Charlotte Helston

A local business owner broke the silence at a public input session of the city's budget discussion Friday, attacking the rising wages at City Hall.  Mark Budgen runs Monashee Surveying and Geomatics and has lived in Vernon since 1974. "I've been here through the good times and the bad," he said. Based on his long-time...

Vernon City councillors are considering cutting RCMP services—which may include foot patrols that have reduced crime downtown—to keep this year's tax increase at a minimum. That doesn't sit too well with Supt. Reg Burgess who says you get what you pay for—and that the required reductions are a big mistake. Council adopted the budget decrease today,...

After a decision to dismiss auditor general John Doyle went sour, Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster has been told by B.C. Premier Christy Clark to take it back. Not only that, but Clark has decided to change the duration of the auditor general's term. At a media conference, Clark said the auditor general's act would be...

City council has chosen the lower of two tax increase options, despite a push by administration to select the other. To deal with the city's aging and often failing infrastructure, administration urged council to opt for a 3% tax hike to prepare for the upgrades that will most certainly be required in the coming years....

How to maximize Vernon's tourism potential and where to get the coin to do it is stirring up debate at Vernon city hall. For about three years, Vernon has had access to Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT) funds which are collected by local hotels and then given back to the city on a quarterly basis...

A controversial decision not to renew B.C.'s auditor general has put Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster in the spotlight. Foster is the chairperson for the committee that chose to dismiss auditor general John Doyle, who has held the position since 2007. He was also the source of an investigation instigated by Doyle.  The NDP is now...

Council begins a three-day discussion on where to spend the city's money this morning. The proposed 2013-2017 Financial Plan emphasizes a frugal approach to spending. The city's chief administrative officer Will Pearce says the focus is on saving money and putting dollars back into heavily used reserve funds. A proposed $2 million could come from service...

The tragic reality of puppy mills in the Vernon area was revealed to Vernon city council yesterday, accompanied by a way to put an end to them. We've all looked into the shiny eyes of a neglected puppy on animal rights commercials, but what many might not be aware of is the prevalence of puppy...

Wise words on climate change from a 10-year-old Vernon student appears to have impacted councillors at Monday's city council meeting. Neave Allen, a Grade 5 student from Beairsto School, spoke to Vernon councillors about the effects of climate change, urging them to do more locally to curb its destructive impacts. "I don't understand everything about...

Vernon Mounties are asking residents to keep a close eye on their neighbours for anything suspicious after a rash of break-and-enters. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says RCMP usually respond to a break-in once every couple of days. Lately, they've been well beyond that—43 in the last month. "There is a real spike over the whole...

After attempting to hide his identity, a 42-year-old man from Surrey is facing a number of charges following arrest in Enderby Jan. 11. The man was stopped by police on Highway 97B  near Mayfair Rd., and it was soon discovered that his vehicle, a blue Ford Bronco, sported a stolen license plate. "At first the...

Lumby RCMP are warning walkers to tread carefully after a cougar was spotted on a popular trail Wednesday. Sightings of the elusive creature are quite rare, especially near towns. "Wildlife may be encroaching on populated areas due to the recent heavy snowfalls," Lumby RCMP Cpl. Henry Proce said. The cougar was seen on the east...

Ruth Bosomworth turns 100 in her hometown's centennial year, and though she wasn't born in Armstrong, she's lived there for most of her life and members of the community believe she is the city's oldest living resident. Bosomworth was born Aug. 13, 1913 and moved to Armstrong with her husband Neil in the early 1940s....

A Vernon woman is serving two years' probation on a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting her four adopted children with a weapon.  The weapon she used to spank the children with? A spatula. The woman, who cannot be named by court order to protect the identity of the children, has already lost custody...

The City of Armstrong turns 100 years old in 2013, and celebratory events outnumber its years. "We have hundreds of events lined up," Terri Wong, centennial coordinator, says. The diverse events will have certain tourism benefits, but more than that, Wong says they are about bringing fun to the people who live here. Though 2013...

Nothing, not even Tuesday's snow storm, was going to keep the new Vernon Secondary School from opening. It's taken ten years for the new building to move from drawing board to reality, and the school's principal, Morris Vardabasso, says it was all worth it when the students burst through the doors this morning. "I've been...

Sarah Odd assumed the worst when her landlord called and said there had been a break and enter at her house while she was away for Christmas. But nothing was damaged except the window the suspect entered through. Nothing was taken, and nothing had been moved save for one thing: a photo of Odd's friend...

Greg Kyllo, a Sicamous councillor, is venturing into a new branch of government. On Jan. 5, Kyllo won the nomination to represent the B.C. Liberals in the Shuswap consituency. Kyllo is replacing George Abbott, a long-time Shuswap MLA who was first elected in 1996, and was re-elected in 2001 and 2005. Since Abbott's August announcement...

An enhanced community garden program hinges not on the green thumbs of Greater Vernon, but on their leaf coloured bills. Wendy Aasen, a community garden representative, says Vernon needs a garden coordinator to ensure the city's community plots remain viable. Three gardens crop up in Vernon: East Hill Allotment garden, West Vernon Allotment garden, and...

A new study by the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program has revealed some troubling news about the health of Kalamalka and Wood Lake. The presence of disturbed habitats—those modified by human use—are unable to adequately support the plants and animals living within them. Susan Latimer, a representative of OCCP, says these deteriorated habitats are comprising more...

The elements of a new sports complex in Vernon have been reworked, reducing the total cost by a million bucks. Local politicians debated aspects of the plan at a Greater Vernon Advisory meeting Thursday, and have reached a final figure of $7.5 million for the facility, which would be located next to Okanagan College in...

A man toting drugs and dog spray around on a bicycle in Vernon was chased down by a Vernon Mountie New Year's Eve, and arrested for obstruction of justice. The man was pedalling along 30th Ave. near Alexis Park Dr. at 3 a.m. Dec. 31. A police officer in the area noticed the man didn't...