Vernon news
Why vaccinating 71 per cent of 7-year-olds in southern Interior should have you worried
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - To prevent a measles outbreak, 95 per cent of the population is required to be vaccinated, but the province’s southern Interior isn’t meeting that requirement with only 71 per cent of seven-year-olds vaccinated between 2012 and 2014. With the latest school year comes the annual round of vaccinations and kids will bring reminders...
RCMP issue warning over persistent phone scammers in the Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Residents are being reminded to watch for red flags if they get a call from someone claiming to be from Revenue Canada. Clues the call may be a scam include getting pressured by the person to pay taxes immediately over the phone, or being threatened that police will come and arrest them if...
Put your best paw forward this weekend and help stop animal abuse
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – This weekend thousands of animal lovers from across the Thompson-Okanagan will help stop animal abuse simply by walking their dogs. For more than a decade, residents of cities across the province have laced up their sneakers for the Scotiabank and BCSPCA Paws for a Cause Walk. Manager of the Kelowna SPCA Suzanne Pugh...
ELECTION 2015: Harper to visit Kamloops next week
KAMLOOPS - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is tentatively scheduled to come to Kamloops next week. The Conservative Party of Canada is releasing limited information, but a spokesperson confirmed the Conservative leader will be in the region on Monday, Sept. 14. Details on if and when an event is to take place will be confirmed 24...
Near-record heat this weekend in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - After a week of near-normal high temperatures the mercury is expected to again hit the 30 Celsius mark throughout the region this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for highs of 29 C and 30 C today, Sept. 11, and Saturday throughout the Okanagan, well above the seasonal normal high of 21 C. The...
SNELSON TRIAL: Killer’s sentence depends on finding of sexual assault argument
KAMLOOPS —It’s been almost 22 years since the night Neil Snelson killed college student Jennifer Cusworth after a party in Kelowna in 1993 and now Cusworth's family has one week left to find out how long he'll spend in prison. The 19-year-old Cusworth was found dead in a ditch on Swamp Road in Kelowna in...
New murder charge laid in connection with Vernon death
VERNON - Police have arrested a third person for murder in connection with the death of 42-year-old Jason Hardy, whose body was found in Polson Park Aug. 26. Tal Kalum La Riviere, 28, from Greater Vernon, was arrested in Kamloops Sept. 9 and charged with one count of second degree murder. He was scheduled to...
Etsy craft market coming to Kelowna
KELOWNA - For the second year in a row, Kelowna crafters can get their Etsy fix in real life, instead of through a computer. On Sept. 26, Etsy: Made in Canada will be at Sandhill Winery for a free crafters market featuring handmade items from more than 30 Canadian artisans. Last year roughly 3,000 people...
Province suspends fishing in Salmon Arm Bay
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The province is suspending fishing in Salmon Arm Bay where the Salmon River and Shuswap Lake meet. This action is because of conservation concerns and low stream flows. Effective this weekend, Sept. 11, until the end of the year, all fishing in Salmon Arm Bay west of Engineer's Point and Sunnybrae Point is...
ELECTION 2015: Mel Arnold vows to keep the North Okanagan-Shuswap strongly Conservative
VERNON - A big buzzword in the 2015 federal election is ‘change’ but if you’re looking for a politician who will keep the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding on the Conservative course, candidate Mel Arnold is your ticket. A local businessman, Arnold was born and raised on a dairy farm in Notch Hill, a small community near...
SNELSON TRIAL: Kelowna Killer to be sentenced (again) for 1993 manslaughter of college student
KAMLOOPS - A Kelowna man who killed a female party guest in 1993 is due back in court today, Sept. 10, to be sentenced for manslaughter. In June, a Kamloops jury convicted Neil George Snelson of manslaughter in the death of Jennifer Cusworth. The 19-year-old's body was found in a ditch on Kelowna's Swamp...
CBC’s Ron MacLean bringing Hometown Hockey Tour to Penticton
PENTICTON - Kamloops won’t be the only Interior community celebrating the National Hockey League with Ron MacLean this season; Penticton has been named one of the stops on the second annual Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour. The tour will make 24 stops this year, four in B.C., and features NHL alumni, hometown heroes and local entertainment...
Big Brother Canada stars spend the weekend in Peachland
KELOWNA - Stars of the Canadian version of the TV game show Big Brother were in Peachland over the weekend, meeting fans and signing autographs. Davis Cove Lakeshore Resort manager Shelley Peach originally arranged for 13 houseguests to come to her resort after missing an opportunity to meet them in Vancouver in the spring. She...
Here’s your first look at the Hopkins movie shot around the Okanagan
VERNON - Enderby debuts on the cinematic world stage this week at the Venice Film Festival, but for those of us without a plane ticket, at least there’s a sneak peak video to be seen. A teaser from Go With Me, produced by Enderby Entertainment and filmed locally, is now available. It offers up a...
Water main break closes downtown Vernon road
VERNON - A water main break forced the closure of a Vernon roadway Wednesday afternoon. The break happened on 37 Avenue between 30 and 31 Streets, in front of the Civic Arena, today, Sept. 9. City crews are working to repair the break and expect to finish later Wednesday afternoon, or on Thursday, Sept. 10. ...