Police said they were called to State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd around 7.10pm. One person sustained serious injuries following the crash, while three others have moderate injuries. Motorists have been asked to take alternate routes. Four people have been injured following a two-vehicle crash south of Dannevirke this evening. Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning New Zealand 'Light' 4.1 magnitude earthquake jolts lower North Island Geonet said the earthquake struck 10km northwest of Levin at 5.16pm at a depth of 37km Sheep killed more euthanised after stock truck rolls in Southland Police were called to the single-vehicle crash on Tokanui Gorge Rd Highway near Fortrose at around 7.45am on Monday Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare Health Farmhand died after poorly maintained quad bike rolled A Tararua farm manager has been ordered to pay $75,000 in reparations to the family of a farmhand who died after the poorly maintained quadbike he was riding rolled Crime and Justice Auckland recycling plant fire — employees' future up in the air The future of almost 120 employees with disabilities have been left without a place to work Vandals in 4WDs mow down, destroy 38 pōhutukawa trees in Napier 26 mins ago DOC apologises after non-toxic pellets spark warning at Nelson sandflats 32 mins ago Ex-NZ police head Mike Bush appointed to overhaul Victoria force 41 mins ago Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala 56 mins ago Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death 12:14pm Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' 6 mins ago 1Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Four people have been injured following a two-vehicle crash south of Dannevirke this evening Police said they were called to State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd around 7.10pm One person sustained serious injuries following the crash Motorists have been asked to take alternate routes A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has jolted the lower North Island this afternoon It described the shaking as "light" with close to 2000 reports from people feeling the tremor by 5.45pm M3.6 quake causing weak shaking near Levin https://t.co/aJM2e4ScOx One Facebook poster said it was "definitely a good one" while another described it as "only little but strange" Horowhenua District Council said it was a "good reminder" to chat about being prepared for earthquakes Sheep have been killed and others have had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled in Southland this morning The road was completely blocked and expected to be closed for sometime while the scene was cleared however the road is completely blocked," a police spokesperson said Southland District Council confirmed some animals were killed in the crash while others had to be euthanised due to injuries Fire and Emergency responded with crews from Waimahaka It's the second incident of sheep being killed after a stock truck rolled in Southland in a little over a week A small number of lambs had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled near Balclutha on April 27 Tonight's Good Sort is Dr Warren Nicholls a retired GP from Feilding who never quite stopped being a doctor Dr Nicholls took his skills on the road as part of a mobile medical service aimed at increasing access to healthcare There are no appointments needed – people just show up the team checks basic information like weight "There's a huge need for it," Dr Nicholls said The service began with local farmer Dean Williamson who wanted farmers to get more than their tractor checked up "To be able to book a health check in with the doctor you're looking at four or five weeks in advance and goodness knows what the weather's going to be like or what they're going to be doing on farming," Williamson said "I've signed a thousand death certificates but I've also delivered a thousand babies so the ledger of life is balanced," he said One caravan has now turned into a three and they've seen over a thousand patients He said one in four patients need further help "We've got a person who's probably a diabetic with a sugar of 12 and they don't know it." A mental health survey always finishes the visit it's their first doctor's visit in years "I haven't retired yet," Dr Nicholls said he wants to expand his operation into Northland "It's become my glorious obsession now." Almost $200,000 has been raised for workers with disabilities who have been left without a place to work after their North Shore recycling plant burned to the ground last week The future of almost 120 employees with disabilities is up in the air after Abilities Group's Glenfield factory was completely destroyed Workers there helped sort and process e-recycling They also recycled Fonterra bags – removing a plastic liner out of milk powder bags – and did some contract packaging Abilities Group was now fundraising and looking for new place to set up, and managing director Peter Frahar told RNZ, a Givealittle set up to raise funds had now reached almost $200,000 "We've had amazing support from the local community we're struggling to keep up with the messages of support and our Givealittle page that was set up has just continues to grow." He said everyone was "getting behind the good work we do and the staff we support" Two group meetings had been held so workers could get together and the plan was now to find a facility where Abilities could get the workers back doing what they were good at they're really able to open up and get their smiles back but they're looking forward to the day they can get back to work that pride of belonging to an organisation Frahar said the North Shore facility was completely destroyed in the fire It takes a lot to get your mind around the fact that a week ago we had all the staff working and happy rnz.co.nz Vandals in four-wheel drives have mown down 38 pōhutukawa trees on Napier’s Marine Parade The damage was done overnight on Saturday after the vandals first removed new vehicle barriers in front of the trees She said the council was concerned at the behaviour and said an early estimate to replace the damage came to $20,000 "These trees were planted for our community by the Rotary Club as a gift over the past five years," Wise said "There are lots of community groups who work alongside us to make sure Napier has places and spaces that are beautiful and welcoming and Rotary is a key partner in projects like this one "It is heartbreaking to see community resources time and energy treated in this way," she said "The damage was done by people in 4WD vehicles after removing the vehicle barriers and driving over the trees Our parks' team is looking closely at the cost to replace them and at how to ensure the trees are kept safe." recently erected along Marine Parade to keep vehicles off the beach but there was no evidence to suggest the vandalism was related to that to be installed from the National Aquarium of NZ to the Pump Track were to prevent vehicles from tearing up the grass and destroying trees fishermen profiled in a Hawke’s Bay Today article last week said it was a case of blocking their access to prevent "idiots" "It’s not going to stop the idiots doing the damage," one noted Napier City Council has reported the incident to police Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air The Department of Conservation has apologised to Nelson City Council and members of the public after non-toxic pellets left behind following a drone trial sparked concern among residents who believed them to be poisonous The incident unfolded following a drone-based experiment conducted last week at the Wakapuaka sandflats located northeast of Nelson DOC terrestrial biodiversity director Hilary Aikman said the trial was part of an ongoing study to test the effectiveness of aerial detection methods "They used non-toxic pellets for this research dyed blue to make them easier to see," she said a drone was used to photograph the area where the pellets lay leading to a member of the public walking their dog reporting them to Nelson City Council on Monday The council issued a warning shortly before 3pm yesterday that green or blue poisonous pellets which were "highly toxic" to animals and humans had been located in the area "There is no indication of how they got there and the matter has been reported to the police," said community services group manager Andrew White in a statement to 1News last night once DOC had clarified the origin and nature of the pellets the council said this morning that the issue had been resolved "The area is safe for recreational users and dog walkers." Aikman said DOC would like to apologise to Nelson City Council and members of the public "We acknowledge the non-toxic pellets should have been removed on the day of the trial and we made an error in judgement by leaving them there." The team would remove any pellets remaining in the area today Former police commissioner Mike Bush has been tasked with leading one Australian state's troubled force out of the mire after months of internal woes Bush has been named Victoria's next chief commissioner and will take over on June 27 Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said her government had "picked the right man for the job," pointing to his job performance across the ditch "Mike Bush will bring new leadership to Victoria Police," she told reporters "He made the community safer in New Zealand and he'll make the community safer in Victoria." Opposition police spokesperson in Victoria said the new commissioner must not be set up to fail and be able to carry out the job without political interference and the powers required to do the job effectively," Southwick said Bush retired from the New Zealand police force in 2020 after six years in the top job Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job The state government installed Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent as acting chief while it searched for a replacement Nugent was viewed as a frontrunner for the vacant role but pulled out after admitting he didn't have the drive to commit to a five-year term The force has not appointed a top cop from outside Victoria Police since former NSW police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 Nixon described Bush as a calm and considered leader "He'll be very focused on working with the Victorian community members of Victoria Police and the government to .. push things to the future," she told ABC Radio Melbourne Bush joined the New Zealand police in 1978 spending his career on the frontline and the criminal investigation branch Bush oversaw the police response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings led the force during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Whakaari volcano eruption he became a private investigator and ran his own international consulting firm Bush made headlines in 2022 when he unsuccessfully applied to become the head of the Metropolitan Police in the UK and it was uncovered he had a drink-driving conviction He was a 23-year-old detective constable at the time and disqualified from driving for six months A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Three people were transported to Palmerston North Hospital after two crashes near Dannevirke over the weekend Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on Heretaunga Rd in Maharahara about 8.40pm on Friday Hato Hone St John said one person was taken by ambulance in a serious condition to Palmerston North Hospital Emergency services were then called to a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 2 in Dannevirke at 7.10pm on Saturday Two ambulances responded to the incident and one person was taken to Palmerston North Hospital in a serious condition and another in a moderate condition Three others with minor injuries were assessed at the scene The road was closed for several hours but reopened before midnight Earlier that day there were several crashes farther north in Hawke’s Bay A crash on State Highway 2 in Putorino about 3.40pm did not require ambulance intervention A single-vehicle crash in Havelock North about 5am had no serious injuries left a power pole damaged but no one injured Replacing the trees is estimated to cost $20,000 Amid the horror stories of school lunches too hot to handle and inedible School Lunch Collective meals Dannevirke High School in the lower North Island employs its own cooking staff and has its own kitchen to provide healthy and sizeable meals to its 418 students The school's had its per-head budget for the food cut in half this year but there are few complaints about what's served to students in the school whare kai - its former hostel refectory Pumpkin or tomato soup for morning tea and Moroccan chicken tortillas for lunch are on the menu when RNZ visited on Wednesday "I think they're very good considering what I've seen online for other schools," a year 13 student told RNZ "I think they're really good and I also think they're really good for students who don't have good lunches at home," said another year 13 Schools that provide their own lunches are funded to spend $4 a head Last year Dannevirke High School was funded about $8 a head which left Dannevirke High School students shaking their heads "I don't know how they eat them compared to what we eat I feel like it's so unfair," one student said of the cheaper meals Others said they see comments about how students at other schools wouldn't feed the lunches to their cats or dogs and that they looked gross compared to what Dannevirke High School served For the rest of the week that will be lasagne with a green salad on Thursday before a vegetable-laden pizza on Friday and likely a curry early next week Some students said they even go back for seconds if there's any left apart from a little bit for the school pig bins The school has four full-time and one part-time staff members in its kitchen Head chef Jacqui Peck said there were about six pumpkins in the pot of soup while lunch on Wednesday had 36 kilograms of chicken breast She was disgusted watching what's been happening at some schools but had also been forced to make changes due to funding cuts This year they can only have one piece per day," she said I've had to drop stuff like beef and halve what I order and top it up with lentils and stuff like that we certainly can't afford to serve salad every day." The school's made its own lunches for five years and for a while made them for two other schools Its students do work experience in the kitchen and principal Di Carter said she didn't think about using an external supplier "We have noticed in period 5 in the afternoon a huge difference in behaviour We do not have the behaviour we had before," Carter said "Because there's no sweets or lollies or high-energy drinks and it's only water students are way better performing at school." "Probably some of them wouldn't have got fed at all the night before but [now] they're being fed and we know they are." under the supervision of teacher Te Amokura Gaffey she said she could see the difference feeding hungry children was making "There seems to be an attitude in the country that parents should feed their own kids." "I can't think of a better way to use my taxpayer dollar whether they need it or not why can't schools just do that a really worthwhile investment here in Aotearoa." