Health
From miracle to ‘my little secret’: How four Okanagan patients are using medical marijuana
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Medical marijuana is fraught with politics, from local police departments warning dispensaries to…
Why a Vernon doctor will help patients with their marijuana
"I'VE HAD PEOPLE WITH STAGE FOUR CANCER SAYING 'I'VE GOT TO BUY IT ON THE…
More cases of whooping cough in Vernon than normal
VERNON – A jump in the number of people coming down with the whooping cough…
Three-year art project celebrates breastfeeding
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Interior Health is searching for artists and community members to create pieces for an expo aimed at exploring the topic of breastfeeding through art. Interior Health Project Coordinator Karen Graham says the three-year project called the Breastfeeding Art Expo is in its preliminary stages but the call went out to the entire Interior...
‘My daughter’s future is in jeopardy’: Vernon mom speaks out at medical marijuana rally
VERNON - A drop of cannabis oil eaten on a cracker is making 13-year-old Tanniel’s seizure’s drop from 170 a day, to 30. “It was our life saver,” her mom, Elizabeth Bakker says. Doctors tried a number of different things, Bakker says, but Tanniel’s non-epileptic seizures weren’t getting better. Frustrated and heartbroken at seeing her...
UPDATE: Precautions taken after overnight fuel spill in Coldstream
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, DISTRICT OFFICES TO REOPEN COLDSTREAM - An overnight fuel spill at a Coldstream gas staiton has prompted a full response from emergency crews. Officials say approximately 6,000 litres of gasoline spilled at the Centex Gas Station on Kalamalka Road just after midnight, Nov. 25. The spill is believed to have occurred when a...
Plans for huge new care home in downtown Vernon coming along
VERNON - The creation of a large, multi-storey care home in downtown Vernon is moving along, but there are concerns it won’t be much to look at. The City of Vernon supported several development variances for the project, which includes 90 residential care beds, 52 assisted living units, 72 one- and two-bedroom condo units, and...
The pesky problem a Vernon politician says is causing bed bugs to spread like wildfire
VERNON - A Vernon councillor is shocked at how common bed bugs are in the city, and he has at least one idea of how they’re spreading. Coun. Brian Quiring spoke up about the matter at a council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, after being contacted by a concerned resident. “I’m shocked actually by how big...
A Tower of Care completed one donation at a time in Vernon
VERNON - From people donating to ‘light a bulb’ on the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Christmas tree to volunteers selling second hand clothing, the community has come together for health care. The Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation announced Wednesday, Sept. 23, that enough donations have been received to complete the top two floors of the Polson Tower...
$2-million pharmacy project at Vernon Jubilee Hospital a wrap
VERNON - Vernon Jubilee Hospital’s old emergency department has been transformed. Left empty after the emergency department moved to the Polson Tower in 2011, the space was renovated to house the hospital’s pharmacy. Those renovations, which began in early 2014, are now complete, and the new pharmacy — previously located in the basement — becomes...
Vernon woman shows what Lyme disease really looks like
VERNON - A young Vernon woman battling Lyme disease hopes you’ll share her story. It couldn’t have been easy to tell, and it’s not always easy to watch, but 21-year-old Amy Soranno’s two-year story of pain and unanswered questions is now laid out in a documentary called Amy’s Complex Case. The video, which can be...
Tolko’s mountain of ash plagues Spallumcheen residents
SPALLUMCHEEN - Palisades Mobile Home Park resident Beverly Anderson first experienced what she calls a “soot storm” shortly after she moved in last year. “My first mistake was we went out and left all the windows open. When I came back in it was like a dust storm all over my floor, and my cupboards,”...
Precautions taken after confirmed Norovirus case at Vernon school
VERNON - The Vernon School District is taking precautions after a child was diagnosed with Norovirus earleir this week. Superintendent of School District 22 Joe Rogers says a single case of the virus was confirmed Wednesday, May 13, at Ellison Elementary School, prompting a precautionary response. “When we have a potential outbreak, once we have...
Enderby couple toughs out grim diagnosis with love and laughter
ENDERBY - Ray Hartt, an Enderby firefighter, will do just about anything for his wife, recently diagnosed with a rare and fatal autoimmune condition. He doesn’t hesitate to do the dishes or the laundry. He installed a remote control camera in the house so he can keep an eye on her, even when he’s not...
Former Crossing residents won’t let it die
PENTICTON - A former Portage B.C. resident of The Crossing treatment centre is petitioning for its return. A number of former residents at the company’s youth residential addiction treatment facility located near Keremeos, which suddenly closed earlier this month, want to see the program continue in B.C. “We need more places like that. Portage made...