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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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Vernon Mayor calls for MP resignation for ‘disturbing’ homelessness comment
VERNON - Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes is under fire for ‘disturbing’ comments he made at a recent homelessness event, with Vernon’s mayor suggesting he resign. In what was meant as a solemn dedication by the community to commemorate and recognize some 14 homeless people who have died on Vernon streets in the past two years,...
Local golf courses plead with city over escalating water rates
VERNON - Local golf courses are pleading with the City of Vernon for a break on escalating water rates, calling this the most challenging time the industry has ever faced. Four local golf courses—Predator Ridge, The Rise, Vernon Golf & Country Club and Hillview Golf—told Vernon council they are paying inordinate fees compared to other...
Suspicious Vernon fires are back
VERNON - A recent spike in suspicious fire activity has the community wondering if Vernon’s alleged serial arsonist is back. The city was hit with over 20 suspected arsons during the summer, from burnt grandstands to torched boats, but there hadn’t been any new fires since September until recently. A construction site suspiciously caught fire...
Vernon man arrested for splattering blood on Tim Hortons customers
VERNON - A man is in custody following a bizarre incident at a Vernon restaurant Saturday afternoon. Police say he was intentionally splattering people with his blood around 1:37 p.m. at the Tim Hortons on 58 Avenue near Walmart. “He had a cut on his hand and was just flicking blood... in the direction of...
Firefighters did not ‘appreciate the danger’ of shipping container that exploded, killing fireman
VERNON - A volunteer fireman was in the wrap-up stage of a fire call when a shipping container exploded a few metres away and he was struck by a large metal door flying through the air, the B.C. Coroners Service said. Daniel Joseph Botkin, 25, was killed by multiple blunt force trauma on impact, coroner...
Machinery running on graveyard shift the night teen worker died was an anomaly
VERNON - A Tolko employee knew two days in advance machines would be running during the ordinarily quiet graveyard clean-up shift to accommodate extra production, a coroner’s inquiry into the death of a Lumby teen heard Thursday. Bradley Haslam, 18, became entangled in a conveyer belt at Tolko’s Lavington mill in June 2013 and died....
Mountie on trial for dangerous driving in relation to death of Cherryville woman
SALMON ARM - A police officer accused of dangerous driving in connection with the death of a Cherryville woman is now on trial in Salmon Arm Provincial Court. Const. Micah Chan, born in 1977, faces one count of dangerous driving in relation to the June 2013 accident that killed 21-year-old Courtenay Brianne Eggen. The Independent...
UPDATE: RCMP investigate downtown Vernon fatal crash
VERNON – A Kelowna woman is dead and a Vernon woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after their car was T-boned by a mini-van in downtown Vernon in the early hours Thursday morning. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the accident happened around 1:15 a.m. at the intersection of 30 Avenue and 32 Street (Highway...
Murdered soldier remembered online
OTTAWA - We are learning more about the soldier killed in Wednesday’s shooting at Parliament Hill. He was Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, a reservist from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment. Cirillo was standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, carrying an unloaded rifle, when he was gunned down. Cirillo, from Hamilton, Ont.,...
Ottawa shooting won’t change Vernon Remembrance Day celebration
VERNON - There’s uneasiness across the country following the death of a Canadian soldier on Parliament Hill Wednesday morning, and while military bases have been locked down, and officers directed not to wear uniforms in public, the president of the Vernon Legion says the annual poppy campaign and Remembrance Day ceremony are going ahead as...
Okanagan-Shuswap MP confirmed to be in lock down at Parliament Hill
VERNON - Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes is in lock down at Parliament Hill in Ottawa after a Canadian honour guard was shot dead Wednesday morning. Staff at his Ottawa office say he was in caucus this morning and is now in lock down. Staff have been unable to reach him because he left his Blackberry...
Buddy system now in place at Tolko mill after death of teen, inquiry hears
VERNON - Changes have been made at Tolko’s Lavington mill since the death of a teenage worker, a coroner’s inquest heard Tuesday. Roger Marshall was the supervisor the night Bradley Haslam, 18, became entangled in a conveyer belt and died. Bradley, whose family asked that he be referred to by his first name during the...