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read There are more than 50 earthquake-prone buildings in Dannevirke Dozens of earthquake-prone buildings on Dannevirke’s main street have been given extensions to complete strengthening work A law change came into force in November extending remediation timeframes for earthquake-prone buildings by an extra four years Dannevirke township has just over 50 buildings which have previously been identified as earthquake-prone including 39 buildings along the township’s main drag A building owner says the extra time to complete strengthening work will be beneficial but it is a shame that at some stage “some beautiful old buildings” may have to be removed if the costs are deemed unaffordable Tararua District Council issued its updated notices to impacted Dannevirke building owners during February and March “Building owners now have until their new deadline to either complete the required strengthening work on their buildings or to have the buildings removed,” a Tararua District Council spokeswoman said Impacted building owners have between 2034 and 2043 to complete strengthening work (depending on their building) "If these buildings remain earthquake-prone there is a risk they could collapse during an earthquake leading to property damage and potential injury to people.” Buildings can stay open in the interim - until the repair work is completed or the deadline is reached - but they must display their Earthquake-Prone Building (EPB) Notice Dannevirke is no stranger to earthquakes and was hit hard by the 1990 Mother’s Day Earthquake Shires Fruit and Vege Market is one of the buildings on High St which requires strengthening and was largely rebuilt following the 1990 earthquake Owner Suresh Patel said they were one of the lucky ones in that the strengthening work required was relatively minimal at the rear of their building He said they were working with an engineer to have that work completed well before the deadline Patel is a long-standing business owner and served on the Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce committee for 25 years He said it was good building owners in the township had more time but the biggest challenge would be the cost - which would be substantial and perhaps unaffordable in some cases “We have some beautiful old buildings and it is a shame that at some stage they may have to disappear but if we could restore one or two and bring them up to the standard that would be fantastic.” Most of the buildings identified as being earthquake-prone in Dannevirke are retail or commercial buildings Notable buildings on the list also include the Dannevirke Fountain Theatre on Ward St and the eye-catching Bank of New Zealand building on High St Councils are mandated by the Government (via the Building Amendment Act 2016) to identify potentially earthquake-prone buildings in their area and councils can identify buildings at any time Owners of potentially earthquake-prone buildings are then contacted by their council The building owner must obtain an engineering assessment That assessment determines whether the building meets seismic performance requirements in the Building Code with a rating below 34% deemed earthquake-prone Earthquake-prone notices are then issued if a building falls into that category The notice states that strengthening work needs to be done by a set date If a building owner does not get an engineer’s assessment completed then that building is considered earthquake-prone “If building owners do not complete the required seismic work within the time specified in the EPB notice with a fine of $1000,” the Tararua District Council spokeswoman said All earthquake-prone buildings are listed on the Earthquake-Prone Buildings Register Horses and their riders are set to tackle the 3 Ranges Cowboy Challenge Club’s challenge in Dannevirke this weekend testing horsemanship The event will be at 232 Otaria Rd on Saturday and Sunday The club covers riders from the lower North Island including Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa Manawatū and Whanganui and was named after the three ranges that sit in the middle (Remutaka Club president Garry Wills said they were unofficially affiliated with the New Zealand Cowboy Challenge association Wills said the challenges were to reflect real-life work that a cowboy might do “It is all about a horse having total trust in its rider willing to go over or through an obstacle knowing it will not get hurt.” The Dannevirke challenge utilises the typology of the paddocks and horses and their riders will take on 13 challenges These include obstacles like a narrow bridge Wills said they were trying to build confidence in the animal any rider putting uncalled-for pressure on a horse at any stage would be significantly penalised “Horsemanship is very special to watch when you see that partnership between a horse and rider.” He said they would be looking for “a willing horse and not just an obedient horse.” Wills described the feeling of trust between the rider and horse as satisfying when I’m out fencing he is like a puppy dog He felt the popularity around the TV series Yellowstone had helped to create a buzz within the challenge community and he was working on nailing some of the skills they showcased The Dannevirke Challenge this year includes the inaugural Provincial Challenge Cup The competition will be between 3 Ranges Cowboy Challenge Club and BOP Cowboy Challenge Club The Provincial Challenge Cup is made up of a team of six including one youth rookie and youth divisions go towards winning a Cowboy Challenge NZ national title This year a Return to Riding Beginners has been added to the competition Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities Whanganui and Manawatū with Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis at one of the new homes which will have tenants moving in soon New homes built for Kāinga Ora have been praised by members of the Dannevirke community The Government social housing provider held a community open day to give locals the opportunity to see inside the new homes in Cole St The reactions from those who explored the new homes were positive It was just over a year ago when the section became vacant after the house that was once there was moved to Woodville A piece of Dannevirke history leaves town In February it was announced that Kāinga Ora had made an agreement with NZ Housing Group which was building seven new two-bedroom homes on the site Whanganui and Manawatū confirmed the purchase last week Graeme says the developer is a key development partner for Kāinga Ora as they have built around 160 homes around the country for Kāinga Ora He says it also boosts the local economy as the developer used local tradesmen for such things as drainlaying decorating and landscaping and materials were sourced locally The homes have been built to last and with long-term cost savings in mind Graeme says the homes will make a difference for seven whānau in the community “Most of us take for granted that we have a place to call home but for a number in our community that isn’t the case so these homes will be providing a good safe and secure place for them to live well The placements team will be working to match people with the greatest need into the new homes New tenants selected from the Ministry of Social Development Housing Register are expected to start moving into the homes in the next few weeks Several locals took time out to inspect the homes with one couple saying they had watched the progress from when the old house was first moved off-site and were excited to see the project finished Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis was also impressed She was impressed with the infrastructure and says every detail has been well thought-out Graeme says there are no further plans to deliver any more such homes in Dannevirke “at this stage” They are still going through the assessment process on a vacant block of land in Woodville Kāinga Ora has been asked to reassess projects in the construction pipeline to ensure they are “value for money” and where the highest need is There are currently around 48 families in the Tararua District on the housing register and Graeme acknowledges the register doesn’t necessarily reflect what the need is both for those that need housing and the community “For too long the housing need in the Tararua District was overlooked “I was determined to change that and promised that would bring Kāinga Ora houses back to the district.” Kieran says he is proud to have delivered on that promise “It also means less pressure on private rentals which prevents rents from rising too fast.” Kieran was disappointed by the Government’s stopping of funding for Kāinga Ora which likely meant no further funding for community housing in the district Paul Gleeson remembers a truck he wanted to own The Dannevirke A&P Show is returning to town with new attractions stalls and entertainment for showgoers including hosting the speed-shearing event for the first time A&P Show president Kirsten Wahlberg said the event was a great local showcase She expected a couple of thousand visitors through the gates over the weekend “We had 800 to 900 last year each day and that was in the pouring rain,” she said The show will run from January 31 to February 2 with the speed shearing to be hosted on the Friday night with a $1000 prize for the winning shearer but at the same time we have got very good organisers organising it that have been around and know what happens for the speed share Joining the Friday night entertainment fun is Mahons Amusement which will be bringing along a selection of new rides “This year they are staying for the whole weekend so they run Friday night We definitely have lots of new things happening.” Wahlberg said they have worked to transform the petting zoo into a newly developed “Agridome” “We have basically moved the petting zoo and made it bigger and better and added a whole lot of other stalls inside the hall.” She said showgoers would have plenty of demonstrations to watch including cow milking terrier racing and various shearing events “We have got a competition between shearing the sheep and the knitters and spinners where they will go from shearing the sheep to ending up with a knitted garment of booties.” The Fleece to Feet competition is organised by the Dannevirke Spinning and Weaving Club and Clarke Shearing with the garments to be donated to local rest-home residents Wahlberg said the tug-of-war would make a long-awaited return at lunchtime on Saturday “It used to run at the show years and years ago and now we have actually found the tug-of-war machine.” Participation in this event is free and competitors can enter in a team of six individually before the day Wahlberg said there would be bouncy castles and the Fonterra train for the younger children to enjoy Sunday will include a Pooch Party run by the Ruahine Kennel Association with a celebrity judge to determine who has the waggiest tail Wahlberg said the trade stalls looked promising with “a lot of new ones” Wahlberg said despite the A&P Show becoming harder to run due to financial constraints it still had their place in society “It gives an overall fun weekend where the prices are still cheap it’s very affordable and it gives great entertainment.” Wai Splash won Champion Float and People’s Choice in the Dannevirke Christmas parade for 2024 “Every bit as good as last year” was the general consensus for this year’s Christmas Parade in Dannevirke A large crowd lined High St in Dannevirke in time for the parade which began heading up from Stairs St around midday on December 7 There were 38 entries in this year’s annual parade with a variety of floats to delight the crowd Led by the combined Dannevirke and Levin Brass Bands the parade headed north up High St with the Ruahine Ramblerz marching team in step An impressive display of firefighting equipment and damaged vehicles earned Fire and Emergency NZ - Dannevirke Volunteer Fire Brigade runner-up in the Most Original Float category along with Holmes Trucks brought his steam traction engine and vintage tractor to add variety and this continued for the 40 minutes the parade took to pass Tararua District councillor Steve Wallace interviewed most of the float drivers to add some interest for the crowd There were some amazing creations featuring lots of colour and structures hosting dozens of children and adults from a great number of groups Dannevirke Lions had spruced up Santa’s sleigh which was the one which everyone under the age of 7 particularly wanted to see and they were not disappointed Best Children’s Float: First Years Preschool runner-up: Holmes Truck Repairs & Fire and Emergency New Zealand - Dannevirke Fire Brigade Best Christmas-themed Float: Te Rehunga Hall One of Rose Bertram’s four children didn’t like peas “They all had quite varying degrees of sensory challenges around food and picky eating.” It was after a realisation that she might not be alone that Bertram, parent educator with Tararua Reap decided to run picky eating workshops to help other parents and their children The workshops have now run for over a year and Bertram said they were designed for parents of children of all ages She said each child was different and the workshops over three weeks explored the role of sensory processing neurodivergence and how they turn kids into picky eaters “It can be tricky catering for each child at meal times and this course helps parents to find ways to do this in a stress-free way Without having to cook multiple meals in one night.” Bertram said the workshops were broken down so parents could easily digest the information “We start around the research - what is picky eating Bertram said studies showed that about 50% of children between 18 months and 4 years were picky eaters “That’s a lot of families that it is stressful at meal times and with the cost of living and the cost of food you don’t want waste.” The workshops examined strategies for coping with children and their eating habits and focused on why children were picky eaters “That’s a lot to do with genetics or there is a medical reason or sensory challenges.” She said children often associate food with feelings which could contribute to their opposition to certain foods “Say they are sick at the time whether they have a cold or a tummy bug and perhaps one of their last meals .. they can associate that food with that feeling.” Bertram said she helped parents understand where their child is on the “picky eater spectrum” which had three categories The first was typical developmental pickiness where a child goes through a short-term phase Then there was the picky eater who “might refuse a food for a while” but would accept it reintroduced into their diet Bertram said at the top end of the scale was a child deemed a “selective eater or a problem feeder” This was a child who had less than 20 foods on their food list and was someone who would go off something and fail to reintroduce it into their diet She said the senses played a massive role in a child’s selectiveness of certain foods and explored the role of genetics in how food tasted it’s just understanding that your child might have that gene.” Bertram said she tailored the experience for the parents and covered the specific aspects of eating they were interested in The workshops run on March 13, 20 and 27 in Dannevirke and interested parents can register with Tararua Reap Investigations into seven noise complaints made about a new woodchip mill in Dannevirke found the business to be compliant the complaints were made about “general loud noise” generated by the debarking and wood processing plant operating under a temporary resource consent Owned by Simon and Danielle Buckeridge, the mill was registered as a business in August 2023. The couple also owns the trucking company Buckeridge Transport and the Ballance Consignment Store The decommissioned chipping plant was brought into Dannevirke from Gisborne last year to help