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Vernon news
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...
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...
Okanagan to get more residential care beds for the elderly
KELOWNA – Two cities in the Okanagan will be getting significantly more care beds for the elderly sometime in the future, according to an Interior Health announcement Tuesday. Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thompson says the beds, which are for seniors with complex care requirements requiring round-the-clock care, will help more than just Okanagan seniors. “These additional...
New president and CEO announced for Interior Health
KELOWNA - A new president and chief executive officer has been named for the Interior Health Authority. It was announced at a board meeting today, Oct. 6, that Chris Mazurkewich will take over as president and CEO on Oct. 26. He is replacing Dr. Robert Halpenny, who announced his resignation earlier this year. Halpenny’s last...
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...
Vernon Food Bank looks to community for helping hand this holiday season
VERNON - The local food bank is calling on the community to help make the holidays bright for the less fortunate. The Salvation Army is launching its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign on Saturday, Nov. 21 and is looking for volunteers. “Christmas should be about celebrating, good memories, and family coming together,” Captain Jean-Curtis Plante says...
Taking the cash out of Christmas: Vernon event brings back the joy of bartering
VERNON - There are two rules at an unconventional Christmas fair in Vernon this holiday season, the first of which is: No cash allowed. That’s because participants will be trading for the goods and services on hand. Hosted by Jaye Coward and her partner Mireille Gourlay of Farm Bound the Holiday Barter Fest is perhaps...