Charlotte Helston

VERNON - The city is moving forward on flood protection measures for the Okanagan Landing area. Vernon Creek has been a frequent source of flooding, and the city has plans to redirect water from the creek into Okanagan Lake. Councillors voted Monday to endorse an application to the provincial flood protection program to access funds...

VERNON - Steps are being taken to strengthen the relationship between the city and business sector.  To mark the start of Small Business Month this October, the City of Vernon will be participating in the Business Walks Program, where civic leaders and support services, like the Downtown Vernon Association, check in on businesses. "The program...

VERNON - Wildlife officials saw it coming. The "friendly deer" caught on camera nuzzling people, playing with swing-sets, and receiving hugs has met an unfortunate end. Conservation officers were left with no other option than to kill the young buck. "It's definitely a sad situation, but a human created one," WildSafe B.C. coordinator Marnie Cuthill...

VERNON - Plans to amalgamate Greater Vernon into one community have been resurrected. The Society for the Future Governance of Greater Vernon has launched a petition to put amalgamation back in the spotlight. The petition asks local and provincial authorities to "develop a plan to combine our regional governments (City of Vernon, District of Coldstream,...

VERNON - A politician is once again calling for more policing at Polson Park. The green space nestled in the heart of downtown Vernon has been the point of many serious crimes over the years. A body was recently discovered there, and while foul play has been ruled out, a City of Vernon councillor says...

VERNON - Greater Vernon's decision-making process is being questioned. City of Vernon coun. Mary-Jo O'Keefe raised concerns about the structure of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (GVAC) at a meeting Monday. "Everything is referred to GVAC where we don't have representation by population. I think it's ineffective," O'Keefe said. Recommendations from various committees, including those...

VERNON - He took the bait, and now he's got a court date. The 22-year-old Vernon man picked the wrong car to break into September 2. The vehicle was part of the RCMP's bait car program, which contains GPS tracking software and hidden surveillance cameras. "The suspect did not steal the car at that time,"...

VERNON - Greater Vernon residents will notice a few changes with recycling pick-up now that the regional district has entered into an agreement with Multi-Material B.C. The agreement puts to rest months of uncertainty about how recyclables will be managed under the province's new policy on packaging and printed paper, overseen by Multi-Material B.C. Responsibility...

VERNON - If you're driving with a cell phone in your hand, Bill and Roy are out to catch you. Armed with binoculars and clipboards, the two Citizen Patrol volunteers are on a mission to make the roads safer as part of Cell Watch, a new distracted driving campaign involving police, ICBC and Citizen Patrol....

VERNON - A former Vernon teacher charged with the sexual assault of a student, then later with perjury, can breath a little easier after learning the Crown will not be appealing her case. Deborah Ashton was found not guilty of perjury earlier this summer. The charges stemmed from two statements she made while under oath...

VERNON - The North Okanagan awoke to thunder and lightning around 4:15 a.m. Friday, and a whole lot of rain. Environment Canada is predicting about 10 mm of rain to fall today (and a further 10-15mm tonight) which would easily surpass the historical record of 7mm in 1999. The forecasters have continued the Special Weather...

VERNON - North Okanagan politicians are asking the Canadian National Railway to pick up the tracks—and the cargo— left behind by the bankrupt Kelowna Pacific Railway. The KPR abruptly closed July 5, sending farmers and companies like Tolko scrambling to find other ways to move their products. Tolko has since turned to trucks for shipment....

VERNON - A last minute push to hold a referendum sooner than later has convinced local politicians to put the art gallery and museum on a ballot next spring. The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee was sitting on a recommendation to postpone the referendum for as long as two years in order to gather information, but...

SALMON ARM - An inspection of the manufacturing plant where a young man died reveals the work place could have been safer. Shane Mackenzie Gorner, 19, was killed August 28 after getting caught in some machinery at the Dinoflex Manufacturing plant, which makes rubber flooring from recycled tires. Police and coroners investigations are ongoing, but...

ENDERBY - Efforts to install hitching posts and corrals to downtown Enderby streets have stalled. During a council meeting Wednesday, the Equine Rangers, who have championed the idea of a horse friendly city, got up and left. "It was like we had never been in city hall. They wanted to know what we wanted, where...

VERNON - Cut funding could mean the loss of 146 years of Okanagan history, Vernon's O'Keefe Ranch manager says. In response to Vernon city council's decision to gradually reduce funding from $150,000 in 2016 to $50,000 by 2018, general manager Glen Taylor sent out a release asking the public to "stand up and say no."...

VERNON - While the rest of Vernon was wet and rainy yesterday, a couple places were on fire. They weren't big fires, but they drew crews of firefighters nonetheless. Deputy fire chief of operations Jack Blair says a series of lightning strikes caused two grass fires, one at 1:52 p.m. and another at 1:54 p.m....

ARMSTRONG - Attendance was down a little, but an impressive number of visitors still passed through the gates of the Interior Provincial Exhibition. Bryan Burns, IPE general manager, says 149,782 people came over the five days, down just a little from the 150,170 from last year, he suspects due to the weather. The biggest day...

"THOSE WHO GO TO NURSE PRACTITIONERS LOVE THEM, AND DON'T FEEL CHEATED THEY'RE NOT SEEING A REAL DOCTOR" VERNON - With a shortage of doctors in rural communities, the B.C. Nurses Union is promoting the use of nurse practitioners as a way to provide care to the community. Union president Debra McPherson stopped in several...

VERNON - A drug trafficking investigation has paid off by stifling criminal activity in the community, police say. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says an investigation that had been in the works for some time and involved some surveiilance, was concluded Monday evening at the Green Valley Motel. As a result of the search, two people...