the district with the removal of bin wood from forestry blocks The first complaint was received about the mill on November 21 All noise complaints since have come from within 400m to 500m of the site Collis said if the wind was blowing in the right direction she could hear the noise “I can’t hear it inside the house but if you are outside sometimes I can hear what sounds like a little bit of thunder.” Collis said the council was working through a monitoring process that looked at where the complaints had come from how the weather could impact the noise levels and what the business could do to reduce it “It’s a new business and they have invested heavily and it’s in the right area.” She said the mill was in the “industrial” part of town and had created jobs for the community A Tararua District Council spokeswoman said Buckeridge Wood Fibre engaged a professional acoustic engineer consultant to test and verify the noise emitted from the activity is compliant with the Operative District Plan and the Resource Management Act the council also opted to engage an acoustic engineer to test and verify the compliance “Test results found the applicant engineer had modelled and demonstrated that the noise generated from the activity complies with the operative district plan standard “The testing conducted by the engineer engaged by council also shows that the noise generated from the activity complies with the local district plan requirements." The council spokeswoman said the company is working with its acoustic engineer and the council’s acoustic engineer to finalise the best practicable option A floating solar farm is being considered for Dannevirke A solar farm which was initially proposed for under-utilised land is now being proposed for one of four wastewater ponds Tararua District Council strategy and district development manager spoke on the proposal at the October council meeting An evaluation had been done on several sites and in a presentation earlier this year it was stated that one of the sites being looked at was under-utilised land near the Dannevirke Transfer Station a local resident had brought up concerns over the land saying it had been acquired by council through the Public Works Act Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua chairwoman Mavis Mullins said the floatation came about because of the resident’s concerns “They didn’t want any further land used for any activity other than what it was taken for and we agreed with that.” Mullins said the floatation was relatively new but it was proven Wimsett said the project was ambitious and it wasn’t often solar panels were put on top of water “The trick here is that they are trying to operate as a pond for wastewater and collect electricity from sunlight so they’re kind of competing because there’s biological activity that goes on in these ponds that need UV for the bugs to do their thing.” He said they’d chosen that particular pond because it was the fourth pond at the end of the line of the processing and the intention when it was built was to be the overflow of stormwater inflow The panels would be see-through so the UV would still get through “It’s really the floating pods that are going to stop that sunlight getting through so roughly 20% are the solar panels of that 40% area and 20% are the actual pods so we’re going to get decrease in the amount of light reaching into that particular pond and so our engineers are just assessing that so these are the detailed considerations that we’re just working through presently.” The project had a major deadline of March 31 2025 for the build to be completed and for at least 70 customers to be signed up to a new retailer that would benefit from surpluses made from the council paying for the electricity “This is why it’s seen as a procurement of electricity contract rather than a council build,” Wimsett said noting that it wasn’t council taking the risks in building it would be paid by council as an electricity supplier and any excess would be delivered to the power grid which had provided a grant for Rangitāne to pilot a solar farm was comfortable that they had moved in the right direction Councillors asked several questions around unintended consequences and risk management and it was explained in detail how those things would be anticipated and managed Council chief executive Bryan Nicholson reminded councillors that the purpose of the report was to provide an update in terms of the change of direction but there was still quite a bit of work to do in the background Staff dressed in clothing from the early days of the kindergarten when Dannevirke Central Kindergarten held a celebration marking 75 years joined head teacher Hilary Hirst in the celebration It’s fair to say Dannevirke Central Kindergarten has seen three generations of students in its time And some of those past students — and even some former teachers — came along last week to help the kindergarten celebrate its 75th birthday They were able to check out the memory board which included photos and memorabilia and a cake It was 1948 when the early childhood centre employed its first teacher the kindergarten was in Burns St but moved to its permanent site in High Street in 1949 Much has changed in early childhood education in 75 years Dannevirke Kindergarten Association general manager Antoinette Perry said regulations had changed “immensely” over that time In the almost 30 years she has been with the association she has seen kindergartens go from what used to be called sessional kindergartens where the older children would come in the morning and the younger ones in the afternoon to having a full day with the same 40 children “There’s been huge changes in early childhood,” she said adding that they were always trying to keep up with the trends the then-Government brought in an initiative which subsidised 20 hours Parents are also encouraged to apply for support from the Ministry of Social Development for their child Perry said the kindergarten used Te Whariki the early childhood education curriculum which was upheld at both Central and Appleton kindergartens both under the umbrella of the Dannevirke Kindergarten Association It was a curriculum based on the idea of learning through play and follows the children’s interests Head teacher Hilary Hirst said the teachers worked in partnership with whanau in everything they do recognising children have their own interests and strengths and bring their own knowledge to kindergarten It also recognised the wide range of children who attended the kindergarten “Our relationships with their families are so important because they share with us what’s so special about their children Last year Dannevirke Central Kindergarten joined the Enviroschools programme which looks at sustainable practices and teaches children about looking after the environment Hirst said the kindergarten has worm farms and a community garden as well as a sharing shelf for kai which included produce brought in from family gardens another way that whanau could contribute to the kindergarten Michael Phillips of Waka Dairies with his herd of dairy cows Photo / Gianina Schwanecke / RNZ / Country Life By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ On overly wet and cold days when the wind below the Ruahine Range is howling, and on dry, hot summer days, you’re likely to find Waka Dairies’ herd of milking cows taking shelter under a huge shed on the farm “It’s basically a roof for over their head when times are hard like we do when we go inside,” managing director Michael Phillips told RNZ’s Country Life “It’s looking after our cows more than anything.” The more than 5000sq m composting shelter is a key feature in how the team manages animal health, as well as the environmental impacts of dairying It’s filled with carbon – in the form of woodchip or sawdust – which not only provides the cows a soft underground padding but also helps turn their waste into compost that can be used to help fertilise maize and sugar beet grown on the farm for feed “It’s probably our number one tool for managing our leachate,” Phillips said They first started composting about seven years ago Phillips said the main rationale behind investing in the new $1.3 million structure two years ago was around developing a sustainable winter management system for the farm “It’s a great tool to use but it does cost a lot of money to build that infrastructure and manage your farming system with that new tool.” Waka Dairies’ 650-cow herd spends about two-thirds of the year in the shed though this can range from just a few hours The “trigger points” are when the weather is too hot or too wet for the cows which can reach temperatures of around 45 to 55C helps keep the cows warm during the winter months There was little odour coming from the compost material when Country Life visited “Certainly when it’s being managed correctly and you do everything right They take temperature readings at least three times a week in different parts of the shed and do dry-matter checks to make sure it’s composting correctly The team also drives tractors through the bedding pack with rippers each day to aerate the materials About once a year they remove it to store it as compost though Phillips hopes to push this out two years as the costs for carbon material have increased He is collecting data that he hopes will help improve his technical understanding of the process With New Zealand known for its grass-fed farming models Phillips is mindful of the public perception of cows spending so much time under cover He sees it as a hybrid system – grass and feed are also grown on the farm and the cows are not always inside the shed they think it’s unusual or different but in terms of industry stuff within dairy it’s a relatively known tool that is becoming more common “This is a perfect solution for what we’re dealing with on-farm.” It’s helped them become more efficient without having to reduce the herd size Phillips said Waka Dairies’ goal was to be a “leading producer” The compost generated from the cowshed allows them to operate within a closed cycle system of nutrients and he hopes to explore renewable energy options in the future including wind or solar-power generation options a new industry touted as a potential saviour has run into roadblocks A childhood visit to a lolly shop sparked a lasting idea for a Dannevirke woman eventually inspiring her to launch her own sweet business venture years later Renee Marsh, who works fulltime at Silver Fern Farms in Takapau “As a kid you go to lolly shops and they are just amazing and I remember thinking when I was younger I want to have one of these.” The 40-year-old said a conversation with her husband sparked an idea to stock “old-school lollies” and bring back some of the favourites they enjoyed as children The Sweet Haven will stock more than 100 types of lollies including super tattoos Marsh said a part of the store would be dedicated to international sweets from South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, and for those with special dietary requirements “I’ve got a pick ‘n’ mix range and there are over 80 different lollies in that section plus the international types and all the novelties.” and Marsh planned to hire someone to work in the store Marsh has thrown herself into the new challenge with a desire to brighten the Tararua town’s main street “Our town is pretty bland at the moment and every third shop is empty there is no real colour or anything exciting — and that is something you always notice.” Marsh said when she decided to open the lolly store she gave herself a goal of nine months; however four months in she is almost ready to open She renovated the building herself and painted the shop neon pink Marsh wanted prices to be as close to “old-school prices” as she could make it so that’s the challenge — working out the prices.” She said she was overwhelmed by the response and suggestions after posting to a community Facebook page and by inquiries as people walked down the street “I have people knocking on the door now asking if we are open.” Marsh plans to be open three days during the week and over the weekend She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love of sharing stories about farming and rural communities Bylaws are under review at Tararua District Council Problems of encroachment on Easton St need to be addressed The concerns were brought up in discussion over the current bylaw review programme by Tararua District Council at the board’s October meeting Public consultation is now open and feedback on the Traffic and Road Use bylaw needs to be in by December 16 Board member Ernie Christison asked where the public roadway on Easton St ended He says on the road down to the transfer station there are forklifts working on the side road and if it was a public road there needed to be a traffic management plan Board member Ron Wallace says with the encroachments from businesses operating along the road it was becoming narrow and needed addressing Tararua Alliance network manager Andrew Desmond says letters have been sent regarding the encroachment changes made in the review could give the council more power to enforce clean-up Board member Terry Hynes says the issues have been going on for a long time with stuff being dropped off that was cluttering up the footpath “We need to forge a way for a solution to a real issue which keeps on going So I’d like to see some way of negotiating Board members were encouraged to make submissions on the proposed changes to the bylaw with hearings due to take place early next year The council has been consulting on the proposed postponement policy for those impacted by the rates rebate direct debit error It was noted in the meeting that postponement is one of the tools the council can use to help people impacted by the error Twenty submissions have been received and hearings have been set for early November The council will deliberate on whether there are any changes or tweaks needed on the draft policy with a final version being presented to the council in mid-November Councillor Erana Peeti-Webber says council has been slowly working through everyone affected by the error a small few were uncontactable due to details not being updated Funding cuts are looming for Tararua Community Youth Services Terry attended the service’s annual general meeting and while everything was going “really well” funding was an issue “They’re facing some big cuts in their funding particularly in the areas of driver licence training.” A Dannevirke resident was concerned the Wackrow Memorial Youth Awards were not run this year and wrote to the board Ernie says he had discussions with some of the previous judges and a lot of people felt it should go forward with only three “We’re not doing much for the youth in town.” Three nominations were sent in this year and it was felt they deserved to have some of the limelight “It’s our duty to continue with it and make sure it happens this year.” Terry says there was extensive publicity done for the awards including visits to the local schools but there was very little response more than three were needed to conduct the awards He says he spoke to the person who did the nominations and he was in favour of not proceeding Terry says there is a policy that if it was less than four nominations they had to pull the pin and that was what happened “It wasn’t for the lack of trying to do something about it We worked really hard to get people to nominate.” He says the feedback he had was that it is “exceptionally difficult” to get people to nominate young people for the award The Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce has been busy organising and preparing for the