Vernon news
Vernon School District joins list of superintendents with pay raises
VERNON - Despite tight financial times, the Vernon School District’s superintendent was granted a raise last year, the first for that position since 2006. Joe Rogers is one of at least two other Okanagan superintendents (Kelowna's Hugh Gloster and Penticton's Wendy Hyer) to receive a fatter salary after the Ministry of Education lifted a restriction...
Gyrocopter tours coming to Kelowna
OKANAGAN – The next big thing to hit the skies over the Okanagan is part of a growing trend around the world. The gyrocopter, sometimes called an autogyro, looks like a helicopter but instead of getting its thrust from the top rotor, the engine sends power to a propeller mounted at the rear. Gyrocopters are...
Child escapes Vernon car crash with minor injuries
VERNON - Two people, one of them a nine-year-old, escaped with minor injuries after their car flipped onto its roof Monday. The accident happened just after 3 p.m. Monday, May 4, at Highway 97 and College Way in Vernon, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said in a release. “The investigation determined the vehicle had been travelling...
Authorities investigate fire at Vernon bank
VERNON - Police and the fire department are investigating a suspicious blaze that scorched the outside of a downtown Vernon bank Monday night. Deputy Fire Chief Jack Blair says the fire started in a garbage container at the rear of CIBC on 30 Avenue around 9:30 p.m., May 4. “The fire caused extensive fire damage...
Crazy, memorable 20-year ride for Lorenzo’s cafe owner coming to a close
ENDERBY - You’d have to be at least a little crazy to run Lorenzo’s Cafe, an iconic music venue nestled down a windy, back road in the rural North Okanagan, and owner Lorne Costley comes by it honestly. He got the nickname Lorenzo in Mexico back in the 1980s, and it refers to someone who...
North Okanagan hits the silver screen in Disney’s Tomorrowland
VERNON - Enderby will be on the big screen later this month when Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, hits theatres. The mystery-adventure film directed by Brad Bird is set to be released May 22. It follows the danger-filled mission of a jaded scientist, Clooney, and an optimistic teen, Britt Robertson, as they uncover the secrets of...
Armstrong-area man killed in Vernon car crash
VERNON – A 57-year-old man from the Armstrong-area died after crashing his car into a pair of parked cars and then smashing into a power pole on Saturday evening. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says they were called to the crash, in the 2000-block of 42 Avenue in Easthill, around 9:05 p.m., on Friday, May 1....
Search for lost man in Vernon park extends past midnight
VERNON - A man lost at night in Kalamalka Provincial Park on the weekend made the right decision when he called home to say he was turned around, and losing battery life on his cell phone. That call prompted a quick response from RCMP and Vernon Search and Rescue, who immediately dispatched to the Cougar...
Driver gets ticket for nasty crash; highway traffic brought to standstill south of Vernon
VERNON - There were multiple injuries in a Sunday afternoon car accident on Highway 97 south of Vernon, which halted traffic for over two hours, but fortunately no fatalities. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the crash at Bailey Road and Highway 97, which had northbound traffic backed up almost to Oyama, was caused by an...
UPDATE: Highway reopens after crash near Vernon
UPDATE: 7:14 P.M., MAY 3, 2015 The highway has reopened. Drive B.C. notes to expect delays. VERNON - A crash is causing major delays on Highway 97 just south of Vernon Sunday afternoon. According to Drive B.C., the highway is closed in both directions 10 kilometres south of Vernon. There is currently no estimated time...
Cruise into days gone by at the Starlight Drive-In
ENDERBY - For Starlight Drive-In owner Paul Lindquist, the best part of the night is the intermission between shows. It’s when packs of children come blasting through the doors of the deliciously tacky concession in their pajamas to stock up on snacks and older couples stroll in holding hands, warm with the memory of days...
Empty stores a worry for Vernon mall merchants
VERNON - If you’ve been to the Village Green Centre lately, you might have noticed less variety in the 40-year-old mall. Currently, seven stores in the shopping centre are vacant and merchants are feeling the void. The Target closure left a large, 103,000-square-foot hole in the mall, but there are other gaps too. Ricki’s has...
Province announces major changes to deadly Vernon intersection
VERNON - The Ministry of Transportation has proposed a controversial plan to make the intersection of Stickle Road and Highway 97 in Vernon less dangerous. The $3-million initiative would eliminate risky, left hand turns onto the highway and allow only right hand turns onto Stickle and 97, forcing drivers to take Pleasant Valley Road back...
Fashion label, non-profit organization all part of Vernon woman’s 15-year plan
VERNON - Most fashion designers take six months to create their clothing collections, but Raji Aujla made hers in four days, laying patterns out on the dining table and couches of her parents’ home in Vernon. Aujla, 30, loves a good challenge. Born and raised in Vernon, she has spent time working as an international...
Okanagan Indian Band embraces Lake Country mayor’s support for land claim
VERNON - Lake Country Mayor James Baker appears to have thrown his support behind the Okanagan Indian Band’s land claim to the Commonage Reserve including the portion which includes the CP Rail line intended for the Okanagan Rail Trail, and the band intends to hold him to his words. Chief Byron Louis says he welcomes...