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Vernon

Civic arena activities could move to Kal Tire Place for $13.9M

VERNON – Rather than updating the aged Civic Arena, the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee has proposed building a smaller ice-sheet on the same property as Kal Tire Place should tax-payers consent to a $13.9 million price tag.  Doug Ross a manager at the City, says while several options were considered - building a 400-seat venue...

Lumby murder victim touched many lives through teaching

VERNON - A North Okanagan teacher allegedly murdered by her boyfriend will be remembered for her contagious smile, kindness and compassion. Linda Ross, a teacher in school district 22’s Alternate Learning Program, was found dead at the Trinity Valley Road home she shared with her partner, Howard Everett, who now faces a second degree murder...

Water main burst, crews on scene

VERNON – A water line on 27 Avenue and 43 Street broke around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, however the leak has been isolated and full repairs are expected to be complete by tomorrow. Tanya Laing, a spokesperson for the City of Vernon, says traffic is currently being re-directed. “There are flaggers on site who are...

Recreation services getting more expensive

VERNON - It will cost more to take a dip, go for a skate and bounce a basketball at Vernon’s public recreation facilities this September. Prices for rentals, programs and services will rise by 2.6 per cent, even though the department’s costs are inflating by 5.6 per cent owing to wage and utility increases. The...

Lumby shooter charged with murder

LUMBY – Murder charges have been laid against the man suspected of shooting a Vernon teacher to death before turning the gun on himself in a rural part of Lumby last week. Howard Everett of Lumby is still in hospital after the body of a 51-year-old woman was found at a home in the 300...

RCMP investigate reports of shots fired in Vernon

VERNON - Mounties investigated reports of gunfire in the 3200 block of 22 Street in Vernon during the wee morning hours Tuesday. At about 1 a.m. police were told of two men arguing and shots fired. The men knew each other, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said in a press release. Before officers arrived, one left...

Authorities investigate grass fire in Vernon park

VERNON - A grass fire in Becker Park does not appear to be the work of Vernon’s serial arsonist. The fire broke out around 10 p.m. Sunday in Becker Park, off 39 Avenue downtown Vernon. “It is totally out of the norm of all the other fires we are investigating,” police spokesperson Gord Molendyk says....

Man eludes RCMP officer, not police dog

VERNON - You can run and hide from a police officer but it’s much harder to get away from a police dog. A Vernon RCMP officer spotted an 18-year-old man riding a bike without a helmet on 27 Avenue Thursday morning and stopped him to have a word. According to the officer, the man was...

Mosquitoes having a ‘perfect’ year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — No, you are not imagining things, the mosquitoes are actually worse this year, thanks to high water, cooler temperatures and wet weather. If you’ve ventured outside at all over the last month you have swatted at mosquitoes or came away with a bunch of itchy welts. Or maybe you donned your DEET and...

Teens crash small car into power pole

VERNON - Two teens suffered serious injuries including broken bones when they crashed a compact car into a pole in the area of 48 Avenue and 20 Street late last night. An officer happened upon the single vehicle accident at about 11:45 p.m. The Honda Civic was flipped, lying on the passenger side against the...

Surrey man earns jail time for packing heat in Vernon

VERNON - Packing a loaded gun at a Vernon hotel earned a Lower Mainland man four years of hard time. Jonathan Alexander Brown, 23, from Surrey, was sentenced June 4 in Vernon Provincial Court for an incident dating back to 2012. Judge Robin Smith refused a Charter challenge from Brown’s lawyer on the mandatory three-year...

Pedestrian struck on Hospital Hill

VERNON - A man was hit by a tractor trailer unit Wednesday afternoon on Highway 97 in Vernon. The accident occurred around 12:40 p.m. on Hospital Hill. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the male pedestrian was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries. The northbound lane remains closed while police investigate the incident. Traffic...

School bus cuts get rough ride

VERNON - A school board decision to cut Vernon bus routes is getting a rough ride from parents. School District 22 is tightening up the routes to save approximately $125,000 from its budget. Around 300 students living 2.4 km or more from their school will now have to find another way to get to class....

Good luck finding a rental unit for under $645 in Vernon

VERNON - There aren’t many places you can rent in Vernon for $645. Only one residence could be found on Craigslist and Kijiji rental ads since June 1 for $645 or under. For that price, you don’t even get to see pictures of the interior. But why $645? It’s because a report released last week...

Kelowna chamber to press government on Okanagan corridor

VERNON - Another force is joining the fight to preserve the railway between Vernon and Kelowna for public use. The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has passed a motion to encourage federal, provincial and municipal governments to preserve the railway in a way that benefits the Okanagan. “The concept of a public access use of the...