Christmas parade Terry says there is a lot of promotion with trying to drum up local business support for the parade It was noted that a letter had been sent to the community board querying their budget and a previous commitment to helping fund costs for the Christmas parade the then community board had made a recommendation or agreement to pay for the traffic management on the day and it was understood it was intended to be an ongoing payment That board had also agreed to relinquish the organisation of the parade to the Chamber of Commerce board members were told that a community board does not have the ability to commit the council to ongoing funding and only has what funding is provided by the council Erana reminded board members that times have changed since 2015 and the council does not have the funding to commit The board was yet to meet to decide its budget and what it would support with the funding which was cut following the adoption of the long-term plan Tararua District Council (TCC) is relocating its Dannevirke council chambers a plan it says will save it just over $91,000 a year The decision to move council meetings to the concert chambers at Dannevirke Town Hall aligns with the council’s goal to save costs by optimising building use The final meeting was held on October 30, and during a renovation period council meetings will be held at the Pahīatua Service Centre A TCC spokesperson said no major renovations were being conducted at the buildings Setting up the chambers at the town hall for meetings conference calls and citizenship ceremonies – including installing cameras and microphones – is expected to be finished by the end of January Costs for the move will come from existing budgets with the new chambers to function as they did before “The town hall did not require earthquake strengthening and [at] 26 Gordon St earthquake strengthening was completed in 2022,” the spokesperson said The council chambers on Gordon St will be converted into a shared office space for the 12 staff who work in the adjacent Tararua Business Hub on Denmark St The council spokesperson said all existing furniture for staff such as desks chairs and chests of drawers were being moved from the Tararua Business Network “There has been no requirement to purchase new furniture and all items are getting brought over by our own staff.” The relocation coincides with the expiry of the lease of the building on Denmark St resulting in significant long-term savings for ratepayers “As part of our [Long Term Plan] 2024/34 consultation we spoke of our intent to deliver savings through the rationalisation and integration of council services “[The] council continues to identify further rationalisation and integration of services where possible.” For one of Dannevirke’s new police officers staying physically and mentally fit inside and outside the job goes hand in hand an amateur bodybuilder and former rugby player likes to maintain a healthy balance between hitting the gym and hitting the streets to keep crime at bay “A lot of my downtime is either at the gym or focused on what nutrition I’m eating and doing the right things to look after myself and look after my body.” He said it helped him to keep a positive mindset focused and disciplined so that he could work hard “It keeps me mentally and physically fit for work.” Marshall is in the second week of his temporary role as response manager for Tararua and joins from the Manawatū prevention team “I am really enjoying it out here and getting to meet the community.” Previously from Palmerston North Marshall worked as a supervisor for youth services and said his team focused on youth justice “Anything youth-related where we can support young people and their whānau through whatever challenges they are going through.” He spent the first half of his career in Counties Manukau and the second in Manawatū and he said he enjoys the job for the diversity of the challenges that come each day “You can’t help but keep growing and developing as a person and a leader in a challenging role like this I always wanted to be put in the position where you are forever learning.” Marshall has been relieving in senior sergeant police roles for the past two years, which is how he found himself in Dannevirke “I have been doing different roles at that next level up so this is part of my development where I can support different areas.” Marshall hoped during his time in Tararua to strengthen police presence within the community “I would like to see much more visibility for the community whether it’s our staff being on the beat doing foot patrols and on our roads for a prevention focus from our teams.” He said police presence was an “obvious deterrent” and it made people feel safe through community engagement Marshall said they wanted to focus the prevention mindset with rural communities around thefts and burglaries to ensure people look after their property Also joining the team for three months is Constable Kim Miller. Constable Matt Gilligan has been appointed to a permanent position in Dannevirke Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based in the Hastings newsroom She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities Kapiti Coast marchers do their best to work in unison at the leisure marching open day held in Dannevirke Ruahine Ramblerz strutted their stuff at their annual open day held in Dannevirke The day included leisure marching teams from around the region from as far south as Wellington to as far north as Napier helping to promote not only the sport but also the fun and friendship aspect of it A Dannevirke community food pantry is increasingly being misused by people dumping garbage instead of food and even “random bags of hay” have raised logistical and sanitary concerns for the Pātaka Kai team there was a discovery of two dead rats that office manager Lynley Densham said had been placed in the pantry staff have to start the day by cleaning up rubbish left in the unit at 15 Gordon St “Every Monday morning seems to be a pattern But most days our staff have to clean something out,” Tararua REAP marketing manager Alice Franklin says was set up in June 2020 after the first Covid lockdown to address community need for food security and greater access to fresh fruit and vegetables which are quickly taken by those who need them the team is exploring solutions to address the problem so we are now monitoring to see if there is a repeat offender,” Franklin says Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis said council supports organisations such as Tararua REAP in their efforts to prevent people from misusing community resources “We are always sending out messages asking people to look after the environment because it costs everybody,” she said Collis said this is a common issue for many charity institutions Clothing bins had been closed after being misused “That’s not something we want to see happen to the Pātaka Kai because they are just so needed in the community.” Franklin highlights how giving the community is “The amount of food that gets donated shows what a generous community we have in Dannevirke,” she said “We sometimes hold things back when there are large donations and put them out at different times and days to make sure we reach more people.” the Pātaka success depends on collective responsibility “We wanted to ask the community to help us eliminate the rubbish problem by taking more ownership of the asset.” A crowd of more than 150 mostly seated at round tables enjoyed the company of friends at the Dannevirke Lions-hosted Christmas lunch The Dannevirke Sports Club was chock-full of elderly people who were invited for the annual Dannevirke Lions Christmas lunch the luncheon held last Sunday was originally located at Makirikiri Marae but has well outgrown that venue Guests were welcomed by Dannevirke Lions Club president John Forbes and Deputy Mayor Erana-Peeti-Webber They were entertained by local singer Hannah-Mae Pilkington singing several older songs which the elderly guests could relate to with Ava and Benson Te Huki singing a song from Annie which will feature in their upcoming show on December 7-8 The entertainment continued with the Harmony Sisters singing four numbers and Hannah singing another two songs from her vast repertoire Lions member Terry Hynes conducted his annual auction after lunch assisted by Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick as time-keeper and Erana as prize distributer The afternoon concluded with the crowd singing Christmas carols and guests were invited to take home posies as a memento of the day Dannevirke Lions will be out on December 7 assisting with the Property Brokers-sponsored Christmas Parade which starts at noon Float entries need to be registered at the Dannevirke Information Centre the latest production by Dannevirke Theatre Company Rehearsals are in full swing for Dannevirke Theatre’s much-anticipated production of Annie as the cast and crew work tirelessly to bring this beloved musical to life the excitement is palpable as the production team pushes forward in their preparations marking the beginning of an intensive six-week period dedicated to learning all the musical numbers that make Annie such a timeless classic The cast’s vocal training culminated in a show sing-through ensuring that every note and harmony is perfected Following the successful completion of the singing rehearsals The first act of the show has been fully blocked on stage allowing the performers to start bringing their characters to life in the physical space with the cast continuing to fine-tune their performances the behind-the-scenes crew is equally busy Set construction and technical planning are progressing steadily ensuring that the world of Annie is as visually captivating as the performances will be The company will move into the Dannevirke Town Hall where the final stages of rehearsal and set assembly will take place thanks to the talented creative team leading the charge with Shasta Pene as musical director and Cindy O’Sullivan as vocal coach the show promises to be a vibrant and polished rendition of the classic musical Together with a dedicated and talented cast they are working to create a performance that will delight audiences of all ages The Dannevirke Theatre Company proudly acknowledges that without the generous support from their major sponsor along with contributions from other local businesses putting on a show like this would not be possible The much-anticipated production of Annie will open at the Dannevirke Town Hall on October 23 and run through to November 2 Be sure to keep an eye out for their release Whether you’re a long-time fan of Annie or experiencing it for the first time this production promises to be a fantastic journey into the heartwarming story of everyone’s favourite orphan The Elske group tuck in to Christmas lunch at Knox Church in Dannevirke for their last meeting It was time for a bit of reflection for Sue Donaldson as she farewelled Elske at their last meeting of the year Eighteen months ago the Elske Centre run by Anglican Care Waiapu was about to close and the group of elderly recipients were disappointed the group came together and a separate independent group calling itself Elske was created with members paying a small fee per week It required a lot of volunteers from the community support from Knox Church which provided a venue for the regular Monday activity centre and lunch plus Dannevirke Lions who made available its van and some funding They held a lunch to mark their last meeting with the ingredients mostly funded and completely cooked by the volunteers under the expert guidance of chef Ants Eising said she has seen so many good things happen over the last 18 months with members gaining in confidence and friendships She is leaving the organisation in good hands however with Ants taking the reins supported by his loyal team Mike Sturm said they were delighted to host Elske every Monday adding it was just the purpose for which the new hall was built He said they will be delighted to welcome Elske back on February 3 to their first meeting of 2025 Lucy McCutcheon posing with all the family out on the lawn celebrating her 100th birthday It was a rather reluctant Lucy McCutcheon celebrating her 100th birthday The Dannevirke resident has spent most of her life not wanting to cause a fuss so when her century approached she tried to make it as low-key as possible But her family were not going to let that happen and reluctantly she agreed to an open day for friends on the actual day Both went extremely well to everyone’s delight Lucy was born in Wellington on October 25 to John and Edith Lawson They moved about in her early years with Lucy attending four primary schools in Wellington She first went to work in her father’s office before milking cows and then housekeeping for different families with children In 1944 she met and married Harold McCutcheon in Tauranga who was a mail deliverer before learning and practising his trade as a mechanic The couple moved to Whakatāne and then Norsewood Harold worked for the local garage while Lucy drove a taxi and moved on to Dannevirke in 1960 where Harold worked for a variety of trucking firms then Easteel one of his special skills making hopper mouths for topdressing planes Lucy worked for CCL cleaning the hospital on the hill until she retired at 60 riding her bike she affectionately named Jessabelle until it was sadly stolen before getting a family car She held her licence until relinquishing it in 2023 and at the family celebration some of the younger family members took turns to learn to drive it in a paddock out at the venue peppered by holidays both overseas in the Pacific and Australia as well as tours around New Zealand Son Lindsay remembers one early trip to the South Island The ferries had only just started crossing the Cook Strait and were booked out for a car so a flight was booked in a Bristol Freighter to take it and the family across the water a caravan was hired and the family toured the West Coast before the Haast Pass was the link to the East Coast loop and the Lewis Pass was the route home They returned on the ferry which was another great experience When Harold died in 1991 Lucy continued in her house on High St on her own for 11 more years before moving to a council flat in Gordon St where she still resides Lucy has spent much of her free time working with the Norsewood Women’s Division and then for the Dannevirke Red Cross Granddaughter Colleen says Red Cross was Lucy’s life and in 2023 she received her 50-year Red Cross Membership Award pin and flowers along with fellow member Pera Jones attended her family celebration on Sunday along with most of her six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren She was thrilled to receive birthday cards from King Charles and Queen Camilla the governor-general and many other well-wishers Dannevirke's dam is still functioning and is being monitored for any further deterioration Despite a decision made by Tararua District Council a year ago on measures to mitigate problems with Dannevirke’s impounded supply Council three waters manager Roger Earp said at the September meeting he was responsible for the fact that the approved pre-treatment and installation of additional treated water storage had not occurred has been plagued by troubles since July 2021 when a leak was discovered as flows from the subsoil drain network that ran under the structure were abnormally high According to a report tabled for the meeting it was noted that a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to inspect the floor of the dam and a leak was eventually found below the inlet structure albeit at a reduced rate