Vernon news
Community steps up and saves Terry Fox Run in Vernon
VERNON - After risking cancellation due to a lack of volunteers, the Terry Fox Run has been more than just saved — it’s shaping up to be one of the most successful runs in years. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Terry’s run, and the 30th year Vernon has participated in the event. In...
Wet weekend ahead for the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - If you were hoping for one last good hurrah before the end of summer, you may have waited too long — the final weekend of summer is set to be filled with rain. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to be near seasonal normals of 19 Celsius today, Sept. 18, and Saturday before...
SNELSON: How the sentence for a Kelowna killer breaks down
IS IT 11 YEARS, SIX YEARS OR ONE YEAR? HOW ABOUT ALL OF THE ABOVE KAMLOOPS — Convicted killer Neil Snelson was arrested in 2009, sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison and will likely be released around this time next year. Makes complete sense, right? A jury convicted him earlier this summer of the...
SNELSON TRIAL UPDATE: Kelowna killer sentenced; only 19 months left to serve
KAMLOOPS - It took two trials and nearly 22 years for the case and the jail doors to close on Jennifer Cusworth’s killer, but it will only be one year and seven months before his release. Neil George Snelson, 48, was sentenced to 11 years today, Sept. 16, in Kamloops Supreme Court. Since he was...
Changing trends force Okanagan libraries to seek two per cent increase in budget
KELOWNA – The board of directors for the Okanagan Regional Library have approved a draft of next year’s budget that calls for a 1.98 per cent increase. Half of the extra money would go towards wage increases for staff while the remainder would be used to offset higher rents and utilities, higher book and eResource...
UPDATE: Vernon mayor responds to income tax charges
'EVERYTHING WILL BE CLEARED UP" VERNON - Vernon’s mayor is in trouble with the tax man. Mayor Akbal Singh Mund is charged with two counts of failure to comply with the Income Tax Act but he doesn't expect the action to go anywhere. “They’re looking for further paperwork. It’s not like I haven’t paid my...
Man arrested after Vernon armed robbery
VERNON - An armed man who police say robbed a Vernon store earlier this week has been arrested. A lone male armed with a large knife entered Lakeview Market on 32 Avenue around 10:30 a.m., Sept. 15. He attempted to access the cash register but was unable to open it. He fled the scene and...
Bear complaints overwhelming Okanagan conservation officers
KAMLOOPS NUMBERS SLOW DOWN AFTER EARLY SPIKE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Conservation officers in the North and South Okanagan regions are being swamped with bear complaints as the large animals begin to prepare for hibernation. While fall always sees an uptick in bear activity, conservation officer Jim Beck says this year is worse than normal. “It’s crazy...
Driver hopitalized after rolling car into bucket of a Bobcat
PENTICTON – A 26-year-old woman was taken to hospital Wednesday morning after she lost control of her car and rolled down an embankment into the bucket of a Bobcat. The cause of the crash at 1656 Holden Rd. is still being investigated and the medical status of the driver, the lone occupant, is not known....
VIDEO: Coach of Okanagan MMA club talks about runaway success
KELOWNA - An online fight website has profiled local MMA coach David Lea about his gym’s remarkable success in the world of professional fighting. David Lea is the coach of Toshido MMA. In the video, produced for MMAmadhouse.com, Lea describes how he started the club in 1998, only five years after the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
Fishing reopens on drought-affected Okanagan rivers
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fishermen can again drop a line in streams and rivers that were closed to angling this summer because of drought in Southern B.C. The natural resource ministry announced in a press release the reopening of fishing on the Kettle, West Kettle and Similkameen Rivers and their tributaries, the Middle Shuswap River and the main...
High bacteria levels prompt swimming advisory at Vernon’s Kal Beach
VERNON - That last swim of the summer might not feel so refreshing after you read this. An advisory is in effect recommending people not go swimming at Kal Beach due to high counts of E. coli in the water. Jennifer Jacobsen, a team leader for environmental health with the Interior Health Authority, says the...
Last day to book super cheap WestJet flights to London
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - WestJet has announced a super-low airfare to London, England with the cheeky slogan 'If that’s not cheap enough, you can always try mailing yourself.' Pricing for a non-stop flight from Vancouver to London’s Gatwick Airport starts at $299, one-way, with similar deals at select airports across Canada, including Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and...
Vernon men charged with murder return to court
VERNON - A pair of local men accused in the murder of 42-year-old Jason Hardy were in Vernon Provincial Court again this week. Brandon Joseph Clayton Wellington, 18, and Tal Kalum La Riviere, 28, both face second degree murder charges in relation to Hardy’s death. A 14-year-old Greater Vernon boy, whose name is protected under...
Vernon teen accused of murder to have no contact with three people
VERNON - A local teen charged with murder has been ordered not to have any contact with his co-accused — a 14-year-old boy — and two other young men from Vernon. Brandon Joseph Clayton Wellington, 18, appeared in Vernon Provincial Court today, Sept. 9 on one count of second degree murder in the death of...