Vernon School District reports fuller classrooms
VERNON - Enrollment numbers are in and the Vernon School District is reporting fuller classrooms over last year. Superintendent Joe Rogers says School District 22 is up 102 students overall, with 97 of them in elementary schools alone. “For the first time in many years we’re out of declining enrollment,” Rogers says. School districts receive...
Second suspicious fire in four days worries Vernon Fire Department
VERNON - Authorities are investigating a second suspicious fire in four days. Firefighters fought a fully engulfed metal recycling bin blaze at the Interior Freight and Bottle Depot on 24 Avenue at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says. Crews managed to suppress the fire, which was called in by a resident...
Mouth watering three-course meal surprises Vernon homeless
VERNON - With an hour to go before doors open, Chef Vincent Van Wieringen gives the sous-chefs and servers a final pep talk: be light with the drizzle of demi-glace on the braised beef, don’t let a water glass go unfilled, and do not, repeat not, drop a plate. Tablecloths have been smoothed, cutlery laid...
Inquest hears of chaos at mill after Lumby teen found caught in conveyor belt
VERNON - A coroner’s inquest into the death of a Lumby teen began Monday with tearful testimony from the mill worker’s mother, who described him as kind, determined and full of life. Bradley Haslam, 18, died June 15 after getting caught in a conveyer belt at Tolko’s planer mill in Lavington. The Charles Bloom Secondary...
ELECTION 2014 FORUMS: Time to quiz your candidates
VERNON - Dates have been set for area voters to learn more about their municipal candidates. The Vernon Performing Arts Centre will host two forums, one for City of Vernon candidates and the other for District of Coldstream nominees. Both will provide an opportunity for candidates to state their platforms, and for the public to...
Man captures incredible photo of picnicking bear in Coldstream
LAST DAY TO ENTER OUR CAPTION CONTEST AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE YOUR FAVOURITES! VERNON - It was a scene right out of a children's story: A bear nonchalantly snacking on chestnuts at a picnic table. No, it’s not photoshopped. Rick Zoethout, with Cidel Moving and Storage, captured the photo while loading items into a...
Bastion Place dementia patient died of natural causes
SALMON ARM - A 93-year-old dementia patient who wandered into another resident’s room at a care home in Salmon Arm and died four days later passed of natural causes, according to a coroner’s report. Bastion Place staff saw John Edward Young sleeping in his bed at 11:30 p.m. Oct. 2. Half an hour later, they...
Authorities investigate suspicious fire at Vernon construction site
VERNON - Police and the fire department are investigating a suspected arson at a construction site in Vernon last night. The fire department was dispatched around 9:50 p.m. Oct. 16 to the fire, located in a three-story building under construction in the 2700 block of 41 Avenue. “We caught it early, it could’ve been a...
HELSTON: Don’t miss out on what downtown Vernon has to offer
Downtown Vernon has a charming Main Street framed by quaint cafes, art galleries and boutiques. It has an old fashioned movie theatre, wide sidewalks for strolling, and park benches for those who want to sit awhile. It’s the picturesque street you’d find in movies set in small towns, like The Majestic. The only thing it...
Demobilization of Lumby flood response taking months
VERNON - Cleaning up the aftermath of the Okanagan’s largest flood protection response doesn’t happen overnight, it takes months. North Okanagan Emergency Management crews are still demobilizing gabion baskets—bags filled with gravel and used for dyking—from Lumby. The gabions were deployed at the beginning of May as part of Operation Duteau, a partnership with the...
Facebook page offers a window into Vernon’s past
VERNON - History fanatic Deena Lehoux admits one of her reasons for creating a Facebook page all about old photos of Vernon was a selfish one. “I wanted to see what everybody else had,” she says. “I’ve always been fascinated with the history of Vernon. I can’t drive downtown without trying to envision the way...
The next location for this closing Vernon shop will be online
VERNON - Customers who walk through the door of Lather Up downtown Vernon are greeted by the scents of ylang-ylang, tea-tree and sandalwood. They get to open tester lids, sniff products and try them out. But with a shift to online-only sales, that’s all about to change. Lather Up Canada Body Care owner Connie Adams...