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Vernon news
Submerged, frozen and, yes, probably covered by insurance
VERNON - It’s been cool and snowy in the Okanagan lately, but not cold enough to stop a truck from plunging through the ice on Swan Lake in Vernon. The lake is a popular ice-fishing destination, and it’s not uncommon to see vehicles out on the ice during the winter. But as one driver found...
Earthquake 19 km northeast of Victoria
VICTORIA - A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Sidney, Vancouver Island Tuesday evening. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the three second quake happened just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, 19 kilometres northeast of Victoria and almost 60 kilometres below the earth’s surface. There have been no reports of any damage or injuries. The...
Vernon man trying to reunite mysterious keepsake box with rightful owners over the holidays
VERNON - Finding an old box of postcards, pictures and other keepsakes in the basement of a Vernon business years ago was like a blast from the past, says Jack Elliman. But not a blast from his own past; from someone named Lorna Rothwell Thompson’s past. Elliman doesn’t know who she is, but he’s trying...
You’ll never guess what this Kamloops woman wants for her 100th birthday
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The family of a Kamloops grandmother turning 100 years old in a few months is using social media to get the attention of her favourite singer. Kelowna resident Brad Krauza’s grandmother Sylvia lives in Kamloops. With her 100th birthday coming up in March, he and his sister Wendy wanted to do something extra...
Suspected mail thief rams police car, tries to escape on a kayak
SICAMOUS - A traffic stop on Old Spallumcheen Road led to a police cruiser being rammed twice and an RCMP dog unit tracking a man across Mara Lake Monday. Around 2:30 am on Monday, Dec. 28, a Sicamous RCMP officer attempted to pull over the driver of pickup truck near Sicamous when the man put...
‘My roommate used my toothbrush’ and other reasons to not call 9-1-1
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C. has released its top ten worst reasons people used their service this year. E-Comm is the primary 9-1-1 answer point for 24 regional districts and other communities from Vancouver Island to the Alberta and U.S. borders, to north of Prince George. With nearly 3,400 9-1-1 calls...
Vernon SPCA seeking help for two dogs after closure of animal rescue
VERNON - The Vernon B.C. SPCA is looking for donations to help brighten the holidays for a pair of dogs in need of expensive medical attention. The dogs, named Girlie and Dash, came into the shelter’s care following the closure of an animal rescue organization in the area, the Vernon shelter says in a release. ...
Unlocked vehicle leads to theft from Lake Country garage
LAKE COUNTRY - Parked vehicles left unlocked, two with garage door openers inside, led to the theft of electronics and loose change this morning, as well as tools and fishing gear from a garage. A vehicle parked in the 9800 block Sonata Road in Lake Country was broken into sometime before 9 a.m. today, Dec....
Two snowmobilers, two separate rescues for search teams in the Shuswap
SHUSWAP - Every minute of daylight counted as search and rescue crews raced to the aid of two snowmobilers during two separate incidents in the Shuswap this week. The first call came in around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, with a report of an injured snowmobiler, possibly with a fractured spine, at Blue Lake near...
Weather mellowing out in the Okanagan this week
OKANAGAN - It looks like snowplows will get some time to catch up this week with much less white stuff expected to fall. Communities across the Okanagan got hit with a large dump of snow over the holiday weekend, prompting a snowfall warning from Environment Canada, which ended Dec. 27. Between 7 mm and 10 mm...
Charges laid against man who barricaded himself in Shuswap home, lit it on fire
SALMON ARM - A man accused of barricading himself inside a home and lighting it on fire during a bizarre episode in the Shuswap is facing criminal charges. Adolf Albert Edward Hemmerling, in his 40s, is charged with uttering threats and arson damaging property, in relation to the Dec. 20, 2015 incident. Hemmerling allegedly barricaded...
