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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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Pet rescues underway in Smith Creek fire zone
WEST KELOWNA - An animal rescue team is doing everything possible to ensure no pet is left behind while a forest fire rages in West Kelowna. The Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART) has recovered over 60 animals from the evacuation zone near Smith Creek, including 16 horses, 21 cats and 21 dogs. Spokesperson Petra...
Evacuees watch crews attempt to save their homes
WEST KELOWNA - Margaret Maljevac is living out of Rubbermaid bins and watching water bombers swirl above her home, hoping it will still be there when the evacuation order is lifted. Maljevac is one of thousands of residents displaced by the Smith Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, now 400 hectares large and only 20 per...
Teen arrested for arson in connection with townhouse fire
VERNON - A teenager has been arrested for arson in connection with a townhouse fire that sent residents fleeing the building. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says a 19-year-old man residing in the 44 Street townhouse will appear in court Friday on charges of arson with disregard for human life. Fire officials said the blaze erupted...
HELSTON: When council calls the shots on local sports
Local government has had its mitts all over three newcomer sports over the past year: longboarding, pickleball and mixed martial arts. The sports have virtually nothing in common except for the fact they are relatively new, emerging activities that are gathering fierce followings and lots of reaction from local politicians. But what is the government’s...
Vernon mayor leaving the job to ‘someone a bit younger’
VERNON - A Vernon mayor praised for building relationships between local governments feels he’s finished what he started and is letting a younger person take the reigns. Rob Sawatzky, 62, has announced he won’t be seeking re-election this fall. He says he’s getting too old for the demands of the job and plans to spend...
Residents flee from burning townhouse
VERNON - Fire sent the residents of a Vernon townhouse running Thursday morning. The fire, which started around 7:30 a.m. in the second floor bedroom of a 44 Street townhouse, is considered suspicious. "We are looking into the possibility there was a disagreement betwen the residents," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says, adding the occupants were...
VIDEO: What an Okanagan Rail Trail could look like
VERNON - A new video showcases the merits of converting the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna into a multi-purpose trail. The 50 km stretch runs along Kalamalka Lake, Wood Lake and Duck Lake and past 22 parks. Canadian National has begun the process of selling off the line, whose former operator Kelowna Pacific Railway...
Web hackers profit off Vernon arts
VERNON - A phony website and the hacker behind it is giving the Vernon Arts Council gigabytes of grief. The domain name vernonartscouncil.ca may look at first glance like a legitimate website belonging to the Vernon Arts Council. But as you read through it, you’ll notice statements like, ‘After you’re done visiting all of the...
Mixed Martial Arts ban won’t affect local youth
VERNON - Kids can compete in mixed martial arts tournaments in Vernon, but not professional fighters. That’s the stance Vernon councillors took Monday when endorsing a ban on mixed martial arts (MMA) contests in the city. Council postponed dealing with the proposed bylaw last month because of concern the wording was too all-encompassing. Coun. Mary...
Police identify longboarder killed in crash
VERNON - Police have identified the Vernon teen who died in a tragic longboarding accident Sunday night. “We have been in touch with his family,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. “It’s very devastating.” The 17-year-old, who was rushed to hospital in critical condition, had no ID on him and his family did not immediately come...
House fire wrecks wedding plans
ARMSTRONG - An Armstrong couple’s home, and the place they were going to get married, was severely damaged in a fire over the weekend. The Lockhart Drive homeowner and groom awoke just before 5 a.m. Sunday to flames ripping up the deck. Armstrong-Spallumcheen fire investigator Alastair Crick says seven people were in the house at...
Sugar Lake wildfire triples in size
VERNON - A wildfire that was an estimated 33 hectares in size over the weekend tripled overnight. Fire information officer Melissa Klassen says the lightning-caused fire raging just north of Sugar Lake is now burning 107 hectares of timber. While the fire grew Sunday night, Klassen says the latest figure is the most accurate because...
