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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.
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Where to toss your Christmas tree in Vernon
VERNON - The presents are unwrapped and the ornaments packed up. It’s time for the Christmas tree to go. If you’re ready to part with this year’s Christmas tree, here’s the low-down. Trees will not be picked up with residential refuse, but Vernon, Coldstream and BX residents are invited to dispose of them in the...
PHOTOS: Brave souls ring in 2015 with Polar Bear Swim in Kal Lake
VERNON - Roughly 100 brave souls charged into the frigid waters of Kalamalka Lake Thursday as part of the annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim. Participants flung off their towels and jackets in -6 C weather and ran into the icy waters while supporters waited on the beach with towels. Swimmers high-fived and embraced...
NEWSMAKERS 2014: Okanagan rail corridor makes history
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR. TODAY: NUMBER TWO VERNON - This year, Okanagan municipalities made history by signing a deal with the Canadian National Railway to buy a nearly 50-kilometer long corridor between Vernon and Kelowna. The scenic stretch of land came available after the Kelowna Pacific...
NEWSMAKERS 2014: String of arsons go down as worst in recent memory
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR. TODAY: NUMBER THREE VERNON - Authorities called it the worst fire-setting spree in recent memory, and with the close of 2014, we still don’t know who’s responsible. Over 20 fires were set across the city this past year, beginning in late spring...
UPDATE: Police locate missing Vernon woman
UPDATE: 8:39 a.m. Dec. 31 Vernon RCMP say Brandy Hauser, 30, was located at a residence in Vernon. She had been missing since Dec. 15 and police put out an appeal for tips Dec. 29. VERNON - Police are on the lookout for a Vernon woman not seen since Dec. 15. A concerned family member...
Ring in the New Year with a splash at Vernon’s Polar Bear Swim
VERNON - It’s a freezing, and at the same time heartwarming, event. This year’s Polar Bear Swim Jan. 1 at Kal Beach is again raising funds for the Zimbabwe Project, which supports communities through gardening, sewing, carpentry, livestock and other projects. You can ring in the new year by plunging into Kalamalka Lake and getting...
NEWSMAKERS 2014: Child porn, luring cases in court
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR. TODAY: NUMBER FOUR VERNON - A growing number of child pornography and online luring cases are passing through Canadian courts, and Vernon is no exception. In 2014, three men — a Seattle private school ski coach, a former cop and a Vernon...
Salmon Arm teen who died in snowmobile accident identified
ENDERBY - The teen who died in a snowmobiling accident near Enderby over the weekend was Brandon Edward Oullette, 16, from Salmon Arm. According to a release from the B.C. Coroners Service, Oullette was snowmobiling with his father and others at Hunters Range, just north east of Enderby, around 10:30 a.m. Dec. 28 when his...
Your last minute New Year’s Eve plans in Vernon
VERNON - If you’ve been so focussed on Christmas that you forgot to make plans for New Year’s Eve, we’ve got you covered. It’s not too late to get in on some local New Year’s Eve action, and there are plenty of events to choose from for every preference and every price range. Vernon has...
NEWSMAKERS 2014: Okanagan rail corridor makes history
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF 2014. TODAY: NUMBER FIVE KELOWNA - Okanagan municipalities making history by signing a deal with the Canadian National Railway to buy a nearly 50-kilometer long corridor between Vernon and Kelowna. The scenic stretch of land came available after the Kelowna Pacific Railway announced bankruptcy...
NEWSMAKERS 2014: North Okanagan cougars clash with humans
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR. TODAY: NUMBER FIVE VERNON - It may have been the year of the horse according to the Chinese Zodiac, but in Vernon, 2014 was the year of the cougar. Between April and October, the Conservation Service received 186 cougar reports in the...
Intoxicated Vernon teen caught with drugs, revolver and bullets
VERNON - A Vernon teenager spent Christmas with RCMP after getting caught with a 375 Magnum revolver and various drugs. It was roughly 9:10 p.m. Dec. 25 and the intoxicated 16-year-old was creating quite a scene in the area of Highway 6 and Pottery Road. “The man was walking in and out of traffic on...
