Charlotte Helston

His people gave him the name Wunuxtsin. It means "loud voice" and belonged to his great, great grandfather. Kukpi7 (Chief) Wayne Christian of the Splatsin Indian Band uses his voice to tell stories, to teach the ways of his people, and to advocate First Nations rights. In his voice are echoes of wind and thunder...

A couple of men with outstanding warrants accidentally gave themselves away last night when questioned by police on an unrelated matter. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says they caught the attention of the Vernon police last evening when they were play fighting downtown. Police arrived at 3203 31 Ave. near the parkade around 8 p.m. Wednesday...

The B.C. Conservatives are reporting vandalism to their Vernon-Monashee campaign office and election signs. Local candidate Scott Anderson says a window was smashed at his 31 Avenue office early Thursday morning. Anderson says no injuries occurred and nothing was stolen.    "We've had trouble with vandalized signs in rural areas of the riding, "Anderson says. "But...

As temperatures rose in the North Okanagan, so did the number of thefts from vehicles. "With the good weather we have had in our area over the past week it not only brings out the people wanting to enjoy the beaches and parks; it also brings out the opportunists (who) steal from your vehicles," RCMP...

The last thing Kyle Polito wanted to see outside his mom's downtown Vernon store was a public melee involving swords and skateboards. Making matters worse was the part he played in it. RCMP were called to Head Rush—Polito's store—just before 11 p.m. Tuesday night, after reports of more than a dozen young people fighting in...

B.C. NDP leader Adrian Dix stopped on a quiet Vernon side street Tuesday to hammer home his promise of prioritizing health care in the North Okanagan. During his brief visit, Dix said the 14 new beds proposed by the Liberals for Vernon Jubilee Hospital are simply not enough to alleviate daily crowding. He said the...

MAN WITH SWORDS GETS BEATEN BY YOUTHS WITH SKATEBOARDS Vernon police responded to a bizarre call late Tuesday night involving a band of youths and a man with swords. Officers were dispatched around 10:45 p.m. to a call of roughly 15 youths running into traffic and fighting at the corner of 29 Ave. and 30...

B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins says his party would immediately issue up to 1,200 class E licenses for farm-gate sales, allowing local people to buy local meat. In an announcement Wednesday at local candidate Scott Anderson's campaign office, Cummins said the Conservatives would take action on reversing the "onerous regulations" imposed under the B.C. Liberals....

It was officially the hottest May 7 in history at 29.4 C yesterday.

An economic development manager for the city questions the accuracy of a recent report by the Conference Board of Canada stating Vernon's economy has been contracting for five consecutive years. According to Kevin Poole, the statement doesn't reflect the data in his hands. He can only speculate on what sources the report drew on, because...

A store manager in Vernon's Village Green Mall hopes the arrival of Target will reinvigorate the shopping centre. Falicia Stephen, manager of Claire's, was at Target's grand opening Tuesday with her daughter Mackenzie. "It's a good thing for the community, it gives the mall something else," Stephen says. Something it desperately needed, she adds. "When...

It's not in their job description, but City of Vernon Bylaw Officers Russ Lutsenko and Lee Elliott had an opportunity to be Goose Whisperers last week when a pair of geese and their newly hatched chicks were discovered on 30 Ave. in the downtown core.

It's hard to think about preparing your backyard for natural disasters when the weather is as hot and sunny as it is in the Okanagan right now.

Salmon Arm RCMP and Search and Rescue have exhausted their efforts in locating a missing man after his fishing boat was found beached on Shuswap Lake. Salmon Arm RCMP received a report of the beached boat May 1 around 8 a.m. Police attended Eagle Bay on Shuswap Lake and located the boat still in gear...

While many B.C. communities are losing their local Crime Stoppers, the North Okanagan unit is standing strong. Over the weekend, the unit was given three awards at a provincial conference held in Vancouver. The branch was presented with the Milestone award, based on the number of Crime Stoppers tips received. "In 2012, through tips generated,...

Last week in the Armstrong area there was a report of a so called contractor going door to door looking for work and not following through after payment. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the detachment receives complaints about the same type of incident every year. The police are reminding local residents to take precautions when...

Police believe the individuals behind a tractor trailer theft could also be responsible for a robbery last month at a gas station in Enderby. "Last week officers from the rural area of Armstrong and Enderby worked on a file where a tractor trailer unit was reported missing and last known location was in their area,"...

North Okanagan RCMP are concerned someone in the community has gained a taste for Molotov cocktails. For the second time in two weeks, Silver Star Elementary school has been targeted with a Molotov cocktail. RCMP are calling it attempted arson or at the very least mishief. Police were notified Friday morning, but spokesperson Gord Molendyk...

All things health—from access to doctors, to the effects of smart meters, to the use of marijuana—were hot topics at an all candidates forum in Armstrong this week. One resident asked the candidates if they support the SensibleBC Policing Act, which would direct all police in B.C. to stop spending time and resources on searching,...

The son of a war veteran is watching the Vernon legion fade away as financial pressures take their toll on the once vibrant organization. John Miller, president of the legion, says the branch, like numerous others across B.C., has been gradually losing members, and money, in recent years. "Many factors slowly throttled us over the...

Two men accused of running a dial-a-dope operation in Vernon known as the Triple Six Boys have turned against each other in their Supreme court trial. Jason Parent, 33, and Andrew Pinette, 23, are charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. Each is attempting to protect himself, with one defense lawyer calling it a...

VERNON MAN GRABBED A BAT, DRESSED AS SUPERMAN TO CONFRONT 'SATAN-WORSHIPPER' A Vernon judge expressed empathy for a man with a traumatic history who committed a "bizarre" offense on Halloween of 2011, the same night Taylor Van Diest was killed. Daniel Donald Hobbs of Vernon was charged with assaulting a man with a bat, and...