Vernon

Lavington residents skeptical of pellet plant testing

VERNON - Some local residents continue to ask questions about a wood pellet plant in Lavington. The group Lavington is for Everyone (LIFE) issued a media release earlier this week stating there is still no scientific evidence of air quality improvement at the plant. That’s at odds with the results of a mandatory test conducted...

Eight books by Vernon and area authors to put under the tree this year

VERNON - For die-hard book worms, there’s no greater Christmas gift than a good read. A book, especially one with a personal inscription, makes a thoughtful gift for the book lover in your life. If you’re on the hunt for local titles, we’ve got a few suggestions.  For the fiction lover %%Image1%% Turtle Valley by...

Sample local authors for last minute gifts

KELOWNA - Books make a great last minute gift and the latest from a local author is the perfect touch. Here’s the latest from some local talent. All True Not A Lie In It This novel by Okanagan College professor Alix Hawley made the Giller long list and won amazon.ca First Novel Award in 2015. All-day...

Extra special Christmas gift for Vernon’s Upper Room Mission

VERNON - Christmas came early to Vernon’s local soup kitchen. Thanks to two local businesses, the Upper Room Mission’s regular volunteers will get Christmas Eve off. Rob and Lisa Ellis, owners of Rellish Transport Services, along with Jim Tennant of Save-On-Foods, stepped up to the plate and are sponsoring the Mission’s annual Christmas Eve dinner,...

Holiday closures to make note of in Vernon

VERNON - There are a few closures and changes in regular hours to be aware of over the Christmas break in Vernon. City Hall will be closed at 2 p.m. on Dec. 24 and all day Dec. 25 and Dec. 28. It will return to regular open hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for City...

Vernon Light a Bulb campaign exceeds goal

VERNON - Holiday cheer is being felt at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. The 28th annual Light a Bulb Campaign has reached its $200,000 goal, the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Association announced in a media release this week. “Support for the hospital is always very strong,” campaign chair Marg Bailey said, “But this year’s Light a Bulb campaign...

Now that’s service: Vernon mayor offers rides to holiday party-goers

VERNON - It’s not every day your designated driver is also your mayor.  But that was the case in Vernon Saturday night after Mayor Akbal Mund posted an offer on his Facebook page inviting anyone who needed a safe, sober ride home to give him a call. %%Image2%% The generous offer has earned the mayor...

Things to do in Vernon over the Christmas break

VERNON - If you’re looking for things to do as a family over the holidays, or ways to keep sugar-charged children occupied over the break, we’ve put together some ideas. Whether you’re looking to spend some Christmas cash on an experience for the family, or hoping to save a few bucks with a free activity,...

City of Vernon gives its website a major facelift

VERNON - The City of Vernon has a new online look. It unveiled a new website today, Dec. 22, which has been over a year in the making. Vernon council approved a budget of $125,000 for the project in September 2014, and Upanup Design Studios from Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract in July 2015....

Handmade in the Thompson-Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you’re hoping to go a less commercial route this holiday season, look no further than the Thompson-Okanagan, a region that boasts numerous handcrafted gifts. From ceramics to sweet treats, there’s surely a gift to be found for every boy and girl — one that keeps you out of box-store lineups to boot....

Meteor shower and full moon highlight Christmas week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Christmas week will be one to remember this year, at least for sky watchers who enjoy the auroras, meteor showers and full moons. The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, will take place Monday, Dec. 21. The Shatford Centre in Penticton will host a viewing of the dramatic sunset beginning at...

New year’s Eve party places in Vernon

VERNON - If you’ve been so focused on Christmas that you forgot to make plans for New Year’s Eve, we’ve got you covered. There are plenty of events to choose from for every preference and every price range.  Pull out your dancing shoes and check out a Newfoundland New Year's Eve with local band Cod...

Repairing Vernon’s vandalized parking meters will cost a pretty penny

VERNON - Fixing over 100 damaged parking meters will cost the City of Vernon a big chunk of change. A total of 148 meters were vandalized over the course of several nights, leading to the arrest of Mitchell Szekely, 34. The city’s bylaw department believes some of the vandalism was the work of a different...

Lavington pellet plant emissions ‘like night and day’

VERNON - The company behind a controversial wood pellet plant in Lavington says it has drastically reduced emissions. Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group president Leroy Reitsma says the results of third-party testing by McCall Environmental show emissions are down 83 per cent thanks to new technology. “What we’re running at compared to what we used to...

Okanagan to enjoy warm and white Christmas

OKANAGAN - It will be a pretty typical week when it comes to weather in the Okanagan, with temperatures expected to stay near seasonal normals for much of the Christmas week. Environment Canada is calling for highs ranging from 0 Celsius to -3 Celsius most days this week, though Kelowna is expected to hit a...

Good chance of a white Christmas in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Mother Nature looks prepared to give us a white Christmas this year, with a snow overnight and at least a chance of snow expected every day this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for snowfall to end this morning, Dec. 18, and will be followed by a chance of rain or flurries later today....

Local gifts and food to get you through the holidays

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With fresh foods and resources available on our doorstep, giving local is easy in our region. Many natural resources help create the gifts we put under our Christmas trees — from wood products and minerals, to cider and wine. And of course if you have a natural tree or a wood fire you...

Snowfall warning for Coquihalla

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you were planning on hitting the highways tonight you may want to think again, up to 25 centimetres of snow is expected by Friday afternoon. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt, noting 20 to 25 cm of snow is expected before the Pacific...

Vernon mayor handed fine for improper tax filings

VERNON - Vernon mayor Akbal Mund has been ordered to pay a fine after some trouble with his taxes. The mayor pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with the Income Tax Act in Vernon Provincial Court Thursday, Dec. 17. A second count was stayed, and Mund was handed a $1,000 fine. “The...

Decontamination efforts still underway at site of Coldstream gas spill

VERNON - Authorities continue to investigate a gas spill that prompted a large decontamination response in Coldstream last month. Roughly 6,000 litres of gasoline spilled at the Centex Gas Station on Kalamalka Road around midnight Nov. 25, and Environmental Emergency Response Officer Rick Wagner says they are still looking into the cause and conducting remediation...

Conviction thrown out for man accused of driving into Vernon firefighter

VERNON - A man convicted of dangerous driving causing bodily harm will have his case heard again due to a technicality.  Ian Douglas Burns, 28, was found guilty of hitting BX/Swan Lake firefighter Stephan Hidasi with his truck, but a judge has now deemed that ruling null because court procedures weren’t followed. Crown spokesperson Neil...

Options of new welcome to Vernon signs ‘too bland’

VERNON - Vernon council trashed a series of design ideas for the city’s new welcome signs, calling for more playfulness and vibrancy. This week council was shown three options for the signs, which are being redone, but quickly sent staff back to the drawing board. The draft designs featured wood material, and a large white...