Vernon news
Vernon man says saving a life opened his eyes
VERNON - Ryan Winkler says he was just the guy who happened to drive by on that particular morning; police call him a life saver. Winkler, 36, was on his way to work around 4 a.m. when he saw a truck parked on the side of North Westside Road. The windows were taped up, the...
Pair of Vernon men honoured for helping police chase thief across Okanagan Lake
'IT WAS A HELL OF A WAY TO START A MONDAY MORNING' VERNON - If their morning coffees didn’t wake them up, the police chase sure did. John Barber, 65, and Dave Lowry, 64, were enjoying a cup of coffee the morning of Aug. 10, 2015 — Barber on his dock on Okanagan Lake, and...

Construction sign heist hits North Okanagan highway
LUMBY - Police are scratching their heads after numerous traffic signs went missing from a highway construction project in the North Okanagan. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says Controlling Traffic Limited has reported roughly 30 signs stolen from an area on Highway 6 between Lumby and Lavington where paving work is being done. The signs, which...

Canadian petition launched in Vernon asks for sensible gun control in America
“EVERY SOLUTION STARTS WITH A SERIOUS CONVERSATION” VERNON – A pair of Rotarians from Vernon have launched a website and petition in an effort to get our American neighbours to address the issue of gun violence. Don Thompson and Bonnie Derry say it’s an issue they both feel very strongly about. The couple spend five...

Expect a sunny fall week in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - The temperatures will be warm and the sun will be bright following the Thanksgiving long weekend in the Okanagan. Environment Canada is calling for highs of 15 Celsius to 19 C all week, a few degrees warmer than the seasonal normals of 13 C, while lows will be just below seasonal normals of...

Salmon Arm mom pulls son from school after learning he was placed in locked room
SALMON ARM - A Salmon Arm mother is still in shock after finding out her seven-year-old son was being locked in a room at school as part of a behaviour management plan she knew nothing about. Jackie Graham found out about the practice when the principal of South Broadview Elementary School in Salmon Arm called...

Hit and run in Vernon sends cyclist to hospital, knocks out power
VERNON – RCMP are on the hunt for a suspect after a man on a bicycle was hit by a vehicle in Vernon early this morning. The cyclist was hit on 43 Street, near 25 Avenue, just after 5 a.m., Oct. 11, according to RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy. “The vehicle had struck a bicyclist, then...

Dying Nsyilxcn language given new life in classroom
OKANAGAN - Reviving an endangered language is a daunting task but Syilx Language House is going to try to do just that with Nsyilxcn, the Okanagan language. Thirteen beginning students have signed on with five co-teachers, who are also students. Lead teacher Michele Johnson says in a media release there are fewer than 100 fluent...
ELECTION 2015: First time Vernon voter is a little baffled, but her confusion makes a surprisingly crucial point
VERNON - The voting process might seem straightforward to many people, but one first time voter in Vernon isn’t ashamed to admit she’s completely confused. Meghan Rydde, 22, thought she was finally prepared to cast her first ever ballot on Oct. 19 — that was until she found out her understanding of the election system...

This Salmon Arm artist’s project took her to the Jim Henson studios
SALMON ARM - For her family, it’s getting used to seeing pieces of fluff all over the house, but for Melissa Nasby, being a fibre artist is about seeing what adventure is down the road. In the last six years, Nasby has been working with felt as her medium to create a host of different...

You may not be thankful for the weather in the Okanagan this long weekend
OKANAGAN - It may be a long weekend typically filled with family, friends and lots of food, but much of this Thanksgiving weekend will also be wet and windy. While both the high and low temperatures are expected to be above normal throughout the weekend there will also be a chance of rain and strong...

ELECTION 2015: According to a local poll, this is who strategic voters should choose in the North Okanagan-Shuswap
VERNON - A poll commissioned by a non-partisan group in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding has revealed a tight race between the Conservatives and the NDP. The group, which decided to fund the poll to help strategic voters decide how to cast their ballots, released the findings today, Oct. 8. “It gives a clear indication, if...

Vernon MLA disappointed by arena ‘hiccup’, says minister is on it personally
VERNON - Vernon’s MLA isn’t happy about ongoing delays surrounding a referendum for a new ice sheet. The provincial government rejected, for a second time, a referendum proposal from the City of Vernon and the North Okanagan Regional District, putting the initiative even further behind schedule. Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster says he’s ‘disappointed with how...

ELECTION 2015: Local poll will help strategic voters in the North Okanagan decide their candidate
NORTH OKANAGAN - People in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding are doing what they can to make sure their strategic votes count in the upcoming federal election. A non-partisan group has decided to fund a poll to help people in the riding choose who best to vote for if they want to out the Conservatives. One...
ELECTION 2015: Mulcair would ‘love nothing more’ than to take Conservative stronghold of the North Okanagan-Shuswap
VERNON - More than 300 locals at an NDP rally in Vernon today welcomed a special guest: the party’s national leader or, in their words, the next prime minister. The optimistic crowd gathered outside North Okanagan-Shuswap NDP candidate Jacqui Gingras’ 30 Avenue campaign office Tuesday afternoon to welcome Tom Mulcair. The party leader has been...