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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 teachers to escalate pressure this week
VERNON - Vernon teachers plan to intensify pressure on local and provincial government in the coming days. With school supposed to start next week and no deal reached with the province, the Vernon Teachers Association will picket outside the school board office Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week to push Premier Christy Clark, Education...
Movie featuring actors from Flashdance and 50 Shades of Gray to be filmed in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - A production starring actors from Flashdance and 50 Shades of Gray will begin shooting next month in the Okanagan Valley. Filming of Sepia Films' Wrecking Ball also known as A Wife’s Nightmare begins Sept. 8 in the region. The T.V. movie stars Jennifer Beals, known best for her roles in Flashdance, The Book...
School district calls special meeting on proposed pellet plant
VERNON - The Vernon School District wants assurances a proposed pellet plant won’t be harmful to student health. Superintendent Joe Rogers says the school board will hear from Pinnacle Renewable Energy and Tolko Wednesday night at a special meeting. The companies want to build the pellet plant near Lavington Elementary, next to Tolko’s existing mill...
Owners worried about missing pet store cat
VERNON - Russel the cat is always pulling wild and ridiculous stunts, but a recent vanishing act is worrying his owners. Russel, a fixture of AJ’s Pets & Things for nearly seven years, has been missing since Aug. 20. While possible, owner Lisa Badach says it’s not like the champagne coloured tabby to wander out...
Charges possible in boat vs. Seadoo crash
VERNON - Charges may be laid under the Canada Shipping Act after two boats crashed on Okanagan Lake over the weekend. Emergency services were called out to the Fintry area around 11:30 a.m. Sunday after a fishing boat and a jet boat collided. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the 18-foot Seadoo bowrider was traveling west...
Suspect arrested after trying to run police off the road with stolen truck
VERNON - The driver of a stolen truck gave police a hard time before crashing the absconded ride and being placed under arrest. Police were notified Aug. 23 around 12:31 p.m. that a stolen vehicle was traveling on 25 Avenue towards Francis Street. Officers located the truck speeding down Hartnell Road a short time later....
Donation jars lifted from Vernon corner store
VERNON - A thief was caught on camera after a botched robbery at a corner store in Vernon last week. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the crook entered Lakeview Market, located at 1501 32 Avenue, around 5:30 p.m. Friday. The approximately 40-year-old man had a white t-shirt wrapped around his face and yellow gloves on...
Gold unearthed at Lavington claim
VERNON - Land in the North Okanagan town of Lavington, B.C. is being explored for gold by a Toronto mining company. The property is made up of four mineral claims covering 1,156 hectares about 10 km east of Vernon. Historically, the property has been explored by other companies, including BP in the 1980s. Asher Resources...
Local government to make an offer on rail corridor
OKANAGAN - A group of Okanagan municipalities plan to make CN an offer this fall for an almost 50 kilometre long rail corridor between Vernon and Kelowna. Doug Gilchrist, City of Kelowna real estate and community planning director says a jurisdictional acquisition team made up of Kelowna, Lake Country, Coldstream, the North Okanagan Regional District...
Director leads motion against proposed gravel pit
VERNON - A resident’s attempt to build a gravel pit on the outskirts of the City of Vernon has revealed concerning flaws in the application process, says a North Okanagan politician. Not for the applicant, but for people in the community affected by the potential noise, dust and economic impact of the gravel pit itself....
Why you’ve seen so many missing person reports on your news feed this summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The faces of missing people from the Thompson-Okanagan have poured into news feeds over the last few months, but police say it’s nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. Spokesperson for the RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the summer months typically see more reports of missing people. “You’ve got the...
HELSTON: Suspects walk without charges in high profile cases—what’s going on?
Over the course of a week, police let the suspects in two separate, serious incidents walk without charges. The first incident was a shooting in Polson Park Aug. 12. Police said multiple people were involved and several shots were fired. Later that day, one person was arrested in Vernon and three in Kelowna. The next...
Workers return to burnt Coldstream lumber mill
VERNON - The employees of a Coldstream business are back at work after fire forced them from their posts August 12. Coldstream Lumber president Johnal Lee says all 40 workers were back in the building Wednesday morning. “We’re super happy,” Lee says. “We were under a lot of stress because of the impact, number one...
Public can weigh in on Mixed Martial Arts ban
VERNON - The public will soon get a chance to provide input on a controversial Mixed Martial Arts bylaw. The City of Vernon has given first readings to the bylaw, which would ban professional MMA events. Members of the public can have their say on the bylaw at the start of the Sept. 8 council...
Proposed Lavington pellet plant moves forward
COLDSTREAM - A controversial pellet plant has overcome a significant hurdle. Pinnacle Renewable Energy and Tolko Industries have the go ahead to rezone the land intended for the plant though it wasn’t an easy, or unanimous decision for Coldstream council. Third reading of the rezoning bylaw scraped through deliberations with four councillors voting in favour...
Middleton Mountain plagued by thefts from vehicles
VERNON - Police are asking the public to be vigilant following a series of thefts from vehicles in the Middleton Mountain area. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says there have been over 30 reports of damage or thefts to vehicles in that neighbourhood over the last ten days. “(They) have experienced numerous mischief, and theft from...
Man arrested following taser incident
VERNON - An altercation involving a man with a taser at Lake City Casino led to an arrest last week in Vernon. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says officers were notified of a man with a weapon at the casino around 11:30 p.m. Friday. “Our officers attend and learned there was a minor altercation with a...
Trio of children arrested for setting fire to elementary school
SALMON ARM - An arson at a Salmon Arm elementary school was made even more troubling by the fact its perpetrators were children. Salmon Arm RCMP arrested a six, eight and 10-year-old in connection with a fire at South Broadview Elementary. The kids were picked up by police shortly after the 1:30 p.m. blaze on...
Police continue to investigate suspected meth lab
VERNON - The suspects arrested in last Friday’s drug bust have been released without charges while police continue to investigate the suspected meth lab. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says members of the Vernon detachment alongside the clandestine lab team scoured a home in the 1700 block of 41 Avenue and found items consistent with cooking...
Seattle teacher accused of voyeurism to stand trial this winter
VERNON - A Seattle man will be tried in Vernon Provincial Court next year. Jason Paur, 43, will stand trial beginning January 15, 2015. Paur has been in custody since his arrest Dec. 10. Paur, a cross country ski coach, was on a field trip to Silver Star Mountain with students from the prestigious Bush...
Catastrophic electrical failure sparks Coldstream mill fire
COLDSTREAM - Employees at a lumber mill in Coldstream saw sudden, lightning-like flashes followed by flames after an electrical malfunction almost burnt down the entire facility. Investigators believe they have found the cause of Tuesday’s vicious fire at Coldstream Lumber, just off Highway 6 on Ricardo Road. Coldstream fire chief Shane Code says a combination of...
High-risk traffic stop intercepts dangerous driver
VERNON - Police conducted a high-risk traffic stop near the Vernon Army Camp Monday to intercept a group of individuals seen leaving a Lake Country pub with a gun in the car. Vernon RCMP were alerted around 7:30 p.m. to keep an eye out for a blue Ford Taurus. Reports said the vehicle was spotted...
Vernon arson case reveals need for video surveillance
VERNON – Fear over where Vernon’s alleged serial arsonist will strike next has pushed the…
Friends of Kal Park step up efforts against Ministry proposal
VERNON - A local advocacy group is determined to quash a Ministry of Transportation initiative aimed at Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. The Friends of Kal Park has launched an online petition — now with over 600 supporters — as part of ongoing efforts to halt the Ministry’s application to move the park’s boundary. The change would...