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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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When one of the best places to eat in town is the hospital
VERNON - Like airline fare, hospital food has a certain stereotype associated with it, but in Vernon and across the Interior, those perceptions are changing one home-cooked meal at a time. The meatloaf, for example, is just like mom used to make it, says Interior Health Authority food production manager Ron Eichberger of his favourite...
ELECTION 2015: This probably isn’t the attention vandals intended when they hit Conservative election signs in Vernon
'IF YOU WANT TO SCRIBBLE SOMETHING, GO TO THE BALLOT BOX ON VOTING DAY.' VERNON - A damaged federal election sign making its rounds on social media is just the tip of the iceberg for one North Okanagan-Shuswap party. Vernon resident Chris Van der Molen walked out of his house Sunday morning to find vandals...
The most common traffic violation observed by Lumby RCMP in one day at one intersection
LUMBY - There was some good news, and some bad news, when police spent a day observing driving habits in Lumby last week. Prompted by numerous complaints about bad driving in the school zone and at the four way stop at Shuswap Avenue and Vernon Street, police dispatched an officer to the area on Friday,...
Police in Vernon investigate another incident involving gunshots
COLDSTREAM - Mounties are investigating a confrontation in Coldstream which allegedly led to gunshots being fired in a front yard. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says police were called out to a barn in the 6400-block of Highway 6 in Coldstream about 1:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 3 for a report of multiple shots fired in a...
Vernon RCMP looking for individual who was in Polson Park night of alleged murder
VERNON - Investigators believe there was someone else in Polson Park the night of an alleged murder, and they’re hoping that person will come forward. Police issued a statement earlier this week asking for additional witnesses in the Jason Hardy murder investigation, but RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says it appears investigators are looking for one person in...
Future of Civic Arena unclear if Vernon’s ice sheet referendum succeeds
VERNON - As the conversation around a new ice rink in Vernon continues to move ahead, some are wondering what that means for the historic arena it would be replacing. When the Civic Arena was constructed in 1938, it was the first indoor ice rink in the Okanagan Valley. In April of that year, the...
Vernon CrossFit rallies around Kelowna athlete injured in accident
VERNON - Those who CrossFit together, stick together — that much is clear from the heartfelt efforts of a Vernon gym to support one of their own who was seriously injured in a recent workplace accident. Cole Bernier, 23, was crushed under some roof trusses while working at a construction site in West Kelowna on...
Things to do in the Okanagan before they close for the season
VERNON - So much to do, so little time. Mere weeks remain before a number of Okanagan attractions close down for the season — and that means you’ve got to get moving, or wait until next year. The Kalavida Surf Shop in Vernon closes its doors for the season on Oct. 4, although special arrangements...
North Okanagan locked into recycling system, says MMBC director
VERNON - Those demanding changes to the North Okanagan’s recycling system appear to be out of luck. Allen Langdon, the managing director for Multi-Material B.C., says the new program is working well in the North Okanagan Regional District and, overall, generating few complaints. “We had some around the launch but in the last few months...
Disagreement over use of Vernon dog park has council at end of leash
VERNON - City officials continue to spar over the use of a green space near Marshall Fields as an off-leash dog park. Residents have been using the area, which runs alongside Marshall Fields by the Lakers Clubhouse, to let their dogs run off leash for years, but now the City of Vernon is now tightening...
Marina proposal on Sugar Lake has locals asking questions
CHERRYVILLE - Concerns are brewing around a marina proposal and what it will mean for Sugar Lake. Sugar Lake Developments Ltd. has applied to the province for permission to replace an existing wooden dock with a new 30-slip marina on Sugar Lake, just north of Cherryville. The proposal has some locals fearing impacts on the...
Woman reunited with Diego the dog more than a week after Vernon car accident
VERNON - He’s hungry, dehydrated, and a bit scratched up, but Diego is home. The five-year-old Chihuahua went missing Sept. 21 after jumping out a window during a car accident in Vernon. His owner, Tonya Olson, spent the last nine days desperately searching for him, holding out hope that he was alive. On Wednesday, Sept....
