Roger Knox

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Part of the massive mess left behind in a Spallumcheen rental home owned by Wes Burden, whose tenants bolted from the property in the middle of the night. Burden is now facing a hefty cleaning and repair bill as a result. (Photo submitted)

North Okanagan landlord’s home trashed by tenants

Spallumcheen rental rooms filled with junk, human and animal feces; landlord scared to rent again

Part of the massive mess left behind in a Spallumcheen rental home owned by Wes Burden, whose tenants bolted from the property in the middle of the night. Burden is now facing a hefty cleaning and repair bill as a result. (Photo submitted)
Thor the brown Boston terrier’s new backpack is filled with discarded masks picked up on daily walk outings around his Vernon neighbourhood by owner Lisa Mazurek. (Lisa Mazurek photo)

North Okanagan terrier, master cleaning up discarded masks

Thor, a Boston terrier, has poop bags with masks filled into backpack during daily walks

Thor the brown Boston terrier’s new backpack is filled with discarded masks picked up on daily walk outings around his Vernon neighbourhood by owner Lisa Mazurek. (Lisa Mazurek photo)
Henry the great horned owl is set free in Coldstream Sunday, March 28, at the home of Kathy and Al Renaud, who found the bird on their property suffering from secondary poisoning after digesting an infested rodent at the end of February. (Screen shot)

North Okanagan owl survives poisoning, flies off to find mate

Henry the great horned owl returned to location he was found suffering from secondary poisoning

Henry the great horned owl is set free in Coldstream Sunday, March 28, at the home of Kathy and Al Renaud, who found the bird on their property suffering from secondary poisoning after digesting an infested rodent at the end of February. (Screen shot)
Armstrong Elementary School will soon receive a $100,000 legacy in its 100th year from former teacher Helen Sidney, who taught Grade 1 at the brick school for more than four decades. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star )

Armstrong school gets $100K boost from beloved teacher

Helen Sidney donating money in school’s 100th year; taught Grade 1 at brick school for more than 40 years

Armstrong Elementary School will soon receive a $100,000 legacy in its 100th year from former teacher Helen Sidney, who taught Grade 1 at the brick school for more than four decades. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star )
Discussion on a rezoning application for the Royal York Golf Course got heated at Monday’s regular meeting of Armstrong council between one councillor and the city’s chief administrative officer on March 22, 2021. (Morning Star - file photo)

Wright wrong in perceived corruption in golf course application: Armstrong CAO

Bertles says easy for councillor to take ‘Trump-like stance’, make allegations of staff

Discussion on a rezoning application for the Royal York Golf Course got heated at Monday’s regular meeting of Armstrong council between one councillor and the city’s chief administrative officer on March 22, 2021. (Morning Star - file photo)
Ryan Smith of Lavington, an eighth-round selection of the San Jose Sharks in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, is hoping someone will step forward and be tested as a potential kidney donor. (Photo submitted)

North Okanagan ex-WHL player hopes to score new kidney

Ryan Smith, who played more than 200 games in the WHL, is currently on dialysis awaiting a potential donor

Ryan Smith of Lavington, an eighth-round selection of the San Jose Sharks in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, is hoping someone will step forward and be tested as a potential kidney donor. (Photo submitted)
BX-Swan Lake Fire Rescue is on-scene of a second burn pile out of control, this one in the 5400 block of Silver Star Road, Tuesday, March 16. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

Okanagan fire rescue department battles second grassfire

Right as they finished a first job, BX-Swan Lake crews raced to the 5400 block of Silver Star Road in Vernon

BX-Swan Lake Fire Rescue is on-scene of a second burn pile out of control, this one in the 5400 block of Silver Star Road, Tuesday, March 16. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
Noah’s Ark, a onetime fixture at the old Adventureland park in Lake Country, will become a fruit and nut concession on the Okanagan Rail Trail in 2022 after the Gaudet family picked up the former attraction for free from longtime Oyama orchardist Alan Gatzke. (Facebook photo)