UPDATE: Snowfall warning ended for Okanagan and South Thompson
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS IN WINTER DRIVING CONDITION THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A dump of snow overnight and this morning is making the busiest travel day of the year a challenge for drivers. The snowfall warning issued by Environment Canada for the Thompson-Okanagan earlier this morning was ended at about 10:15 a.m., Dec. 27. Forecasters say significant snowfall...
PHOTOS: Vernon Christmas bird count challenged by snow
VERNON - The annual Christmas bird count in Vernon is in the books for another year. Claude Rioux with the North Okanagan Naturalists Club says the count was held on Sunday, Dec. 20. "What a different day we had from last year where we had no snow," Rioux says in an email. "This year's count...
Some quirks of the calendar will bring you a lot more fun next year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Before you book your vacation next year, you might find some surprises you haven’t seen on the calendar — like an extra four long weekends next year. Thanks to a few quirks of the calendar, all four date-based holidays fall on or near weekends this year. Canada Day, Remembrance Day and New Years...
Enderby locals treated to private screening of Hopkins thriller
ENDERBY – Locals got a sneak peak of the movie Go With Me during a…
Sad news in search for missing Vernon woman
VERNON - A search for a missing person has ended in tragedy. Vernon RCMP confirmed 65-year-old Aurelia Wedenig, who went missing Dec. 18, was found dead around noon Dec. 23. “The Vernon RCMP were notified by family and friends of the discovery of her body in a thicket and grove of trees bordering a property...
A cool, white Christmas for the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - You’re in luck if you dreamed of a white Christmas, but expect slightly cooler temperatures to go along with it. Enough snow has fallen this month to give much of the Okanagan a white Christmas, something that has only a 50 per cent chance of happening in Kelowna and only a 20 per...
Former Vernon mall Santa will keep going because it ‘feeds the spirit’
VERNON - David Robertson inquired about becoming a mall Santa on a whim. That was about 20 years ago, he says in his lilting Scottish accent. Born in Edinburgh, Robertson moved to Canada in 1958, and to Vernon in the 1970s to teach high school drama. “Just out of sheer, puckish humour I thought I’d...
Forget the scoreboards, simply getting on the field was a triumph for this Vernon team
VERNON - A high school football team in Vernon may not have won any games this year, but it conquered a lot of odds just by getting on the field. The Seaton Sonics junior football team at Seaton Secondary started the year off with next to no equipment, no funding and many players who had...
No car seat, no ride for Armstrong mom and baby trying to board the bus
VERNON - A North Okanagan woman is sharing her experience after being told she couldn’t board a public transit bus without a car seat for her baby. Chelsey Dyer planned to take the Route 60 bus into Vernon from her Armstrong home last week to pick up her car, but wasn’t allowed on. “The driver...
Minor injuries after small plane crashes in Vernon
VERNON - One person suffered from minor injuries after a plane leaving from the Vernon Regional Airport had to make a forced landing, the City of Vernon says. The small airplane took off shortly after 3:30 p.m. today, Dec. 23, with a pilot and a passenger and climbed to 300 feet before the pilot noticed...
Now that’s service: Vernon mayor offers rides to holiday party-goers
VERNON - It’s not every day your designated driver is also your mayor. But that was the case in Vernon Saturday night after Mayor Akbal Mund posted an offer on his Facebook page inviting anyone who needed a safe, sober ride home to give him a call. %%Image2%% The generous offer has earned the mayor...
Vernon Light a Bulb campaign exceeds goal
VERNON - Holiday cheer is being felt at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. The 28th annual Light a Bulb Campaign has reached its $200,000 goal, the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Association announced in a media release this week. “Support for the hospital is always very strong,” campaign chair Marg Bailey said, “But this year’s Light a Bulb campaign...
Vernon lottery winners ‘struck by lightning twice’
VERNON - While most people only dream of winning the lottery, Vernon couple Diana Cools and Neil Remsbery have won it twice, most recently a $500,000 win on the Nov. 6, 2015, Lotto Max Extra draw. Their last win was in 1993, a $50,000 BC/49 win that helped start their lives together. Now 22 years...