Vernon

2015 TOP STORIES: Major crimes across the B.C. Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This year had no shortage of crime stories, with the RCMP launching several major investigations and the courts wrapping up cases from previous years. Here is a summary of some of the top crime stories of 2015. In August, a man was found dead in Vernon’s Polson Park. Police have kept mum on...

Expect a chilly start to the new year in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Temperatures are set to dip below normal this New Year’s Day long weekend but the good news is it looks like it will warm up again early next week. Environment Canada is calling for a high of -4 Celsius to -7 C today, Dec. 31 through Sunday before warming up slightly to start...

Drunk driving checks net few impaired drivers in Chase check

CHASE - RCMP say a Christmas Eve checkstop in Celista that produced nothing more than verbal warnings shows local motorists are heeding the message about drinking and driving. In a release, Chase RCMP Sgt. Gary Heebner says one ticket for no insurance was issued as were verbal warnings, but no impaired driving charges among the...

Submerged, frozen and, yes, probably covered by insurance

VERNON - It’s been cool and snowy in the Okanagan lately, but not cold enough to stop a truck from plunging through the ice on Swan Lake in Vernon. The lake is a popular ice-fishing destination, and it’s not uncommon to see vehicles out on the ice during the winter. But as one driver found...

New date for annual Vernon Polar Bear Swim

VERNON - Keep your pants on — the annual Vernon polar bear swim isn’t happening, officially anyways, until February. Normally held on New Year’s Day at Kalamalka Beach, this year’s polar bear plunge has instead been scheduled to coincide with the Vernon Winter Carnival. The date is set for Sunday, Feb. 7, and as in the...

Vernon SPCA seeking help for two dogs after closure of animal rescue

VERNON - The Vernon B.C. SPCA is looking for donations to help brighten the holidays for a pair of dogs in need of expensive medical attention. The dogs, named Girlie and Dash, came into the shelter’s care following the closure of an animal rescue organization in the area, the Vernon shelter says in a release. ...

Vernon RCMP amping up presence for New Year’s Eve

VERNON - Police will be out in full force in the North Okanagan on New Year’s Eve.  That’s the reminder Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy is giving in advance of this Thursday’s New Year’s celebrations. “Our communities can expect to see road blocks, roving traffic patrols and foot patrols of bar areas, as well as our usual...

Crash closes Connector between Merritt and Highway 5A

MERRITT - The Okanagan Connector was closed between Merritt and Highway 5A after a car crash this afternoon. Details are limited but multiple emergency vehicles responded to the vehicle incident, Dec. 28, including a B.C. Ambulance helicopter. Some reports on social media said the crash was a rollover. Drive B.C. says Highway 97C, east of...

Weather mellowing out in the Okanagan this week

OKANAGAN - It looks like snowplows will get some time to catch up this week with much less white stuff expected to fall. Communities across the Okanagan got hit with a large dump of snow over the holiday weekend, prompting a snowfall warning from Environment Canada, which ended Dec. 27. Between 7 mm and 10 mm...

Charges laid against man who barricaded himself in Shuswap home, lit it on fire

SALMON ARM - A man accused of barricading himself inside a home and lighting it on fire during a bizarre episode in the Shuswap is facing criminal charges. Adolf Albert Edward Hemmerling, in his 40s, is charged with uttering threats and arson damaging property, in relation to the Dec. 20, 2015 incident. Hemmerling allegedly barricaded...

UPDATE: Snowfall warning ended for Okanagan and South Thompson

ROADS AND HIGHWAYS IN WINTER DRIVING CONDITION THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A dump of snow overnight and this morning is making the busiest travel day of the year a challenge for drivers. The snowfall warning issued by Environment Canada for the Thompson-Okanagan earlier this morning was ended at about 10:15 a.m., Dec. 27. Forecasters say significant snowfall...

PHOTOS: Vernon Christmas bird count challenged by snow

VERNON - The annual Christmas bird count in Vernon is in the books for another year. Claude Rioux with the North Okanagan Naturalists Club says the count was held on Sunday, Dec. 20. "What a different day we had from last year where we had no snow," Rioux says in an email. "This year's count...

Garbage and recycling over the holidays: What Vernon and area residents need to know

VERNON - Between all that wrapping paper, tinsel and empty eggnog cartons, garbage and recycling containers are bound to get filled up this holiday season. Luckily, there aren’t too many changes to local landfill hours and garbage pick-up schudules over Christmas time. The Regional District of North Okanagan says its recycling and disposal facilities will...

Vernon city councillor shares favourite Christmas traditions

VERNON - We reached out to Vernon’s politicians to share their Christmas traditions and what they remember most fondly about Christmas with their families. It’s a busy time of year for everyone, but one Vernon councillor took the time to reply to our questionnaire and give residents a bit of insight into her Christmas traditions....

Some quirks of the calendar will bring you a lot more fun next year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Before you book your vacation next year, you might find some surprises you haven’t seen on the calendar — like an extra four long weekends next year. Thanks to a few quirks of the calendar, all four date-based holidays fall on or near weekends this year. Canada Day, Remembrance Day and New Years...

MAP: Christmas lights to see in Vernon

VERNON - It’s not Christmas without the dazzle of bright lights around the city, and we’ve found the displays you don’t want to miss this year. A Christmas lights driving tour is a fun, and best of all, a free way to get in the holiday spirit. When night falls, the City of Vernon transforms...

MAP: Best spots for winter activities in Vernon

TOP PLACES FOR TOBOGGANING, SKATING, SKIING, SNOWSHOEING AND ICE FISHING LAID OUT ON A MAP VERNON - The winter playground of the North Okanagan awaits. The region might be known for its beaches, hiking trails and parks in the summertime, but it has just as much outdoor fun to offer in the colder months. Icy...

A cool, white Christmas for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - You’re in luck if you dreamed of a white Christmas, but expect slightly cooler temperatures to go along with it. Enough snow has fallen this month to give much of the Okanagan a white Christmas, something that has only a 50 per cent chance of happening in Kelowna and only a 20 per...

Locally-made spirits to get you through the holiday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There’s no faster way to get into the spirit of Christmas than with Christmas spirits, and the Thompson-Okanagan has two award-winning local craft distilleries to help with last minute gifts or to keep guests from noticing that overcooked turkey. Urban Distilleries in Kelowna’s north end focuses on vodka, gin and whiskey, and they...

No car seat, no ride for Armstrong mom and baby trying to board the bus

VERNON - A North Okanagan woman is sharing her experience after being told she couldn’t board a public transit bus without a car seat for her baby. Chelsey Dyer planned to take the Route 60 bus into Vernon from her Armstrong home last week to pick up her car, but wasn’t allowed on. “The driver...