Vernon news
Suspects uncooperative after Vernon shooting that had ‘potential for great tragedy’
VERNON - Police say two groups of people with ties to criminal activity were involved in an alleged shooting incident last week in Vernon. One group got away, and the other has been less than cooperative with investigators. According to Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, neighbours called 911 last Wednesday, Sept. 23, to report shots fired at...

Man makes off with more than $50,000 in drive-thru ATM theft in Vernon
VERNON - Police are investigating after a man broke into a drive-thru ATM in Vernon and made off with tens of thousands of dollars. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says the Interior Savings Credit Union drive-thru ATM building at 4301 32 St. was broken into just after 10 p.m. Sept. 24. “An unknown male gained entrance...

Kick it to the curb: Vernon councillor says get rid of new recycling program
“I HAVEN’T HEARD ONE PERSON SPEAK IN FAVOUR OF IT” VERNON - A Vernon city councillor is saying put it back to how it used be when it comes to recycling pick up. Coun. Scott Anderson says he’s heard hundreds of complaints from Vernon residents about the new Multi-Material B.C. system, which saw plastic bags...

Experts frustrated in search for man presumed drowned in Kal Lake
VERNON - Another search has failed to turn up answers in the months-long search for Curtis Wilson, a Lethbridge man presumed drowned in Kalamalka Lake. Wilson, 24, was last seen June 27 and a series of air, land and water searches have been unable to locate him. The friend he was with, Shane Letkeman, was...
Lake Country man found unconscious following Shuswap crash
SALMON ARM - A single vehicle collision in the Shuswap Saturday evening sent a Lake Country man to hospital with head and internal injuries. The vehicle struck a power pole in the 4700-block of Eagle Bay Road around 6:45 p.m., Sept. 26, causing the airbags to deploy and major damage to the vehicle. First responders...

Construction worker needs help with recovery after severe spinal injury on the job
WEST KELOWNA - Cole Bernier, a construction worker injured last week in a workplace accident, is facing a lengthy recovery after being crushed under some roof trusses. “Cole is someone you’ll never see without a smile on his face and if he’s frowning, it is typically because you changed his music or didn’t leave enough...

Super moon, eclipse delights Okanagan sky watchers
OKANAGAN - Across most of the region the skies cleared in time to catch at least part of the rare super moon and lunar eclipse event Sunday evening, Sept. 27. A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon makes its closest approach to the Earth and appears slightly larger and brighter than normal. A...

Sunny and warm end to September in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - The weekend was filled with typical autumn weather, and a few cooler nights, but we can expect it to warm up a bit during the week as September comes to a close. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to reach as high as 22 C this week. The mercury is expected to reach...
Vernon man reunited with VW beetle after 35 years
VERNON - A Vernon man’s spunky 1962 Volkswagen Beetle has found its way back home. It’s the car John Deak, a realtor with Century 21 in Vernon, learned to drive on back in 1980 in Williams Lake. His parents bought the bug from a neighbour for $900. At 16, Deak took his driving test in...

Two Okanagan communities will host upcoming B.C. 55+ Games
OKANAGAN – Vernon and Kelowna have been selection to host upcoming B.C. 55+ Games. The 2017 games will be held in Vernon, supported by the Armstrong and Spallumcheen, and the 2019 games will be in Kelowna. Cranbrook and Kimberley in the East Kootenays will host the games in 2018. Vernon hosted the inaugural games in...

Armstrong sets goal of bringing Syrian family out of crisis
ARMSTRONG - Efforts are underway to bring a Syrian refugee family to the North Okanagan. The initiative is still in the early stages, but organizer Ron Brinnen is hoping the community of Armstrong will get on board. “The goal is to sponsor a family of four children and their parents and have them settle in...

Kamloops jail has highest number in the province for in-custody deaths
KAMLOOPS - Since August 2014 there have been four in-custody death’s at six regional provincial jails, three of which were in Kamloops according to data from the Ministry of Justice. The number went from three to four on Monday, Sept. 21 with the latest death in Kamloops but details of the case, including the inmate’s...

Hundreds of North Okanagan deer heads still needed for disease study
“WE HAVE A THREE YEAR LIMIT ON THE PROJECT AND WE STILL NEED OVER 200 SAMPLES” CHERRYVILLE - They might be off-putting to some, but to a group of government researchers, deer heads from the Cherryville area are the key to stopping a potential disease outbreak in its tracks. Analyzing the lymph nodes found in...

Here’s how many people it took to sway a controversial riding adjustment in the North Okanagan
VERNON - Controversial boundary changes are no longer being considered for the North Okanagan's provincial electoral ridings, and you might be surprised at how few people it took to sway the proposal. The B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission, which reviews riding boundaries after every two provincial elections, had proposed removing a section of the Vernon-Monashee riding...
Mounties investigate shots fired in Vernon
VERNON - Vernon RCMP have launched an investigation after a report of shots being fired at a townhouse complex. RCMP Sgt. Dave Evans says in a media release police were called to a townhouse in the 1600-block of 43 Avenue Wednesday, Sept. 23 around 3:40 a.m. A preliminary investigation led police to believe a confrontation...