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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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Vernon man’s luck runs out after charges of stealing lottery tickets
VERNON – A Vernon thief’s lucky streak of stealing hundreds of lottery tickets has come…
Commercial North Okanagan lettuce grower looking to hire lots of locals starting in New Year
COLDSTREAM – Most of the lettuce you see for sale at chain supermarkets comes from…
Okanagan has already surpassed number of overdoses in all of 2016
Fentanyl has claimed more than 100 lives in the Okanagan so far this year. The…
Vernon man followed intuition to find wife injured, freezing down 200-foot embankment after crash
VERNON – Trevor Koenig knew something was wrong when his wife Caroline didn’t come home…
VIDEO: Cutting edge brain surgery a game-changer for Vernon man
VERNON – An 85-year-old Vernon man can once again eat, dress himself and sign his…
An inside look at what goes on at the Vernon Methadone Clinic
“PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT US” VERNON – Whether there for pain management or for…
North Okanagan flagger dies of injuries
NORTH OKANAGAN – The flagger injured on the job in Lavington last month has died.…
Hundreds of tubers warned for not having safety gear on Shuswap River
NORTH OKANAGAN – Hundreds of people floating down the popular Shuswap River found themselves stopped…
Damage in Vernon park could be related to erratic, impaired driver
VERNON – Mounties are thanking members of the public for reporting an erratic and dangerous…
‘We need to know what happened to our girl:’ Family begs for tips in case of missing Shuswap woman
SICAMOUS – The family of a missing Malakwa woman is once again making a desperate…
Second World War action movie being filmed in Vernon
VERNON – The Vernon area will serve as the backdrop for a Second World War…
Police aren’t done searching near Sagmoen farm
SILVER CREEK – Search efforts are quietly continuing in a rural North Okanagan community where…
New sober living suites open in Vernon thanks to family’s $220,000 donation
VERNON – Natural light pours into the spacious, refinished kitchen, a reflection of the brighter…
Rescuers bring woman stuck on embankment to safety following North Okanagan car crash
VERNON – Vernon Search and Rescue came to the aid of a woman who got…
Homeless ask for socks, phone cards as part of anonymous wish list project in Vernon, Salmon Arm
VERNON – The communities of Vernon and Salmon Arm are spreading kindness this holiday season…
Not all Vernon council on side with cultural and anti-oppression training
VERNON – City of Vernon staff and council will be getting “cultural competency” and “anti-oppression”…
City councils can approve new RCMP officers but getting them is the hard part
VERNON – Vernon is ready to pay for more police officers, but how long it…
Helping the rescuers: Vernon SAR needs your votes
VERNON – This time, Vernon Search and Rescue needs your help. The volunteer organization is…
Two robberies, one store: Vernon brother and sister robbed at knife point
"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME" VERNON – As an employee, you’re never really prepared to be…
Safety-related costs lead to bump in Vernon taxes
VERNON – Vernon taxpayers will see a jump in property taxes next year due to…
Independent review makes numerous recommendations in North Okanagan drinking water case
NORTH OKANAGAN – A report into a contaminated drinking water aquifer in the North Okanagan…
Vernon woman not giving up fight for costly cystic fibrosis drug
VERNON – Vernon’s Melissa Verleg is raising her voice for the medication she needs. Verleg,…
Salmon Arm RCMP arrest two people in mall parking lot
SALMON ARM – Some fishy behaviour in a Salmon Arm mall parking lot caught the…
Why vacancy rate statistics don’t tell the whole story
You may have heard all kinds of facts and figures this morning about vacancy rates…