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Vernon news

Pickup truck driver goes ‘on a rampage’ in Vernon

VERNON – The driver of a pickup went on a rampage in Vernon yesterday afternoon and a witness says it looked like "something out of a movie." Jason Spencer, who works at Central Tarp on Kosmina Road, says around 4 p.m., Nov. 18, a “crazed driver in a blue pickup truck went on a rampage”...

Okanagan growers debate marketing future of Ambrosia apple

OKANAGAN - Producers of the Ambrosia apple are considering whether to extend a levy used to market the new varietal. Ambrosia producers have paid a $.25 per lb. levy since 2001, shortly after the new apple was introduced, used to promote the fruit to consumers and further its research. The levy was renewed in 2006...

Curious about the price of marijuana in your city? Check PriceOfWeed website

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It isn’t legal yet in Canada, but that won’t stop people from keeping a close eye on weed market in their city. Akin to the website Gas Buddy, which monitors gas prices to help consumers find the lowest price in town, there’s a website called Price of Weed, in which users report the...

Vandals destroy holiday displays at downtown Vernon store

VERNON - Four people caused extensive damage to holiday displays, lighting and the roof of a downtown store earlier this week. On Nov. 15, around 9 p.m., two males and two females, who all appear to be youths, were caught on store video surveillance damaging the holiday displays Vernon Teach and Learn on 30th Avenue...

Wildlife festival lands in Kelowna this weekend

KELOWNA - A traveling festival of wild animals from around the world is coming to Kelowna for three days this weekend. Featuring birds of prey, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, The Wildlife Festival has already made stops in Chilliwack, Hope, Kamloops and Merritt and will be at the Westbank Community Centre in West Kelowna Friday,...

Lake Country couple start multi-million dollar legging company

LAKE COUNTRY - A young Lake Country couple had no idea their idea to start a legging company would grow so fast. Addie and Chris Pafiolis started SweetLegs in their house in Lake Country just one and a half years ago. In that time they have sold more than half a million pairs of the...

Buying local, without leaving home, a popular choice for Okanagan holiday shoppers

OKANAGAN - It’s already well known that online shopping has taken over a large piece of the Christmas retail pie, but that doesn’t mean people are giving up on buying local to fill the stockings this Christmas. You don’t have to go out to a farmer’s market or holiday craft fair to buy local, you...

Man breaks into Vernon home, helps himself to a snack

VERNON - A local man accused of breaking into a woman’s home not only helped himself to her personal belongings — he also made himself something to eat. A local woman phoned 911 around 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 after she found a strange man in her house, RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says. “He had...

Watch for whimsical pop up parks in Vernon

VERNON - A special surprise will be popping up in a Vernon park sometime this fall. It’s part of new city initiative to bring interest and excitement to underused spaces and will see a variety of temporary equipment — such as brightly painted Adirondack chairs, a piano, drums and a massive xylophone — installed in...

Something smelled off: Vernon RCMP make arrest on Highway 6

VERNON - Police only had to follow their noses to make a drug-related arrest earlier this month in Vernon. On Nov. 7 officers were driving east on Highway 6 when they smelled a strong odour of marijuana, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a release. “They quickly determined that it was coming from the vehicle in...

Alpine skiing opening five days early at Silver Star

VERNON - The plan was to open Nov. 26 but after nearly 150 centimetres of snowfall, Silver Star Mountain is ready to open a bit earlier. The ski resort announced it would be opening three chairlifts and at least 25 runs starting at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, a full five days ahead of the...

RCMP upping presence on downtown Vernon streets

VERNON - Vernon residents will notice more police officers patrolling the downtown core. Police will be stepping up their presence downtown with daily and nightly foot patrols, RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says. The response comes on the heels of an attack on a Vernon food truck vendor, and concerns about street safety in the downtown...

A book about a booger by two Vernon women

VERNON - The Doubt Booger is going to make you forget all about those nagging little worries. Written by Beth McCarthy Marks and illustrated by Nadine Wilson, both of Vernon, the newly released children’s book is about the pesky effect of self-doubts. “Remember when you were small; those little worries that gnawed on you? You...

Police armed with carbines the new norm at Remembrance Day services

VERNON - It’s a special sight to see Mounties dressed in their ceremonial red serge, but officers turned heads at last week’s Remembrance Day service in Vernon for a different reason — the carbines they were carrying. We might not be used to seeing police officers patrolling Remembrance Day services with semi-automatic rifles, but Const....

Vernon’s role housing Syrian refugees remains unknown

VERNON - Despite speculation the Vernon Army Camp could be used to house Syrian refugees, the official word is nothing has been decided yet. Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund says the provincial government has been in touch, but any discussion about the city taking in refugees has been very preliminary so far. “It was more of...

Vernon’s first provincial Snow Show raises $11k for kids with disabilities

VERNON – The first ever B.C. Provincial Snow Show in Vernon raised more than $11,000 for a Lake Country charity. The Snow Show, which amalgamated three smaller events around the provinces, took over Kal Tire Place last weekend and attracted more than 14,000 fans of the white stuff. Roughly 100 vendors displaying everything from snow...

Stolen iPod, thousands of photos returned to rightful owners

VERNON - It must have been quite a surprise for a pair of B.C. residents to see their picture posted on the news last week. A pleasant surprise, given the circumstances. Police released the photo after seizing what they believed to be a stolen iPod during a recent arrest. They found thousands of photos of the...

Thousands of dollars worth of copper wire stolen in Vernon

VERNON - Police in Vernon are investigating after a copper wire theft last week. Roughly 166 feet of copper wire was stolen from Mormak Equipment on Beckettes Frontage Road in Vernon sometime during the night of Tuesday, Nov. 10. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says the lock was cut and the fence damaged where the suspect,...

Vernon woman trying to cross street hit by car

VERNON - It could have been worse. Police say a pedestrian hit trying to cross the road last week only had minor injuries. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says a GMC pickup truck headed west on 31 Avenue struck a woman while turning left onto 34 Street around 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10. The 56-year-old woman had stepped...

Vernon bear spray attack leads to charges

VERNON - A man is facing charges after bear spraying a gas station employee last week. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says a employee at Blue Moon Esso asked the man to leave the business around 5:25 p.m., Nov. 11, because he was banned from the location due to a previous incident. The man then allegedly...

Wet and windy start to the week in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - On the heels of a wet and windy Sunday, a mix of rain and snow will kick off the week in the Okanagan, along with strong winds. Environment Canada recorded precipitation throughout the region on Sunday, with the Vernon area receiving the most, 13.8 millimetres, and more rain and snow is expected this...