and experts Tonkin & Taylor were commissioned to assess the damage it was identified that the liner and subsoil drains were in a worse condition than expected and the council was advised to do remedial works during the 2023/24 construction season the council had resolved to delay remediation works until design work was complete geotechnical investigations had been completed and pre-treatment and additional raw and treated water storage were in place Earp said there had been no significant deterioration noted in the floor of the impounded supply when the ROV was used last month “We have had a review from Tonkin & Taylor [and] their comment is that obviously the dam could deteriorate rapidly but there’s nothing that definitely indicates that at this point.” He said the next stage was to get divers in to re-mark the depressions so they could continue to be monitored to ensure that if there was significant deterioration that could be recorded Earp appreciated there would be some frustration among councillors in relation to the approval last year to start pre-treatment He said given that they didn’t have all the information in relation to the status of the impounded supply he felt it was important those decisions were delayed until “we were confident that we knew where we were going at that point” “The total cost was still unclear and for me there were too many unanswered questions to be committing significant amounts of money The previous decision had been to purchase a relocatable treatment plant but that had changed to a permanent additional treatment plant “Given that the plant that we were looking at purchasing had never been constructed before “Personally I’m quite pleased that we didn’t proceed with that at that time and now we can go out to market and get some designs for a permanent treatment plant.” Chief executive Bryan Nicholson said at the time of making the decision last year there were a lot of unknowns in terms of the impounded supply and it had been a collective decision-making process regarding the postponement There had also been an independent review since which endorsed the council’s decision Councillor Peter Johns said he was disappointed the council hadn’t proceeded with an additional treated water tank or storage and the pre-treatment Nicholson said the council had been monitoring the impounded supply and it had been functioning “The current supply that we’ve been providing to the Dannevirke community was the same as before the leaks were detected He said the risk had been analysed and it was felt there was enough time to delay engagement of any contractors to do the work while they understood the issue a lot more than they did at that point in time “So I think it was 12 months of doing further due diligence on that “The last thing that we would have wanted is put all that in place and then it wasn’t the right decisions either so I think the 12 months have been beneficial for us to understand the whole system more than what we did 12 months ago.” Mayor Tracey Collis asked what would happen if there was a dry summer and if there was a plan in place to ensure people had water “Are you confident in the way the dam is being run at the moment that we could meet that?” Earp said if similar conditions to those of 2020 were faced again this summer there would be some challenges but a leak detection programme was being finalised He said the programme would look specifically at the rural areas where the water has been consumed and was confident it would help in terms of managing that demand “The other thing that I’d stress is the approach that was taken around the whole water management over the last summer appeared to work very successfully “We didn’t have any water restrictions in Dannevirke and it’ll just be that close and regular monitoring of how we’re going monitoring our reservoirs and we’re monitoring demand “We’re able to do that effectively and efficiently and that definitely helped in terms of us managing the situation last summer so I’d recommend that again this summer.” Tales of Dannevirke heroism and service have been unearthed as “long unseen treasures” go under the hammer at the Mowbray Collectables auctions. The March 14 and 15 auctions in Wellington showcase rare and valuable items such as coins These included medals awarded to Dannevirke men William Aylward and Thomas James Moloney the New Zealand Military medal - now worth roughly $2500 - was awarded to Aylward for his heroic actions in the Navy Aylward served for 5 years in the Navy and in 1941 worked as a Navy stoker he was in a group on a barge providing cover to a platoon making a flank attack on an enemy position during the Battle of the Green Islands in the Green Islands between Bougainville and New Ireland The battle was fought between Imperial Japan and Allied forces from the New Zealand 3rd Division and the United States The barge was attacked by six enemy dive-bombers which killed the gunner and splintered the barge in several places Aylward jumped into action to man the machine gun and engaged the enemy aircraft until they dispersed According to the Dannevirke Gallery of History Aylward also served in Jayforce, then in Korea as a sergeant with 161 Battery. He died in Napier Another item on offer is lot 115 - a New Zealand United Fire Brigades Association 5-year Service Medal and a special presentation watch Galt said the estimated value of these items is $250 The service medal was awarded to Thomas James Moloney, a land salesman in Dannevirke As a member of the local fire brigade, Moloney was honoured for his role in the 1917 Dannevirke fire as he saved others’ properties at the loss of the premises for his own company The fire destroyed 35 buildings on either side of High St Moloney served as the secretary for the local United Fire Brigades Association until 1921 Galt said the event on Friday was known as New Zealand’s largest regular coin and stamp auction It will also include a unique sheet of “Teddy Bear” health stamps issued in error in 1996 coins from shipwrecks and a set of Irish 1928-31 coins estimated at $12,000 Sophie Scott’s double clear victory aboard Benrose Stellar on Saturday’s FEI World Cup qualifier at Dannevirke is not quite enough to pop her to the top of the leader board as the New Zealand series heads to the final A stunning victory and her pressure-fuelled clear in the second round of the Heather McDonald-designed course saw her edge Julie Davey (Hawke’s Bay) and LT Holst Freda into second with the only other double clear of the Alabaster Contracting sponsored class at the Central and Southern Hawke’s Bay Jumping Show Scott had to better Davey’s clean slate in 58.76 seconds which she did with a stunning round in 52.08 seconds the top points go to Davey who is in the lead as they head into next week’s final The opening round of the five-strong class saw just Davey and Scott clear Luke Dee (Havelock North) aboard his European import Gangster WW had a rail at the second of the double late in the course to sit on four faults with Scott and her nominated horse Waitangi Skynet picking up eight faults late in the course Waipukuaru farmer Oliver Edgecombe and Takapoto Tinka had a forgettable second half of the course to finish with 16 faults which placed Dee in third place on four faults in 53.98 Scott said it was a “great class” and noted how competitive each combination had been on the Heather McDonald-designed course “I am so unbelievably happy with Stellar – she jumped super out there.” Davey knew she had not only gone clear but with Sophie to follow “I knew I had to be clear and pray but it didn’t work out.” Dee was quick to claim the rail he and Gangster had I was just a bit unlucky in the first round He got a bit keen on me and jumped in too big into that double I should have added one extra and would probably have been clear.” Davey remained at the top of the leader board heading to next week’s Waitemata hosted final with Dee just behind her and Scott in third Just three of the four rounds count and there are points-and-a-half on the table for the final The winner of the series has the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Basel Ava Te Huki has never sung or acted in front of anyone but that will soon change as she takes to the stage as beloved orphan Annie for the Dannevirke Theatre Company’s production Tickets are on sale now for Annie, the 120-minute show based on Little Orphan Annie that will run from October 23 to November 3 at the Dannevirke Town Hall The 10-year-old from Ruahine School said she loves singing dancing and acting and is deep into rehearsals as she prepares to play She felt inspired to take a chance at portraying the character of Annie with encouragement from her siblings who are also involved with performing arts and there were a couple of others that also auditioned which marked the beginning of an intensive six-week period dedicated to learning all the musical numbers that make Annie such a timeless classic Now with opening night less than a week away Ava said she had mastered most of her lines by watching all the different versions of the production and movies - her favourite being the 2014 remake “There are a couple of lines that I get muddled up with She said her favourite part of playing Annie was the time spent with the kids who played the orphans Ava said she found similarities between herself and her character such as all the dancing but said it made her grateful for her life and not having to eat “hot mush and live with Miss Hannigan” She said practising the American accent helped to transform her into the iconic character “I’ve got one costume that I don’t really like and that’s my orphan costume said she was proud of her daughter who had worked hard on perfecting the character to “switch from Ava to Annie” “I had never really realised how huge it was until we got into the rehearsals and I’ve been quite impressed with how easily Ava has retained all the lines and slipped into the role.” Macdonald-Te Huki had choreographed the dances for the cast of 35 She said the musical had started to take form over the last week and was excited to show audiences all the hard work and talent that had gone into it it’s something everybody will leave feeling quite uplifted from.” Progress: pavement crews working on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway The highway is expected to be open mid next year How can Dannevirke businesses attract more traffic to their stores once the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua highway is open That was the question posed at a meeting for local business owners The new highway is due for completion in mid-2025 and those travelling to Palmerston North via the Saddle Road will be using the eastern roundabout in a matter of weeks Project owner interface manager Aarin Bang said he talked to some of the team in the office and quite a few worked in the region He asked them what the project meant to them “It unlocks the region after seven years of restriction.” The Manawatū Gorge was closed to through traffic in 2017 Bang explained to those who attended that they initially had 18 options for a new highway “We looked at all sorts of different routes we could take tidying it up and fixing things to the current one we’ve got.” Other options had been a tunnel or a viaduct down the middle of the river and a cost-benefit analysis was done on each option Bang said the brief for the new highway was to be resilient and safe with a proviso to have a 12-minute reduction in travel time between Woodville and Palmerston North for light vehicles But the main social outcome was in how it would open up the Tararua District for instance in those who were travelling between Palmerston North and the district on a daily basis “It’s such a hassle going through the Saddle [Road] at 60km and that sort of thing,” Bang said He noted that Tararua District could be a weekend destination as he’d seen a lot of motorcyclists and campers exploring the region the project is the key and the completion of the project is opening the door And then it’s up to Tararua [District] to welcome people in the region.” told those present he looked at what the new highway would mean for local businesses He said fuel costs would be one factor and he’d calculated that by saving 12 minutes on the drive “What are those commuters that live in Dannevirke going to do with that they spend it locally rather than shooting back over the hill and spending in Palmerston North.” Grant said there would also be the “sticky beakers” or those who wanted to see what the new highway was like where he also had a shop until late last year Grant said his home was now an hour from Wellington airport “The expressway and Transmission Gully are beautiful.” “It’s really about how we can get together and do our marketing together.” Grant said he was happy to share some of the marketing tools he used for his business talking about what he’d done for New Zealand Natural Clothing since becoming the owner in 2007 He said a collaborative approach of sharing marketing might be a way to attract more traffic to local businesses adding that the most effective advertising a business had was “somebody else telling somebody else” And I think the Chamber of Commerce is a great vessel for that.” Leanne Warr has been editor of the Bush Telegraph since May 2023 and a journalist since 1996 Sharyn Burling at a walk through the Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery talking about the history of many buried there Tracing family history can sometimes uncover long-held family secrets who is one of the coordinators of regular walks exploring stories of those buried at Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery says those walks often help family members learn more about their ancestors The Friends of the Settlers Cemetery recently marked the 30th organised walk and a number of family stories have been explored Some are around children who died in infancy such as one family only to find a baby in an unmarked grave nearby Sharyn believes there could be a number of reasons why this happened but often it was because children who died in infancy in the early 20th century were never talked about those stories can also provide some insight into how their ancestor went about their daily lives who died at 89 and was buried in the Settlers’ Cemetery in 1911 Jane was born around 1822 in Ireland and her maiden name was Robinson with records showing a marriage in 1849 and they were married until 1856 She would go on to marry John Thompson Duley in 1858 in Victoria She went on to have three children: John William and James Alexander It was believed that at some point she left Australia for Scotland where she may have gone to stay with her mother but whether this was because of a marriage break-up is unknown went on to marry again and emigrated with her husband to New Zealand to live in Marton which Sharyn believes was a way to get around maximum age requirements She would settle in Marton and may have worked as a seamstress to support her two sons when the construction of Dannevirke South School was planned John won the tender – as noted in an article available on Papers Past published in the Bush Advocate in December 1899 will be explored during the latest Settlers Cemetery walk planned for November 10 Those interested in coming along should meet at the gates in Dagmar St at 2pm The front entrance will likely be getting a makeover as part of the upgrade plans Upgrade plans are in the pipeline for Wai Splash but the timing depends on funding The Tararua Aquatic Community Trust recently announced Stephanie Duff who had been a co-ordinator for the Swim School had taken over as Aquatics Manager at Wai Splash