Charlotte Helston

If you're speeding along the highway thinking the authorities aren't watching, take a peak skyward. Vernon/ North Okanagan RCMP put some eyes in the sky over the long weekend as part of a safety operation on Highway 97, south of Vernon by Crystal Water Road Monday.  RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the helicopter provided an...

It's always nice when someone has your back. After an incident May 19, a Vernon cop understands the old adage extremely well. 

He shouldn't have been drinking. Especially not behind the wheel. Police say a 19-year-old, in a vehicle he "took" from a Mabel Lake area campground crashed right in front of someone's house Saturday. "One man was seen running from the scene through the owner’s property," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. Not long after, a second...

What began as an arrest for mischief early Sunday morning quickly escalated into assault of a police officer after a young Vernon man spit on the cop who took him into custody. The 19-year-old was allegedly jumping on a parked car in the 3900 block of 25 Street just after 3 a.m. when a local...

Vernon city council voted to make a few staffing adjustments this week, and some councillors aren't sure it was the right time or the right move to make. The decision came after a review by KPMG on the city's core services. Out of 113 recommendations, a handful dealt with changes to staffing. The report found...

A pair of Lumby men have pled guilty to multiple counts of breaking and entering. The charges pertain to a crime spree last June when the Dark Rooster Coffee House, the Lumby pool, Café Mazzega, Edible Canvas Bistro, Sister's Restaurant and the Bottle Depot were all broken into the same day. Three males were charged...

May long weekend destinations, and the road trips that get you there, can be dangerous according to officials. On average, 70 people are injured in 280 crashes throughout the Southern Interior over the Victoria Day long weekend each year. That's why local authorities and ICBC are reminding the public to pay attention and drive carefully...

A charge has been laid close to a year after 17-year-old Mercedes Mari-Lynne Fraser was hit by a car and killed while riding her bike at 25 Avenue and 37 Street.  It was August 17, 2012 and the Fulton Secondary student was on her way to work at the Vernon Army Camp, riding in the...

Some residents have threatened a class action lawsuit against the Village of Lumby, saying more needs to be done to alleviate annual flooding. Chief administrative officer for the village Tom Kadla says calls came streaming in this week after Duteau Creek—which runs through the town—rose over two feet. "Flooding is an annual issue. We live...

Boaters are being cautioned to watch out for a rogue storm outfall pipe on Okanagan Lake. Ed Stranks, engineering development manager for the City of Vernon, says the pipe was discovered bobbing at the surface Tuesday. The pipe, floating near Adventure Bay, is now marked with buoys to prevent boaters from colliding with it. "We...

While there are many who despise deer for intruding on their gardens, there are others who would gladly open their arms to them. It's the time of year conservation officials are expecting to receive calls about orphaned wildlife, such as baby deer. But according to Sgt. Josh Lockwood, conservation operations supervisor for the North Okanagan,...

"WITH NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTS, WE KICKED BUTT" Despite predictions Vernon-Monashee would be a close three-way race, incumbent Liberal Eric Foster actually increased his popularity, winning by a higher percentage than in 2009. Foster showed an early lead which he maintained throughout the night. "This is what we expected, we thought it would be...

If you didn't cast your vote in the advance polls, today is your last chance to have a say in the 2013 provincial election. If you're looking for a bit more information on who's running in Vernon-Monashee, check out InfoTel News' candidate profiles. They'll let you know where the candidates stand on a variety of...

It's new, it's portable, and it costs tens of thousands of dollars: a public washroom.

A controversial road improvement won't be seen to completion this year after an unexpected rise in cost. Infrastructure engineer Mark Dowhaniuk told council Monday the tender pricing for the Polson Greenway project had come in higher than the given budget. Upgrades to 29 and 30 streets between 41 and 43 avenues had an approved budget...

Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP have been dealing with a rise in criminal code investigations just as over 20 members went off duty or on restricted status. In a first quarter report to Vernon city council, RCMP superintendent Reg Burgess said the first three months of 2013 have been challenging ones. With between 23-28 members off duty...

Vernon cops stopped a driver Saturday night who was cruising over two times faster than permitted.  The driver was going 114 km/hr in a 50 km/hr zone— 64 kilometers over—as he passed through a turn lane. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk is shocked, but says speeding is no rarity on North Okanagan streets. Last Thursday, members...

Vernon RCMP want to stop a purse-snatcher before he targets anyone else, and they're hoping the public can lend a hand. Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. a 64-year-old woman was waiting for a ride at the Greyhound Bus depot in Vernon when an unknown male suspect snatched her purse from her hands. "The lady had...

As a Cherryville mother and her baby attempted to flee a frightening scenario, her boyfriend and the child's father allegedly confronted them with a gun. RCMP say the 25-year-old mother had called a friend to come pick her and the two month old baby up after her 23-year-old boyfriend became drunk and started behaving erratically...

A cop made a lucky stop Wednesday night when she pulled over to make a phone call and ended up helping bring down a group of Vernon criminals. Around 10:45 p.m. the cop pulled over by the Performing Arts Centre to make a call when a man ran up and said he'd just been robbed....