Vernon

Police appeal for tips after fire engulfs Vernon house

VERNON - Mounties are appealing to the public for information after a Vernon house caught fire Monday night. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said a jogger noticed flames on 25 Avenue around 8:30 p.m. and called 911. Vernon RCMP, the BX-Swan Lake Fire Department, and Vernon Emergency Management Services responded to the blaze. The home was...

Dust advisory issued for Vernon

VERNON - Concern over the amount of dust in the air because of road sand being kicked up by traffic has led to a special advisory for Vernon. The Ministry of Environment has issued a dust advisory because of the high concentration of particulates in the air that will hang around under a change in...

Vernon nurse left in a wheelchair after hit and run could use your help

VERNON - The life of a Vernon mother and nurse changed forever when she was struck in a hit and run last December. The woman, in her 40s, was left a quadriplegic and is currently receiving treatment in Vancouver. Friends have launched a fundraising page to help with her recovery. “Robin has spent her career...

Near-record temperatures to continue

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Clocks sprung forward and temperatures soared into the mid-teens this weekend and while the spring-like weather did not result in any record-breaking temperatures the warm weather will continue as we get closer to the official start of spring. For the most part temperatures fell a couple degrees shy of records, though a high...

Countdown already on for 2016 Mardi Gras Winter Carnival

VERNON - Vernon will have ten days of Mardi Gras celebrations as part of the 2016 Winter Carnival. Hot on the heels of the 2015 Carnival of Rock and Roll, organizers are already gearing up for next year. Executive director Diana Williamson says the board received over 100 suggestions for the theme but narrowed it...

Many hands might make light work if co-housing comes to Vernon

VERNON - A local woman hopes to introduce a new way of living to Vernon. It’s called co-housing, and Barbara Van Sickle is passionate about it. With a blend of private homes and common areas, co-housing neighbourhoods foster community, group decision making and the philosophy that many hands make light work. “Socially, it’s much more...

Ringette players from around B.C. converge in Vernon

VERNON - Thirty seven ringette teams from around the province will gather in Vernon this weekend. The occasion is the provincial A and B Championships featuring divisions from under 14 to under 18. Games began at 7:15 a.m. Friday and continue all weekend with the gold medal games set for Sunday afternoon. An opening ceremony...

Wildfire risk a concern this weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People are urged to be cautious with any open burning this weekend as we get set to experience warmer temperatures and a continued early drying trend. With temperatures set to hit the double digits every day over the next week, B.C. Wildfire warns there is an increased 'preventable' wildfire risk heading into the...

Warmer weather on the way

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’re back above seasonal normals as temperatures continue to climb into the double digits, though we are unlikely to break any warm weather records this weekend. According to Environment Canada temperatures in Kamloops and Penticton will reach 14 Celsius by Saturday while in Vernon and Kelowna temperatures will hit that mark by Sunday....

HELSTON: Ski coach did more than just peep on his students

The case of a Seattle ski coach who secretly videotaped his young students while they were changing at Silver Star Mountain is despicable, creepy, and vile, but perhaps the saddest part is that all those young girls were betrayed and let down by someone they trusted—their own teacher. He wasn't a strange pervert looking through...

STAHN: Why we need more controlled burns in urban areas

Let me start by stating a simple fact we all need to understand — fire is natural. Not only is it natural, it is a much needed part of the ecological cycle. Regular fire is needed to keep noxious weeds at bay, to help encourage new growth and to keep wildfires from getting out of...

February home sales best in years says real estate board report

KELOWNA – After a disappointing start to 2015, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board is reporting a 34 per cent improvement in home sales in February compared with the same month in 2014. “After a more than usual slowdown in January, Okanagan-Shuswap home sales rallied along with consumer confidence during February despite weaker economic conditions...

This Vernon actor brings the party to YouTube in new series

VERNON - YouTube sensation Ian Fisher got his start writing comedy sketches and goofing off as Mage the Street Magician in Vernon. That was back in Fisher’s teen years at Seaton Secondary. The Toronto-based actor has now moved on to bigger projects like The Party Show, but he'll never forget his earliest ventures. “No matter...

Man described as drunk, armed and distraught taken into custody in Salmon Arm

SALMON ARM - An apparently distraught, intoxicated man who was carrying a firearm was eventually taken into custody near Salmon Arm Wednesday evening. RCMP received a report about the man March 4 at 5:11 p.m. They were told he was drunk in a vehicle on a rural property of Black Road and that he had...

You’ve been saying ‘MOVE THE F&#@ OVER!’ and the government listened

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Signs telling drivers to stay right except when passing have graced B.C. highways for years but after community feedback suggested slow drivers were still dawdling in the passing lane the province has opted to give RCMP officers more ways to crack down. Following a study and public survey, the Ministry of Transportation announced...

Golfers rejoice: Local course to open Thursday

SPALLUMCHEEN - At least one local golf course is boasting an early March opening. The Spallumcheen Golf and Country Club is opening its driving range Thursday, Mar. 5. — one of the earliest dates around. The course at Predator Ridge is eyeing an April 8 opening, and the Vernon Golf and Country Club says the...

How the Vernon Art Gallery is solving space problems with steel boxes

VERNON - A unique attraction is taking shape downtown Vernon. Five massive container boxes arrived in the empty lot across from Cenotaph Park Monday morning. In two weeks time, the steel boxes will house a major international art show. “It’s fairly unique,” Vernon Public Art Gallery executive director Dauna Kennedy Grant says. “I myself haven’t...

These videos about small Thompson-Okanagan towns will make you proud to live here

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - From brewhouses to outdoor theatre companies, a number of small businesses in the Thompson-Okanagan are being celebrated in a six-part video series. It’s part of a project called Small Business, Big Culture that highlights select cities across B.C. and Alberta. Vernon, Armstrong and Kamloops made the cut, in addition to Medicine Hat, Lethbridge,...

Surprise construction costs blow new Vernon sports track budget

VERNON - Unexpected costs mean Vernon’s new sports track is more than three quarters of a million dollars over budget. But taxpayers shouldn’t worry about the $790,000 overrun, says Greater Vernon director Mike Macnabb. The extra funding is expected to be recovered through reserves and donations. “We have a very aggressive plan to get some...

Another showing of northern lights possible Monday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The adventurous and the lucky were able to get a glimpse of the northern lights this weekend but there is still a chance of seeing them again tonight and this time Mother Nature might be a bit more cooperative. With Environment Canada calling for clear skies and Space Weather Canada calling for unsettled...

Vernon’s top cop reflects on 35 years with the RCMP

VERNON - RCMP Superintendent Reg Burgess’ entry into the police force 35 years ago was a serendipitous one. The now 60-year-old had a business administration degree under his belt and was working as a loans manager in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was single and rooming with a fellow who happened to be a police officer....

Eco-friendly Earthship trend lands in Vernon

VERNON - Vernon could soon be home to a bourgeoning building trend: an off-grid, self-sustaining structure called an Earthship. The buildings — which feature recycled building materials like old tires and bottles, solar electricity, passive thermal heating and cooling, water collection systems, and indoor food production — are popping up all over the world from...