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Vernon news
Salmon Arm cops rescue barricaded suspect from house he set on fire
SALMON ARM – A suspect being chased by police near Salmon Arm had to be rescued from a house he refused to leave, even after he set it on fire last night. The man, who was armed with knives, had barricaded himself in the home in Eagle Bay at around 10 p.m., Dec. 20, according...
Okanagan to enjoy warm and white Christmas
OKANAGAN - It will be a pretty typical week when it comes to weather in the Okanagan, with temperatures expected to stay near seasonal normals for much of the Christmas week. Environment Canada is calling for highs ranging from 0 Celsius to -3 Celsius most days this week, though Kelowna is expected to hit a...
UPDATE: Missing Vernon woman found dead
UPDATE: 10 A.M. DEC. 24, 2015 The search for missing Vernon woman Aurelia Wedenig has ended in tragedy. Police say her body was found Dec. 23, 2015. Read more here. ORIGINAL STORY VERNON – Police are concerned about the safety of a woman who went missing from a mental health facility in Vernon yesterday, Dec. 18....
Students pass exam speaking traditional Nsyilxcn language
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Two Westbank First Nation students have completed an oral exam aimed at preserving their traditional language. Jordan Coble and Flynn Wetton completed their first exam that is part of a four-year Nsyilxcn language program that began in September 2015. The exam was given in front of fellow students, teachers and visitors on Nov....
Gift of dress, community spirit, thrills Salmon Arm mother and daughter
KAMLOOPS - The mother of a young girl whose community rallied to get her a dress for the winter formal says she’s amazed by the generosity and Christmas spirit of strangers. “I am amazed and in utter shock,” Janet Perry says. “I could not believe it." Perry’s daughter Olivia Perry-Coultas, 17, is a student in...
Good chance of a white Christmas in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - Mother Nature looks prepared to give us a white Christmas this year, with a snow overnight and at least a chance of snow expected every day this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for snowfall to end this morning, Dec. 18, and will be followed by a chance of rain or flurries later today....
$1M Lotto ticket sold in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN – Someone in the Okanagan is one million dollars richer after getting an exact match in the Lotto 6/49 Guaranteed Prize Draw Breakdown yesterday, Dec. 16. According to the 6/49 website, the prize has yet to be claimed but was sold somewhere in the Okanagan. Guaranteed Prize draw prizes are not shared with other...
Vernon mayor handed fine for improper tax filings
VERNON - Vernon mayor Akbal Mund has been ordered to pay a fine after some trouble with his taxes. The mayor pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with the Income Tax Act in Vernon Provincial Court Thursday, Dec. 17. A second count was stayed, and Mund was handed a $1,000 fine. “The...
Accused Kelowna trailer park killer released on bail
KELOWNA – The Kelowna man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend in April 2014 has been released on bail. Ryan James Quigley, 36, has been in custody since he was arrested at a residence on Coronation Avenue on April 4, three days after the body of Amy Jane Parkes was found inside a mobile home on...
Conviction thrown out for man accused of driving into Vernon firefighter
VERNON - A man convicted of dangerous driving causing bodily harm will have his case heard again due to a technicality. Ian Douglas Burns, 28, was found guilty of hitting BX/Swan Lake firefighter Stephan Hidasi with his truck, but a judge has now deemed that ruling null because court procedures weren’t followed. Crown spokesperson Neil...
A dog bite, an arrest, an RCMP firing and lots of finger-pointing in Vernon neighbour dispute
VERNON - A bitter dispute between neighbours is playing out publicly in Vernon after one man claims to have been set up by a retired policeman, who has since been fired from a civilian position with the Vernon detachment. The case, which began with an alleged dog bite, was supposed to be heard in court,...
Tragedies compound for West Kelowna, Vernon families
CHILD STILL RECOVERING FROM CAR ACCIDENT, GRANDMA IN COMA FOLLOWING SEPARATE ACCIDENT KELOWNA - The Vernon woman who was hit by a car at a crosswalk over the weekend is the grandmother of the eight-year-old West Kelowna boy who was dragged by a van in front of his parents this past summer. Jonah Pevach, an...
