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Vernon

Number of suspected arsons climbs to nine

VERNON - Police continue to investigate a series of suspected arsons as the number of suspicious fires grows to nine within the city. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says police are looking into two fires from the weekend, one a torched car at the Kia dealership and the other a motor home on 26 Street. Molendyk...

Road safety highlighted during Bike to Work Week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This week is Bike to Work Week, a celebration that kicks off a season of more cyclists on the roads, and both cyclists and motorists are being reminded to do their part to help keep everyone safe. ICBC notes an average of nearly 1,000 cyclists are injured during the warmer months of May...

Conservation on the lookout for East Hill bear

VERNON - East Hill residents are being warned there’s a bear in their neck of the woods. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says a large bear was spotted in the East Hill neighbourhood over the past few days. There haven’t been any run-ins with people or pets, though the Conservation Service is actively working to locate...

Police believe Trinity Valley suspects were cooking up crystal meth

VERNON - A six day investigation and clean-up at a North Okanagan property wrapped up over the weekend, leaving authorities strongly suspecting crystal meth was being produced there. A significant quantity of hazardous materials believed to be used in the manufacturing of crystal meth were removed from the Trinity Valley Road rental home and secured...

Mapping Okanagan travel habits

KELOWNA – A survey of local travel habits reveals a number of insights into how Okanagan residents get where we need to go. Conducted by the City of Kelowna, City of Vernon, Districts of Lake Country, West Kelowna, Peachland, Westbank First Nation and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, the survey shows the travel...

Why 153 Vernon teachers received layoff notices

VERNON - Over a hundred teachers are being laid off in the Vernon School District, but it’s likely most will be re-hired in September. Superintendent Joe Rogers says the layoffs are all part of an annual process. Unlike most school districts, Vernon grants recall rights to teachers who have worked at least five months, even...

Burnt pallets add to list of suspected arsons

VERNON - Police and the fire department are burning for answers after responding to another suspected arson. A flaming pile of pallets drew firefighters to an industrial area in the 4600 block of 34 Street shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday. Authorities are calling the fire suspicious and investigating whether it is connected to a recent...

New meteor shower to put on a show tonight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new meteor shower is set to light up the sky around midnight on Friday and predictions are it could be quite the show. NASA says the shower could rival the well-known Perseids meteor shower that happens in August, even though no one has ever seen the Camelopardalids before. The Camelopardalids are caused...

B.C. Supreme court judge awards $2.4M in car crash law suit

VERNON – A Salmon Arm man was awarded over $2.4 million by a B.C. Supreme Court judge in connection with a car crash near Salmon Arm three years ago. Justice Allen Betton awarded the money to 21-year-old Quentin Hermanson. Hermanson, formerly of Vernon, was a passenger in friend Ryan Durkee’s vehicle. They were driving on...

Torched boat latest in series of suspected arsons

VERNON - A torched boat is the latest in a series of suspicious fires under investigation by authorities. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says an 18 foot recreational ski boat with a For Sale sign on it was set ablaze in a parking lot in the 2300 block of 48 Avenue around 11 p.m. Tuesday....

Trial date set for former Vernon mountie facing child porn charges

VERNON - A former Vernon cop will stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court next March. Ryan Hampton, 35, faces nine charges, including possessing and accessing child pornography. He was arrested in June 2013 and subsequently suspended from the force. He has since resigned from the RCMP. Hampton will be tried before judge alone starting March...

Rash of fires spark concern

VERNON - A series of suspicious fires has police appealing to the public for information. The most recent of the suspected arsons include a vacant building and porta-potty set ablaze Sunday and Monday. Police continue to investigate a pair of suspicious dumpster fires from early May, as well as a chain of unsolved arsons from...

Home invasion suspects arrested after standoff with RCMP

KELOWNA - A pair of suspects accused of an armed home invasion were arrested Monday following several hours of negotiation outside a home on Bernard Ave. The men are accused of breaking into a home on Findlay Road and robbing at gun point a 41-year-old Kelowna man who was sleeping in his home early Monday...

Five arrests made in connection with suspected synthetic drug lab

VERNON - Police, environmental agencies and a HAZMAT team descended upon a secluded North Okanagan property over the long weekend following the discovery of an alleged drug lab. Police had already been investigating the Trinity Valley Road property near Enderby for months, but is was reports of shots fired in the area that led police...

UPDATE: Teacher strikes begin Monday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers announced today they will conduct a rotating strike next week in an effort to move along negotiations with the province. The strike begins Monday, May 26 in School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and will be followed by the Central Okanagan (SD23) and North Okanagan-Shuswap (SD83) districts Tuesday. On Wednesday, May 28 teachers...

Kindale needs your help to find stolen tricycles

VERNON – The power of social media is being used to help find a pair of adult tricycles stolen from the Seaton Centre in Vernon. The three-wheeled tricycles, which are used by people with developmental disabilities, went missing sometime on the weekend of May 10 and 11. After a week of searching, still no sign...

Looking for a forever home, Vernon SPCA pet of the week

Oni This high energy senior is not slowing down any time soon. Oni, an 8 year and 7 month old neutered brindle Boxer cross, came into the SPCA because his previous owners could no longer give him the exercise and attention he needs. Upon meeting Oni, you wouldn't guess he is almost 9 year young....

Local couple brewing up new downtown destination

VERNON - You’ll still be able to buy a drink at the former night club on the corner of 30 Avenue and 30 Street downtown, but the similarities end there. Stefan and Pearl Marten, the new owners of the prominent Main Street building, are brewing up a different approach, one that invites families, foodies and...

Crews respond to lightning-caused fire near Fintry

VERNON - Efforts are underway to extinguish a fire sparked by lightning in the Fintry area Friday afternoon. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says a three person attack crew and an air tanker were deployed to the area around 2:30 p.m. The Wildfire Management branch is standing by in case further resources are required. The...

What fans, players and organizers have to say about the 2014 RBC Cup

VERNON - It seems everyone involved in the RBC Cup can’t help but tweet about it. Players, organizers and fans shared their experiences this week on Twitter. Their tweets take us into the grandstands, beyond the locker room doors, and behind the scenes of the ten day Junior A Championship event held at Kal Tire...

Gas prices skyrocket for long weekend

THOMPSON OKANAGAN - Gas prices have skyrocketed just in time for the long weekend. Many pumps across the Thompson-Okanagan are advertising a ten cent jump today. In Vernon, many gas stations are selling at 143.9 cents per litre. It’s the same story in Kelowna, with most places selling at 143.9 and one, the Superstore on...

Teacher negotiations moved forward

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — The province announced Thursday it would remove the 10-year term from the table and the teachers’ union president says it’s a relief to finally see it off the table. “It shows the government is willing to get more serious about it and we are happy about that,” B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker...

Former Vernon vice-principal punished for boosting student’s grades

VERNON - A former Vernon vice-principal has been reprimanded for boosting a student’s grades. The B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch is suspending former Vernon Secondary School vice-principal Tony Martin Dolinar’s teaching certificate for one month because he increased the grades “of a student whom he wished to favour” without the consent of the student’s teacher. Dolinar...