Brendan Shykora

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The pilot of a power parachute made an unexpected landing in Vernon, getting tangled in telephone wires above Highway 97 near London Drugs Friday, June 2, 2023. The highway is closed southbound while crews attend to the incident. (Submitted photo)

Paraglider OK after getting tangled in wires along B.C. highway

The paraglider allegedly ran out of gas and made an unexpected landing

The pilot of a power parachute made an unexpected landing in Vernon, getting tangled in telephone wires above Highway 97 near London Drugs Friday, June 2, 2023. The highway is closed southbound while crews attend to the incident. (Submitted photo)
Armstrong’s Marty Eckert was handed the keys to his new Volkswagen Taos Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Eckert won the car through Tim Hortons’ Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

North Okanagan man Rolls Up new Volkswagen with Tim Hortons coffee

‘I thought it was a joke. I had to call my wife to come and verify that it was actually real’

Armstrong’s Marty Eckert was handed the keys to his new Volkswagen Taos Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Eckert won the car through Tim Hortons’ Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
Firefighters in Coldstream are battling a major house fire on Hawthorne Place Friday, Jan. 14. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)

Vernon arson suspect to stand trial

Matthew Eric Mason is the suspect tied to a fire that destroyed a Coldstream home in early 2022

Firefighters in Coldstream are battling a major house fire on Hawthorne Place Friday, Jan. 14. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)
A vending machine at The Royal apartment building on 37th Avenue in Vernon is selling beer, which concerns at least one tenant of the building. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

‘Pop or pilsner’: Vernon apartment’s beer vending machine causes concern

Concerned tenant says anyone can access the vending machine, no matter their age

A vending machine at The Royal apartment building on 37th Avenue in Vernon is selling beer, which concerns at least one tenant of the building. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
Severe thunderstorms are possible across the Okanagan, Shuswap and other parts of the B.C. Interior, says Environment Canada Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Black Press file photo)

UPDATE: Thunderstorm warning in B.C. Interior lifted

Environment Canada warns of strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain

Severe thunderstorms are possible across the Okanagan, Shuswap and other parts of the B.C. Interior, says Environment Canada Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Black Press file photo)
Properties on Raven Road along Saskatoon Road adjacent to the mouth of Whiteman’s Creek in Parker Cove on Okanagan Indian Band land are no longer under an evacuation order due to flooding as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, 2023. (Google Earth/OKIB)

Flooding evacuation order lifted for more Okanagan properties

Flooding has peaked in the Parker Cove area

Properties on Raven Road along Saskatoon Road adjacent to the mouth of Whiteman’s Creek in Parker Cove on Okanagan Indian Band land are no longer under an evacuation order due to flooding as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, 2023. (Google Earth/OKIB)
A smartphone and a television receive visual and audio alerts to test Alert Ready, a national public alert system. A test of the alert system will take place across B.C. at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

This is only a test: Emergency alert going off in B.C.

On Wednesday a B.C.-wide test will be conducted

A smartphone and a television receive visual and audio alerts to test Alert Ready, a national public alert system. A test of the alert system will take place across B.C. at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Brendon Ogmundson, chief economist of the BC Real Estate Association, spoke at the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) conference in Vernon Thursday, April 27, 2023, about the path to recovery in the housing market. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

Economist describes highs and lows of path to B.C. housing recovery at SILGA

Brendon Ogmundson explains the factors affecting the B.C., Okanagan housing markets

Brendon Ogmundson, chief economist of the BC Real Estate Association, spoke at the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) conference in Vernon Thursday, April 27, 2023, about the path to recovery in the housing market. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
Angela Ackerman (left) and Monique Gray Smith are the two keynote speakers for this year’s online B.C. Writers Summit, which runs from May 8 to 13, 2023. (Submitted photos)

B.C. Writers Summit to feature 2 accomplished keynote speakers

Monique Gray Smith and Angela Ackerman are both bestselling authors

Angela Ackerman (left) and Monique Gray Smith are the two keynote speakers for this year’s online B.C. Writers Summit, which runs from May 8 to 13, 2023. (Submitted photos)
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Doreen Koch, 92, of Lumby, who has spent over $100,000 in legal fees fighting for the right to own her property after her son signed a contract to sell the property before dying of liver failure in 2020. (GoFundMe photo)

B.C. senior in legal battle over property

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for Doreen Koch, 92, to help her pay her lawyer bills