Steph says there are a lot of proposals under the long-term plan “Now we’re at the point where we know what we want She says that could be either through increasing what the facility can offer to add to the income That might include running fundraising events Steph says the first thing they want is an indoor splash pad that would be likely to attract more children and change the whole look of the toddler and beginner pool area They were also interested in providing particular timeslots for women “We are looking at developing a timetable to put out each term to show availability She’s also keen to promote the benefits of using the pool for exercising or to improve mental health “There are so many benefits to water fitness,” she says she would like to see the facility be able to have more pools The pool is owned by the trust rather than being a Tararua District Council-run facility but Steph says it’s still comparatively cheaper than other pools Staff are currently doing what they can to promote themselves and the facility as well as looking at offering new things and new programmes and are working on getting the school holiday programmes approved for funding through the Oscar (Out of School Care and Recreation) subsidy “We want to maintain a really affordable way for exercise,” Steph says Steph has some big shoes to fill in taking over the management role from Philamena Beale A trust spokesperson says Steph is no stranger to hard work and dedication “She is one for the community and TACT is excited to see what she brings to this role.” Steph says Philamena had done a lot of background work “I now have foundations to build on and hopefully we can get some improvements from our ten-year plan underway “I am excited to see where we are heading with the support from the Tararua Aquatic Community Trust and our staffing team I think we are ready to get moving!” There have also been other changes within the pool’s operations team and the trust spokesperson says all staff are enthusiastic motivated and ready to keep an eye out for more fresh ideas A Dannevirke resident is speaking up about the town’s level of crime which he says is a problem that has left him feeling unsafe in his home In May, semi-retired Tony Tyson locked his door, went overseas and thought nothing of his Dannevirke home That was until he received a phone call informing him the three properties he renovated on Cadman St had been burgled He was looking after the third for the new owner “I had heard of these things happening but never thought it would happen to me,” Tyson said Tyson began the process of identifying what had been stolen and what was left discarded around the property boots and several distinctive belongings were among the items stolen from the three properties But among the items he found was a hat he didn’t recognise It was able to aid police in collecting DNA evidence “Even after my mate had boarded up the shed they broke in again and smashed the windows and timber.” Tyson had since installed cameras and changed locks but began to store his belongings elsewhere for fear it might happen again “I’m taking stuff away I don’t want to lose.” He wanted the public to be aware of the crime in the area and felt a lack of police numbers in Dannevirke and low morale among officers was to blame Tararua police response manager Carey Williamson told Hawke’s Bay Today this was not the case despite two job vacancies in Dannevirke “We are being backfilled by staff from the wider Manawatu so all of our shifts are covered and I am not aware of any morale issues.” Williamson said 25 police officers in Tararua worked across the region proactively patrolling and investigating reported incidents “Dannevirke station is not a 24-hour manned station and we have an on-call response capacity from varying hours depending on which day of the week it is.” Williamson didn’t believe that crime was on the increase rather he said it was “declining if anything” and was aware of what happened on Cadman St We are following up on some forensic leads and DNA samples have been found at a property.” Williamson said the known suspect had a warrant out for his arrest and was unable to confirm if Tyson’s properties had been burgled more than once He said the best course of action was to ring the police and report any suspicious or out-of-the-ordinary behaviour when witnessing it “No matter how insignificant they might seem often that sort of thing fits into a pattern of suspicious behaviour.” Williamson said earlier in the year there had been burglaries at building material sites and Turton Farm Supplies and the alleged offender was arrested and charged He said the maximum punishment for burglary was up to 10 years in prison Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms Father Christmas arrives to meet the children of First Years Pre-school outside the recently redecorated Fountain Theatre in Dannevirke which is now the location for the pop-up Fantasy Cave The excitement level increased dramatically for more than 40 pre-schoolers from First Years Pre-school when they saw Father Christmas emerge Not from his sleigh but from a Model A Ford he was there to open the Fantasy Cave’s Christmas Popup season in the Fountain Theatre Father Christmas had earlier toured all the town schools and kindergartens the children out waiting to see him pass by and wave but the luckiest were the local First Years Pre-School who had walked to the Fountain Theatre to visit him in his cave decorated Christmas trees lining the route around a castle containing Sleeping Beauty and onwards to Father Christmas sitting in his chair by a beautifully constructed open fire school staff and local pixies these children had lots to do looking through the peepholes to see Cinderella finding different types of decorated Christmas trees putting their name on a leaf to be attached to a Christmas Memory tree and of course talking with Father Christmas He was a particularly kindly Father Christmas especially after he gave them a bag of sweets It took nearly an hour for all to make the visit to Father Christmas after which the children sang some action songs with Father Christmas joining in the children walked back to school hand-in-hand after a great morning and a perfect start to the new Christmas Pop-up which started officially on December 3 in the afternoons from 1-4pm and on Sundays 10am-4pm Funding is in question for Dannevirke's Christmas parade The programme for Dannevirke’s Christmas parade may have to be reviewed as Dannevirke Community Board cannot support it with funding Community board member Terry Hynes explained at this month’s meeting that some years ago the board was responsible for organising and managing the Christmas parade asking the Chamber of Commerce to take over “The agreement at the time was that the Community Board and [Tararua District] Council would fund the traffic management for the parade,” Hynes said But with a reduction in funding from the council to the board it could no longer offer support for traffic management the chamber would have to review the whole process including downgrading the programme or reducing prize money Board member Ron Wallace suggested opening it up to the Dannevirke community in the hope a local organisation or business would step up to help Hynes said the parade did have a major sponsor but it was the “icing on the cake” to have prize money “It’s been an extreme success for many years now.” He said the chamber would now have to look at how the parade was going to be funded A number of other issues were discussed in the meeting including funding for the Dannevirke Community Vehicle Trust we’re facing issues with funding,” Hynes said There were some issues with organisations reducing their funding for local schemes such as the trust He said Horizons Regional Council was a major funder for the community vehicle trust throughout the Tararua District as part of their transport budget but nothing that’s going to offset the budget deficit we’re looking at at the moment.” Hynes said people could get the paperwork for their licence done at the AA which was meant to set up at the Hearing Association rooms in McPhee St at least twice a month Those wanting to do paperwork for licensing at any other time would need to go to Waipukurau or Palmerston North Hynes said he had met with Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick who had also talked to the chief executive of the AA with the hope of improving the service “We’re looking at making changes in that area.” Progress has been made on the Glengarry memorial The heritage site in Armstrong Rd was to pay tribute to the efforts more than 100 years ago of Glengarry soldier settlers to make settlement farms more financially viable and the site would be a place of reflection and a reminder of the history of the area The working group behind the project had successfully applied for Pub Charity funding and plans had been made to do the hot mix tar-sealing on the site The board discussed the cancellation of this year’s Wackrow Memorial Youth Awards Hynes said it was a difficult decision to make but the requirements of having more than three people nominated were not met He said that wasn’t to say there wasn’t enough good work done on behalf of the community board “We tried to promote it as best as we could.” it was noted that it was difficult to get such things off the ground at the moment “We need to review the whole thing and how we do it.” A suggestion was made that the awards could be tied in with another award but the awards were specifically for community service The potential location of welcome signs to Dannevirke also came under discussion with a suggestion of one being at Oringi Rd and one at Otanga Rd Wallace felt that was a bit too far out and the signs should be brought in closer The garden in Dannevirke Domain has been rejuvenated after being neglected for some time and should be soon awash with colour A garden in Dannevirke’s Domain has been rejuvenated with the help of the local Lions club Service co-ordinator Sue Buchanan says the club had decided last year that the garden needed to be replanted as it had sat unattended for some time The garden was first established in 1990 when the Lioness club found the old fish pond in the Dannevirke Domain which had become neglected designed a scented garden which would be for the benefit of the blind and the wider community “The Lionesses planted the garden on the understanding that the [Tararua District] Council would maintain it as it was on council grounds.” The garden will eventually have to be removed to make way for the proposed skate park Sue says relocation of the garden is still under discussion but it is hoped it will be included somewhere in the domain The replanting was completed last month with plants donated by club members “The end result will be a pleasing array of colour for the community to enjoy,” Sue says Left to right: Third place: Hannah Webster from Central Hawke's Bay College; Winner Leo Mwape from Palmerston North Boys’ High School; Runner-up Lydia Black recalls as a young child that her first public speaking experience was traumatic Sponsored by the Dannevirke Host Lions Club and representing the southern zone of Lions District 202M the Dannevirke High School student clinched her second placing in the NZ Lions Young Speechmakers Competition 2024 with a composed and structured impromptu on how “the importance of failure is a stepping stone to success” Lydia recalled her first public speaking efforts as a younger child concluding “and here I am speaking in Wellington – and I haven’t broken into tears and had to sit down just yet!” advocated for a community-wide approach to addressing youth crime – “we are all in this boat together” 12 of the best aspiring young public speakers from throughout New Zealand gathered at Wainuiomata last weekend to present persuade and challenge their audience to think more deeply about issues important to Kiwis The day was a celebration of excellence in the craft of public speechmaking As has so often been the situation in past years regional winners contesting the final of NZ Lions Young Speechmakers Competition 2024 structure and delivery in the prepared speech section of the competition This stage required each contestant to speak for six minutes on a topic of their own choice after which the judging panel had the unenviable task of separating a very tight field shorter impromptu speech segment of the contest again proved to be a key factor in the adjudication process Each contestant spoke for two minutes on the same topic Leo Mwape from Palmerston North Boys’ High School sponsored by the Waipawa Lions Club and representing the northern area of Lions District 202M Hannah delivered an accomplished prepared speech highlighting major issues of maritime safety in NZ and followed up with a confident and assured impromptu speech with much for those in attendance to take away and ponder Huge thanks to Lions New Zealand and to all the speakers for a wonderful day’s celebration of the oratory tradition Dr Marta Kroo with Dr Jane Laver from Tararua Health Group and Dr Isadora Ekawati at the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners conference where Marta was given a community service medal it was initially for a three to six-month sabbatical And not only is she now a New Zealand citizen after a recent citizenship ceremony in Dannevirke but she has also been given a community service medal by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Marta moved with her husband and children to the United States in 1985 receiving her residency and then going on to teach residents as well as establishing a private practice in Connecticut But she soon found the practice became so busy she had to give up teaching and supervising the residents “They were cool and laidback,” the Dannevirke doctor says exchanging emails and was encouraged to come and see New Zealand for herself So she thought: “Maybe I should come for just a sabbatical” Marta has been in Dannevirke since 2009 and has several responsibilities including her involvement in the rural medical immersion programme from Otago University has fifth-year students spending a year in a rural community Marta says since she came on board with the programme she has been co-ordinating the students and tutoring them every week throughout the year She says she enjoys Dannevirke and admires the GPs she has worked with over the years she sent a message to her family that she wasn’t going back to the US Marta considers it an acknowledgement of the team as a whole “The medal was awarded to me but it reflects [Jane Laver] They all work extremely hard under so much pressure and strain trying to provide quality care to our community She says they try to provide holistic care “Making sure that patients get what they deserve they can understand their health and play a crucial role in their health management “I try here at [Dannevirke Community] hospital to have that extra help for patients so when they go home they have a better understanding what is going on in their whole health.” Marta says she also tries to teach her students to have a different approach as in a larger hospital there will be specialists focusing on one area has embraced her role and set up systems to allow timely access to rural hospital care for her priority patients This is particularly evident when there are barriers to secondary care for social and/or physical reasons “She has shown outstanding kindness to vulnerable patients particularly if there is difficulty navigating the health care system and for those with complex needs or those experiencing challenging experiences “Dr Kroo acknowledges the importance