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Vernon news

If you missed the deadline on your favourite Okanagan produce this year, you weren’t alone

SO EARLY, IT'S UNHEARD OF OKANAGAN - Many crops in the Okanagan have come and gone much earlier than normal, and that’s leaving consumers with mixed emotions.  Cheryl Rohrer with Good ’N’ Plenty Produce in Armstrong says some customers are thrilled to see their favourite foods out earlier than usual, while others are left disappointed...

NHL beach party this Friday at Kal Lake

VERNON - Get ready to have a beach day with some of your favourite National Hockey League players past and present in a fundraiser event for the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation this weekend. On Friday, July 10, the National Hockey League Players’ Association, along with 20 players, will be at Kalamalka Beach for autographs, beach...

Smoky skies advisory issued for entire Thompson-Okanagan region

THOMPSON OKANAGAN – If the visible smoke in the sky wasn't enough to warn you, a smoky skies advisory has now been issued for a large portion of the Southern Interior. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has issued a smoky skies advisory for the Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Fraser Canyon,...

Anti-bullying program legit, but RCMP not involved

"THE TELEMARKETERS ARE QUITE PUSHY IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO GET PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE (ANTI-BULLYING) CAMPAIGN" VERNON - RCMP say they are not behind numerous calls to residents asking for money to support an anti-bullying program, though the calls are legitimate. The Canadian Police Association has hired a contractor to campaign for donations for a...

People ignoring campfire ban in Okanagan

‘THERE’S THE ODD FEW THAT DON’T THINK THE BAN APPLIES TO THEM’ VERNON - Fire officials in Vernon are surprised some people are still not getting the message about the importance of campfire bans. Twice Monday night, the Vernon Fire Department was called to illegal campfires in peoples’ backyards, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says....

Man accused of running down paper carrier during police chase won’t face judge until 2016

KELOWNA – A preliminary inquiry of prolific offender Donald Maxwell Brodie, accused of critically injuring a paper carrier while evading a police road block in 2013, has been set for early 2016. Brodie, 35, is charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, flight causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing bodily harm and two counts of...

Childhood friends killed in Vernon motorbike crash leave behind fiancées, families

LUMBY - Childhood friends James Folden and Trinity Bright were both living life to its fullest when a tragic motorbike crash cut their time short. Both were engaged to be married; Folden, 23, to Chelsea, his high school sweetheart and mother of his seven-week-old daughter, and Bright, 24, to the love of his life. Folden,...

RCMP reunite missing dog with family

KAMLOOPS - Saundra Potter didn’t expect to come home without a dog when she took a family trip to Kelowna to run an errand. Potter and her three children left their dog Bailey in the back of her truck with a blanket, food and water when they entered a store to grab barbecue supplies last...

Deer found hanging by leg rescued by Vernon men

'IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIFIC DEATH’ VERNON - A deer left hanging from a chain link fence was rescued by two Vernon men over the weekend. Pete Wise, who operates a wildlife control company, was making his rounds at the Vernon airport early Saturday morning when he noticed the deer hanging by its leg....

Police dive teams return to Kal Lake in search of missing man

VERNON - Police teams are focussing efforts on Kalamalka Lake as they search for a man missing since June 27. Curtis Wilson, 24, was last seen with his friend Shane Letkeman, 32, who was found dead in the lake June 28. Wilson’s family reported him missing last week, and police launched a full scale search...

More evictions expected, more affordable housing likely lost in Vernon

NOWHERE TO GO VERNON - Not long after eviction notices were served to tenants of the Green Valley Motel, residents of another low-cost apartment building in Vernon are counting what they believe could be their final days. The Belair Apartments on 32 Street, just down the road from Boston Pizza, recently sold, and that’s left...

Federal justice minister to speak in Vernon

VERNON - Justice Minister Peter MacKay is one of several high profile speakers lined up as part of a speaker series for the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce. MacKay will speak at a luncheon on Wednesday, July 8, about ‘a successful budget, a secure Canada.’ “Mr. MacKay’s visit to Vernon highlights a very busy July...

Elite pro riders at Silver Star this weekend

VERNON - Silver Star’s B.C. Cup Downhill Series race this weekend is set to be one of the best biking events of the summer, with close to 250 riders, including 30 pro racers, expected on the mountain.  The B.C. Cup races are a huge draw for downhill biking athletes who have aspirations to compete at national...

Okanagan feeling the heat

OKANAGAN - Expect temperatures to remain in the mid-30s through much of next week as the Okanagan continues to flirt with record-breaking temperatures. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures of 36 Celsius throughout the Okanagan today, July 3, and 31 C Saturday in Vernon and Kelowna. Penticton is expected to reach 33 C on Saturday....

Vernon cop charged with possessing child porn nearing trial date

KELOWNA – The trial of the former Vernon cop charged with possessing child pornography will start the middle of next month after a brief court appearance today. Ryan Hampton, 37, faces counts of possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, attempting to obstruct justice and half a dozen breaches of court orders. He was arrested...

Cause of destructive Vernon fire under investigation

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SETS UP TEMPORARY LOCATION AFTER OFFICE BURNED TO THE GROUND  VERNON - The roof of a burning government office and podiatry clinic caved in shortly after firefighters were inside checking to ensure no one was trapped during a massive blaze Tuesday night in Vernon.  “They forced open the doors because they...

The weather record breaker that was June

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – If it felt like weather dominated the headlines throughout June, that’s because if it wasn’t dropping a month’s worth of rain in a day, we were shattering high temperature records around the region. Lisa Coldwells, an Environment Canada meteorologist, says despite the heavy rains that bookended the beginning and end of the month,...

VIDEO: Kenny Vs. Spenny promote upcoming Kelowna show

KELOWNA – The best friends from Toronto who actually kind of hate each other, have put out a video promoting their upcoming show in Kelowna. Both Kenny Hotz and Spencer “Spenny” Rice, stars of the hit TV show Kenny Vs. Spenny, feature in the short video, but it is Spenny who does most of the...

UPDATE: Missing Lumby woman has been found safe

VERNON - Police say a Lumby woman has been found safe.  A family member reported Susan Catt, 54, missing about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, to the Lumby RCMP detachment. She was found sometime Tuesday, according to a RCMP release sent around midnight. An original release said Catt left her home in Lumby around...

Okanagan apples almost ready to cross the globe

OKANAGAN – The general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association says they are about a month away from knowing if Okanagan apples will be bound for one of the largest markets in the world. Glen Lucas says he had hoped they would have the answers to whether or not local apples will be a...