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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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Charges no longer being pursued against man accused of Kal Park arson
VERNON - A conviction is no longer being pursued against a North Okanagan man facing arson charges in connection to a fire in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park last summer. Justin Rees, 24, was charged with one count of arson damaging property following the June 12 fire near Juniper Bay. At the time, authorities said the...
Vernon firefighters rescue man stuck in dumpster
VERNON - Emergency responders in Vernon recently came to the aid of a man in a rotten situation. Reported as a 'confined space rescue,' the unusual incident occurred when a man was taking out his garbage around 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. He accidentally tossed his keys in the dumpster along with the trash, and...
Vernon marijuana dispensaries warned by police to shut down
VERNON - Medical marijuana dispensaries in Vernon have been warned to close their doors. Hasia Glaim co-owns MMJ Total Health Care on 31 Avenue downtown Vernon and was surprised to get a visit from the Vernon RCMP Nov. 24. “We were given a verbal warning to shut down as we are operating illegally and we...
Vernon learning centre on the hunt for a new home after being told to vacate
VERNON - The Vernon School District is on the hunt for a new landlord after the decision to demolish the city-owned building the district has been leasing. School officials recently learned they won’t be able to lease the city-owned building on 29th Street anymore because it’s getting demolished. The city has asked the district to...
Block heater suspected cause of Vernon truck fire
VERNON - A block heater appears to be the culprit behind a weekend vehicle fire. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says a Ford F350 caught fire around 4:39 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 29 in the area of Windsor Place. “It was parked within three feet of a house,” Skolrood says. “It was close enough to do...
Vandalism spree leaves 74 Vernon parking meters damaged
VERNON - The City of Vernon is looking for information after numerous parking meters were vandalized, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage. Communications officer Tanya Laing Gahr says 74 meters were damaged in total, with the clocks from 72 broken or removed over the weekend. Damage is estimated at around $20,000. There was no...
Driver flees scene after flipping car in Vernon
VERNON - Emergency responders in Vernon were unable to locate the driver after a single vehicle accident last Friday. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says the department responded to the Orchard Hill Road accident, near Bella Vista Road, about 10:51 p.m., Nov. 27. “It was a rollover down an embankment,” Skolrood says. “No one was...
Vernon Farmers’ Market disappointed with arena vote
VERNON - The manager of the Vernon Farmers' Market believes some vendors will feel the squeeze as the group downsizes for upcoming arena construction. Manager Ingrid Baron is expecting the market will need to shrink by a third to fit into reduced parking lot space at Kal Tire Place while the facility is expanded. Greater...
Greater Vernon voters say ‘YES’ to a new arena
VERNON - Greater Vernon will get a brand new, multi-million dollar arena, voters decided today. The ‘yes’ vote for a new ice sheet to replace the aging Civic Arena was victorious in the Saturday, Nov. 28 referendum. According to preliminary results, 4,265 votes were cast in favour of the new arena, and 3,331 against. The...
Investigators still looking for tips in Cooke Creek landslide
ENDERBY - The Ministry of Forests still doesn’t know who’s responsible for a massive landslide near Enderby last year, but it’s standing by its belief the catastrophe was human-caused. In a statement released last week, the Ministry said it believes someone tampered with a culvert, leading Dale Lake to spill its banks and send a...
Rail removal to cause weekend traffic disruptions in Lake Country
LAKE COUNTRY – Crews are working their way north as they dismantle an old railroad…
Police presence outside Vernon apartment building
VERNON - There was a police incident at a Vernon apartment building today, but RCMP are tight-lipped about exactly what is going on. Cruisers were parked outside a complex in the 4000 block of 20 Street for much of the day Nov. 27, but police won’t divulge what brought them there. “It’s still under investigation,”...
Vernon School District asked to vacate city-owned building
VERNON - The Vernon School District has been asked to vacate a city-owned building currently home to the Open Door Education Centre. According to a memo from the superintendent’s office, the 29 Street building owned by the city and leased by the district is getting demolished next summer. The district has been asked to vacate...
HELSTON: How I fared for a day without a car
There are many things we neglect to do in our own hometowns, and for me, one of those things was riding the bus. Before this week, I had never used Vernon’s public transit system. So, after a recent trip to Vancouver in which I relied on buses and skytrains, I decided it was time to...
Vernon photographer creates magical Disney photos featuring her daughter
VERNON - A Vernon photographer brought a little magic home from Disneyland. It all started with an elaborate Elsa dress Camillia Courts bought her daughter Layla, who was five years old at the time, during a family trip to Disneyland last year. “When we brought it back home, I was thinking where the heck is...
Migrant workers safe and with families in Mexico after going missing in the Okanagan
VERNON - Four temporary foreign workers who went missing in the Okanagan this past summer are back home in Mexico, the country’s consulate confirmed today, Nov. 26. Vernon RCMP reported the men missing in July 2015, nearly a month after they were last seen taking a cab into Vernon to cash some cheques. They arrived...
Voters to decide fate of Vernon arena project in coming days
VERNON - Voters will have their say on a new arena this Saturday, but as they prepare to head to the polls, over 2,000 people have already cast their ballots in advance polls. “I think those numbers are even better than the general municipal election we had,” Vernon mayor Akbal Mund says. “That’s encouraging in...
Area director worried about lack of consultation for cutblock near Vernon
VERNON - A local politician has concerns about a proposed cutblock near Vernon — primarily that he wasn’t even notified about it. Electoral area C director Mike Macnabb says he wasn’t consulted about four proposed cutblocks covering a total of 261 acres on Vernon Mountain, even though the land is in area C. Macnabb has...
Highway 97C back open following police incident
VERNON - A police incident forced the closure of a major highway today. According to Drive B.C., what is described as a ‘police incident’ shut down Highway 97C in both directions between Huston Street and Menzies Street in Merritt Wednesday, Nov. 25. As of 4:35 p.m., the road was back open and traffic flowing. No...
Plans underway to fill health care gap left behind by Vernon walk-in closure
VERNON - As one walk-in medical clinic in Vernon closes, the door to a new one may soon be opening. Plans are quietly developing around the possibility of a new walk-in medical clinic in Vernon following news that the Vernon Family Doctors Walk-In Clinic at the Fruit Union Plaza is closing March 19, 2016. Few...
UPDATE: Precautions taken after overnight fuel spill in Coldstream
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, DISTRICT OFFICES TO REOPEN COLDSTREAM - An overnight fuel spill at a Coldstream gas staiton has prompted a full response from emergency crews. Officials say approximately 6,000 litres of gasoline spilled at the Centex Gas Station on Kalamalka Road just after midnight, Nov. 25. The spill is believed to have occurred when a...
Questions and concerns over proposed cutblocks near Vernon
VERNON - A proposed cutblock in the Coldstream area has the City of Vernon asking more questions. The city received notice from B.C. Timber Sales in September regarding proposed cutblocks covering 261 acres within the BX Community Watershed, just east of Vernon in electoral area C. The area is located on Vernon Mountain and while...
Coldstream municipal hall, elementary school closed due to gas spill
COLDSTREAM - An incident has forced a sudden closure of the Coldstream municipal hall. According to a media release from the District of Coldstream, an overnight gas spill in the vicinity of the Coldstream municipal office, the building is closed until further notice. The gas spill happened at the Centex Gas Station on Kalamalka Lake...
Merchants air mixed feelings about downtown Vernon market
VERNON - Vernon has some hard data on how downtown merchants feel about the summertime Avenue Market, and while it's not all good there is support to keep the market going. Survey results show businesses have mixed feelings about the market, which runs on Friday evenings on 30 Avenue during the summer. Of 143 surveys sent...