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Vernon
Meteors, comets and planets kick off new year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Night owls and sky lovers get prepared to celebrate the new year in style, between the Comet Lovejoy and the Quadrantid meteor shower will both be visible this weekend. The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak early in the morning of Saturday, Jan. 3, but a nearly full moon and forecasted cloud cover will...
Winter storm developing this weekend
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm set to hit the Southern Interior by Sunday could bring snowfall in excess of 25 centimetres at highway passes and could see snow turn to freezing rain in town. Friday morning Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for much of the Central and Southern Interior, including the Coquihalla Highway,...
Singing the stories of the Southern Interior
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Our region has long been a destination spot in Canada, and back before the Internet made it easy to share stories and pictures of your travels, music was used to share the beauty of our land. Tourism companies put out records with a single on the region, or even a specific city, while...
Avalanche risk high in North Columbia
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As the winter break comes to an end, the temperatures are warming up and the snow is ready to fall. You may be thinking about heading out for some winter but be prepared if heading into the backcountry, avalanche risk is considered high in some areas and is at least considerable in most...
PHOTOS: Brave souls ring in 2015 with Polar Bear Swim in Kal Lake
VERNON - Roughly 100 brave souls charged into the frigid waters of Kalamalka Lake Thursday as part of the annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim. Participants flung off their towels and jackets in -6 C weather and ran into the icy waters while supporters waited on the beach with towels. Swimmers high-fived and embraced...
See the Thompson-Okanagan like you never have before
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A video posted to YouTube over the weekend gives a truly birds-eye view of some of the most spectacular features of the Thompson-Okanagan. Emile Beaulieu is a Kelowna resident whose passion is paramotoring. Using a parachute and what is essentially a large powered fan strapped to his back, he performs breathtaking fly-bys of...
Hot summer weather just a memory
BUT WILL BE BACK SOONER THAN YOU THINK THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Winter is officially here. Much of the region is covered in snow and Mother Nature decided to plunge us into a deep cold once again. With that in mind we decided to take a look back at just how hot our summer weather was in...
Second round of Ebola tests negative
KELOWNA - A second set of Ebola tests being conducting on an Interior Health nurse practitioner have returned negative, but a third and final test will still need to be done before she is given the all clear. Patrice Gordon returned from helping to treat Ebola patients in Sierra Leone on Christmas Day and it...
Weather warming up for new year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ll still be facing temperatures below seasonal normals, but it will be several degrees warmer for New Year’s Day than it has been over the past few days in the Southern Interior. According to Environment Canada temperatures will reach a high of between -8 Celsius and -5 C today and by the first...
Avalanche warning extended
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If backcountry play is in your New Year’s plan be prepared, an avalanche warning issued to the public on Christmas Day has been extended to include the Whistler and Pemberton area, and is now in effect until Sunday, Jan. 4. Throughout our region avalanche risk is considered moderate below the treeline but increases...
UPDATE: Police locate missing Vernon woman
UPDATE: 8:39 a.m. Dec. 31 Vernon RCMP say Brandy Hauser, 30, was located at a residence in Vernon. She had been missing since Dec. 15 and police put out an appeal for tips Dec. 29. VERNON - Police are on the lookout for a Vernon woman not seen since Dec. 15. A concerned family member...
Ring in the New Year with a splash at Vernon’s Polar Bear Swim
VERNON - It’s a freezing, and at the same time heartwarming, event. This year’s Polar Bear Swim Jan. 1 at Kal Beach is again raising funds for the Zimbabwe Project, which supports communities through gardening, sewing, carpentry, livestock and other projects. You can ring in the new year by plunging into Kalamalka Lake and getting...
Team Canada prepares for New Year’s Eve battle
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - On Wednesday afternoon all eyes will be on the World Junior Championship tournament in Montreal as Team Canada takes on Team United States in the final round robin game for the two teams. Canada is 3-0 in the first three games and went 2-1 during exhibition play after an overtime loss to Russia...
UPDATE: Highway 1 near Golden reopens after fatal crash
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - One person is dead and another in critical condition after a serious crash involving two tractor trailers that shut down Highway 1 from Golden to Revelstoke overnight. United Towing was called out to a head-on collision between two semis west of Golden just before 11 p.m. Both units were on fire at the...
Your last minute New Year’s Eve plans in Vernon
VERNON - If you’ve been so focussed on Christmas that you forgot to make plans for New Year’s Eve, we’ve got you covered. It’s not too late to get in on some local New Year’s Eve action, and there are plenty of events to choose from for every preference and every price range. Vernon has...
Intoxicated Vernon teen caught with drugs, revolver and bullets
VERNON - A Vernon teenager spent Christmas with RCMP after getting caught with a 375 Magnum revolver and various drugs. It was roughly 9:10 p.m. Dec. 25 and the intoxicated 16-year-old was creating quite a scene in the area of Highway 6 and Pottery Road. “The man was walking in and out of traffic on...
Kelowna duo arrested for stealing country club’s gas
SPALLUMCHEEN - A pair of Kelowna men didn’t make it far after trying to steal gas from the Spallumcheen Golf and Country Club. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the golf club’s alarm went off around 7:45 p.m. Dec. 27 at the outside gas tanks. Police found one suspect in the immediate area, and a second...
Cold weather and wind move in
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Pull the scarves and gloves back out, the cold weather is back and by tonight much of the region will be at least 10 degrees lower than seasonal normals. According to Environment Canada, temperatures will drop to -10 Celsius by this afternoon in Kamloops and winds will increase to 50 gusting to 70...
Drivers asked to avoid stretch of Bella Vista Road in Vernon
VERNON - Emergency officials are asking travelers to avoid a section of Bella Vista Road in Vernon after a car accident Saturday. Due to a single vehicle rollover on Bella Vista Road near Sandon and Davison Roads, Vernon Fire and Rescue Services is requesting drivers avoid the area. Travelers are asked to use Allenby Way...
Arctic air promises frigid temperatures for Thompson-Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Its back to winter-like conditions in the Thompson-Okanagan Sunday as Arctic air pushes south dropping temperatures and creating snow. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement warning temperatures will drop to at least ten degrees below normal for this time of year and dumping large amounts of snow on the mountain passes....
10 activities you can do to meet your daily exercise requirements
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – If your latest exercise is having a Netflix marathon while you wear sweatpants you wouldn't dare to wear in public, you might want to reconsider your options. The number one New Year’s resolution people make (and usually don’t end up following) is to get in shape – New Year, new beginning. Adults should...
Your guide to a Christmas lights driving tour 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 free, way to get in the holiday spirit. When night falls, the City of Vernon transforms into...
Funny stories about drunks from designated drivers
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The holidays are a time to catch up with old friends, spend quality time with family and have a few rum and eggnogs to celebrate. Maybe it’s the cooler weather, the spirit or all the booze we get for gifts – but undoubtedly some of us will get more carried away than others....
Local players ready to represent at World Junior Championship
GET YOUR RED AND WHITE JERSEYS READY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Four members of Team Canada will be doing their best to represent local hockey at the World Junior Championship in Ontario and Quebec as the tournament officially gets underway on Boxing Day. Ottawa Senator Curtis Lazar, of Vernon, is one of only two current National Hockey...