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Vernon news
Earthquake 19 km northeast of Victoria
VICTORIA - A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Sidney, Vancouver Island Tuesday evening. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the three second quake happened just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, 19 kilometres northeast of Victoria and almost 60 kilometres below the earth’s surface. There have been no reports of any damage or injuries. The...
Vernon man trying to reunite mysterious keepsake box with rightful owners over the holidays
VERNON - Finding an old box of postcards, pictures and other keepsakes in the basement of a Vernon business years ago was like a blast from the past, says Jack Elliman. But not a blast from his own past; from someone named Lorna Rothwell Thompson’s past. Elliman doesn’t know who she is, but he’s trying...
You’ll never guess what this Kamloops woman wants for her 100th birthday
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The family of a Kamloops grandmother turning 100 years old in a few months is using social media to get the attention of her favourite singer. Kelowna resident Brad Krauza’s grandmother Sylvia lives in Kamloops. With her 100th birthday coming up in March, he and his sister Wendy wanted to do something extra...
Suspected mail thief rams police car, tries to escape on a kayak
SICAMOUS - A traffic stop on Old Spallumcheen Road led to a police cruiser being rammed twice and an RCMP dog unit tracking a man across Mara Lake Monday. Around 2:30 am on Monday, Dec. 28, a Sicamous RCMP officer attempted to pull over the driver of pickup truck near Sicamous when the man put...
‘My roommate used my toothbrush’ and other reasons to not call 9-1-1
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C. has released its top ten worst reasons people used their service this year. E-Comm is the primary 9-1-1 answer point for 24 regional districts and other communities from Vancouver Island to the Alberta and U.S. borders, to north of Prince George. With nearly 3,400 9-1-1 calls...
Vernon SPCA seeking help for two dogs after closure of animal rescue
VERNON - The Vernon B.C. SPCA is looking for donations to help brighten the holidays for a pair of dogs in need of expensive medical attention. The dogs, named Girlie and Dash, came into the shelter’s care following the closure of an animal rescue organization in the area, the Vernon shelter says in a release. ...
Unlocked vehicle leads to theft from Lake Country garage
LAKE COUNTRY - Parked vehicles left unlocked, two with garage door openers inside, led to the theft of electronics and loose change this morning, as well as tools and fishing gear from a garage. A vehicle parked in the 9800 block Sonata Road in Lake Country was broken into sometime before 9 a.m. today, Dec....
Two snowmobilers, two separate rescues for search teams in the Shuswap
SHUSWAP - Every minute of daylight counted as search and rescue crews raced to the aid of two snowmobilers during two separate incidents in the Shuswap this week. The first call came in around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, with a report of an injured snowmobiler, possibly with a fractured spine, at Blue Lake near...
Vernon police looking for prolific tagger
VERNON - Police are looking for someone so in love with their own talents, they spray-painted it on three schools, a bus and a government building. Vernon RCMP hope you will recognize the tags in the Pleasant Valley Road area of Armstrong that started appearing in November, which are similar enough for police to believe...
Vernon RCMP amping up presence for New Year’s Eve
VERNON - Police will be out in full force in the North Okanagan on New Year’s Eve. That’s the reminder Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy is giving in advance of this Thursday’s New Year’s celebrations. “Our communities can expect to see road blocks, roving traffic patrols and foot patrols of bar areas, as well as our usual...
Weather mellowing out in the Okanagan this week
OKANAGAN - It looks like snowplows will get some time to catch up this week with much less white stuff expected to fall. Communities across the Okanagan got hit with a large dump of snow over the holiday weekend, prompting a snowfall warning from Environment Canada, which ended Dec. 27. Between 7 mm and 10 mm...
Charges laid against man who barricaded himself in Shuswap home, lit it on fire
SALMON ARM - A man accused of barricading himself inside a home and lighting it on fire during a bizarre episode in the Shuswap is facing criminal charges. Adolf Albert Edward Hemmerling, in his 40s, is charged with uttering threats and arson damaging property, in relation to the Dec. 20, 2015 incident. Hemmerling allegedly barricaded...