of working within a collaborative team and that health is an all-encompassing phenomenon She utilises a range of healthcare providers community support services and whānau to achieve the best possible outcomes for her patients.” who on Friday won an open woolhandling final for the first time seen here seven days earlier when placed second for the ninth time in three seasons But it reached another level on Friday when she won the Danevirke A&P Show’s open final It was Hanson’s first open final win after years of trying including nine second-placings in the last three seasons as a second placing in a world championships selection final at the Golden Shears in 2023 got her to Scotland later in the year and her transtasman series position came after she was second in the North Island Woolhandling Circuit open final in March Preparing for a new world championships selection series, starting in Gore at the end of this week, there was a clear indication something big was about to happen last week when Hanson was runner-up at Taihape to another first-time open woolhandling final winner in Vinniye Phillips “Yup finally got it,” she said on Saturday as she was preparing for competition again at the Rangitīkei Shearing Sports in Marton where ultimately she missed out on a place in the six for the final Hanson’s win came at the show where sister Emaraina Braddick scored her first open woolhandling win in 2016 joined the list of winners in the family when she claimed the Taihape A&P Show title last year Brother Hemi Braddick won his first open shearing title in 2022 after eight years of trying; while yet another sister It came during a big weekend in the lower North Island in which 175 shearers and woolhandlers competed at Dannevirke most then heading to Marton where the entries totalled 228 The numbers now pose questions for organisers wondering how to handle even greater numbers next year, with hundreds of competitors from overseas gathering to either compete in or support the 2022 World Championships in Masterton other leading Kiwi hopes for the New Zealand selection series (to decide two machine shearers were in winning form at Dannevirke and Marton and 2017 world teams title winner Nathan Stratford by three points from Reuben Alabaster of Taihape Stratford’s trademark quality more than compensated for finishing over two minutes after first-man-off Clay Harris On Saturday Pongaroa farmer David Buick, who had three wins in three days in mid-January won the Rangitīkei title for the first time Buick won by 0.393pts from defending champion and Northland shearer Toa Henderson who had won their race for time honours by just over seven seconds in shearing the 20 in 15m 12.81s Hawke’s Bay shearer and 2014 World Champion Rowland Smith was second to top qualifier from the heats to the semifinal at Dannevirke but missed a place in the final as he did also on Saturday at Marton Read more shearing and woolhandling stories here Smith recently resumed his career with two wins in late January after almost 11 months away from competitions, after missing a defence of the Golden Shears open title last March because of injury There was yet another big effort from Central Hawke’s Bay shearer Axle Reid in being comfortably the top qualifier for the Marton final - although he had to settle for sixth place in the end While shearers from overseas were kept away from the other winning red ribbons after a succession of wins and other top placings in the last fortnight there was more success for the southern hopes with Dre Roberts winning the senior shearing final at Marton after failing to make the semifinals in the senior event at Dannevirke 24 hours earlier The senior woolhandling finals were also shared Dane Phillips won the North Kaipara A&P Show open final at Paparoa for a second time in three years Paul Hodges travelled back from working in the North Island to dominate the lambs at the Inangahua A&P Show’s Reefton Shears to win its open final for a second time Hodges previously won the event in 2018 when he was in his second season in the open class Also at Reefton 2019 world blade teams champions Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, and Hutt Valley-based Allan Oldfield, from Geraldine got their bids for places at the world championships by finishing first and second respectively in the first round of a selection series which ends in Christchurch in November The shearing sports season continues with the Aria Waitangi Day Sports on Saturday including the long-established A grade show the Otago Shears Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Carterhope Estate The other two competitions on Saturday are shearing-only events at the Northern Wairoa Arapohue and Te Puke A&P shows The New Zealand team machine shearing and woolhandling selection series starts at the Southern Shears in Gore on February 14-15 Dannevirke A&P Show Shearing and Woolhandling Championships Open final(20 sheep): Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17m 7s 2; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 15m 18s Also: Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 5; Chris Dickson (Masterton) 6 Senior final (20 sheep): Daniel Seed (Pahīatua) 11m 41s Also: Mark Ferguson (Kahuranaki) 5; Jack Hutchinson (England) 6 Intermediate final (5 sheep): Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 6m 34s 1; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora/Hastings) 7m 19s Also: Lachie Cameron (Hunterville) 5; Paddy Dunne (Wicklow Junior final (3 sheep): Waiari Puna (Napier) 5m 7s Also: Sean Dunne (Ireland) 5; William Clarkson (-) 6 Novice final (1 sheep): Alex Wrenn (Dannevirke) 2m 44s Open final: Ngaio Hanson (Eketāhuna) 56.34pts Also: Ana Braddick (Eketāhuna) 4; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 5; Vinniye Philips (Taumarunui) 6 Senior final: Tatijana Keefe (Raupunga) 61.66pts Also: Conan Harmon (Masterton) 4; Amy Bell (Weber) 5; Sonya Fagan (Otorohanga) 6 Junior (final): Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 49.16pts Also: Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 4; Paige Marshall (Taumarunui) 5 North Kaipara A and P Show Shearing Championships Open final (18 sheep): Dane Phillips (Kaiwaka) 16m 1s Senior final (10 sheep): Kieran Gillespie (Mangawhai) 12m 54s Veterans (2 sheep): Jeff Wood (Ruawai) 2m 35s Open final (20 sheep): David Buick (Pongaroa) 15m 19.95s 3; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17m 7.23s Senior final (10 sheep): Dre Roberts (Mataura) 10m 34.03s Intermediate final (5 sheep): Orlando Ratima (Hunterville) 6m 40.45s Junior final (5 sheep): Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 8m 34.86s Novice (1 sheep): Chase Buckman (Bulls) 4m 2.89s Open final: Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 37.25pts Junior final: Mere Maraki (Flaxmere) 51.72pts 3; Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 63.87pts Novice: Ella Crofskey (Feilding) 47.326pts Open final (20 lambs): Paul Hodges (Geraldine) 16m 22.66s Also: Dave Brooker (Cust) 5; Nick Nalder (Takaka) 6 Plate final (10 lambs): Dave Brooker (Cust) 10m 50.22s Senior final (8 lambs): John Cherrington (Oamaru) 9 Also: Brandon Hanson (Ohai) 5; Sam Hidgkinson (Tapawera) 6 Intermediate final (6 sheep): Kimberley Whalon (Nelson) 10m 35.12s Junior final (3 lambs): Tye Meikle (Ōamaru) 5m 12.84s Classic (6 lambs): Chris Jones (Blenheim) 7m 20.16s Blades (5 lambs): Tony Dobbs (Fairlie) 14m 41.12s 1; Alan Oldfield (Geraldine/Hutt Valley) 14m 42.31s Also: Mike McConnell (Christchurch) 5; Tim Hogg (Timaru) 6 Landowner John Lamason thanks those who made the building of the Glengarry Soldier Settlement memorial possible In the 100th year of the Glengarry Soldier’s Settlement more than 60 people attended the unveiling of a memorial on Armstrong Rd near Dannevirke author of the book Glengarry - The Story of a Soldier Settlement published three years ago The Lamason family own the memorial site and it was John Lamason who suggested a memorial should be built inspired by finding a wagon wheel in his swamp The Glengarry Soldier Settlement Heritage Site Working Group was then established led by John Phillips and members Terry Hynes Mayor Tracey Collis congratulated the group saying the Tararua District Council was always pleased to see places of interest and historical significance recognised especially the Glengarry Settlement because of its importance nationwide She said the community had welcomed the soldier settlers and the district had benefited greatly from their hard work Speaking for the World War I Glengarry Soldier Settlement families Simon Curran said the Glengarry Soldier Settlement is a nationally significant example of how local political empowerment can facilitate nationally important change “In 1919 the Government purchased 2000 acres from James Armstrong to create a soldier settlement of 24 farms which were balloted for settlement in November 1920 “Successful balloted farmers were placed on a rent-to-own leasehold but the high price paid by the Government for the Glengarry block resulted in a situation where it became impossible to service the debt with on farm earnings alone “Only two farms had a house when families moved in many of the Glengarry Soldier Settler families were in a predicament with several farmers and families having already walked off their land.” led by Fred Tidswell and supported by Dannevirke solicitor former World War I Royal Flying Corp fighter pilot and Dannevirke RSA president challenged the Government’s refusal to review the farm valuations What followed was a political lobby led by the Glengarry Soldier Settlers They challenged the Hawke’s Bay Lands Board then the Commissioner of Lands and finally the Minister of Lands supported by the Dannevirke community and local bodies developed into a nationwide campaign for change In July 1922 a bill was introduced by the NZ Government to review the rentals on Soldier Settlement properties throughout NZ In September 1924 the Government approved the revaluations The outcome was an average 20% reduction of Soldier Settlement properties affecting the viability of about 4000 family farms Tidswell never reaped the benefits of the political lobby he had led He was killed in a farm-related accident in April 1926 The rules around Soldier Settlements meant his wife Dorothy which was then offered to Eddie Curran who was the second person in the ballot draw for that farm section Colonel Paul Curry spoke on behalf of the soldiers saying the World War I Soldier Settlement scheme was a nationwide rehabilitation initiative after the war throughout NZ and the actions of the Glengarry Soldier Settlers Commander Curry and Tararua Mayor Tracey Collis removed the covers from the memorial arch composed of timber posts topped by a steel silhouette portraying the soldier farmers at work with horses and ploughs At its foot three stainless steel panels show a map of the farms names of the first settlers and a history of the block Donors to the project include Monty Fairbrother Charitable Trust Ruahine Range View Farm (Mark and Rebecca Johnston) The Slavin family have been counting down the days until the season opens Up against the best of young auctioneers in the Heartland Young Auctioneers Competition Cameron Gray from PGW South Canterbury came third from Carrfields NZ (Waikato) took the title and Lars Hardy Lars Hardy reckons he was a bit surprised to find he’d won the blue ribbon for second place in a young auctioneers competition was competing against eight others in the Heartland Young Auctioneers Competition part of the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch earlier this month each contestant is asked to demonstrate their ability; first in an interview day testing their communication skills and knowledge of the terms and conditions relating to livestock auctioneering and then the following day in the live auctioneering segment where each contestant is required to sell three pens of prime cattle three from the North Island and six from Canterbury testing their skills among some of the nation’s most accomplished young rural professionals a sheep and beef rep for Dannevirke PGG Wrightson Livestock entered last year and decided he would come back to endure another round Karl Chitham from Carrfields NZ (Waikato) was the winner and Cameron Gray from PGW Originally off a farm in Central Hawke’s Bay Lars has been a rep for PGG Wrightson for over a year and in the livestock industry for over three years His manager Bjorn Andersen offered Lars plenty of encouragement and persuaded him to try his hand at auctioneering It is on-the-job learning and the more Lars practised While you do have to know stock inside and out Lars says he has a competitive nature and enjoys being in a good field of young auctioneers Even though these young men are competing against each other it is also a learning experience for them all and having a debrief after the day is over is just part of the job “It’s important to get the best money you can for your clients.” As for whether he will be back next year to try for the title The winner of the Heartland Bank Young Auctioneers Competition wins a trip to the Sydney Royal Show to try their hand at a bit of auctioneering there and Lars says he would be keen to do that was killed overseas in 1917 and buried in a Belgian cemetery The name Edmund Bassett is inscribed on a gravestone at Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery But the remains of the former Weber resident lie thousands of kilometres away, at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium will be talking about her grandfather during a walk of the Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery on Sunday she was going through some of her mother’s belongings and found a bank bag which contained letters written by her grandfather to his wife Alice grew up in England and came out to New Zealand for a wedding Ann isn’t sure whether her “Nana” ever went back to England for her belongings after she met Edmund They went on to have three boys: Edmund Junior William and James – who was Ann’s father - and lived at Weber Edmund would serve with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade he talked of spending time with his eldest son who he imagined would help his dad with work Edmund wrote of his hope of being home by Christmas the following year “Then we will have a big feed of lamb and green peas 1916 and wrote to his wife that he was “killing time” telling her he would post the letter when he got to “Blighty” “We have had a dinkum smack at the old Hun and at last they stopped me just before we got to their third line in the trenches.” He told her how he had been taken to a tent and had to walk for about two miles (3.2km) with the aid of two men trained and motored” to Walton-on-Thames where there was a hospital in which New Zealand troops could be treated He was awarded the Military Medal for acts of gallantry on October 23 who was with him at the time in November 1917 He wrote that they were on the front lines “when a German machine-gunner detected us” “The wound received while not painful was very dangerous and as soon as it was dark enough to be safe I sent him out with eight stretcher bearers to the regimental aid post “There he was attended by the regiment medical officer and passed a good night.” The doctor had hopes of Edmund pulling through a monument to fallen soldiers was unveiled at Weber and the Military Medal was handed to his widow The ceremony was attended by the mayor of Dannevirke at the time An inscription in memory of Edmund is placed in the Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery where his father The Settlers Cemetery walk will be the 30th run by the Friends of the