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Vernon news

Thousands of Thompson-Okanagan renters mired in affordable housing crisis, new index says

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - About a quarter of all renters in the Thompson-Okanagan are facing an affordable housing crisis, according to a new study. The new Canadian Rental Housing Index is an interactive map which offers a snapshot of rental housing conditions across the country. You can search by city or electoral area riding, and find the...

Near-record heat this weekend in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - After a week of near-normal high temperatures the mercury is expected to again hit the 30 Celsius mark throughout the region this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for highs of 29 C and 30 C today, Sept. 11, and Saturday throughout the Okanagan, well above the seasonal normal high of 21 C. The...

Etsy craft market coming to Kelowna

KELOWNA - For the second year in a row, Kelowna crafters can get their Etsy fix in real life, instead of through a computer. On Sept. 26, Etsy: Made in Canada will be at Sandhill Winery for a free crafters market featuring handmade items from more than 30 Canadian artisans. Last year roughly 3,000 people...

SNELSON TRIAL: Killer’s sentence depends on finding of sexual assault argument

KAMLOOPS —It’s been almost 22 years since the night Neil Snelson killed college student Jennifer Cusworth after a party in Kelowna in 1993 and now Cusworth's family has one week left to find out how long he'll spend in prison. The 19-year-old Cusworth was found dead in a ditch on Swamp Road in Kelowna in...

New murder charge laid in connection with Vernon death

VERNON - Police have arrested a third person for murder in connection with the death of 42-year-old Jason Hardy, whose body was found in Polson Park Aug. 26. Tal Kalum La Riviere, 28, from Greater Vernon, was arrested in Kamloops Sept. 9 and charged with one count of second degree murder. He was scheduled to...

Province suspends fishing in Salmon Arm Bay

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The province is suspending fishing in Salmon Arm Bay where the Salmon River and Shuswap Lake meet. This action is because of conservation concerns and low stream flows. Effective this weekend, Sept. 11, until the end of the year, all fishing in Salmon Arm Bay west of Engineer's Point and Sunnybrae Point is...

ELECTION 2015: Mel Arnold vows to keep the North Okanagan-Shuswap strongly Conservative

VERNON - A big buzzword in the 2015 federal election is ‘change’ but if you’re looking for a politician who will keep the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding on the Conservative course, candidate Mel Arnold is your ticket. A local businessman, Arnold was born and raised on a dairy farm in Notch Hill, a small community near...

CBC’s Ron MacLean bringing Hometown Hockey Tour to Penticton

PENTICTON - Kamloops won’t be the only Interior community celebrating the National Hockey League with Ron MacLean this season; Penticton has been named one of the stops on the second annual Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour. The tour will make 24 stops this year, four in B.C., and features NHL alumni, hometown heroes and local entertainment...

RCMP issue warning over persistent phone scammers in the Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Residents are being reminded to watch for red flags if they get a call from someone claiming to be from Revenue Canada. Clues the call may be a scam include getting pressured by the person to pay taxes immediately over the phone, or being threatened that police will come and arrest them if...

Here’s your first look at the Hopkins movie shot around the Okanagan

VERNON - Enderby debuts on the cinematic world stage this week at the Venice Film Festival, but for those of us without a plane ticket, at least there’s a sneak peak video to be seen. A teaser from Go With Me, produced by Enderby Entertainment and filmed locally, is now available. It offers up a...

Big Brother Canada stars spend the weekend in Peachland

KELOWNA - Stars of the Canadian version of the TV game show Big Brother were in Peachland over the weekend, meeting fans and signing autographs. Davis Cove Lakeshore Resort manager Shelley Peach originally arranged for 13 houseguests to come to her resort after missing an opportunity to meet them in Vancouver in the spring. She...

Water main break closes downtown Vernon road

VERNON - A water main break forced the closure of a Vernon roadway Wednesday afternoon.  The break happened on 37 Avenue between 30 and 31 Streets, in front of the Civic Arena, today, Sept. 9. City crews are working to repair the break and expect to finish later Wednesday afternoon, or on Thursday, Sept. 10. ...

Vernon teen accused of murder to have no contact with three people

VERNON - A local teen charged with murder has been ordered not to have any contact with his co-accused — a 14-year-old boy — and two other young men from Vernon. Brandon Joseph Clayton Wellington, 18, appeared in Vernon Provincial Court today, Sept. 9 on one count of second degree murder in the death of...

ELECTION 2015: Harper to visit Kamloops next week

KAMLOOPS - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is tentatively scheduled to come to Kamloops next week. The Conservative Party of Canada is releasing limited information, but a spokesperson confirmed the Conservative leader will be in the region on Monday, Sept. 14. Details on if and when an event is to take place will be confirmed 24...

Damage at popular North Okanagan camping area puts province in action

VERNON - Those who frequent Grizzly Lake on the Aberdeen Plateau above Vernon during the summer camping season might notice some changes over the next couple years. Recreation Sites and Trails B.C., a branch of the Ministry of Forests, is proposing an approximately 30-unit campground at the north end of Grizzly Lake. Okanagan District recreation...

Multiple residents displaced after Vernon pot lab explodes

VERNON - Several residents of a Vernon apartment complex were forced out of their homes when a neighbouring unit exploded and now, nearly a month later, they still can’t return home, according to one displaced tenant. Resident James Halpert, who gave only his first and middle name, has lived in his Regency Gardens apartment on...

Kamloops and Kelowna among top places in Canada for job seekers

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Kamloops and Kelowna have managed to crack the top-20 in a survey noting 50 of the hottest local job markets in Canada. Express Employment Professionals, a staffing agency with operations in Canada, the U.S. and South Africa, released its second annual Top 50 Hot Job Markets survey this week. The survey looks at the number...

Stolen Lake Country boat and truck recovered in Kamloops

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An observant off duty cop helped police recover a boat and truck stolen out of Lake Country Sunday night. The astute officer noticed a boat and trailer being unloaded on the side of the highway in the Dallas area early Monday morning, Sept. 7 and turned around to keep an eye on the...

Health authority moves on residential care bed promise

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Construction of 100 new residential care beds will begin this fall in Kelowna and another 85 are soon expected in Vernon as well. The Interior Health Authority announced in a press release it has awarded the contract to Baltic Properties, an existing contractor who is already providing residential care services in Kamloops, Lake...

Two suspicious fires under investigation in Vernon

VERNON - Police are taking two separate suspicious fires in Vernon very seriously. At this point, investigators can’t say if the pair of fires are connected, but RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says these types of cases ‘take a very high priority’ at the detachment, particularly in light of a string of high profile unsolved arsons...

Temperatures to heat up again in Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Back to school is kicking off with a little rain this morning but by the end of the week we can expect highs well above seasonal normals throughout the Southern Interior. Temperatures will remain below seasonal normal lows of 21 Celsius today, Sept. 8, but it's expected to reach 23 C Wednesday before...

Bogus American money circulating in Okanagan

OKANAGAN – RCMP are warning people to be on the lookout for counterfeit American currency in the Okanagan. Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a media release there have been numerous reports of bogus $20 and $50 bills. She is urging businesses to carefully check the authenticity of any currency before they accept it as payment....

CORRECTION: Elderly woman dies in van in Vernon

VERNON – An 80-year-old Vernon woman died after falling out of her motorized wheelchair while in the back of a modified-van Sunday morning. RCMP were called to the 4300-block of 25 Avenue near a Petro-Canada gas station around 9:40 a.m., Sept. 6, to assist B.C. Ambulance paramedics, according to Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy. Noseworthy says the...