UPDATE: Snowfall warning ended for Okanagan and South Thompson
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS IN WINTER DRIVING CONDITION THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A dump of snow overnight and this morning is making the busiest travel day of the year a challenge for drivers. The snowfall warning issued by Environment Canada for the Thompson-Okanagan earlier this morning was ended at about 10:15 a.m., Dec. 27. Forecasters say significant snowfall...
PHOTOS: Vernon Christmas bird count challenged by snow
VERNON - The annual Christmas bird count in Vernon is in the books for another year. Claude Rioux with the North Okanagan Naturalists Club says the count was held on Sunday, Dec. 20. "What a different day we had from last year where we had no snow," Rioux says in an email. "This year's count...
What to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays
VERNON - The presents are unwrapped and the ornaments packed up. It’s time for the Christmas tree to go. If you’re ready to part with this year’s Christmas tree, here’s the low-down. Residents of Vernon, Coldstream, and the B.X. are invited to take their Christmas trees to the drop-off site located at 47 Avenue and 20...
Garbage and recycling over the holidays: What Vernon and area residents need to know
VERNON - Between all that wrapping paper, tinsel and empty eggnog cartons, garbage and recycling containers are bound to get filled up this holiday season. Luckily, there aren’t too many changes to local landfill hours and garbage pick-up schudules over Christmas time. The Regional District of North Okanagan says its recycling and disposal facilities will...
Vernon city councillor shares favourite Christmas traditions
VERNON - We reached out to Vernon’s politicians to share their Christmas traditions and what they remember most fondly about Christmas with their families. It’s a busy time of year for everyone, but one Vernon councillor took the time to reply to our questionnaire and give residents a bit of insight into her Christmas traditions....
Some quirks of the calendar will bring you a lot more fun next year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Before you book your vacation next year, you might find some surprises you haven’t seen on the calendar — like an extra four long weekends next year. Thanks to a few quirks of the calendar, all four date-based holidays fall on or near weekends this year. Canada Day, Remembrance Day and New Years...
Enderby locals treated to private screening of Hopkins thriller
ENDERBY – Locals got a sneak peak of the movie Go With Me during a…
Sad news in search for missing Vernon woman
VERNON - A search for a missing person has ended in tragedy. Vernon RCMP confirmed 65-year-old Aurelia Wedenig, who went missing Dec. 18, was found dead around noon Dec. 23. “The Vernon RCMP were notified by family and friends of the discovery of her body in a thicket and grove of trees bordering a property...
A cool, white Christmas for the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - You’re in luck if you dreamed of a white Christmas, but expect slightly cooler temperatures to go along with it. Enough snow has fallen this month to give much of the Okanagan a white Christmas, something that has only a 50 per cent chance of happening in Kelowna and only a 20 per...
Former Vernon mall Santa will keep going because it ‘feeds the spirit’
VERNON - David Robertson inquired about becoming a mall Santa on a whim. That was about 20 years ago, he says in his lilting Scottish accent. Born in Edinburgh, Robertson moved to Canada in 1958, and to Vernon in the 1970s to teach high school drama. “Just out of sheer, puckish humour I thought I’d...
Forget the scoreboards, simply getting on the field was a triumph for this Vernon team
VERNON - A high school football team in Vernon may not have won any games this year, but it conquered a lot of odds just by getting on the field. The Seaton Sonics junior football team at Seaton Secondary started the year off with next to no equipment, no funding and many players who had...
No car seat, no ride for Armstrong mom and baby trying to board the bus
VERNON - A North Okanagan woman is sharing her experience after being told she couldn’t board a public transit bus without a car seat for her baby. Chelsey Dyer planned to take the Route 60 bus into Vernon from her Armstrong home last week to pick up her car, but wasn’t allowed on. “The driver...