Lake Country ark attraction to become rail trail concession

Gatzke Orchards floats Noah’s Ark from Adventureland to Gaudet family for fruit/nut stand in 2022

Noah’s Ark, a onetime fixture at the old Adventureland park in Lake Country, will become a fruit and nut concession on the Okanagan Rail Trail in 2022 after the Gaudet family picked up the former attraction for free from longtime Oyama orchardist Alan Gatzke. (Facebook photo)
Vernon Search and Rescue, with help from the Air Rescue One helicopter out of Wildcat Helicopters in Kelowna, and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, were able to transport an injured snowmobiler to Vernon Regional Airport, where he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Vernon Jubilee Hospital with a serious, painful back injury. (Facebook photo)

Okanagan helicopter rescue teams called to retrieve injured sledder at Greystokes

Vernon and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue help load injured man into waiting helicopter

Vernon Search and Rescue, with help from the Air Rescue One helicopter out of Wildcat Helicopters in Kelowna, and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, were able to transport an injured snowmobiler to Vernon Regional Airport, where he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Vernon Jubilee Hospital with a serious, painful back injury. (Facebook photo)
Armstrong’s Jesse Crowe, shown at the home of golf, St. Andrew’s in Scotland, has been named the Royal York Golf Course’s director of golf operations. (Facebook photo)

Okanagan golf pro soars to home course position

Jesse Crowe becomes director of golf operations at Armstrong’s Royal York Golf Course

Armstrong’s Jesse Crowe, shown at the home of golf, St. Andrew’s in Scotland, has been named the Royal York Golf Course’s director of golf operations. (Facebook photo)
Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP and the BX-Swan Lake Fire Department are on scene of a reported quonset fire fully involved in the 900 block of Pottery Road. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star)

UPDATE: Crews douse North Okanagan workshop fire

BX-Swan Lake Fire Department battling blaze on property in Vernon Wednesday, Feb. 24

Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP and the BX-Swan Lake Fire Department are on scene of a reported quonset fire fully involved in the 900 block of Pottery Road. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star)
Vernon singer Justin J. Moore plays all the parts in his latest song cover, The Eagles’ classic Hotel California. (Photo contributed)

YouTube not a happy place for North Okanagan singer’s Hotel California cover song/video

Justin J. Moore remake of The Eagles’ classic twice blocked on copyright grounds

Vernon singer Justin J. Moore plays all the parts in his latest song cover, The Eagles’ classic Hotel California. (Photo contributed)
Cast members Brian Martin (top row, from left), Vince Walzak, Peter Kaz, Nevada Christensen (middle row, from left), Victor Cumming, Roger Knox and Rebecca Barton (bottom) act out the virtual play Our HOME Town, written by Vernon’s Jason Armstrong, during its three-night run for the Vernon Winter Carnival. (Our HOME Town photo)

Okanagan winter carnival a virtual hit

Community, businesses support annual Vernon event that had to think outside box in 2021

Cast members Brian Martin (top row, from left), Vince Walzak, Peter Kaz, Nevada Christensen (middle row, from left), Victor Cumming, Roger Knox and Rebecca Barton (bottom) act out the virtual play Our HOME Town, written by Vernon’s Jason Armstrong, during its three-night run for the Vernon Winter Carnival. (Our HOME Town photo)
Vernon’s Sam White checks out the gear at a Bass Pro Shop outlet near Tsawwassen on a recent outing from the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. White, 19, from Vernon, lost the use of his legs in a snowmobile accident Dec. 29 near Enderby. (Facebook photo)

Spirits high for Okanagan man recuperating from accident

Vernon’s Sam White, 19, is learning about life in a wheelchair following serious snowmobile accident

Vernon’s Sam White checks out the gear at a Bass Pro Shop outlet near Tsawwassen on a recent outing from the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. White, 19, from Vernon, lost the use of his legs in a snowmobile accident Dec. 29 near Enderby. (Facebook photo)
Vernon’s Shawnee Harle is a two-time Olympian as an assistant coach with Canada’s women’s basketball team, and former head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hoops squad. She has created her own website to help athletes, parents, coaches and businesses deal with mental toughness. (shawneeharle.com photo)

