Front Page News

A longtime volunteer with emergency support services and a passionate advocate for animals share this year's top civic awards in Kelowna.

Senior officers hung Geoff Mantler out to dry and made no effort to investigate his side of the story, says a labour representative for the RCMP.

Geoff Mantler is remorseful, has panic attacks and quit the RCMP after kicking a brain-injured man in the head, but he still deserves a criminal record, a judge ruled Thursday.

Former Kelowna RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler was handed a suspended sentence this morning in a Kelowna courtroom for his infamous kick to the face of Buddy Tavares.

Judge Greg Koturbash gave Mantler a suspended sentence with 18 months probation and the stipulation he have no contact with Tavares.

If he goes back to the police, he must undergo use-of-force retraining. He was not banned from owning firearms, as the Crown had sought and was fined a $50 victim surcharge fee.

We will have the full story from the sentencing hearing in Friday's print edition, including reaction from Tavares.

Who, who, who, approved the use of a stylized owl as the mascot for a Kelowna high school that's almost identical to an angry bird of prey that represents a big U.S. university?

Firefighters douse a 2.5-hectare bush fire off Glenmore Road in Lake Country after a burn pile of debris on private property re-ignited and started the surrounding brush on fire. The owner of R355 Contracting was working nearby and was on the scene shortly after the fire started with a water truck, backhoe and excavator. Lake Country firefighters had seven trucks and 25 firefighters on scene, along with help from Ellison Fire Department and B.C. Forest Service firefighters. A helicopter was called in, but cancelled after a guard was quickly built around the blaze.

Ben Stewart was not even a minute into his opening remarks at an election forum last night when he turned the clock back to the 1990s.

Buddy Tavares walked slowly to the podium and pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket.

Snow crept down Okanagan hillsides like a forgotten enemy early Tuesday. And its ally, sub-zero temperatures, was set to follow along again last night.