police stopped a vehicle outside a Main Street convenience store on suspicion of drug activity. The man was found to be in possession of a large amount of cash and determined to be in Canada illegally. 3/7/2010 5:39:29 AM

Peewee Vees hosting provincials starting Sunday Rod MacMurchy is realistic about the host Penticton Vees chances of winning the B.C. Peewee Tier 2 Hockey Championship that run from Sunday to Wednesday at Memorial Arena. “If we get all 17 players showing up, we should be very competitive,” said the Vees head coach. 3/7/2010 5:21:53 AM

Penticton: Letter to Editor: Goose program needed Mayor Dan Ashton must have gone to the George W. Bush school of higher learning. He says that the addling program isn’t working and he doesn’t feel the $10,000 to keep the program is necessary. Penticton council voted 5-2 not to support the addling program. 3/6/2010 11:12:29 AM

Penticton Mayor has a short memory, where was he during SOEC mess? Penticton city council says laying off three city managers following a core services review was necessary to control a debt that began spiralling out of control in 2002. Friday, Mayor Dan Ashton said that when the current council took office in 2008, it realized the city was spending unsustainably. 3/6/2010 5:06:34 AM

Penticton Auto Dealers fear taxman's bite The Penticton Auto Dealers and Friends association is concerned with the impending impact the 2010 property assessments may have on the auto industry retail sector in Penticton. The group wants city council to consider taking action to offset the effects of the 2010 property assessments. 3/6/2010 4:24:25 AM

Proposed TV network for Okanagan on hold for now Corus Entertainment‘s proposal to establish a new TV network with local content in Western Canada, including the three major Okanagan cities, is temporarily on hold. Corus planned to launch the Local1 channels within six months of approval, possibly by the end of the year if it was approved in April. 3/6/2010 4:20:15 AM

Penticton Vees await next playoff foe Penticton Vees head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson was so pleased with how things went in the first round of the playoffs that he gave his troops a day off on Wednesday Just one day though. And there was a catch – the players have to report for practice duty on the weekend. 3/6/2010 4:13:58 AM

Crime Stoppers seeks suspects Crime Stoppers is asking the public’s assistance in locating the following individuals who are wanted on provincewide warrants as of March 3. Pamela Dawn Clarmont is wanted for theft under $5,000. Clarmont is described as a 30-year-old Caucasian female, five-foot-three, 249 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. 3/5/2010 1:18:51 PM

Emotional wife calls council's behavior 'shameful' (Video) The wife of one of the three senior managers terminated by the city addressed Penticton council at a meeting this morning, calling their behavior 'shameful.' "They were two years away from retirement, and this is what you've done to tarnish their careers," said Deb Andreychuk. 3/5/2010 12:30:58 PM

SOWINS Celebrating Women on Saturday It's a celebration of South Okanagan Women, with a fifties themed twist. Donna Henningson with the South Okanagan Women in Need Society says they will look back at women have accomplished as from six decades ago up until now. 3/5/2010 7:16:04 AM

Penticton and area Science Fair winners list The following is a list of the winners in the Okanagan Skaha School District Science Fair held at KVR Middle school. All Gold winners have the chance to participate in
the Regional Science Fair at the
UBC-Okanagan in Kelowna on March 30 and 31. 3/5/2010 5:43:22 AM

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