Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
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
Twitter
Facebook
YO MAMA: An unexpected guest
Bob arrived at the door on my son’s second birthday, riding atop my father-in-law’s shoulders.…
YO MAMA: The disregarded perks of maternity leave
Head to the local science centre on a weekday morning, and you are bound to…
YO MAMA: Hiking with a two-month-old versus a two-year-old
I finally did it. I passed on my beloved baby-wearing wrap to another mom because…
YO MAMA: Dear library patrons, sorry my toddler took a casual poop
Dear library patrons who were browsing for books while my toddler took a casual poop…
YO MAMA: 10 ways having a kid has made me a better person
I’m not talking about all those cliches about unconditional love and selflessness. This isn’t that…
YO MAMA: 20 ways I’ll get even with my crazy toddler when he’s older
There is no shortage of hilariously absurd moments when you live with a toddler. My…
YO MAMA: I’ll have peeta putta and jam any day
“Me scoopa no vroom vroom, scoopa hitchy wee-oooh-weee-oooh.” I chuckled from the kitchen as I…
YO MAMA: A toddler’s guide to tidying up
I started reading celebrity organizer Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” right…
YO MAMA: Toddler’s first ‘real’ Christmas
We first spotted his red hat through the window of the store. He was scurrying…
YO MAMA: Mommy and Me New Year’s workout
It was New Year’s Day and my son was playing happily with some new building…
UPDATE: Missing Okanagan woman located
UPDATE 2:49 P.M. JAN. 26, 2016 Lumby RCMP report the 24-year-old woman has been in…
UPDATE: Vernon teen located
UPDATE: 11:38 A.M., MARCH 16, 2016 RCMP say the teen has been located. All personal…
UPDATE: Missing Vernon man located
UPDATE: 5:01 p.m., Oct. 28, 2016 VERNON – RCMP say a missing 80-year-old Vernon man…
Marijuana 101: Okanagan College launches new course about pot industry
OKANAGAN – A new course at Okanagan College will teach students about the emerging marijuana…
Government approved cannabis facility expected to break ground soon in Lumby
VERNON – A medical marijuana company has the green light from Health Canada to build…
“It’s going to be massive”: What pot legalization means for the economy in the North Okanagan
VERNON – Just how much of an economic impact is legalization of marijuana going to…
Bus drivers ask Vernon council to ban smoking in public spaces
VERNON – Vernon transit drivers want the City of Vernon to ban smoking cigarettes, joints…
Vernon politician says something must be done to regulate public pot use
VERNON – A proposed smoking bylaw in Vernon is getting some early support from several…
City putting some of Vernon’s pot shops out of business
VERNON – The City of Vernon will be telling some local pot shops to shut…
“We still have fight left in us”: Vernon cannabis shop forced to close
VERNON – One of Vernon’s first cannabis shops is closing its doors at the end…
An inside look at one of the Okanagan’s first licensed marijuana production facilities
FALKLAND – Just off Highway 97 on the way to Falkland is a large, warehouse-style…
Vernon Light a Bulb campaign exceeds goal
VERNON - Holiday cheer is being felt at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. The 28th annual Light a Bulb Campaign has reached its $200,000 goal, the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Association announced in a media release this week. “Support for the hospital is always very strong,” campaign chair Marg Bailey said, “But this year’s Light a Bulb campaign...
Attackers in Quebec, Ottawa might not have been acting alone, Harper suggests
OTTAWA - Stephen Harper says the two men with jihadist sympathies who launched separate attacks in Quebec and on Parliament Hill might not have been acting in isolation. In a year-end interview, the prime minister tells the news network TVA that although Michael Zehaf Bibeau and Martin Couture-Rouleau were each alone at the time of...
Regional District of North Okanagan staff and politician wages revealed
NORTH OKANAGAN — According to financial reporting, 43 per cent of the $5.7 million payroll at the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) went to just 24 top managers and staff last year. Payroll was also up almost eight per cent last year, due in part to an accounting anomaly and a concerted effort by...