Vernon news
New wildfire recruits put through paces
MERRITT - More than 200 seasonal firefighter applicants have made the cut and this month they are being put through a ‘rigorous’ bootcamp near Merritt. About 1,000 people, many of which are post-secondary students, apply for the positions every year. Provincial Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek says the job is "very in demand" and the...
VIDEO: Local RC pilots strut their stuff
KELOWNA - While most people would have a hard time simply flying and landing a radio controlled airplane, some locals have put together a video showing what's possible when a skilled set of hands are behind the stick. Triple Threat RC uploaded the 13-minute video to YouTube last week. It contains footage of gas-powered planes...
Move over wine, there’s a new Okanagan drink and it’s more popular than ever
OKANAGAN - There’s more for the thirsty soul in the Okanagan Valley than just wine, and locally-made cider is here to prove it. A number of cideries have blossomed in the Okanagan over the last few years, including the family-run BX Press in Vernon. Owners Dave and Melissa Dobernigg opened their craft cider house last...
Celebrate motherhood with a replica of that bodacious belly
ENDERBY - Being a mom all starts with nine months of carrying a small, growing human being inside of you, so what better way to celebrate the special, transformative time than with a personalized belly cast? The keepsakes are all the rage and Enderby artist Marli Luff has expecting mother’s in the Okanagan area covered...
New pet registry promotes microchip implants
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The SPCA is promoting a new province-wide pet identification registry where animals with microchip implants can have their information stored in a centralized database. "We’ve created a first for British Columbia — a centralized database for pets who receive permanent identification at any B.C. SPCA shelter, veterinarian or microchip clinic across the province,”...
Paving work will impact traffic on Highway 97
VERNON - There will be delays on Highway 97 over the next month as repaving work gets underway. The project is for roughly 30 km of highway resurfacing between Old Vernon Road and Bailey Road. A five kilometer section on Highway 33 from Beaverdell Dump Road to Beaverdell will also be included The $3.8 million...
Union takes fight for hospital laundry services to the street
KELOWNA - Hospital Employees Union members took to the streets outside Kelowna General Hospital today to push for the Interior Health Authority to reconsider a plan to privatize laundry services. “These are workers that perform a very important health care service, they ensure that operating rooms are stocked with clean linens. Here at KGH 17,000...
Fintry Queen still waiting for forever home
KELOWNA - She looks a little lonely out there, anchored in Sutherland Bay, waiting for something to happen but the man tasked with selling the iconic Fintry Queen says interest has been steady since it was put up for sale two months ago. “We’re still marketing it, still waiting for the right buyer but we’ve...
Canadian Tire to buy 12 former Target locations to fill out store network
TORONTO – Canadian Tire Corp. says it has a deal to buy 12 real estate leases through the court-supervised windup of Target Canada.
What’s good for the master is good for the pets: Natural remedies at a vet clinic near you
"PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO RECOGNIZE THAT MAYBE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS" KELOWNA – When you walk into Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital, it feels like a combination of old fashioned apothecary, modern day pet store and coffee shop. As a licenced veterinarian, Dr. Jason Rowan does all the procedures that a normal...
Special occasion liquor licences now available online
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A program by the provincial government to make it easier to get a special occasion liquor licence has been opened up to the Southern Interior. The licences are now available online in the Thompson-Okanagan. The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch began a pilot program in the Lower Mainland in early February and has now opened...
Man accused of killing Armstrong woman returns to court this fall
VERNON - The man accused of killing an Armstrong mother of two will go before a judge for a preliminary inquiry this fall. Logan Scott, 31, of Salmon Arm was charged with manslaughter and theft under $5,000 in August 2014, nine months after Jillian McKinty, 27, was found dead in her Armstrong home. At the...
‘All of a sudden, a friggin’ moose comes out of nowhere and lands on the front of the truck’
KELOWNA - Doug Adams remembers the moose slamming into the hood, then sliding up the windshield, six inches from his face. The impact brought the one-ton diesel truck to an instant standstill. Adams, 56, of Vernon, was the passenger in a truck that collided with an estimated 800 pound moose last Friday, May 1, in...
Adams Lake drowning victim saved grandson after boat capsized
KAMLOOPS - Michael Treseng died doing what he loved most at Adams Lake, spending time with his family camping and fishing. His wife, Debby Carr, said he was always teaching his grandchildren gardening and fishing once the 56-year-old Clearwater man retired from a life’s work with Canadian National Railway. “He was probably the biggest-hearted man...
UPDATE: Body of missing man found in Adams Lake
CHASE – The body of a 57-year-old man who fell into Adams Lake while boating with his grandson in the middle of the night was located Sunday morning. RCMP say the Clearwater man and his 22-year-old grandson were in a 12-foot aluminum boat fishing at about 12:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2, when the wind blew...