Charlotte Helston

VERNON - A Vernon man spent time in a police cell over the weekend because concerned citizens thought he was trying to rob a store. RCMP were called to a report of a man with a gun in downtown Vernon near Shoppers Drug Mart around 3:40 p.m. Sunday. “(It was) a little scary down there.......

VERNON - Thousands of Vernon residents woke up without electricity this morning, but the juice is back on. A tree fell on some power lines near Silver Star Resort just after 11 p.m. Tuesday, leaving 1452 customers east of Grey Canal Road in the dark, as well as 712 east of Mabel Lake. Smaller outages...

VERNON - Police are looking for a driver who struck a cyclist and left him there with a broken leg. It was 9 p.m. Sunday when a 26-year-old man reported he’d been hit by a car while riding his bike in the 6300 block of Pleasant Valley Road. The man broke his leg and suffered...

VERNON - Shredding paper—such a mundane and monotonous task—was the cause of an odd fire Tuesday afternoon in Vernon. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says a man was shredding paper in a Sarsons Road residence around 4 p.m. when the machine overheated and ignited the documents. Fortunately, the man had a working fire extinguisher nearby...

VERNON - It could be the biggest network of garage sales the city has ever seen. Registrations are piling in at City Hall for the inaugural city-wide garage sale, Saturday April 26. Imagine as many as 30 listings organized by category—antiques, books, household—and in your hands, a map of them all. Sounds like fun, right?...

VERNON - The medical marijuana debate at Vernon City Hall isn’t revolving around the controversial nature of the plant, but on how to tax the facilities that produce it. City councillors have been sitting on a proposed medical marijuana bylaw for weeks, and Monday opted to wait a little longer. “We need clarification on how...

CITY COUNCIL SLASHES PRICES IN SOME AREAS  VERNON - Downtown parking just got cheaper—if you don’t mind trekking a few blocks to your destination. City council shaved 25 cents off the originally 75 cent hourly rates in the parkade and added a 50 cent per hour option at the parking lot on 29 St. to...

VERNON - Plans for a downtown summer market have stalled because council isn’t sure merchants in the area support the concept. Before endorsing the idea of closing off 30 Avenue Fridays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., city councillors want to be sure it’s what downtown shopkeepers want. The Downtown Vernon Association, which brought the...

“YOU CAN SENSE THE PRESENCE OF MAJESTY IN THIS COURT” VERNON - Hundreds filled the hallways and rooms of the Vernon Courthouse this weekend not to face allegations, dispute traffic tickets, or file legal documents, but to celebrate the splendor of the building itself. Every seat was taken in courtroom 301—where Supreme Court matters are...

VERNON - A young Armstrong man sporting a jacket emblazoned with the words ‘CAN’T STOP THE CROOKS’ may need a new wardrobe after police arrested him for trafficking an array of drugs. Last Thursday around 5:30 p.m., the 23-year-old was driving and talking on his cell phone in Vernon. Police pulled him over and noticed...

VERNON - City Hall is playing with the structure, and overall number, of its council committees. The “streamlining” as the city calls it, could translate as cutting committees, consolidating them, or a combination of both. The area was first spotlighted in a 2013 core services review by KPMG that looked at how the city spends...

VERNON - Two hours after police attempted to pull over a speeding van, the same vehicle was found fully engulfed in flames. The Vernon Fire Department extinguished the car fire by Polson Park around 2 a.m. today, but is leaving the rest to police. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the fire is suspicious and police...

VERNON - The North Okanagan Regional District has announced the departure of its chief staff member. A release from the regional district states its chief administrative officer, Trafford Hall, is no longer employed at the district. “As personnel matters are private and confidential, the board is not in a position to provide any further information...

ARMSTRONG - Armstrong grads decided to have a little fun before bidding farewell to their high school. You may have noticed a post on Kijiji advertising the sale of Pleasant Valley Secondary School, a building boasting more than 30 bedrooms, its own gym, an auditorium and personal staff. Don’t forget the great parking. No, it...

NORTH OKANAGAN - Access to adult education has narrowed in the North Okanagan. School district 83 board members cut an adult continuing education program earlier this week. It was a forced decision following changes in how the province funds the service, says trustee Bob Fowler. “The (funding) formula has changed over the years so the...

VERNON - Not wearing a seatbelt was a factor in the death of a 44-year-old Armstrong man. Braden Len Williams was ejected from his 2006 Chevrolet Impala on Highway 97 in Spallumcheen around 2 a.m. Sept. 28, 2013 and died of blunt force trauma. His vehicle’s OnStar reporting system notified the company the car had...

VERNON - A man whose body was found in Polson Park was an alcoholic, but he told hospital staff as little as five days before his death he wanted to get help. Terrance Edward Fergus, 47, died of alcohol poisoning the night of Sept. 26, 2012, according to a report on his death by coroner...

VERNON - After battling a grass fire that sizzled through nine acres of pasture over the weekend, the local fire department hadn’t had enough. BX-Swan Lake firefighters participated in a planned burn Tuesday night on East Vernon Road. “It was very successful,” fire chief Bill Wacey says. “We don’t usually get the flame that was...

VERNON - A significant amount of cocaine, heroin and other drugs were seized over the weekend, along with thousands of dollars stuffed inside the culprit’s shoe. Around 3:15 p.m. Saturday a car caught the eye of a police officer conducting routine patrols in the area of 25 Avenue and 35 Street. The vehicle turned onto...