Vernon

Freezing rain to hit the Coquihalla tonight

SNOW FORECAST FOR IN TOWN THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you are hitting the highways tonight beware, Environment Canada is calling for a risk of freezing rain. There is a chance of snow on the Coquihalla from Merritt to Hope and Highway 3 from Princeton to Hope this afternoon and evening, but as a Pacific system moves...

Man who ran from accident scene may be injured

VERNON - Police need help finding the driver of a Jeep involved in a hit-and-run Wednesday evening. The two vehicle crash between a blue Jeep and a Hyundai happened at 39 Avenue and Alexis Park Drive at roughly 5:30 p.m. The driver of the Jeep ran from the scene while the 44-year-old driver of the...

Temporary food services set up after flood at Vernon’s Upper Room Mission

VERNON - The community is making sure no one goes hungry in the coming weeks while damages are repaired at the Upper Room Mission. Fundraising director Lisa Anderson says it could take 6-8 weeks before repairs are complete. The 27 Avenue soup kitchen flooded earlier this week after a pipe burst and triggered the sprinkler...

Former accountant handed jail time for fraud schemes in Vernon

"IT MAKES ME WONDER HOW I FELL FOR HER THE LAST TIME:" JUDGE VERNON - A former accountant who tried to cash a forged cheque grew more sophisticated in her ploys since her last court appearance for fraud, a Vernon provincial court judge said. Abigail Marie Mcelman, 36, was arrested at Vernon’s Venue Financial Centre...

Just a few more days of cold

WARMER WEEKEND EXPECTED THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We are beginning to see a break in the cold weather and by Sunday the entire region should finally be above 0 Celsius. Environment Canada was originally calling for Friday to be the day we would see temperatures rise to above normal, after a week of well-below normal temperatures. Now...

You can help build a Lake Country food bank with this simple gesture

LAKE COUNTRY – The food bank in Lake Country is asking for the public’s help winning a national competition that could put them one step closer to a much-needed new facility. The Aviva Community Fund is a Canada-wide contest soliciting community votes for ideas put forward by local non-profits and the winner gets a cash...

Free flu clinic postponed due to high demand

VERNON - Don't roll up your sleeve just yet — a public flu clinic in Vernon has been rescheduled because demand is exceeding supply. Public flu clinics at the Schubert Centre, 3505 30 Ave. for Dec. 4 and Jan. 8 will instead take place Jan. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. according to a...

New Vernon mayor and council sworn into office

VERNON - Vernon’s new council members officially took their seats for the next four years Monday evening. Mayor Akbal Mund, incumbents Bob Spiers, Juliette Cunningham, Catherine Lord, and Brian Quiring, along with new councillors Scott Anderson and Dalvir Nahal were sworn into office by Justice Mayland McKimm to a packed room at City Hall. “Collectively,...

PHOTOS: Top decorating tips for the holidays

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You have a tree. You have some ornaments. Maybe you even have some garland and ribbon. But if you are not sure what to do next, do not worry, we have some of the hottest tips from local designers to make sure your home is looking its best this holiday season. Kathy Underwood...

Cold snap still on, weekend to be warmer

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Yes, it is still cold outside. Colder than we want to admit and definitely colder than seasonal normals, but that will change by the weekend when the mercury finally rises above 0 Celsius again. After a heavy snowfall mid-week temperatures plummeted well below normal over the weekend, dropping to around -20 C plus...

Deal signed for Okanagan rail line

OKANAGAN – A deal between the consortium of municipalities and CN Rail to buy the decommissioned rail corridor between Kelowna and Coldstream has been reached. The consortium, made up of Kelowna, Lake Country, Coldstream, along with the North Okanagan and Central Okanagan Regional Districts, have agreed to buy the 47.5 kilometre long stretch of railway...

