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Vernon news

Vehicle thief handed nine months jail for stolen truck, ATVs

KAMLOOPS - A 22-year-old with a taste for stolen vehicles will spend the next four-and-a-half months in jail after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen pickup truck and two all terrain vehicles last spring. Justice Gary Weatherill handed Waylon Faulhafer a nine-month sentence yesterday, July 6 for his involvement in two separate stolen property files....

The power of information during electrical failure

WHO HAS IT, WHO DOESN'T THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - When the power goes out, so do most of the things we depend on for life and business — lights, refrigerators, internet, air conditioning, point-of-sale machines, cash machines — and depending on which power company you use, so does information. The Thompson-Okanagan is divided between Fortis B.C. and...

If you missed the deadline on your favourite Okanagan produce this year, you weren’t alone

SO EARLY, IT'S UNHEARD OF OKANAGAN - Many crops in the Okanagan have come and gone much earlier than normal, and that’s leaving consumers with mixed emotions.  Cheryl Rohrer with Good ’N’ Plenty Produce in Armstrong says some customers are thrilled to see their favourite foods out earlier than usual, while others are left disappointed...

Cause of fire that destroyed Vernon ministry office will likely remain unknown

VERNON - Investigators do not know for sure what started a massive fire in downtown Vernon and after a week-long investigation, have classified the cause as undetermined. The violent blaze burned down a 48 Avenue building that housed the Ministry of Social Development office and a podiatry clinic June 30. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood...

NHL beach party this Friday at Kal Lake

VERNON - Get ready to have a beach day with some of your favourite National Hockey League players past and present in a fundraiser event for the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation this weekend. On Friday, July 10, the National Hockey League Players’ Association, along with 20 players, will be at Kalamalka Beach for autographs, beach...

Smoky skies advisory issued for entire Thompson-Okanagan region

THOMPSON OKANAGAN – If the visible smoke in the sky wasn't enough to warn you, a smoky skies advisory has now been issued for a large portion of the Southern Interior. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has issued a smoky skies advisory for the Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Fraser Canyon,...

Elevated watering restrictions in effect for Greater Vernon Water customers

VERNON - Heavier water restrictions are being imposed on Greater Vernon residents. The North Okanagan Regional District announced stage one restrictions for Greater Vernon Water customers Tuesday, July 7. Water reservoirs filled early this year and stopped spilling on June 10, water sustainability coordinator Jennifer Miles says in a media release. “This means we are...

Vernon cyclist dies of crash injuries

VERNON - A Vernon cyclist has died after suffering serious injuries in a car accident last week. The 38-year-old woman, whose name is not yet being released, was hit by a truck the morning of Thursday, July 2, on 25 Avenue. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says it appears the woman rode in front of the...

Anti-bullying program legit, but RCMP not involved

"THE TELEMARKETERS ARE QUITE PUSHY IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO GET PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE (ANTI-BULLYING) CAMPAIGN" VERNON - RCMP say they are not behind numerous calls to residents asking for money to support an anti-bullying program, though the calls are legitimate. The Canadian Police Association has hired a contractor to campaign for donations for a...

People ignoring campfire ban in Okanagan

‘THERE’S THE ODD FEW THAT DON’T THINK THE BAN APPLIES TO THEM’ VERNON - Fire officials in Vernon are surprised some people are still not getting the message about the importance of campfire bans. Twice Monday night, the Vernon Fire Department was called to illegal campfires in peoples’ backyards, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says....

Man accused of running down paper carrier during police chase won’t face judge until 2016

KELOWNA – A preliminary inquiry of prolific offender Donald Maxwell Brodie, accused of critically injuring a paper carrier while evading a police road block in 2013, has been set for early 2016. Brodie, 35, is charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, flight causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing bodily harm and two counts of...

Childhood friends killed in Vernon motorbike crash leave behind fiancées, families

LUMBY - Childhood friends James Folden and Trinity Bright were both living life to its fullest when a tragic motorbike crash cut their time short. Both were engaged to be married; Folden, 23, to Chelsea, his high school sweetheart and mother of his seven-week-old daughter, and Bright, 24, to the love of his life. Folden,...

RCMP reunite missing dog with family

KAMLOOPS - Saundra Potter didn’t expect to come home without a dog when she took a family trip to Kelowna to run an errand. Potter and her three children left their dog Bailey in the back of her truck with a blanket, food and water when they entered a store to grab barbecue supplies last...

Deer found hanging by leg rescued by Vernon men

'IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIFIC DEATH’ VERNON - A deer left hanging from a chain link fence was rescued by two Vernon men over the weekend. Pete Wise, who operates a wildlife control company, was making his rounds at the Vernon airport early Saturday morning when he noticed the deer hanging by its leg....

Police dive teams return to Kal Lake in search of missing man

VERNON - Police teams are focussing efforts on Kalamalka Lake as they search for a man missing since June 27. Curtis Wilson, 24, was last seen with his friend Shane Letkeman, 32, who was found dead in the lake June 28. Wilson’s family reported him missing last week, and police launched a full scale search...

More evictions expected, more affordable housing likely lost in Vernon

NOWHERE TO GO VERNON - Not long after eviction notices were served to tenants of the Green Valley Motel, residents of another low-cost apartment building in Vernon are counting what they believe could be their final days. The Belair Apartments on 32 Street, just down the road from Boston Pizza, recently sold, and that’s left...

Federal justice minister to speak in Vernon

VERNON - Justice Minister Peter MacKay is one of several high profile speakers lined up as part of a speaker series for the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce. MacKay will speak at a luncheon on Wednesday, July 8, about ‘a successful budget, a secure Canada.’ “Mr. MacKay’s visit to Vernon highlights a very busy July...

City puts brakes on community group wanting to build new Vernon bus shelters

WHAT GOES ON CITY PROPERTY MUST MEET CITY POLICY VERNON - The intentions behind a grassroots movement to spruce up Vernon’s run-down bus stops are good ones, but the City of Vernon is still putting brakes on the project, at least for now. Vernon-based organization Noteworthy Neighbourhoods hoped to get started building a new, covered...

Elite pro riders at Silver Star this weekend

VERNON - Silver Star’s B.C. Cup Downhill Series race this weekend is set to be one of the best biking events of the summer, with close to 250 riders, including 30 pro racers, expected on the mountain.  The B.C. Cup races are a huge draw for downhill biking athletes who have aspirations to compete at national...

Vernon soup kitchen sees record-breaking use of services

VERNON - A Vernon soup kitchen says it has a record number of mouths to feed, in part due to a dramatic increase in the number of families with children in need of a meal. Last year at this time, the Upper Room Mission was serving roughly 250 meals a day. That number has now...