Vernon news
Crime spree nets Vernon man more time behind bars
VERNON - A Vernon man says he was denied detox services for the third time shortly before attempting to carjack a woman’s vehicle and breaking into a nearby home. David Arthur Bruno Sammartino, born in 1984, was sentenced in Vernon Provincial Court Wednesday, April 1, on two charges of breaking and entering, and one of...
Okanagan College tuition going up
OKANAGAN - Tuition fees are going up two per cent with Okanagan College’s board of governors approval of a $94.95 million operating budget. Okanagan College Board of Governors Chair Tom Styffe says the board initially faced "a seven digit issue, created by a number of pressures,” according to a media release. He says administration and...
Winning Lotto 649 ticket bought in Vernon
VERNON - There’s a new millionaire in Vernon, and no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. According to BCLC, a ticket worth over $5 million was purchased in Vernon on Wednesday, April 1. The $35 million jackpot was split between five other winners, three in Ontario and one in Quebec. The winning numbers were 4,...
Speedboat driver drank, smoked pot before deadly crash on Shuswap Lake: witness
KAMLOOPS – The driver of a speedboat that slammed into a houseboat on a Shuswap Lake in 2010 was drinking beer and smoking pot before the crash, a witness has told B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops.
Man arrested for powering licensed grow-op with stolen electricity
CHERRYVILLE - Police found something wasn’t quite right at a licensed medical marijuana grow-op in Cherryville. RCMP say officers were already aware of the legal, 1,200 plant operation in the North Fork Road area, but had suspicions the operator was stealing electricity. Police executed a search warrant at the property March 17 and arrested one...
Vernon woman step closer to MasterChef Canada crown
VERNON - Vernon’s Jennifer Innis continues to prove her cooking skills on national television. The dental hygienist and mother of three made it to the top ten on MasterChef Canada Sunday night, March 29. “I never thought I'd even make the show, let alone the top ten. Thanks everyone for your continuous support,” Innis writes on...
Police investigate second Lumby assault involving group of youths
LUMBY - Police are dealing with a second situation where someone was surrounded and assaulted by young people in Lumby. Cpl. Henry Proce says the most recent case happened March 16 when a patient at the Monashee Mews care home was confronted by several youths at the bus stop on Norris Road. The youths began...
Shaking goose eggs controlling Okanagan population
OKANAGAN – There are approximately 2,500 geese living in the Okanagan year round, but without the efforts of the Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program that number would be much higher. “What many people fail to understand, and a large part of the message that we want to provide, is that the geese we are targeting...
Pac-Man takes on the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if Pac-Man took over the streets of the Okanagan, wonder no more. Google Maps is now offering a local version of Pac-Man. Only available in some browsers, you will see a Pac-Man box in the bottom left of the screen. You simply need to...
If your dog is suddenly paralyzed this could be why
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Mary Verigin knew something was wrong with her dog as soon as she opened her crate last Monday morning. “She could get up on her front feet but there was no strength behind her shoulders,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do. Of course I was crying.” Verigen phoned her vet, Dr....
Vernon mall says goodbye to another retailer
VERNON - Shopping options continue to shrink at Vernon’s Village Green Mall. Ricki’s, a fixture at the mall since the shopping centre opened 40 years ago, will close its doors by the end of the month as part of a company restructuring plan. The news comes not long after Target announced it was pulling out...
Man feared erratically driven speedboat would crash into his boat on B.C. lake
KAMLOOPS – A B.C. man says he feared an erratically driven speedboat would crash into his boat moments before a fatal collision killed the owner of a houseboat on Shuswap Lake.
Lumby man picks fight with rescue crews after rolling pickup
CHERRYVILLE – A Lumby man pulled from the wreckage of his pickup in facing drunk driving charges after becoming combative with the people trying to help him. RCMP say the man, 39, rolled his pickup on Highway 6 near Frank’s General Store around 10 p.m., Thursday, March 26. After he was removed from the truck,...
Small fire at Armstrong Tolko mill
ARMSTRONG – The sprinkler system and an employee with a fire extinguisher quickly dealt with an electrical fire at the Tolko Industries mill in Armstrong this afternoon. Fire crews responded to what they thought was a structure fire at about 1:25 p.m., Monday, March 30, but it turned out to be an electrical motor fire....
Licensed marijuana grower ripped off in Lumby
LUMBY – The owner of a licensed marijuana grow-op in Lumby was robbed last week in what police call a “grow rip.” RCMP say they were called to a home on Grandview Avenue on Friday, March 27, about an insecure premise. The officers arrived to find it was actually a break and enter. The man...