Cemetery each exploring stories of those buried there While the cemetery was officially closed in 1914 people with a close connection to those already interred there could also be buried The walk will also remember a few other families and two “unusual points of interest” Dannevirke Toy Library is set to celebrate 40 years the Dannevirke Toy Library has been helping kids and their parents keep playtime interesting for 40 years this October The library is a non-profit organisation that offers the community more than 400 toys games and puzzles for hire on a fortnightly basis It is similar to a regular library but with toys Former 1994 toy library committee member Sara Thorburn said that the idea was to give families access to toys they couldn’t afford to buy “This gave all kids the opportunity to play with toys they might not usually have had,” Sara said the Dannevirke Toy Library is a staple in the community giving families the option to rotate toys for a reasonable price With a full-year membership for $50 or a term membership for $15 the organisation has tried to keep the membership fee as affordable as possible to allow access to all families Toy library chairperson Christina Thorburn believes the low prices are one reason the toy library has lasted so long She also credits the dedication of the volunteers and the generosity of local businesses “It is such a fantastic resource for the community and has been looked after by generations of parents and caregivers who see that play is a key part of preschool learning there has been a push to replace and upgrade some of the toys that have been in the library for more than 12 years Those toys replaced have not gone to waste but went up for koha at local markets so children can keep getting enjoyment out of them for as long as they last Thorburn said the organisation “wanted to replace the older toys with a new/wooden/NZ-made option to keep our library relevant and exciting for our tamariki” the toy library bought 81 new toys thanks tosuccessful grant applications the generosity of local businesses and fundraising The more popular toys at the library are the larger outside toys and ride-on toys The librarian said the most popular toy is the John Deere ride-on tractor and trailer which has been hired out for 1,348 days since it was brought in 2017 Other favourites include a collection of toy zoo animals To celebrate the Dannevirke Toy Library turning 40 the non-profit is hosting an 80s themed 18+ bingo birthday bash which will include three rounds of bingo and a few other classic birthday games and a bar will be running for those who want to enjoy a beverage The night will be full of spot prizes and raffles with a live auction at the end to round off the evening Some of the bigger prizes up for grabs will include loads of firewood a digger and operator for a day and much more Tickets to the bingo night cost $30 and can be purchased online through the toy library Facebook page or from the library during opening hours: Tuesday 2.30pm-5.30pm or Saturday 9.30am-11.30am While a non-profit organisation set up for children the toy library has decided it is time for the parents to have some fun Chairperson Thorburn explained that the library’s fundraisers over the past few years have been family-oriented and revolved around the children but it wanted to do something different this time “We thought this was a great opportunity for parents to find a babysitter and come out for the night We are also hoping to attract to the event the [now] grandparents that used to be members back in their day,” Thorburn said The birthday bash is also about raising money Most of its grants money is used for operating costs to help keep the doors open “It would be great to raise money to invest in more of the toys on our wish list and have money available to host more community events in the future.” Maddisyn Jeffares became the editor of the Hawke’s Bay community papers Hastings Leader and Napier Courier in 2023 after writing at the Hastings Leader for almost a year. She has been a reporter with NZME for almost three years and has a strong focus on what’s going on in communities, good and bad, big and small. Email news tips to her at: maddisyn.jeffares@nzme.co.nz Those present for the medals ceremony were treated to songs from decades ago It’s easy for people to understand the significance of the sacrifice service members make when they conduct acts of bravery But not so much the contribution of those who do national service The Dannevirke and Districts RSA president believes that every service member takes a risk upon themselves to be called up to defend New Zealand at any point in time Such as the two recipients of the New Zealand Defence Force Service medal who were presented with their medals in a small ceremony at Eileen Mary Age Care in Dannevirke Kerry Duncan enlisted in the New Zealand Army on June 23 He was part of the 17th intake of compulsory military training which was introduced into New Zealand in April 1909 as part of the Defence Act “All males from the age of 12 had to complete different levels of military training,” Richard explained to those gathered for the ceremony Compulsory military service continued until the Act was repealed in 1972 Richard stated that Trooper Duncan had served with the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps conducting corps training at Waiouru and after graduation was posted to an armoured regiment as a driver of an armed fighting vehicle He was released from service on October 31 was a member of the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps Richard stated from the citation that Sister McKenzie enlisted into the New Zealand Army on May 11 conducting her training at Napier Hospital She began her military career at Waiouru before being posted to the nursing officers induction course “Her service was only for a period of two years due to sickness and Sister McKenzie was discharged from the New Zealand Army on the 11th of May in 1966.” Richard reminded those present that both veterans had decided to take on the challenge willingly or otherwise immediately post World War II “A time where it was eminently clear what the risks were of being a service member at that point in time “It is a job like no other and there should be no underestimation for service within our country.” Richard explained that the New Zealand Defence Force Service medal was instituted in April 2011 to recognise a tested military service since September 1945 Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis was also present at the ceremony and wanted to acknowledge both veterans “in the way that service within the sacrifice that you are prepared to make on our behalf “Much of the respect that we have as a nation for the respect that we have when we travel overseas much of that goes to the service that our defence forces made for those people We are held in a reverence like no other country the camaraderie and the way that New Zealanders held themselves.” Richard notes that people very rarely say “Thank you for your service” they take on the risk that they may die in the order of the duty that they do.” Connor Anderson started boxing training 10 years ago with the support of his coaches Adam Jones (left) and Tony Mansill He's now about to compete on the world stage in Colorado Ten years of commitment and dedication to the sport of boxing has earned Connor Anderson a spot to compete on the world stage The Dannevirke teen is in Colorado for the Under 19 Boxing Championships as part of the New Zealand boxing team There will be 25 countries competing in the championship vying for the number one spot and Connor will be up against the world’s best in the tournament which runs from October 25 to November 5 potentially competing in several bouts will have time to acclimatise and train under the high altitude to adjust to the conditions His coaching team at BAMS Boxing and Fitness can’t say enough about Connor’s drive and hard work ethic “He’s a pleasure to train and a big part of the club.” Connor also had to raise $7000 for the trip and the team were “greatly appreciative” of all the businesses and support from the Dannevirke community buying raffles and attending fundraiser classes Adam says Connor has put in a huge amount of hours in the gym to boxing over the past 10 years resulting in multiple New Zealand titles including Golden Gloves and regional titles keeping him on weight and as a strength and conditioning coach to keep him in top physical form While the team are not able to join Connor on his trip the New Zealand team has allocated three coaches to accompany him and his mum Leanne and brother Caleb will be there to cheer him on “We wish Connor all the best on his trip of a lifetime,” Adam says “He’s put in the hard work and it’s time now to put it all to work and bring home the world title.” captured in the ANZ window decorated for Daffodil Day Residents of Dannevirke are familiar with the annual decoration of the ANZ bank’s window, heralding the drive of the Cancer Society working with the bank to fundraise for the fight against cancer Dannevirke’s support for the fight against cancer has been going longer than the ANZ’s participation however largely due to the work of a local couple Sylvia and Malcolm Peffers They came to Dannevirke when Malcolm was appointed National Bank Manager in 1978 and took part in the nationwide Cancer Society campaign Sylvia persuaded Malcolm to let her involve members of the Dannevirke Floral Art Group to “decorate the window appropriately” When the National Bank was taken over by ANZ and the building modernised the tradition was continued even though Malcolm had retired and the couple maintain the tradition to this day Sylvia and her floral art team creating a different themed window each year featuring the Cancer Society’s annual message They resort to all kinds of props drawn from the couple’s resources and those of the Fantasy Cave Sylvia says maintenance of the window is much easier now because the props are plastic In the early days they had to go in every night to water the real daffodils and replace some that had wilted Malcolm says the whole bank used to be decorated inside until health and safety put height restrictions on the designs Dannevirke ANZ manager Sandra Lamb says the co-operation with ANZ as the national sponsor of Daffodil Day is a great idea and her staff enjoy continuing to compete branch against branch to see how much they can raise for the cause a former teacher at Dannevirke South School is part of the organising committee for the 125th anniversary Dannevirke South School is looking for former staff and students as plans get under way for a reunion to celebrate 125 years Organising committee spokeswoman Caroline Gyde says the reunion is planned for King’s Birthday weekend next year May 30 with a pōhiri at the school and a chance for visitors to look around and talk to the children Caroline says it’s a good chance for children and adults to connect and learn from each other will be in place to greet the arrivals and ring in the start of festivities the South School Whānau Fundraising Team are considering an old-fashioned gala great for those who would like to reminisce about their own school galas Caroline says they are also considering a nine-hole golf tournament as well as having a bus to take visitors for a tour around Dannevirke She says the committee is asking anyone to register expressions of interest for activities which also may include a mix and mingle on the Friday night and a formal dinner on the Saturday night There have already been queries from as far away as Australia and former students from the 1960s and 70s have also communicated their support of the reunion Those interested in helping to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the school are also encouraged to make video clips talking about their memories of the school Caroline would also like to collect stories and photos from former students which will then be collated into a magazine for people to buy A small selection of merchandise is also being planned to be sold to help with fundraising for the weekend There will be a service planned for the Sunday to close the weekend and Caroline says the committee is also considering planting a tree to acknowledge former students and staff who have passed away A registration form is available on the school website or a hard copy can be picked up from the office at Dannevirke South School For more information, phone 06 374 8915 or email: southschool125reunion@dannevirkesouth.school.nz Pat Edwards-Sextus surrounded by 30 cardigans she has knitted for Ukraine. You cannot dim the enthusiasm for community service in Pat Edwards-Sextus She says her philosophy in life has been “to do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and adds that the years of community service she has given have satisfied all the beliefs “instilled in me as a child” where Rex managed the Rexdale Dairy Factory farm Her parents later moved to manage the Glengarry Settlement Block and Pat worked in retail in Dannevirke and Palmerston North Pat married Alwyn Edwards (better known as Snow) and the couple lived in Ransom St She worked as her husband’s secretary and then as his managing director in Edwards Bros Ltd which later became Dannevirke Tyre Services Pat was already involved in community service joining the Umutaoroa branch of Rural Women NZ in 1959 She filled most roles in the organisation before serving as president from 1963-1973 and again from 1977-1984 In the same year she joined the Ruaroa Country Women’s Institute being also very active and only retiring in 2023 Snow died in 1976 but Pat continued to manage the family business until 1982 By then she had become a member of the Dannevirke Borough Council She spent three more years on Dannevirke District Council serving on numerous committees and finishing up when it became the Tararua District Council As part of her role she served 11 years on the Dannevirke High School board of governors as the council representative Such was the high esteem in which Pat was held she was made a Justice of the Peace in 1983 and still holds that role With what you would imagine a very busy life Pat still found time to marry Austin Sextus a Manakau farmer who shared her love of fishing and they had four happy years in Ransom St until he passed in 1989 Add to her curriculum vitae these items below and you can see that in “post-marriage retirement” Pat has had no trouble filling her days - even finding time to knit for Ukraine Pat says: “My beliefs have been reinforced by the Rural Woman creed I have endeavoured to follow those principles in all of my professional undertakings.” a massive container left New Zealand by ship bound for Ukraine under the New Zealand name of Operation Cover-Up It is the third container in the past two years to make the journey by ship to a port in Europe where it will be unloaded and packaged up into smaller containers to make the journey to Ukraine under the auspices of Mission Without Borders which range from sewing machines to school books are many items created by local knitters - including 30 babies and young children’s pure wool cardigans knitted by Pat The idea started as Ukraine was entering its winter and there was a desperate need for blankets Locals Margaret Brown and Sharlene Barnett got together with local knitters including Pat and rounded up pure wool raw materials and a production line began skilled and generous lady who has been supporting the community in so many ways Dave Murdoch is a part-time photojournalist based in Dannevirke For the past 11 years he has covered any community story telling good news about the district