Vernon news
Multiple residents displaced after Vernon pot lab explodes
VERNON - Several residents of a Vernon apartment complex were forced out of their homes when a neighbouring unit exploded and now, nearly a month later, they still can’t return home, according to one displaced tenant. Resident James Halpert, who gave only his first and middle name, has lived in his Regency Gardens apartment on...
Damage at popular North Okanagan camping area puts province in action
VERNON - Those who frequent Grizzly Lake on the Aberdeen Plateau above Vernon during the summer camping season might notice some changes over the next couple years. Recreation Sites and Trails B.C., a branch of the Ministry of Forests, is proposing an approximately 30-unit campground at the north end of Grizzly Lake. Okanagan District recreation...
Stolen Lake Country boat and truck recovered in Kamloops
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An observant off duty cop helped police recover a boat and truck stolen out of Lake Country Sunday night. The astute officer noticed a boat and trailer being unloaded on the side of the highway in the Dallas area early Monday morning, Sept. 7 and turned around to keep an eye on the...
Kamloops and Kelowna among top places in Canada for job seekers
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Kamloops and Kelowna have managed to crack the top-20 in a survey noting 50 of the hottest local job markets in Canada. Express Employment Professionals, a staffing agency with operations in Canada, the U.S. and South Africa, released its second annual Top 50 Hot Job Markets survey this week. The survey looks at the number...
Suspicious fire at Vernon pet store
VERNON – RCMP has launched an arson investigation after a suspicious fire at a downtown Vernon pet store Sunday night. Vernon firefighters responded to a call around 6:20 a.m., Sept. 6, about smoke coming from AJ’s Pets and Things at 3219 31 Ave. Capt. Reinhard Mann says crews found a fire had been set at...
Two suspicious fires under investigation in Vernon
VERNON - Police are taking two separate suspicious fires in Vernon very seriously. At this point, investigators can’t say if the pair of fires are connected, but RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says these types of cases ‘take a very high priority’ at the detachment, particularly in light of a string of high profile unsolved arsons...
Health authority moves on residential care bed promise
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Construction of 100 new residential care beds will begin this fall in Kelowna and another 85 are soon expected in Vernon as well. The Interior Health Authority announced in a press release it has awarded the contract to Baltic Properties, an existing contractor who is already providing residential care services in Kamloops, Lake...
UPDATE: Missing Vernon woman located
UPDATE: 12:01 P.M., SEPT. 8, 2015 Vernon RCMP announced Tuesday, Sept. 8, that Cheryl 'Daisy' McEwan, who left a medical facility last week without completing her treatment, has been found. 6:43 A.M., SEPT. 4, 2015 VERNON - Authorities are appealing to the public for help finding a missing woman. Vernon RCMP say Cheryl ‘Daisy’ McEwan,...
ELECTION 2015: Defence minister takes selfie with North Okanagan cadets
VERNON – Defence Minister Jason Kenny paused for a selfie with cadets at the Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre this morning. The stop in Vernon, May 23, was part of a campaign-style tour of the Okanagan, which included going door-to-door with a Penticton Conservative candidate on Friday. During the Penticton stop Kenny talked about...
ELECTION 2015: MP’s brag about accomplishments as early election expectations mount
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With a federal election less than three months away, local MP’s are ramping up their push to promote their accomplishments over the past year. It’s not unusual for politicians to send releases to the media to show the work they do and the money they’ve secured for their areas, but a breakdown of...
ELECTION 2015: New federal electoral boundaries in place
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Boundary changes for ridings in the Thompson, Okanagan and Similkameen regions are in place for the upcoming federal election. The redistribution process of the most recent review, which is required every 10 years, began in 2012 and new federal electoral districts were approved for the first general election to be called after May...
Temperatures to heat up again in Okanagan
OKANAGAN - Back to school is kicking off with a little rain this morning but by the end of the week we can expect highs well above seasonal normals throughout the Southern Interior. Temperatures will remain below seasonal normal lows of 21 Celsius today, Sept. 8, but it's expected to reach 23 C Wednesday before...
CORRECTION: Elderly woman dies in van in Vernon
VERNON – An 80-year-old Vernon woman died after falling out of her motorized wheelchair while in the back of a modified-van Sunday morning. RCMP were called to the 4300-block of 25 Avenue near a Petro-Canada gas station around 9:40 a.m., Sept. 6, to assist B.C. Ambulance paramedics, according to Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy. Noseworthy says the...
Bogus American money circulating in Okanagan
OKANAGAN – RCMP are warning people to be on the lookout for counterfeit American currency in the Okanagan. Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a media release there have been numerous reports of bogus $20 and $50 bills. She is urging businesses to carefully check the authenticity of any currency before they accept it as payment....
Close call for young Vernon driver who lost control of car
VERNON – A car crash in Vernon Sunday morning could have been much worse. A young driver behind the wheel of a four-door sedan lost control while turning from South Vernon Drive onto Okanagan Avenue around 11:30, Sept. 6, according to Vernon Fire Department Capt. Reinhard Mann. “He went over a four-metre concrete abutment,” he...