Vernon

Westside Road shooter not guilty of attempted murder

KELOWNA – Michael Ellis, the man accused of shooting at police as he and two others tried to escape along Westside Road in 2012, was found not guilty of attempted murder but could still face a lengthy jail term after he was found guilty of more than a dozen other related charges. Justice Ian Josephson...

Smoke leads Vernon firefighters to the Ministry of Forests

VERNON - The Vernon Fire Department attended the scene of a fire Tuesday not knowing the Ministry of Forests set it on purpose. The B.C Wildfire Management Branch planned the controlled burn just off Highway 97 in the Predator Ridge area but didn’t give the Vernon Fire Department any notice. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair...

Race on to save CN Rail corridor deal despite no vote

KELOWNA - Whether it takes a referendum in Lake Country or Kelowna buying the whole thing outright, both politicians and staff in the two municipalities say they’re determined to find a way to make the CN Rail corridor purchase a reality. “We see this as too good an opportunity to pass up,” said City of...

It’s back… snow expected overnight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We just knew it was too good to be true, Mother Nature is set to remind us winter is not quite over with a couple centimetres of snow by Friday morning and well below normal low temperatures early next week. Environment Canada is forecasting high temperatures to be within the seasonal normals of...

Early spring weather means early return of ticks

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This spring-like weather may have you enjoying the outdoors with a hike or two, but beware, ticks are already out in full force. Hikers and dog owners are already reporting tick sightings, with one Kamloops-area hiker picking up nine in a single hike last week. In the Southern Interior the most common tick...

Flying fees edging upwards at Kelowna Airport

OKANAGAN - Flying in and out of Kelowna just got a bit more expensive with council approving an across-the-board increase in operating fees at the city-owned airport. The success of Kelowna Airport and its record passenger volumes means increased costs for maintenance, labour, utilities and technology, Noreen Redman, the airport’s corporate services manager, told council....

UPDATE: Three injured, one seriously, in Vernon head-on crash

VERNON – A three vehicle crash on Highway 97 just north of Vernon sent three people to hospital and closed the route in both directions for about three hours Friday afternoon. The crash happened around 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 20 at the intersection of Highway 97 and Old Kamloops Road. Two cars and a semi...

Why a jury found a Vernon man guilty of raping his daughter, but not of incest

VERNON - A Vernon man continues to show no remorse for years of sexual abuse on his daughter and her friend and that got him some extra time in prison. The man, who cannot be named by court order to protect the identity of his daughter, was originally charged with three counts of sexual assault—two...

Spring-like weather may be interrupted by snow

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ve been experiencing spring-like weather here in the Southern Interior and while that is not set to change we may see another blitz of snow before Saturday. Environment Canada is still calling for above seasonal normal temperatures during the day but with overnight lows close to seasonal normals of -3 Celsius and a...

Shuswap woman petitions Province for improved seniors care

VERNON - Judy Galley uses words like horrific, neglectful and nightmarish to describe the state of seniors homes in B.C., and she wants to change that. The Shuswap woman launched a petition calling on the provincial government to improve staff-to-patient ratios at care homes after experiencing the system firsthand. Her parents resided in Kelowna care...

Better than money: John Howard Society gets major property donation

VERNON - The John Howard Society has received a gift few non-profits ever do: real estate. A 3,600 square foot suite inside the Creekside Professional Building was given to the society by a local couple, Mike and Beverly Davies, Tuesday, Feb. 17. It’s the largest gift ever received by the society, and believed to be...

UPDATE: Missing woman found

MERRITT - The missing woman the Upper Nicola Band and Okanagan Indian Band were in search for has been located. Before she was found, Annie Joe Gottfriedson, 20, of the Upper Nicola Band was last seen Feb. 16 at noon near Nicola Street in Merritt. “Our concerns run deep for Annie Jo and her family,”...

How long will this spring weather last?

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We saw several high temperatures records broken over the weekend and while the record breaking weather is likely over, the warm temperatures should stick around a while longer. Lisa Coldwells of Environment Canada says looking into the early part of March arctic air will stay on the other side of the Rockies and...

Vernon RCMP still looking for one of two missing women

VERNON - Two women went missing from Vernon medical facilities Monday, Feb. 16. It didn’t take police long to locate the first woman, Natasha Archibald, 51, who was reported found Tuesday morning. She was returned to hospital to complete her medical treatment. The second woman, Heidi Roos, 52, remains missing. Vernon RCMP say the incidents...

Kal Lake water shut off due to increased turbidity, milfoil removal

VERNON - The Kalamalka Lake water supply has been shut off due to increased turbidity and milfoil removal. The Greater Vernon Water Utility turned the water off Monday, Feb. 16. Until it’s back on, water will be supplied through the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant to avoid issuing a boil water advisory. “The decision to...

Vernon RCMP issue warning after rash of thefts from vehicles

VERNON - A rash of thefts from vehicles has police asking the public to take precautions.  In the last week alone, there were over 20 thefts from vehicles, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. “The Vernon North Okanagan Detachment would like to remind people not to leave items in plain view in your vehicles,” Molendyk says....

Alleged thief fails again, and again, and then it gets worse

VERNON - First, an alleged thief failed to steal the goods and then it went downhill from there. Vernon RCMP brought in the dog unit to investigate a report of a theft of a trailer in progress at Silver Star Mountain Resort, Thursday, February 12. Mounties were called to parking lot "E" at 6:30 p.m.,...

Salmon Arm man struck with metal pipe during bizarre altercation

POLICE APPEALING TO PUBLIC FOR INFORMATION ABOUT SUSPECTS VERNON - Mounties say a Salmon Arm man was attacked through his car window last week while stopped at an intersection. The unusual assault occurred last Wednesday, Feb. 11, around 9:15 p.m. in front of the Green Valley Motel on 25 Avenue. A 26-year-old Salmon Arm man...

Former U.S. ski coach admitted to peeping on his students

THE STORY YOU ALMOST DIDN'T GET TO READ VERNON - Jason Paur, the former Seattle ski coach arrested for secretly filming young girls while on a school trip to Silver Star, pleaded guilty to three of the counts against him on Jan. 12, 2015. But we couldn’t tell you about that until today.  When Paur...

Top 7 romantic places in Vernon

VERNON - From postcard perfect lake views to snow covered mountains, this picturesque valley we call home has no shortage of lovely locales. This Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to celebrate the romantic locations our city boasts, and to help us round up the top seven we caught up with some local photographers. Who better to...

Vernon RCMP looking for person of interest after elderly man assaulted

VERNON - Police are appealing to the public for information after an elderly man was allegedly assaulted Thursday afternoon. According to a Vernon RCMP media release, the 83-year-old man was walking along the sidewalk between Coldstream Avenue and 30 Avenue on 34 Street just before 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12. He spoke to a man...

Near-record temperatures on tap for Valentine’s Day weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you were hoping for cooler weather as an excuse to cuddle up with your Valentine this weekend you may have to look for a different excuse. Environment Canada is calling for near-record high temperatures Friday through Sunday, with Penticton the most likely city to set a new record. Penticton is expecting highs...

Coastal ski resort closures bad news for local hills

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With warm weather shutting down ski hills in the Lower Mainland and Washington state, hills in the Thompson-Okanagan are busier than they’ve been in ten years. But it’s not all good news. Spokespeople for all three major ski destinations in Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops said that although business is up in the short...

Interior Health seeks outside laundry service providers

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Interior Health is moving forward with a plan to privatize laundry service in the region. The organization says it is now seeking more information from pre-qualified service providers recently identified. This will allow Interior Health to look at the external options available, something it hopes will help reduce necessary capital costs to upgrade...