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Charlotte Helston
REPORTER
Charlotte Helston grew up in Armstrong and after four years studying writing at the University of Victoria, she came back to do what she loves most: Connect with the community and bringing its stories to life.
Covering Vernon for iNFOnews.ca has reinforced her belief in community. The people and the stories she encounters every day—at the courthouse, City Hall or on the street—show the big tales in a small town.
If you have an opinion to share or a story you'd like covered, contact Charlotte at Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230.
Charlotte Helston's Stories
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Here’s the repair bill for Vernon’s broken water mains in 2014
VERNON - Fixing aging water mains in the City of Vernon last year didn’t come cheap. The Greater Vernon Water Utility, which operates the system, was billed approximately $370,000 by the city in 2014. That was for a total of 28 water main break repairs, or about $13,214 per break. That’s in addition to the...
Okanagan Landing firefighters leave lasting legacy
VERNON - The Okanagan Landing Volunteer Firefighters Association may not be fighting fires anymore, but it’s found a way to continue its longstanding tradition of community service. When its fire contract with the City of Vernon wasn’t renewed in 2012, members began dissolving the association and transferring funds to non-profits. “We looked at number of...
Bomb threat forces evacuation at Salmon Arm school
SALMON ARM - The students of a Salmon Arm middle school were evacuated Tuesday after a prank bomb threat. The threat was at Shuswap Middle School and students were evacuated to the school field and then moved to South Broadview Elementary while police investigated, School District 83 stated in a press release. By 12:38 p.m.,...
Three separate car accidents on Highway 97 south of Vernon
VERNON - Three car accidents on Highway 97 south of Vernon kept emergency crews busy Tuesday morning. The first accident happened at 7:08 a.m. and was followed by a vehicle rollover at 7:36 a.m. Not long after, Vernon Fire and Rescue Services attended a three vehicle accident also on Highway 97 south of Vernon. “It...
The many lives of Mario Aragon, and the new one Vernon gave him
VERNON - When he was a kid, Mario Aragon’s grandfather nicknamed him ‘tiacuache’—Spanish for opossum—because the animals are said to have seven lives. Mario, now 53, has lived up to the moniker. His journey from the small Oaxaca village he was born in to Bill’s Place, an addictions recovery home in Vernon, has been a...
Vernon RCMP investigate suspicious fire
VERNON - Police are following up on a suspicious dumpster bin fire. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says it appears someone set cardboard on fire inside a dumpster around 6:45 p.m. Jan. 17 in the 2300 block of 36 Avenue. Several people noticed the fire, but no one saw who started it. There was no damage...
Pair of men face charges after spotted wearing balaclavas
VERNON - Police are recommending charges against a pair of men caught with weapons and balaclavas. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says police received a report of two men near Fruit Union Plaza wearing masks and gloves around 10:40 a.m. Jan. 17. Officers found the suspects in the area, no longer wearing balaclavas, and searched them....
Vernon tax hike lower than expected
VERNON - This year’s taxes will go up, but not as much as first expected. After three days of budget deliberations for the 2015 financial plan, council wrapped up with a hike of 3.43 per cent, down slightly from the original 3.7 per cent. “That just shows the amount of work the management and their...
City will fund Sundays at the Vernon Library after near cancellation
VERNON - Sundays at the Vernon Library are here to stay. The Okanagan Regional Library dodged having to cancel Sundays at the Vernon branch Friday, Jan. 16, after appealing to Vernon council for financial support in the amount of $21,000. Without the funding, executive director Stephanie Hall said the branch could be shutting down its...
ONE MORE YEAR: A Vernon woman shares her story of true love
"THROUGH ALL THIS TRIUMPH... OUR LOVE BECAME THE STORY OF A MIRACLE. THAT IS WHAT MADE SWALLOWING HIS DEATH SO MUCH HARDER." VERNON - We got to know Alisa and Ryan Langley last summer shortly after they married. You might remember the video: friends gave them a surprise dream wedding they once thought wasn't even...
UPDATE: Heavy snow on the way
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - More snow is in the forecast for the North Okanagan, Shuswap and North Thompson areas. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the North Okanagan and Shuswap regions at 1:54 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, calling for approximately 10 cm of snow. By 7:30 p.m. the warning was extended to include the North...