Heat pushing wildfire risk to the extreme in Thompson-Okanagan
THOMPSON OKANAGAN - With temperatures in the Thompson-Okanagan boiling over into the mid-30s in the next week, fire officials are warning the public to be especially vigilant. The weather in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which covers Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton, is expected to remain hot and dry for the next 7-10 days, conditions which...
Demolition likely for old Vernon rectory
VERNON - Buyers were interested in the century-old Anglican church rectory, listed on the market for one dollar, but they couldn’t find a moving company to get it off the property. “That’s been the story for the 2-3 seriously interested parties,” Rev. Chris Harwood-Jones says. “They all fell through for lack of a mover.” Over...
HELSTON: Losing the Kin Race Track would be losing part of history
VERNON - While the Vernon courthouse recently celebrated its centennial this year, the even older Kin Race Track is fighting to remain a fixture of the community, despite the crowds that come galloping through the gates every summer. Both are historic facets of the town, yet the City of Vernon and the Regional District of...
Kin Race Track fire considered suspicious
VERNON - Authorities are treating a fire at Kin Race Track as suspicious, just the latest in a long string of dozens of suspicious fires in the community. The Wednesday night blaze destroyed the grandstands overlooking the race track, leaving a charred and unstable structure too dangerous for investigators to enter. “We haven’t even been...
Fire destroys Kin Race Track grandstands
VERNON - Fire knocked down the grandstands at Kin Race Track Wednesday night, drawing response from the Vernon Fire Department and police. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says an officer noticed the large cloud of smoke billowing from the fire around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. By that time, fire trucks were also on their way. The grandstands...
Society suspects notice from city was an attempt to win lawsuit
VERNON - There won’t be any horse races at Kin Race Track this summer because of what the Okanagan Equestrian Centre feels is a ploy from City Hall. This spring, the society received a notice from the City of Vernon saying electrical upgrades were required before power was turned on in the grandstands. “The society...
Celebration of life for Vernon teen
VERNON - Those attending the memorial service for a Vernon teen killed in a boating accident are encouraged to sport a jersey, pajama bottoms and socks that don’t match to honour and remember him. Fourteen-year-old Miles Wohlford’s celebration of life will be held July 14 at Kal Tire Place at 3 p.m. Wohlford was tubing...
Guilty pleas expected in Vernon child porn case
VERNON - A Vernon man accused of luring children online and making or publishing child pornography is expected to enter a guilty plea this fall. According to the Vernon court registry, David Clayton Willerth, born in 1974, intends to enter guilty pleas Oct. 6. It is unknown which of Willerth’s 25 counts, or how many...
More beer on tap with Okanagan Spring expansion
VERNON - More beer will soon flow from the Okanagan Spring facility in Vernon. Sleeman Breweries is investing $4.4 million to expand the facility and increase capacity by around 20 per cent annually. “Thirty years later, Okanagan Spring is still brewed in Vernon where it was first founded,” Sleeman spokesperson Dave Klaassen said at a...
Caution advised after Armstrong mail boxes broken into
ARMSTRONG - Police are asking the public to watch for unusual activity after a set of mail boxes were broken into in the Armstrong area. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says numerous mail boxes at the corner of Lansdowne Road and McLeery Road in Armstrong were tampered with Monday morning. The damage was reported around 8...
A proposal on the big screen under the stars, in front of hundreds of people
ENDERBY - Risking public humiliation before a massive crowd if she said no, Tony Tomson popped the question. The dramatic moment played out at the Starlight Drive-In July 2, the same place Tomson and his girlfriend Stacey Lamont finished their first date three years ago to the day. It was a hard first date to...
Semi-legal marijuana grow operators arrested
VERNON - Police believe a North Okanagan couple was stealing electricity from B.C. Hydro to power their legal medical marijuana grow-op. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says a man and woman, both 39, were arrested after police executed a search warrant at 1645 Simons Road in Spallumcheen. The investigation between police and B.C. Hydro began in...