Vernon business frustrated as robbers walk free
VERNON - A Vernon business owner is fed up after two robberies at their store in the last year, and no arrests. Aman Sudan and her husband bought the local Mac’s Convenience Store franchise on 27 Street about a year ago. Since that time they’ve been robbed twice; the first time in January 2015 when...
Clock ticking on Vernon ice sheet referendum
VERNON - It’s crunch time for local government officials looking to hold a November borrowing referendum for a new Vernon ice sheet. The City of Vernon wants to decommission the aging Civic Arena and add a second ice sheet to Kal Tire Place — but has had to jump through some hoops just to bring...
Vernon residents upset about noisy shrimp harvesting on Okanagan Lake
VERNON - Noise concerns are being generated by shrimping operations on Okanagan Lake, but it's unclear which level of government complaints should be directed at. Vernon city councillor Juliette Cunningham raised the issue at a public meeting Monday, saying the noise from a shrimp boat working around Paddlewheel Park is leaving some residents complaining to...
Charges pending against erratic Kelowna driver who side-swiped cars on route to Vernon
‘HE TOLD POLICE HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS BEING STOPPED’ VERNON - Charges of dangerous driving and possession of a controlled substance are being recommended against a Kelowna man who went on a wild drive from Lake Country to Vernon last week. The 38-year-old was arrested in downtown Vernon after making his way from...
Suspects uncooperative after Vernon shooting that had ‘potential for great tragedy’
VERNON - Police say two groups of people with ties to criminal activity were involved in an alleged shooting incident last week in Vernon. One group got away, and the other has been less than cooperative with investigators. According to Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, neighbours called 911 last Wednesday, Sept. 23, to report shots fired at...
Man makes off with more than $50,000 in drive-thru ATM theft in Vernon
VERNON - Police are investigating after a man broke into a drive-thru ATM in Vernon and made off with tens of thousands of dollars. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says the Interior Savings Credit Union drive-thru ATM building at 4301 32 St. was broken into just after 10 p.m. Sept. 24. “An unknown male gained entrance...
Kick it to the curb: Vernon councillor says get rid of new recycling program
“I HAVEN’T HEARD ONE PERSON SPEAK IN FAVOUR OF IT” VERNON - A Vernon city councillor is saying put it back to how it used be when it comes to recycling pick up. Coun. Scott Anderson says he’s heard hundreds of complaints from Vernon residents about the new Multi-Material B.C. system, which saw plastic bags...
Experts frustrated in search for man presumed drowned in Kal Lake
VERNON - Another search has failed to turn up answers in the months-long search for Curtis Wilson, a Lethbridge man presumed drowned in Kalamalka Lake. Wilson, 24, was last seen June 27 and a series of air, land and water searches have been unable to locate him. The friend he was with, Shane Letkeman, was...
Lumby company’s hemp-base doggie chews to hit shelves by end of month
VERNON - Dog lovers are lapping up a new hemp-based pet product made by a North Okanagan company. True Leaf Medicine International Ltd. launched its nutritional dog-chews, which contain hemp, at a pet industry trade show in Toronto Sept. 20, and CEO Darcy Bomford said pre-orders are already bounding in. “The last two weeks have...
Armstrong sets goal of bringing Syrian family out of crisis
ARMSTRONG - Efforts are underway to bring a Syrian refugee family to the North Okanagan. The initiative is still in the early stages, but organizer Ron Brinnen is hoping the community of Armstrong will get on board. “The goal is to sponsor a family of four children and their parents and have them settle in...
Hundreds of North Okanagan deer heads still needed for disease study
“WE HAVE A THREE YEAR LIMIT ON THE PROJECT AND WE STILL NEED OVER 200 SAMPLES” CHERRYVILLE - They might be off-putting to some, but to a group of government researchers, deer heads from the Cherryville area are the key to stopping a potential disease outbreak in its tracks. Analyzing the lymph nodes found in...
Here’s how many people it took to sway a controversial riding adjustment in the North Okanagan
VERNON - Controversial boundary changes are no longer being considered for the North Okanagan's provincial electoral ridings, and you might be surprised at how few people it took to sway the proposal. The B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission, which reviews riding boundaries after every two provincial elections, had proposed removing a section of the Vernon-Monashee riding...