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Vernon news
Hazardous waste? Watch for the North Okanagan’s new Eco Depot
VERNON - If you need a place to dump hazardous waste, say good-bye to the annual round-ups in the North Okanagan and hello to the new Eco-Depot. The facility is expected to open this fall, and will offer residents the first year-round household hazardous waste drop off centre in the region. For the past decade,...
Cooler weather sticking around for Okanagan long weekend
OKANAGAN - The last long weekend of the summer is upon us but Mother Nature doesn’t seem to be ready to join the celebration this year. For the most part September kicked off with temperatures just below seasonal normals of 22 Celsius and the Labour Day long weekend will be much the same. Environment Canada...
Filmed in the Okanagan: TV show focuses on traditional First Nation food
OKANAGAN – A TV series about gathering and cooking wild food will air on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network next week. And it was filmed in the Okanagan. Quest Outwest: Wild Food follows Syilx storyteller and Penticton resident Tracey Kim Bonneau as she hunts and forages around the Okanagan looking for traditional ingredients she prepares...
Whooping cough still a concern as school approaches
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With the first day of school approaching, parents should remember a recent spike in potentially fatal whooping cough has only just began to drop. “We have been in communciations with schools informing parents about communicable diseases in general and the fact we have been observing increased cases of whooping cough,” Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi...
Stolen truck leads Mounties to large Shuswap drug operation
SHUSWAP - Police busted a massive drug trafficking operation in the Shuswap over the weekend, all thanks to a stolen truck that led them straight to it. Salmon Arm RCMP received a report of a stolen F350 with a camper on it Saturday, Aug. 29, and soon got wind of a truck matching the description...
Vernon bar taking things in a new direction
VERNON - A Vernon restaurant and sports bar is turning its focus from those who go out, to those who stay in. Monashee’s Bar & Grill on 30 Avenue in downtown Vernon will welcome patrons for a pint for the last time this weekend, but it’s not turning its back on them completely. Owner Steve...
Drivers beware: Increased enforcement of school zones next week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - RCMP are sending a message to the province’s drivers reminding them September is back to school time. Police are asking drivers to remember their ABCs and if they don’t, they will certainly help teach them a lesson, according to a RCMP media release. The driver’s ABC’s are: A for attention, B to be...
Forget fire, we’ve got snow on local ski hills
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The weather has flip-flopped in the last week, so much so local ski hills are reporting their first snowfalls instead of watching for wildfires. Silver Star Mountain operations director Brad Baker sent out pictures showing a fair dusting of snow at the resort near Vernon, and a reminder of the mountain’s early bird...
UPDATE: Vernon Search and Rescue thanked for finding missing senior
VERNON - A 69-year-old man who walked away from a medical care facility has been located thanks to Vernon Search and Rescue. Sgt. Tory Romailler said in a release Norman Schiman was found in Polson Park about an hour after issuing a public plea to find him. He was returned in good health to the...
Two teens, ages 14 and 18, arrested for murder in Vernon death
VERNON - Police have arrested two teenagers for second degree murder in the death of Jason Hardy, whose body was found in Polson Park last week. One of the teens is a 14 year old male. He and 18-year-old Brandon Wellington were arrested Aug. 31. Both are residents of the Greater Vernon area, RCMP Const....
Smoke wreaks havoc on already-weakened hearts and lungs
SOUTHERN INTERIOR - Looks like the smokey skies will be with us until at least tomorrow and that means more discomfort for those with chronic heart and respiratory problems. “When we talk about smokey skies, we’re talking about the tiny solid particles that remain suspended in the air. The major concern is particles smaller than...
Heavy smoke blankets Okanagan; the rest of southern B.C. gets smoke haze
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Smoke from the huge forest fires burning in Washington State pumped into the southern Interior yesterday evening has been trapped in the valleys by a temperature inversion. The Okanagan is getting the worst of the smoke with visibility down to less to a kilometre in some areas this morning, Aug. 23. Environment Canada,...
B.C. crews begin work on Washington wildfire
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - B.C. Wildfire firefighters have begun work on a Washington-based wildfire inching its way toward the Canadian border. With five kilometres left before reaching Canada, B.C. crews have been deployed to suppress the Stickpin Fire which is now estimated to be 19,240 hectares in size. Plans so far are for crews to assess the...
‘Too soon’ say critics of decision to lift campfire ban
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Some fire-shocked B.C. residents are questioning the decision by the Ministry of Forests to lift the campfire ban that has been in place since early July. The ministry announced Monday afternoon the ban would be lifted on Crown lands and campsites in the South East and Kamloops fire centres and many communities and regional districts...
Armstrong fair fun gets underway
ARMSTRONG - The Armstrong fair gets into full swing today. The 116th annual Interior Provincial Exhibition runs Wednesday, Sept. 2, to Sunday, Sept. 6. Rides, live music, farming displays, vendors and a variety of entertainment is all on hand for the highly anticipated end of summer event. This year’s theme — Udderly Awesome! Party till...