Shuswap Pie Company to debut on the Food Network
SALMON ARM - Viewers will be drooling over creations from the Shuswap Pie Company on an episode of You Gotta Eat Here. Owner Tovah Shantz told us she loved having the show’s host John Catucci in her kitchen, where they whipped up three of the company’s specialties: a strawberry/rhubarb pie; a savoury sausage, apple and...
The popular actor you never knew was from Armstrong
ARMSTRONG - You’ve seen him in the movie 40 Days and 40 Nights alongside Josh Hartnett. He made you laugh with his role on the quirky TV series Eureka, and charmed you as Smee in Once Upon a Time. He’s played a weapons expert, a wizard, and conspiracy theorist. But actor Chris Gauthier started out...
Pedestrian struck downtown in Vernon
VERNON - A pedestrian sustained a serious injury after being hit by a car downtown in Vernon around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The incident happened on 27 Avenue near the Upper Room Mission when a vehicle reversing out of a driveway backed over a male pedestrian in his 80s. “He sustained a broken hip which is...
Burnt out Vernon street lights a B.C. Hydro problem
VERNON - A city official is wondering what it will take for B.C. Hydro to change 29 burnt out street lights throughout Vernon. Coun. Brian Quiring illuminated his colleagues about the issue Monday, Jan. 12, saying, “Someone’s got to get Hydro’s attention and say it’s a priority.” Quiring said the lights—some of which have been...
Longer grace period coming to Vernon parking meters
VERNON - Thanks to a directive from city council, when you pay for 15 minutes of parking downtown Vernon, you now get 20. Council increased the parking meter grace period to five minutes from two Monday, Jan. 12. More than 900 parking meters will be reprogrammed at a cost of roughly $3,200 to provide the...
Lavington pellet plant yet another step closer to breaking ground
COLDSTREAM – A controversial wood pellet plant has made it over another procedural hurdle. In…
Photo generates tips in Enderby donation box theft
VERNON - A photo released by police has generated a possible suspect in an Enderby case involving a stolen donation box. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says Mounties might be a step closer to finding out who’s responsible for taking a donation box from the Esso in Enderby. The donations were intended to support the family...
Victim of fatal snowmobile crash near Sicamous identified
KELOWNA - The B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died in a snowmobile accident near Sicamous. He was David Mark Yule, 49, from Blind Bay, a small community on the southwest shore of Shuswap Lake. Yule was operating a snowmobile on Owl Head Mountain, about 25 km southeast of Sicamous at...
Lavington pellet plant opposers push politicians to stall project
COLDSTREAM - Now that the Ministry of Environment has granted a permit to the operators of a proposed wood pellet plant in Lavington, opponents of the project are increasing pressure on local politicians to stall construction. Representatives of Lavington Is For Everyone (LIFE) will go before Coldstream council tonight, Jan. 12, to ask the municipality...
Donations for toddler’s funeral stolen from Enderby gas station
VERNON - Police are hoping the public can help them find someone who stole donations for a three-year-old’s funeral. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says police received a report about the unfortunate incident on Saturday, Jan. 3 at the Esso in Enderby. “The suspect stole the donation box that was to assist the family... with funeral...
Mounties respond to ‘unnerving’ report of man carrying Samurai sword in Enderby
ENDERBY - Police arrested an Enderby man for possession of a weapon after a reported incident involving a Samurai sword last Friday. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says police responded to a report of a 39-year-old man yelling at a resident in a Baird Avenue apartment building in Enderby to come out and fight. Police arrived...
Changes could be coming at Vernon parking meters
VERNON - Vernon currently has the shortest grace period among nearby communities when it comes to expired parking meters, but that could be about to change. City council will vote on changing the grace period to five minutes from the current two next Monday to make downtown Vernon more customer friendly. City staff reviewed other...
Search and Rescue at the scene of serious snowmobile incident
SICAMOUS - Vernon Search and Rescue is at the scene of a serious snowmobile accident in Sicamous. Spokesperson for Vernon SAR Leigh Pearson says crews were called out to a report of an injured snowmobiler in the Owlhead area in Sicamous the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 9. While we have yet to receive confirmation from...