She taught hundreds how to defraud the government but says she is the victim
"SHE WAS THE FACE, THE VOICE AND THE BRAIN BEHIND (THE SCHEME)." KELOWNA – The woman who helped hundreds of people defraud the government of millions of dollars in taxes between 2007 and 2012 claims she is the victim and begged the judge not to send her to jail. This summer, a Supreme Court jury found...
The story behind this collection of quirky salt and pepper shakers
VERNON - Hundreds of endearing salt and pepper shakers on display at a Vernon coffee shop are capturing peoples’ hearts and their curiosity. Looking like something out of miniature world, the collection of salt and pepper shakers can be found at the Bean Scene Coffee House on 30 Avenue in downtown Vernon. Inside the glass...
Vernon city council endorses controversial marina on Okanagan Lake
VERNON - Vernon city council has done a 180-degree-turn when it comes to a controversial marina on Okanagan Lake. Outback Resort’s proposed marina in South Bay, near Ellison Provincial Park, got support from Vernon council today, Dec. 14 — with a few conditions. The support hinges upon the removal of all the resort’s existing buoys...
Temperatures cooling off in the Okanagan this week
OKANAGAN - The temperatures will drop back below 0 Celsius this week after a long run of weather warmer than seasonal normals in the Okanagan. Environment Canada is calling for the mercury to stay around 2 C to 4 C throughout the region today, Dec. 14, but then the overnight temperature will drop to as...
Why workers at some City Halls must take holidays in December
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Civic governments in Kamloops, Vernon and Penticton keep their main offices open over the holidays but they do it a little differently in the Central Okanagan. City Halls in both West Kelowna and Kelowna will be closed for the week between Christmas and New Years along with the offices of the Central Okanagan...
Winter storm bringing heavy snow to mountain passes
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It wouldn’t be the weekend without a warning from Environment Canada about heavy snow on the highways through B.C. Interior mountain passes. A heavy snowfall warning has been issued today, Dec. 12, as a strong Pacific frontal system is expected to start crossing over the Interior this afternoon. Forecasters say people heading to...
How the SPCA approves dog rescue groups
VERNON - There’s a wide range of standards among rescue groups across the province, and while animals are directly involved, that doesn’t mean the SPCA has a hand in how they operate. Aspects of dog rescuing such as fostering and adoption procedures, holding periods, and vet-checks simply aren’t something the SPCA has a mechanism to...
‘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...
Okanagan MP mimicks Trudeau’s Vogue cover with funny tweet
KELOWNA – Local Conservative MP Dan Albas is getting some attention in the Twittersphere this week for recreating a Vogue cover photo featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Must. Work. On the hair. #vogue,” he tweeted Wednesday, Dec. 9. The black and white photo attached shows him seemingly lost in thought and striking a pose that...
Warm weather sticking around just a bit longer in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - It seems our stretch of well-above seasonal normal temperatures is coming to an end, but we still have a few slightly warmer days ahead of us. Environment Canada is calling for a high of 3 Celsius today, Dec. 11, in the Vernon and Kelowna areas, with a high of 4 C expected in...
‘Put it on your roof’: Vernon woman shares tale of stolen Christmas decor
VERNON - A grinch stole a Vernon woman’s Christmas spirit. Deb Robertson says close to $600 worth of LED Christmas decorations were stolen from her yard in the East Hill area of Vernon. “It’s bad to steal from anyone any time of year, but Christmas is just the lowest of the low,” Robertson says. Taken...
State-of-the-art amphitheatre proposed for Vernon’s Okanagan College
VERNON - A large outdoor amphitheatre is being proposed for the Vernon campus of Okanagan College. The Okanagan Summer Festival Society proposed the amphitheatre, which would accommodate up to 5,500 people, at a Greater Vernon Advisory Council meeting Thursday, Dec. 10. “We see the opportunity to develop a significant addition to the cultural infrastructure...