Top Stories – Dec 21 – Watch That Windchill

The weather office has issued an Extreme Cold warning for the central Okanagan. A very cold arctic air mass has settled over the region. Temperatures near minus 25 to 30 degrees with northeast winds up to 15 km/h will result in wind chill values near minus 40. Things should start to be more normal by Christmas.

Because yesterday was a massive headache for anyone wanting to fly, there’s a good chance it will continue to a certain extent today. The problem… airlines need to get their planes to airports to get passengers, and those who couldn’t fly yesterday were trying to be rebooked. Vancouver was the biggest bottleneck. Once again the keys will be patience and checking with your airline.

As of 9am a temporary parking ban will be in effect for snow routes. To support crews to clear roads, no parking is permitted on snow routes located in Academy Way, Black Mountain, Clifton/Magic Estates/Wilden, Dilworth and Kirschner Mountain, McKinley Beach and areas in the South Mission, including The Ponds.

For three consecutive Thursdays in January, Kelowna RCMP officers will visit three different locally run coffee shops and the people are encouraged to join and ask any question they want. The purpose of Coffee with a Cop is to break down the barriers between officers and the public. The first will be on the 12th at Deville Coffee on Bernard from 930-11am.

It could be the end of the red dusty line for NASA’s InSight lander, which has fallen silent after four years on Mars. Its power levels have been dwindling for months because of all the dust coating its solar panels. InSight landed on Mars in 2018 and was the first spacecraft to document a ‘marsquake’.

A young family of four from Kelowna will trade in a two-bedroom apartment for a $1.75 million dream home by Okanagan Lake after winning Lake Life Lottery’s grand prize. They found out their name was drawn last Thursday. On the day before the grand prize draw, the family learned they were unsuccessful in an offer on a home they had hoped for.

The Department of National Defence recently received quiet approval to spend $7 Billion on 16, F-35 fighter jets. The funding approval came after months of negotiations with the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin. Ottawa is working to replace the military’s aging CF-18s.

Some Canadian officials are reporting an uptick in invasive Group A streptococcus infections. In Kelowna, a nine-year-old child died last month after a strep infection was not detected until it was too late. Bacteria, including Strep A, become “invasive” when they get into somewhere in your body that normally has no bacteria. Invasive Strep A can also cause “really severe pneumonia” with pockets of mucus around the lungs.

Stats Canada says retail sales in October posted their largest increase in five months, led by gains at gasoline stations and food and beverage stores….meaning higher prices. The agency says sales increased 1.4 per cent to $62 Billion. Core sales, which exclude gas stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers, rose 0.9 per cent.

Sports

Another exhibition game for Canada at the World Juniors today in Moncton. The boys take on Slovakia at 3:30 with the game on TSN.

Touchdown Atlantic is returning in July with a CFL contest where the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts will take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Halifax.

Following a Monday night loss, and a number of injuries the season, LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said he doesn’t intend to retire after this season.

Augusta National says it won’t change its criteria for the Masters Tournament, meaning that 16 LIV Golf Tour members are set to be invited.