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Vernon news
Why Silver Star Mountain won’t have Canadian Ski Patrollers this winter
VERNON - The volunteer agency that has been providing ski patrol service at Silver Star Mountain for the past 16 years will no longer be looking out for people on the hill. The resort is transitioning to a new service model that will replace volunteers from the Canadian Ski Patrol by adding four full-time, paid ski...
SNELSON TRIAL: Lawyers present final arguments in manslaughter trial
KAMLOOPS - Motive, opportunity and his own lies all point to Neil George Snelson as the person who strangled and beat 19-year-old Jennifer Cusworth to death over 20 years ago in Kelowna, court heard from the Crown during final arguments today, June 15. Cusworth, an Okanagan Community College student was found in a ditch on...
Arrest made following wildfire in Kalamalka Park near Vernon
VERNON – RCMP have a man in custody after a fire broke out in Kalamalka Provincial Park last night. Crews from the Coldstream Fire Department and B.C. Wildfire Management were called to the blaze near Juniper Bay at around 9:25 a.m., June 12, according to a RCMP media release. “Witnesses saw the fire and attempted...
Apparently this isn’t a good place to stop for a drink
VERNON - Just FYI: An unlocked compound is not an invitation to mosey inside and borrow a motorhome for some father-son bonding over a drink. A security company thought it was suspicious that the two men were drinking in the motorhome around 9:50 p.m. Saturday, June 14 and called police thinking it was a break...
Traffic improvements coming to busy intersection in Sicamous
SICAMOUS – A new roundabout is scheduled to be built on Highway 97A in Sicamous next year. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone says in a media release the improvements, set to be installed some time in 2016, will provide safer and easier access to businesses in Sicamous for travelers on the TransCanada Highway and...
Foam Fest Run participants nailed for speeding on Silver Star Road
VERNON – Some of the estimated 5,000 people who took part in the 5K Foam Fest run at Silver Star Mountain Resort on the weekend appeared to be in a bit of a rush to get to the top of the mountain. RCMP say 24 speeding tickets were handed to drivers on Saturday, June 13....
Teen rescued after failed attempt to swim Okanagan Lake
VERNON – A 19-year-old from Alberta was rescued from Okanagan Lake after a failed attempt to swim from Ellison Provincial Park near Vernon to the other side of the lake. RCMP called Vernon Search and Rescue at about 5 p.m., Friday, June 12, and the volunteers launched their boats. The teen was found an hour...
Another warm week for the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - After a week filled with record and near-record temperatures, things are set to cool down in the Okanagan this week, but only slightly. With temperatures reaching the mid-30s, Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton hit records this past week and while Environment Canada is not calling for temperatures quite that hot this week, the mercury...
Vernon woman feels unsafe and fed up after repeated thefts from her car
“MY SENSE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY, THAT’S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING THEY’VE TAKEN” VERNON - Pocket change, sunglasses, and credit cards are among the items stolen from Rhian Harrison’s car, but the Vernon resident says the biggest thing she’s lost over a series of thefts is her sense of safety and security. Since February, shortly...
Be prepared for emergency wildfire evacuations
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With an unusually dry and hot summer forecast for the Thompson-Okanagan this summer, regional districts are urging residents to get prepared in case emergency evacuations become necessary. Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre spokesperson Bruce Smith says the best time to make an emergency plan is long before something happens. He recommends residents understand...
Here’s what a Vernon man said to Christy Clark about invasive mussels
“IS B.C. NOT WORTH IT TO YOU?” THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A frustrated Vernon man has sent an open letter to Premier Christy Clark about invasive mussels, and he didn’t hold back. Brynne Morrice, a filmmaker who recently debuted a short documentary about the imminent threat of zebra and quagga mussels, is calling on the province to...
SNELSON TRIAL: Ex-wife of accused was vigilant after hearing of missing girl
KAMLOOPS - Katherine Oystryk, 44, remembers hearing about Jennifer Cusworth and watching out for her own safety after the 19-year-old girl went missing from a Kelowna house party her then-husband attended 21 years ago. Now Oystryk's ex-husband, Neil George Snelson, 48, stands accused of manslaughter in Cusworth’s killing. This is his second trial. Oystryk testified...
Two fires in two days at Vernon’s Becker Park
VERNON - Vernon firefighters took swift action dealing with two separate fires in Becker Park over the last couple of days. Crews dispatched to a grass fire about 6 a.m., Thursday, June 11 in the park, located behind the Vernon Rec Centre. Deputy Fire Chief Jack Blair says firefighters quickly doused a 40 ft by...
One homeless man’s long road to finding affordable housing in Vernon
“I HAD TO ASK FOR HELP. IT WAS EITHER THAT, OR I’D STILL BE HOMELESS” VERNON - For the last 10 years, Roy You has lived on and off the streets. He travelled far from the Splatsin First Nation reserve where he grew up, searching for work in different places, never staying long. Many nights...
Vernon city council prepares decades ahead for future highway bypass
VERNON - It wouldn’t be built, or required, for another 25 to 65 years, but Vernon council is starting to plan for a potential bypass around the city. It’s been talked about for years, but today’s council is taking a firm stance on the need to start planning, and protecting a corridor for it, now....