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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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HELSTON: What’s happening to summer music fests?
It starts around July—posts about dust-caked feet, late nights and dazzling concerts hurl into my Facebook news feed and I know it’s festival season again.
Safety measures sought for dangerous stretch of Highway 97
LAKE COUNTRY - In the aftermath of two fatal accidents, officials in Lake Country are calling for the addition of a concrete median between Beaver Lake Road and the Kelowna Airport. In July, an elderly couple and a 14-year-old passenger believed to be their grandson were fatally injured after crossing the centre line and colliding...
Bad news for Roots and Blues Music Fest
SALMON ARM - A summer music festival that has become synonymous with the City of Salmon Arm is in financial peril, and next year’s event hangs in the balance. The popular Roots and Blues Festival has been a staple of summer music in the Shuswap for 22 years, but currently doesn’t have enough money to...
Attention drivers: Highway 97 construction set for this month
VERNON - Construction begins Tuesday night on a notoriously dangerous stretch of Highway 97, and that means drivers could see some delays. The Ministry of Transportation is adding $5 million worth of concrete median barriers to separate four lanes of traffic on 11 kilometres of highway between Vernon and Kelowna. The work begins Tuesday night...
Coroner confirms identity of man found dead
KELOWNA - A man found dead in a wooded area of Kelowna Wednesday has been identified. The B.C. Coroners Service says he was Melvin Davis Maygard, 56, of West Kelowna. A passerby found Maygard on the ground Sept. 3 on the banks of Mill Creek near the intersection of Enterprise Way and Commerce Avenue. The...
Your kids aren’t getting an education so far this year, but international students are
VERNON - While B.C. students remain cut off from school during the teacher strike, some students from abroad are accessing educational resources through international programs in school districts. Vernon school district is one of the provincial leaders in attracting 200 international students this year. Supt. Joe Rogers says they are participating in field trips and other...
The defence department borrowed land from the Okanagan Indian Band and left this behind
VERNON - The Madeline Lake range is a swath of sprawling meadow encircled by dense woods and stunning vistas of the North Okanagan. Bears and other wildlife roam the hillside overlooking the two grassy plateaus, located just off Highway 97 northwest of O’Keefe Ranch on the Okanagan Indian Band Reserve. The area is known to...
Charges laid in connection with death of Armstrong woman
ARMSTRONG - A Salmon Arm man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of an Armstrong woman. Jillian McKinty, 27, was found deceased in her home on Wolfenden Terrace in Armstrong Nov. 27, 2013. She was a mother of two. “The circumstances surrounding Jillian’s death were suspicious in nature,” RCMP spokesperson Gord...
LARRY KWONG: How a Vernon man defied the odds and broke the NHL’s colour barrier
VERNON - From the frozen ponds of Vernon to the rink of a big league game, Larry Kwong became many things: The first to break the colour barrier in the NHL, a hero to countless fans, and an inspiration that anyone, no matter what their heritage, can follow their dreams. And yet the 92-year-old has...
Surprise wedding gives dying groom best day of his life
VERNON - Not knowing how many more days he’d wake up next to her, how many more drives they would go on together, or how many more times he’d get to say I love you, Ryan Langley rose from his wheelchair—defying everything his doctors had said—and watched the love of his life, Alisa, walk down...
Loss of rail is loss of history
VERNON - It once brought growth to the region, but now the railway linking Vernon with Kelowna is being erased one rail tie at a time. Since the last spike was laid in 1925, the nearly 50-kilometer stretch of track has carried many passengers and untold quantities of freight. But its glory days are long...
Movie featuring actors from Flashdance and 50 Shades of Gray to be filmed in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - A production starring actors from Flashdance and 50 Shades of Gray will begin shooting next month in the Okanagan Valley. Filming of Sepia Films' Wrecking Ball also known as A Wife’s Nightmare begins Sept. 8 in the region. The T.V. movie stars Jennifer Beals, known best for her roles in Flashdance, The Book...
Local government to make an offer on rail corridor
OKANAGAN - A group of Okanagan municipalities plan to make CN an offer this fall for an almost 50 kilometre long rail corridor between Vernon and Kelowna. Doug Gilchrist, City of Kelowna real estate and community planning director says a jurisdictional acquisition team made up of Kelowna, Lake Country, Coldstream, the North Okanagan Regional District...
Why you’ve seen so many missing person reports on your news feed this summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The faces of missing people from the Thompson-Okanagan have poured into news feeds over the last few months, but police say it’s nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. Spokesperson for the RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the summer months typically see more reports of missing people. “You’ve got the...
HELSTON: Suspects walk without charges in high profile cases—what’s going on?
Over the course of a week, police let the suspects in two separate, serious incidents walk without charges. The first incident was a shooting in Polson Park Aug. 12. Police said multiple people were involved and several shots were fired. Later that day, one person was arrested in Vernon and three in Kelowna. The next...
High-risk traffic stop intercepts dangerous driver
VERNON - Police conducted a high-risk traffic stop near the Vernon Army Camp Monday to intercept a group of individuals seen leaving a Lake Country pub with a gun in the car. Vernon RCMP were alerted around 7:30 p.m. to keep an eye out for a blue Ford Taurus. Reports said the vehicle was spotted...
Vernon arson case reveals need for video surveillance
VERNON – Fear over where Vernon’s alleged serial arsonist will strike next has pushed the…
Child lurer enticed victims by saying he was a modelling agent
VERNON - A Vernon man lured Okanagan girls via Facebook by telling them he was a modeling agent looking for young talent, said the Crown. David Clayton Willerth, born in 1974, is scheduled to enter expected guilty pleas for 25 counts, including communicating by computer to lure a person under 16, making or publishing child...
Why this girl needs a crawling baby, a turtle and a whole bunch of lego
SCAVENGER HUNTING TAKEN TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL VERNON - Robyn Potticary needs to set up a race between a crawling baby and a turtle, find some generous senior citizens to mud wrestle, volunteer for a non-profit, and forgive a grudge — among more than 100 other challenges — and she only has until Friday...
Girl guide thanks Enderby for inspiring act of generosity
ENDERBY - It was a night girl guide Jorja Van Winkle will never forget. One, because of the fierce storm that shook her tent and evacuated her fellow guiders, and two, because of the strangers who came to their rescue. Van Winkle, 12, from Chilliwack, was on a bus heading back to the Enderby SOAR...
HELSTON: A rail trail might be easier than we thought
While the scenic, lakeside railway between Vernon and Kelowna rolls closer to being put on the market, the fact remains there’s not much prospective buyers could do with the property. The land, which carves its way through several Okanagan communities past lakes and parks, comes with a few strings attached. The City of Kelowna has...
Changes to foreign worker policy impacts local ski hills
VERNON - Crackdowns on Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program have put local ski hills in a bind. Ken Derpak, managing director for Silver Star Mountain Resort, says the process for hiring a temporary foreign worker now carries a $1,000 fee. Before the overhauls, it cost only $275 per person. Silver Star typically hires 20 international...
Okanagan Indian Band describes chief and council roles
VERNON - After releasing its chief and council pay, the Okanagan Indian Band is explaining the responsibilities behind the money. Infonews.ca ran a story last week comparing band council salaries and expenses with its counterparts at the City of Vernon, as well as their respective populations. Band chief Byron Louis issued a statement in response...
Armstrong video store rewinds customers to a social kind of movie night
ARMSTRONG - Video store manager Sherry Aiken remembers days when the aisles were filled with people; families, couples on date night, movie buffs lining up for new releases. But like a good movie, those days came and went all too fast. “It’s becoming the end of an era,” Aiken says. “This used to be the...