Kelowna duo arrested for stealing country club’s gas
SPALLUMCHEEN - A pair of Kelowna men didn’t make it far after trying to steal gas from the Spallumcheen Golf and Country Club. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the golf club’s alarm went off around 7:45 p.m. Dec. 27 at the outside gas tanks. Police found one suspect in the immediate area, and a second...
Snowmobile accident claims life of Salmon Arm teen
ENDERBY - A Salmon Arm teen is dead after a snowmobiling accident near Enderby. The 16-year-old Salmon Arm boy was snowmobiling with his father and others Dec. 28 in Hunters Range, but got separated from the group, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. He wasn’t separated for long, but when his father tried to contact him...
Drivers asked to avoid stretch of Bella Vista Road in Vernon
VERNON - Emergency officials are asking travelers to avoid a section of Bella Vista Road in Vernon after a car accident Saturday. Due to a single vehicle rollover on Bella Vista Road near Sandon and Davison Roads, Vernon Fire and Rescue Services is requesting drivers avoid the area. Travelers are asked to use Allenby Way...
Good news brightens holidays for Vernon’s Upper Room Mission
VERNON - Christmas came early to the Upper Room Mission with an okay from Interior Health to re-open its kitchen facilities. The kitchen was shut down after flooding damaged the building and contaminated food Dec. 2. The soup kitchen has been serving meals out of the People Place and relying on generous community businesses and...
Your guide to a Christmas lights driving tour in Vernon
VERNON - It’s not Christmas without the dazzle of bright lights around the city, and we’ve found the displays you don’t want to miss this year. A Christmas lights driving tour is a fun, and best of all free, way to get in the holiday spirit. When night falls, the City of Vernon transforms into...
VIDEO: Vernon business surprises customer with heartfelt Christmas gift
VERNON - A local Vernon business is getting into the spirit of Christmas. Rice Box owner On Ouch surprised a loyal customer recently with an all expenses paid trip down to Vancouver to see a Canucks game. He hoped the gift would make the holidays extra special for the single mom and her kids. “This...
Eight things you’ll want to know about impaired driving
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You know your favourite drink, but do you know these eight things about impaired driving? We didn’t until we talked to the RCMP and did our homework with Canadian health agencies, ICBC and the Ministry of Justice. To save you some reading over the holidays, here’s our condensed version. 1. You don’t have...
Vernon RCMP get in the spirit of giving
VERNON - Between attending car accidents on winter roads, looking for missing people, and investigating criminal cases, Vernon police officers are finding time to give back to the community this holiday season. Vernon RCMP officer Cpl. Yannick Lescarbeau, along with several hockey coaches and managers, organized a charity hockey tournament in support of the Sick...
Search for firearms leads mounties to Lumby grow-op
LUMBY - Police went looking for illegal firearms at a Lumby residence earlier this month and turned up what they call a dangerous, albeit legally licensed marijuana grow-op instead. Lumby Cpl. Henry Proce said police executed a search warrant Dec. 12 at a residence in the 1700 block of Grandview Avenue looking for firearms. The...
Splatsin First Nation acquires portion of rail corridor
ENDERBY - There’s been a significant advancement on the discontinued rail corridor between Armstrong and Sicamous. Following lengthy negotiations with Canadian Pacific Rail and the federal government, the Splatsin First Nation has acquired 29.25 acres of land along the old rail corridor, which was shut down in 2009. Splatsin Chief Wayne ‘Wunuxtin’ Christian says the...
North Okanagan fog phenomenon explained
VERNON - It’s beginning to look a lot like Fog-ville. The Vernon and Armstrong areas have been socked in with low-lying fog on and off for days, leaving the region cloaked in the wrong kind of white stuff for the holidays. So what’s causing the stubborn fog, and when will it be on its merry...
Ways to give back to the Vernon community this holiday season
VERNON - If you’re looking for a way to give back to the community this holiday season, there are plenty of organizations in Vernon welcoming both donations and volunteers. Dave McBain, with the Salvation Army Food Bank, says people can lend a hand by donating cash or food to help feed those in need. Donations...