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Wednesday, July 1, 2015
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Vernon
Kam Randhawa
250-545-2261
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HAPPY 148TH! | Canada Day celebrations happening throughout North Okanagan communities
Storm batters Coldstream area RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
Parts of Coldstream were on high alert as a massive storm toppled trees and fuelled flooding. At about 9 p.m., Monday, a combination of thunder, lightning, intense rain and hail descended on the neighbourhood by the municipal office. “It hit hard and fast. There was no warning,” said Dave Sturgeon, Coldstream fire chief. Lightning tore apart a tree across from the Coldstream Market, forcing a pair of cyclists to hunker down inside the store, which was pitch black as power was knocked out to the area. Next to the Women’s Institute Hall, occupants of a duplex evacuated as a 120-foot tree precariously hung over the structure. Farther up Kalamalka Road, the Wisbey family’s well-treed property evolved into chaos. “It was like dominoes, one coming down after the other,” said Brandie Wisbey, who was home with her husband and two daughters. “I can honestly say I was scared. We went from leaving to get into the basement now. It was the safest place.” On Tuesday morning, the Wisbeys began cleaning up 12 willow or maple trees that were either split in half by wind or had roots pulled out. On Birch Lane, Doug Cuthbert had to contend with large limbs on
Brandie Wisbey surveys some of the significant damage done to her property during a violent storm in Coldstream Monday night. the roof, some of which penetrated the carport. “I heard a crack and then I came out, and it (tree) was through the ceiling,” said Cuthbert. Elsewhere in Coldstream, a willow tree slammed into Ed Lifton’s home on Buchanan Road.
“It took a corner of the roof out,” he said. Beyond the wind and falling trees, the heavy rain led to significant water pooling up on Kalamalka Road and in yards, and there were some reports of localized flooding. Coldstream firefighters, with
assistance from the Lavington department, responded to 11 calls during the storm. “B.C. Hydro was following us and cutting lines so they didn’t energize when they touched the ground,” said Sturgeon. “It was a trying night but once we got a sys-
RICHARD ROLKE/MORNING STAR
tem together, things started to progress.” Environment Canada reports there were 202 lightning strikes within a 50-kilometre circle of Vernon during the storm and 20.4 millimetres of rain fell at the Coldstream Ranch weather station.
Police search for missing man after tragedy said Cst Jocelyn Noseworthy, A man found in Kalamalka spokesperson with the Vernon Lake has been identified, and RCMP detachment. RCMP continue to search for However, during the investigaanother individual. tion into Letkeman’s death, police On Sunday at 2:25 p.m., determined he was last known to police were called to Cosens Bay be with Curtis Wilson. Wilson has where Shane Letkeman, 32, of been reported missing by his family. Lethbridge Alta. was located. “A black Chrysler car with an Curtis Wilson “The death has been deterAlberta licence plate associated to mined to be not suspicious in Wilson was located in the area that nature, and that investigation is now being the body was found,” said Noseworthy. turned over to the B.C. Coroners Service,” “That vehicle was seized as part of the Morning Star Staff
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investigation.” The RCMP are searching the Kalamalka Lake area for Wilson using ground, water and air resources. Wilson, also a resident of Lethbridge, Alta. is described as a 23-year-old Caucasian man. He is six-feet-tall and 160 pounds with dark brown hair. He is clean shaven and has two distinctive star tattoos on either side of his chest and several other tattoos on his arms and chest. He was last seen wearing high-top red
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sneakers, silvery coloured shorts, a black T-shirt, and a red baseball cap. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Wilson is asked to call the Vernon RCMP detachment at 250-545-7171 or Crime Stoppers. A stand-up paddleboarder on the south side of Cosens Bay, away from the beach area but near the cabins, discovered Letkeman’s body under the water and alerted RCMP Sunday. Authorities have not said how long the body was in the lake.
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