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Vernon
Run for the Cure at Marshall Fields
VERNON – The annual fundraising effort for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation goes Sunday morning in Vernon. Marshall Fields on Okanagan Landing Road is the new location for the 23-year for the CIBC Run for the Cure. Registration and donation drop-off is at 8:30 a.m. with opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. The event features a...
What does a school board trustee do?
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people have heard of a school board, and school trustees, but what exactly is the role of a trustee? Nominations have opened in advance of the municipal elections throughout the province on Nov. 15. Keep in mind that school districts are a huge employers with big, taxpayer-funded budgets, so even if you...
Take advantage of the harvest this fall by attending some of these events
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Fall is upon us. The new season calls for pumpkin-inspired goodies, warmer coats, leaf raking, choosing the perfect turkey and finding the Halloween costume to help you win the contest. But the season also brings a bounty of fun events, most of which are family-friendly. Take a look and see what communities in...
Okanagan Regional Library eyes staff and service cuts
OKANAGAN - The union representing Okanagan Regional Library workers is sounding the alarm over proposed staff and service cuts at branches throughout the valley. Deb Dolman, vice president of CUPE Local 1123, says an alarming 375 staff hours at 19 branches are on the chopping block as part of the regional library’s plan to improve...
Millions announced for upgrades to Westside Road
WEST KELOWNA – Premier Christy Clark announced Friday that the province would invest $45 million over five years to upgrade one of the worst roads in B.C. The first step involves widening an 800 metre section from Waterfront Farm to Blue Grouse as well as installation of roadside barriers and rock protection. Construction on...
HELSTON: A test for distracted driving
My thumbs play hopscotch on the keyboard, darting from letter to space bar, and as they root around for the exclamation point, I fail to notice a dog bounding onto the road. My focus rears up from the text message but it’s too late. Good thing it’s just an obstacle course and the golden retriever...
Lost, confiscated and forgotten at the Kelowna airport
KELOWNA - Wallets, passports and designer bags—among hundreds of other lost items—are collected, meticulously logged and stored by the Kelowna International Airport each month. Only some find their way back home. Reuniting items with their owners is always the goal, says airport spokesperson Jenelle Hynes, it’s just not always the reality. Some items are given...
Half of all wildfires caused by people this year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A total of 169, or 49.9 per cent, of all wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been human-caused this year. Kayla Pepper of B.C. Wildfire says of the 339 fires in the fire centre we are about as close to half as you can get right now, though usually lightning fires outnumber...
So you want to be a city councillor? Here’s what it takes
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people realize there is a city council in place to help run the city, but few understand just what goes into being the mayor or a councillor. While the roles can change significantly depending on the city, the council member and the needs of the community at that time, we decided to...
Risk of frost in the forecast
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Cover your fragile plants and get your ice scrapers ready, fall is officially here and with that comes a risk of frost. With highs of 13-15 Celsius Thursday and temperatures expected to dip as low as 2 C overnight at airports throughout the region Environment Canada is calling for a risk of frost...
Sinkhole opens up and swallows Vernon city dump truck wheel
VERNON - A Vernon City dumptruck became stuck today in a sinkhole that formed overnight on 31 Street between 33 Avenue and 34 Avenue. The sinkhole was caused by a water main break and water has been turned off. A detour was put in place, so no vehicles except those with the city are permitted...
IN TWEETS: It’s October already
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Autumn may have officially arrived with the fall equinox Sept. 22, but for many, it’s the first day of October that really feels like the start of a new season. Oct. 1 delivered sunny skies across the valley and warm enough temperatures to still get away with shorts and a T-shirt. But on...
Future uncertain for Canada’s oldest horse-racing track
VERNON - The future of horse racing in the Interior remains more uncertain thanks to mounting woes for Vernon's troubled Kin Race Track. The society that runs the track has battled for years to keep it open. Already tight on cash from fighting a legal battle with the City of Vernon to continue racing horses...
Snow tire season is upon us
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Slushy sections hit the Connector for a brief time Tuesday afternoon and as of Wednesday morning winter tires are a requirement on most B.C. highways. While winter does not officially start until late December snow can fall, especially on mountain passes, a lot earlier and as a result provincial regulations require winter tires...
You won’t believe what a tourist found while visiting Vernon
VERNON - Most people go home from a dig at Canada’s only opal mine with a small trinket. Others, like Donna Nelson, get very lucky. On a recent trip to Vernon, the Saskatchewan woman and her husband went on a dig with Opal Resources Canada, which operates the Opal Miners Gift Shop on Highway 97...
Christy Clark attending two events in the Okanagan today
KELOWNA - Premier Christy Clark is in the Okanagan and will stop in Vernon and Kelowna for a pair of special events. At 2:45, Oct. 1, Clark will speak to the Canadian Association of Retired Persons Okanagan Chapter to celebrate National Seniors Day in Vernon. The event will be held at Sparkling Hills Resort in...
Vernon council candidate has a legacy to honour
VERNON - The latest person to announce her candidacy for a Vernon City Council seat says she has politics in her blood — after all, her grandfather was an Alderman for the city 50-plus years ago. Kari Gares was born in Vernon and has a degree from UBCO in history and psychology. She describes herself...
Former NDP candidate seeks a seat on Vernon city council
VERNON - A former NDP candidate is running for a seat on Vernon city council. Mark Olsen has lived in Vernon for 28 years and wants to give back to his community. The CUPE school support staff president was an NDP candidate in the last provincial election. Olsen believes one of the big issues in...
Interior Health hospitals middle of pack
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Interior are more likely than other Canadians to drink heavily but they are also more likely to be active, according to recent statistics for the Interior Health Authority that ranked the region in the middle of the pack across the country. A new website compares hospitals, health regions, provinces and...
A cougar killed her dog and dropped it at her feet
VERNON - A Vernon family is readjusting to life without their beloved family dog after he was killed by a cougar in their backyard. Milton, a six-year-old Chihuahua/Maltese, was let out to play as usual the morning of Sept. 21 in the backyard of the family’s McLennan Road property in the BX area of Vernon....
Foul play ruled out in death of Vernon teen
VERNON - Foul play has been ruled out in the death of a former Vernon teen who died at a work residence in Kindersley, Saskatchewan. Police initially called 19-year-old Dylan Cordell Hanna’s death suspicious, but an autopsy conducted Sept. 16 has since dispelled any notions foul play was involved. Hanna was found Sept. 14 at...
Vernon woman in the running for high-stakes music contest
VERNON - She got her start playing open mic nights at the El Portillo Coffee House in Vernon. The Vernon Performing Arts Centre welcomed her to its stage, and her voice carried through Polson Park on Canada Days passed. Now, Vernon’s Jodi Pederson, 26, is one of 12 artists picked out of 250 applicants across...
Groundbreaking training will help Vernon search and rescue help you
VERNON - Members of Vernon Search and Rescue are trying something new as they huddle around a helicopter watching a teammate dangle a few feet off the ground. The apparatus they're using is called a winch, and it will allow qualified technicians the ability to descend as much as 300 feet to the ground to...
Early morning car crash under investigation
VERNON - Police are investigating a series of events ending with a car crash and no sign of the occupants. It all started shortly after midnight Sept. 28 when the Vernon RCMP received a report of a car speeding through the intersection of 32 Avenue and 32 Street. “The silver car with two occupants was...