UPDATE: Missing Vernon girls found

UPDATE: 8:30 p.m. Nov. 30 Saylor Nicole Martian and Tina Kontos have been located in Manitoba. According to the Vernon RCMP, the two 15-year-olds were found in Headingley, Manitoba where they were apprehended by police. One of the girls reportedly made contact with her parents letting them know where they were. Arrangements are being made...

A photo to remember: Hollywood stars pose with North Okanagan locals

VERNON - They’re not exactly keeping a low profile. Actors Sir Anthony Hopkins, Julia Stiles and Ray Liotta have been out and about over the last few weeks, graciously posing for photo after photo with local people. And they don’t seem to mind it. Either they’re really good at acting off set, or the three...

UPDATE: Power restored to 1,389 customers in Vernon

VERNON - Power was cut to over a thousand residents on Okanagan Landing Friday morning, but was restored by 11:09 a.m. According to B.C. Hydro, the outage occurred northwest of Okanagan Landing Road around 6:40 a.m. affecting 1,389 customers. The cause of the outage was identified as a tree down across the power lines. Local...

HELSTON: A small act of kindness will go a long way this Christmas

I’ll admit it; I tend to get my back up when I'm asked for money. My instinct is to terminate the uncomfortable conversation as quickly as possible with a ‘no, not today’ or some other firm, but polite, way of communicating the cause is not getting my hard earned cash. But I’m going to tell...

Deep freeze begins

EXPECT COLD AND WIND THIS WEEKEND THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The system forecast to bring cold temperatures, wind and some snow to the region has engulfed Kamloops this morning and will fully reach Penticton by Saturday. Strong winds began in Kamloops Thursday afternoon and temperatures dropped to -7 Celsius by this morning. Over the day Friday temperatures...

Avalanche risk high this weekend

BACKCOUNTRY WARNING ISSUED THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A warning has been issued to all backcountry users this weekend as the risk of avalanche increases with the quick weather change headed our way. Avalanche Canada has issued a warning for mountains throughout the Interior, including Kootenay Boundary and the North and South Columbia ranges. The warning extends north...

Chronic water leaks plague Vernon art gallery

VERNON - Like shoveling snow and scraping down windshields, preparing for leaks has become a vexing winter tradition at the Vernon Public Art Gallery. A large snow storm Wednesday left the gallery with multiple leaks to deal with.  “It’s an ongoing issue with the building,” executive director Dauna Kennedy Grant says. “We have chronic leakage...

Pepper-sprayed patron at Vernon Rec Centre

VERNON - A man was peppered-sprayed in the changeroom at the Vernon Recreation Complex Wednesday night and police are still searching for a suspect. Staff called RCMP at roughly 9:15 p.m. Nov. 26 to report the incident. When Mounties came to investigate, they were told the suspect ran out the back door of the complex....

Cold snap on the way

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As heavy snow continues to fall in parts of the region Wednesday and city crews work to keep up with the melt as temperatures move several degrees above seasonal normals we are being warned a cold snap is on the way. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement warning a ‘drastic cold...

VIDEO: Holy cow! Old MacDonald drives a… station wagon?

VERNON - Drivers were surprised to see a cow in the backseat of a car on 27 Street earlier this month in Vernon. It might sound unbelievable, but there’s proof. The bizarre sight was caught on camera near W.L. Seaton Secondary. You can see the cow standing up in the back of the white station...

UPDATE: SNOWED IN: Weather wreaks havoc on roads, power

SNOWFALL WARNING ISSUED FOR NORTH THOMPSON THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Heavy snow has fallen throughout the region and another 25 centimetres is expected in the North Thompson and Columbia regions by Thursday morning, though the snow will change to rain late tonight or Thursday morning in the more southern regions. While parts of the region struggle with...

Vernon residents wake up to blanket of snow

YOUR PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE NORTH OKANAGAN VERNON - North Okanagan residents woke up to a thick blanket of snow Wednesday morning. Environment Canada is calling for 2-4 cm of snow today, though the white stuff is expected to change to rain sometime this morning. The dump of snow means buses in the Vernon school...