Vernon news
New year’s Eve party places in Vernon
VERNON - If you’ve been so focused on Christmas that you forgot to make plans for New Year’s Eve, we’ve got you covered. There are plenty of events to choose from for every preference and every price range. Pull out your dancing shoes and check out a Newfoundland New Year's Eve with local band Cod...
Repairing Vernon’s vandalized parking meters will cost a pretty penny
VERNON - Fixing over 100 damaged parking meters will cost the City of Vernon a big chunk of change. A total of 148 meters were vandalized over the course of several nights, leading to the arrest of Mitchell Szekely, 34. The city’s bylaw department believes some of the vandalism was the work of a different...
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...
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...
Reclaimed water spilling from pipe failure not a risk, City of Vernon says
VERNON - City crews are working to repair a pipe leaking reclaimed water along Commonage Road in Vernon this morning, Dec. 21. Water from the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre is pumped through the pipe to the McKay Reservoir where it is stored during the winter months for the spray irrigation program, according to a media...
Garbage and recycling over the holidays: What Vernon and area residents need to know
VERNON - Between all that wrapping paper, tinsel and empty eggnog cartons, garbage and recycling containers are bound to get filled up this holiday season. Luckily, there aren’t too many changes to local landfill hours and garbage pick-up schudules over Christmas time. The Regional District of North Okanagan says its recycling and disposal facilities will...
Lavington pellet plant emissions ‘like night and day’
VERNON - The company behind a controversial wood pellet plant in Lavington says it has drastically reduced emissions. Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group president Leroy Reitsma says the results of third-party testing by McCall Environmental show emissions are down 83 per cent thanks to new technology. “What we’re running at compared to what we used to...
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...
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...
Decontamination efforts still underway at site of Coldstream gas spill
VERNON - Authorities continue to investigate a gas spill that prompted a large decontamination response in Coldstream last month. Roughly 6,000 litres of gasoline spilled at the Centex Gas Station on Kalamalka Road around midnight Nov. 25, and Environmental Emergency Response Officer Rick Wagner says they are still looking into the cause and conducting remediation...
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...