Vernon news
Woman on scooter struck downtown Vernon
VERNON - A Vernon woman suffered minor injuries Wednesday afternoon when her scooter was struck by a vehicle downtown. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says it’s unclear what led to the accident at the intersection of 30 Street and 28 Avenue, but police are investigating. “Not sure whether the scooter came out too suddenly, or...
Shelf price of liquor changes; little consumer impact expected
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Consumers won’t actually see much difference in costs following the new B.C. liquor laws that took effect today, according to one liquor merchant. Fred Vassilaki, the manager of Last Call Liquor Mart in Penticton, says changes to the province’s liquor laws went into effect on April 1 but they won’t have a huge...
UPDATE: Costco, IGA chicken salad recall; possible Listeria contamination
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Salads made with pre-cooked chicken have been pulled out of the coolers at Costco and IGA stores in B.C. in a recall triggered by an inspection by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Originally the recall covered in Kirkland Signature brand roasted chicken salads at Costco in Kelowna, Kamloops and the company’s stores across the country. It...
Local electronics retailer expands as big box stores close shop
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If Andre Blanleil gets any satisfaction from the demise of his retail competitor, electronics giant Future Shop, he doesn’t show it. “They were good competitors. They did a good job for the market they were going after,” the president of Andres Group of companies says. The regional chain operates 21 locations under the...
Low snowpack could mean a dry Okanagan summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Current snowpack levels suggest the Okanagan could be in for a dry year, while the South Thompson should fair better. According to Tobi Gardner with the River Forecast Centre, snowpack is at 76 per cent of normal in the Okanagan — the lowest in five years. “What that translates to is a lower...
Forestry crew mopping up wildfire near Okanagan Connector
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A human-caused wildfire sparked south of the Okanagan Connector Saturday afternoon is being mopped up by a Wildfire Management crew today. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says an initial attack crew of 13 firefighters responded to the blaze which grew to 11-hectares in size near Starshine Way Road, north of Missezula Lake yesterday...
Woman charged in connection with Vernon ATM theft
VERNON - She was caught on camera allegedly stealing cash out of someone else’s bank account, and now six months later, she’s been caught by authorities. Glenda Joan Daku, 53, from the North Okanagan has been charged with one count of theft under $5,000 in connection with the October 2014 offence, which was recorded on...
Lumby RCMP continues to report high number of drunk drivers
LUMBY - Lumby residents don’t seem to be getting the message when it comes to drunk driving, says the village’s top cop. Cpl. Henry Proce with the Lumby RCMP detachment says officers are arresting local residents in very high numbers for impaired driving. In the last three weeks, at least six drivers were charged with...
City of Vernon to enter race for B.C. Seniors Games
VERNON - The city is preparing to bid on a major sporting event, but it needs a little back-up from its neighbours. The City of Vernon wants to host the 30th anniversary of the 55+ B.C. Games (formerly called the Seniors Games) in 2017 at its new sports track next to Okanagan College. It was...
NEW VERNON WELCOME SIGNS: ‘We’ve been waiting for you’
VERNON - They’re supposed to be inviting, but the signs that welcome travellers into Vernon are looking a little worse for wear and no one is sure exaclty who is reponsible for the upkeep of those signs. Installed at each of the three main gateways to the city the 'Welcome to Greater Vernon' signs greet...
Vernon night market to proceed despite concerns
VERNON - A Friday night market in downtown Vernon will go ahead this summer, but there’s still some unease among city councillors about the event. Coun. Catherine Lord says she’s been contacted by several businesses, some anonymously, wishing to express their concerns about the market. “We’ve been getting some really upset people with it because...
Airport names former Kelowna mayor and councillor to advisory committee
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The group that advises Canada’s largest municipally-run airport will soon be joined by a couple of new faces familiar to people in the Central Okanagan. Kelowna’s former mayor Walter Gray and former city councillor Andre Blanleil, along with industry representative Meryle Corbett were all appointed to four-year terms on the Kelowna Internnational Airport...
UPDATE: Crews battle grass fire in Enderby
ENDERBY – Smoke could be seen for miles as volunteers with the Enderby Fire Department fought a grass fire tMonday afternoon. The fire was reported at about 1:30 p.m., April 13, in a field on Meadowview Road in Grindrod. Deputy fire chief Shane Williamson says the property owner lit the fire earlier in the day...
Vernon RCMP investigate possibility of impaired driving in weekend crash
VERNON - Police are treating a car crash which knocked out power to hundreds of residents as an impaired driving case. The crash happened around 12:30 a.m., Saturday, April 11 when a 24-year-old woman went off Kalamalka Road in Coldstream and struck a hydro pole, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. Over 1,800 homes in Vernon...
Vernon senior could face charges after five hour standoff with police
VERNON - An elderly man arrested after a five hour standoff with police is looking at possible charges. The 70-year-old Vernon man was allegedly involved in a confrontation with a neighbour over some loud music around 1 a.m., April 10. When police arrived, the man had barricaded himself inside his unit of the fourplex. With...