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Doreen Koch, 92, of Lumby, who has spent over $100,000 in legal fees fighting for the right to own her property after her son signed a contract to sell the property before dying of liver failure in 2020. (GoFundMe photo)
Vancouver Coastal karate athlete Haumi Tarighatbin (red) faces off against Cancouver Island Central Coast athlete Hudson Ball Saturday, March 25, 2023, during the Greater Vernon B.C. Winter Games at Kalamalka Secondary School. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

PHOTOS: Athletes dazzle on Day 2 of B.C. Winter Games in Greater Vernon

Competition in the Games continued Saturday; run through to 12 p.m. Sunday, March 26

Vancouver Coastal karate athlete Haumi Tarighatbin (red) faces off against Cancouver Island Central Coast athlete Hudson Ball Saturday, March 25, 2023, during the Greater Vernon B.C. Winter Games at Kalamalka Secondary School. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
More than 900 athletes are competing in the B.C. Winter Games from Friday, March 24, to Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

Let the games begin: B.C. Winter Games in Greater Vernon officially underway

The torch is lit and over 900 athletes are ready to compete from Friday to Sunday

More than 900 athletes are competing in the B.C. Winter Games from Friday, March 24, to Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
A woman has shared her encounter with a nurse at Vernon Jubilee Hospital in a pair of videos on TikTok, saying she received insufficient care while experiencing a mental health crisis at the hospital. (Savanna Hedstrom/TikTok)

Woman facing mental health crisis says she was refused a face-to-face with doctor at Vernon hospital

The woman’s TikTok video has been viewed more than 218,000 times

A woman has shared her encounter with a nurse at Vernon Jubilee Hospital in a pair of videos on TikTok, saying she received insufficient care while experiencing a mental health crisis at the hospital. (Savanna Hedstrom/TikTok)
Vernon’s Ashley Wadsworth was murdered in the U.K. Feb. 1, 2022, just days before she was scheduled to return home. (Ashley Wadsworth/Facebook photo)

Documentary on B.C. teen’s murder airs on British TV

‘It’s too late to save Ashley but it’s not too late to save yourself or someone you love,’ says Ashley Wadsworth’s mother

Vernon’s Ashley Wadsworth was murdered in the U.K. Feb. 1, 2022, just days before she was scheduled to return home. (Ashley Wadsworth/Facebook photo)
Paula Brown, a community health worker with Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center, consults with a patient. (Michael Ollove/Pew Charitable Trusts/TNS)

New union agreement increases wage for B.C.’s health-care workers

UFCW 1518 community health workers ratified the agreement

Paula Brown, a community health worker with Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center, consults with a patient. (Michael Ollove/Pew Charitable Trusts/TNS)
One driver has died and another has been taken to hospital after two semi trucks collided on Highway 5 north of Kamloops around noon Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Roy Parker/Facebook photo)

UPDATE: Highway 5 reopened after fatal collision north of Kamloops

Two commercial vehicles collided near McLure Thursday; the other driver was taken to hospital

One driver has died and another has been taken to hospital after two semi trucks collided on Highway 5 north of Kamloops around noon Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Roy Parker/Facebook photo)
Police in Vernon seized nearly 1.5 million contraband cigarettes after a traffic stop was conducted on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (RCMP photo)

Police seize 1.5 million illegal cigarettes after B.C. traffic stop

A North Okanagan man was arrested and released from custody pending a future court date

Police in Vernon seized nearly 1.5 million contraband cigarettes after a traffic stop was conducted on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (RCMP photo)
Vernon chiropractor Murray Stephen Kievit is facing two charges of sexual assault from incidents alleged to have occurred in December 2021 in Vernon. (whitehousewellness.ca photo)

B.C. chiropractor charged with 2 counts of sexual assault

The charges against Murray Stephen Kievit stem from alleged incidents in December 2021

Vernon chiropractor Murray Stephen Kievit is facing two charges of sexual assault from incidents alleged to have occurred in December 2021 in Vernon. (whitehousewellness.ca photo)
Police in Vernon are investigating after a sex trade worker was sexually assaulted in an SUV in downtown Vernon Thursday night, Jan. 12, 2023. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

Police investigating sexual assault of sex worker in Vernon

The suspect’s vehicle is a newer, large, white SUV

Police in Vernon are investigating after a sex trade worker was sexually assaulted in an SUV in downtown Vernon Thursday night, Jan. 12, 2023. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
An example of a skier falling into a tree well at Big White Ski Resort on December 30, 2018. (Todd Ganie photo)

‘It’s like you’re drowning in snow’: Teen saves father who fell into tree well at B.C. ski resort

By happenstance, the teen had recently watched a video explaining how to safely get out of a tree well

An example of a skier falling into a tree well at Big White Ski Resort on December 30, 2018. (Todd Ganie photo)