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Vernon news
RCMP say ‘possible actions’ may be taken against Vernon marijuana dispensaries
VERNON - Police are confirming they visited five marijuana dispensaries in Vernon and say further action could be taken in the future. Officers visited the dispensaries to ‘outline our concerns and the potential ramifications related to business practices which do not comply with the current Controlled Drugs and Substances Act’, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in...
Charges no longer being pursued against man accused of Kal Park arson
VERNON - A conviction is no longer being pursued against a North Okanagan man facing arson charges in connection to a fire in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park last summer. Justin Rees, 24, was charged with one count of arson damaging property following the June 12 fire near Juniper Bay. At the time, authorities said the...
Vernon firefighters rescue man stuck in dumpster
VERNON - Emergency responders in Vernon recently came to the aid of a man in a rotten situation. Reported as a 'confined space rescue,' the unusual incident occurred when a man was taking out his garbage around 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. He accidentally tossed his keys in the dumpster along with the trash, and...
Vernon marijuana dispensaries warned by police to shut down
VERNON - Medical marijuana dispensaries in Vernon have been warned to close their doors. Hasia Glaim co-owns MMJ Total Health Care on 31 Avenue downtown Vernon and was surprised to get a visit from the Vernon RCMP Nov. 24. “We were given a verbal warning to shut down as we are operating illegally and we...
Vernon learning centre on the hunt for a new home after being told to vacate
VERNON - The Vernon School District is on the hunt for a new landlord after the decision to demolish the city-owned building the district has been leasing. School officials recently learned they won’t be able to lease the city-owned building on 29th Street anymore because it’s getting demolished. The city has asked the district to...
The Sheepdogs set to rock Vernon and Kamloops in early 2016
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Canadian band The Sheepdogs will be making two stops in the Southern Interior on its cross-country tour next year. The tour follows the latest album, Future Nostalgia, released by the Juno award-winning rock band from Saskatchewan. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Dec. 4, for the Feb. 17 show at Cactus Jacks next...
Block heater suspected cause of Vernon truck fire
VERNON - A block heater appears to be the culprit behind a weekend vehicle fire. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says a Ford F350 caught fire around 4:39 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 29 in the area of Windsor Place. “It was parked within three feet of a house,” Skolrood says. “It was close enough to do...
Vandalism spree leaves 74 Vernon parking meters damaged
VERNON - The City of Vernon is looking for information after numerous parking meters were vandalized, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage. Communications officer Tanya Laing Gahr says 74 meters were damaged in total, with the clocks from 72 broken or removed over the weekend. Damage is estimated at around $20,000. There was no...
Driver flees scene after flipping car in Vernon
VERNON - Emergency responders in Vernon were unable to locate the driver after a single vehicle accident last Friday. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says the department responded to the Orchard Hill Road accident, near Bella Vista Road, about 10:51 p.m., Nov. 27. “It was a rollover down an embankment,” Skolrood says. “No one was...
Vernon Farmers’ Market disappointed with arena vote
VERNON - The manager of the Vernon Farmers' Market believes some vendors will feel the squeeze as the group downsizes for upcoming arena construction. Manager Ingrid Baron is expecting the market will need to shrink by a third to fit into reduced parking lot space at Kal Tire Place while the facility is expanded. Greater...
Vernon mayor happy arena referendum passed; disappointed with low voter turnout
VERNON – The voters of Greater Vernon have spoken, although not many of them, giving…
Diamond ring found in Vernon Walmart glove returned to rightful owner
VERNON – A woman from Lake Country quickly bought a pair of gloves at the Walmart in Vernon as she and her daughter headed to the city’s Downtown Light Up event Friday evening, Nov. 27. When Tanya Krcmar put on the gloves, one of her fingers slipped through what she says felt like a ring....
Greater Vernon voters say ‘YES’ to a new arena
VERNON - Greater Vernon will get a brand new, multi-million dollar arena, voters decided today. The ‘yes’ vote for a new ice sheet to replace the aging Civic Arena was victorious in the Saturday, Nov. 28 referendum. According to preliminary results, 4,265 votes were cast in favour of the new arena, and 3,331 against. The...
Investigators still looking for tips in Cooke Creek landslide
ENDERBY - The Ministry of Forests still doesn’t know who’s responsible for a massive landslide near Enderby last year, but it’s standing by its belief the catastrophe was human-caused. In a statement released last week, the Ministry said it believes someone tampered with a culvert, leading Dale Lake to spill its banks and send a...
Rail removal to cause weekend traffic disruptions in Lake Country
LAKE COUNTRY – Crews are working their way north as they dismantle an old railroad…
Police presence outside Vernon apartment building
VERNON - There was a police incident at a Vernon apartment building today, but RCMP are tight-lipped about exactly what is going on. Cruisers were parked outside a complex in the 4000 block of 20 Street for much of the day Nov. 27, but police won’t divulge what brought them there. “It’s still under investigation,”...
Penticton man identified as victim in fatal Okanagan Connector crash
KELOWNA – The first big winter storm on the Okanagan Connector and Coquihalla highways proved deadly early this month. A car crash claimed the life of a Penticton man on Highway 97C around 1:30 p.m., Nov. 16, according to a media release from the B.C. Coroners Service. Martin Lewis Schultz, 44, was the driver and...
Vernon School District asked to vacate city-owned building
VERNON - The Vernon School District has been asked to vacate a city-owned building currently home to the Open Door Education Centre. According to a memo from the superintendent’s office, the 29 Street building owned by the city and leased by the district is getting demolished next summer. The district has been asked to vacate...
Cold snap continues in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - While the temperatures continue to remind us why the stereotype of all Canadians living in parkas and igloos exists, it is nowhere near the record lows recorded in the Okanagan. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to remain well below zero all weekend but is forecasting the mercury to hit near seasonal normal...
Vernon photographer creates magical Disney photos featuring her daughter
VERNON - A Vernon photographer brought a little magic home from Disneyland. It all started with an elaborate Elsa dress Camillia Courts bought her daughter Layla, who was five years old at the time, during a family trip to Disneyland last year. “When we brought it back home, I was thinking where the heck is...
Migrant workers safe and with families in Mexico after going missing in the Okanagan
VERNON - Four temporary foreign workers who went missing in the Okanagan this past summer are back home in Mexico, the country’s consulate confirmed today, Nov. 26. Vernon RCMP reported the men missing in July 2015, nearly a month after they were last seen taking a cab into Vernon to cash some cheques. They arrived...
Voters to decide fate of Vernon arena project in coming days
VERNON - Voters will have their say on a new arena this Saturday, but as they prepare to head to the polls, over 2,000 people have already cast their ballots in advance polls. “I think those numbers are even better than the general municipal election we had,” Vernon mayor Akbal Mund says. “That’s encouraging in...
Kokanee numbers keep rising in Okanagan
OKANAGAN - Kokanee numbers are up from last year in all of the big valley lakes, the provincial government says. Wood Lake’s kokanee population continues to recover from a disastrous 2011 when poor in-lake conditions lead to a huge increase in fish mortality of all ages, according to a media release. Over 20,000 returned to spawn...
The unusual way some local residents mourn through Facebook
"IT'S NICE TO KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LOVED HIM." KELOWNA – Earlier this month Facebook announced a new option designed to help you get over a relationship breakup without blocking or unfriending your ex. But some Okanagan residents are using Facebook to help get over an even greater loss. Three years ago, suddenly and...