Two-time Okanagan Olympian passes along mental toughness tips

Vernon’s Shawnee Harle is Canada’s highest certified basketball coach

Vernon’s Shawnee Harle is a two-time Olympian as an assistant coach with Canada’s women’s basketball team, and former head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hoops squad. She has created her own website to help athletes, parents, coaches and businesses deal with mental toughness. (shawneeharle.com photo)
The Weather Network meteorologist Jaclyn Whittal, a new resident to Vernon, is part of a show called Storm Hunters on the network. She has been with TWN for nine years. (Jaclyn Whittal photo)

Weather Network meteorologist chases stories from Vernon home

Jaclyn Whittal, co-host of network’s Storm Hunters, moved to North Okanagan in 2020 with husband

The Weather Network meteorologist Jaclyn Whittal, a new resident to Vernon, is part of a show called Storm Hunters on the network. She has been with TWN for nine years. (Jaclyn Whittal photo)
Former Fulton Secondary School teacher and football coach, and former Canadian Football League offensive lineman Roger Scales had some CFL memorabilia sent to him to autograph, courtesy of a dermatologist in Utah. Scales, who spent 10 seasons in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos, played college ball at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. (David Myers photo)

Vernon football player’s card pops up in Utah dermatologist’s hands

Roger Scales’ 1970s Toronto Argonauts card now hangs signed by the player in David Myers’ office

Former Fulton Secondary School teacher and football coach, and former Canadian Football League offensive lineman Roger Scales had some CFL memorabilia sent to him to autograph, courtesy of a dermatologist in Utah. Scales, who spent 10 seasons in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos, played college ball at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. (David Myers photo)
Vernon’s Oliver Stankiewicz, centre, with his parents David and Laura. Stankiewicz has created a virtual running/walking event in memory of his mom, Laura, who passed away from cancer in August 2020. The Move4Mom Run goes Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, with Stankiewicz running 100 kilometres in 24 hours. All proceeds from the event will go the McMurtry-Baerg Cancer Centre and Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation. (Stankiewicz family photo)

Okanagan man on the move in memory of mom

Vernon’s Oliver Stankiewicz creates virtual fundraising run/walk Move4Mom to be held Mother’s Day

Vernon’s Oliver Stankiewicz, centre, with his parents David and Laura. Stankiewicz has created a virtual running/walking event in memory of his mom, Laura, who passed away from cancer in August 2020. The Move4Mom Run goes Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, with Stankiewicz running 100 kilometres in 24 hours. All proceeds from the event will go the McMurtry-Baerg Cancer Centre and Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation. (Stankiewicz family photo)
Vandals are believed to be behind the damage to two of the nine ice structures in Vernon’s Polson Park, erected for the Vernon Winter Carnival’s main attraction, the Drive-Thru Ice Park. The apparent vandalism took place Saturday night, Feb. 6, around 11:30 p.m. (Vernon Winter Canrival photo)

Okanagan carnival ice park suffers damage

Two of nine structures created for Vernon Winter Carnival damaged in Polson Park

Vandals are believed to be behind the damage to two of the nine ice structures in Vernon’s Polson Park, erected for the Vernon Winter Carnival’s main attraction, the Drive-Thru Ice Park. The apparent vandalism took place Saturday night, Feb. 6, around 11:30 p.m. (Vernon Winter Canrival photo)
Armstrong’s Miriam Hoekstra (centre), formerly of Lumby, is a mother of three kids in dire need of new kidneys. Both of hers are working at less than 10 per cent. She is hoping for a live donor. (File photo)

Okanagan woman seeking kidney donor

Armstrong’s Miriam Hoekstra, 37, mom of three, formerly of Lumby, is in dire need of a transplant

Armstrong’s Miriam Hoekstra (centre), formerly of Lumby, is a mother of three kids in dire need of new kidneys. Both of hers are working at less than 10 per cent. She is hoping for a live donor. (File photo)