The road remained closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination
One person has died following a serious crash in Hastings on Saturday afternoon
Police were alerted to a single-vehicle crash on Tomoana Rd
despite best efforts of emergency services
Motorists were advised to follow diversions and expect delays
The Saturday closure comes amid a proposal to shut Napier Library for at least two years
Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday
Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter »
Some people travel to exotic locations to complete epic walks
but one Hastings man will be taking his epic walk around his block
Gareth Mentzer is preparing for a monumental journey on April 4 and 5 where he will walk more than 100km in 24 hours
It’s to raise money and awareness for the Cancer Society’s Relay Your Way
This won’t be the first time Mentzer has undertaken a Herculean walk like this
In 2022 he raised $12,388 in the Relay Your Way when he walked around his block for 12 hours
I had the biggest blisters I have ever seen,” recalls Gareth
well I thought I had the right shoes and the right socks
and I had the wrong shoes and the wrong socks and didn’t treat blisters
“But that was only 12 hours of pain and this will be 24 hours of pain
but the people who suffer from cancer that’s all the time
So a little bit of pain isn’t the end of the world.”
Gareth’s father Geoff Mentzer thinks what his son is doing with this walk is wonderful
“I wouldn’t ever do it myself,” laughed Geoff
71 New Zealanders are diagnosed with cancer every day
9500 New Zealanders die from cancer each year
with Māori twice as likely to die as non-Māori
Geoff is currently working through chemotherapy following a leukaemia diagnosis
only little things but they’re a bloody nuisance,” he said
“I’ve got one more round of chemo and then I’ve got six months I’ve got to take antiviral and antibiotics
and then six months of just testing and waiting.”
After seeing what Geoff had been going through
Gareth thought it was time to raise funds for cancer patients nationwide again
“It kind of just reminded me of how devastating cancer can be,” said Gareth
“It’s an opportunity to lace up the shoes again and to raise funds for a really great organisation.”
The last time Gareth competed in the Relay Your Way
he managed to finish in the top five in the country in terms of funds raised by individuals
A feat he would like to recreate this year
“I’m just going out to everybody I’ve ever met and ask for donations,” he said
Donations can be made at Gareth Mentzer’s profile on the Relay Your Way website
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland
He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region
CTW Corporation is pleased to announce the worldwide release of "Negima
Magister Negi Magi Mahora Panic" as the latest game on G123
Start the game here
This is the first browser game adaptation of "Negima! Magister Negi Magi," featuring a chaotic and magical idle battle RPG with up to 10 VS 10. Of course, many heroines will also debut.
Experience an exciting school life with the heroines easily in this browser game!
To commemorate the release, a PV has been made public!
Currently, pre-registration rewards are being distributed for a limited time. Obtain items equivalent to 10 gacha draws, SSSR student "Ako Izumi," 7000 gems, and other luxurious rewards to kickstart your game.
A 7-day login bonus event is being held from the start of the game! SSSR student "Natsumi Murakami," SSSR ally "Touko Kuzunoha," and SSR ally "Merdiana School Principal" are among the rewards. There are also chances to get other luxurious items, so be sure to log in for 7 days to obtain them.
After starting the game, by clearing stages, you can get up to 1000 gacha tickets & 30 student unlock tickets. Additionally, by meeting level-up conditions, you can get up to 500 more, making a total of 1500 gacha tickets obtainable.
*All company, product and service names in this document are trademarks of their respective companies.
"Negima! Magister Negi Magi - Mahora Panic" Releases on February 17th!Recommended gamesTSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy-: Peace ChroniclesJourney to a peaceful world
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Another TaleNew encounters await you in another world in this fantasy RPG!
High School D×D Operation Paradise InfinityA Harem Game For Gentlemen
Negima! Magister Negi Magi - Mahora PanicTrue magic results from courage of the heart.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest - Rebellion SoulThis Synergist... is the world's strongest.
So I'm a Spider, So What? Ruler of the LabyrinthThe labyrinth survival fantasy tale begins!
Magical Circle Guru-Guru: Stardust AdventureLet's meet up, just like those old times…
Queen's Blade Limit BreakJoin the Beautiful Warriors Now!
Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time - Defender of Virtue 2The Strongest Man is Fighting for His Virtue?!
Jeanette Cameron, known to the kids as Mormor, began volunteering at Mahora School when her granddaughter Lily-Rose started six years ago.
She was assigned a group of boys to help, but it proved challenging.
"One boy said to me, 'I hate this', and I went home exhausted and devastated because I hated it too," she told 1News.
"And I thought, 'If I don't do it, who will? Nothing is going to get better, and if now is not the opportune time, when will it be?'"
Cameron soon realised she needed to keep the kids busy, so she introduced them to the joys of knitting.
She gives the kids one-on-one time which teaches them how to share.
Some of the boys, like Slade, can't stop knitting.
"It's relaxing and very calming," he said. "Keep doing it even if something goes wrong. Just keep trying."
Cameron said teaching crafts helps the children develop their fine motor skills which "helps with their writing and reading".
When the school wanted to introduce a perceptual motor program to help kids develop their motor skills, Cameron put in $3000.
And when Covid-19 hit, Cameron made more than 300 packs – one for every child.
"Because she really cares about us and really loves us," one student explained.
While her granddaughter has since graduated from the school, Cameron has remained.
"This is my passion, this is my purpose, this is my pleasure and it’s a privilege."
Jeanette Cameron, also known as Mormor, started volunteering at Mahora School six years ago. (Source: 1News)
In Hastings one will find a grandmother helping troubled boys at her local primary school through knitting.
Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain
The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki
Te Ao Māori
Victoria Uni law students to sit handwritten exams due to AI fears
Professor Geoff McLay said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence in many students' laptops"
New Zealand
Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches
It will cover Ministry of Education planning
procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model
Politics
Vandals in 4WDs mow down
The damage was done overnight on Saturday after the vandals first removed new vehicle barriers in front of the trees
Crime and Justice
Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email
There are multiple examples of Stanford using her personal email for ministerial business
Calls for limits to school-specific uniform items
The British government is planning to reduce the number of compulsory branded items from next September
Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria
10 mins ago
Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials
30 mins ago
Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising
42 mins ago
Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves
45 mins ago
US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another
50 mins ago
Erica Stanford accepted meetings through her personal email
8 mins ago
1Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand
US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe
Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one
Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash
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
In Hastings one will find a grandmother helping troubled boys at her local primary school through knitting
began volunteering at Mahora School when her granddaughter Lily-Rose started six years ago
and I went home exhausted and devastated because I hated it too," she told 1News
Cameron soon realised she needed to keep the kids busy
so she introduced them to the joys of knitting
She gives the kids one-on-one time which teaches them how to share
"It's relaxing and very calming," he said
"Keep doing it even if something goes wrong
Cameron said teaching crafts helps the children develop their fine motor skills which "helps with their writing and reading"
When the school wanted to introduce a perceptual motor program to help kids develop their motor skills
Cameron made more than 300 packs – one for every child
"Because she really cares about us and really loves us," one student explained
While her granddaughter has since graduated from the school
this is my pleasure and it’s a privilege."
Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki
but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain
Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it
The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea
and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki
It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi
Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi
Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome
The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented
Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain
ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa
I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa
Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations
"The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us
Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority
"The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that
they identified that it was culturally significant to us all."
Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated
"The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain
our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours
"And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations."
Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain
but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own
rnz.co.nz
A law student at Victoria University of Wellington said students had been "left in the lurch" after an announcement on Monday that said next month's exams for two law subjects would have to be handwritten
also said a timetable had still not been provided
he said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) in many students' laptops makes ensuring that students' work is their own very difficult"
He had hoped the university would have a technical solution
although he hoped one would be available at the end of the year
"This means that we will not be able to allow students to use laptops for exams next month," McLay wrote
"I want to make this announcement as soon as possible so students have time to prepare for handwritten examinations."
McLay added that there would be an exception for students with a disability that required them to use a keyboard
The situation affected the LAWS 312 Equity and LAWS 334 Ethics exams
The student said the announcement was stressful during an already stressful time
a representative of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society said the Council of Legal Education had to be certain that everyone who passed the exams in Equity and Ethics deserved a pass (and did not cheat)
"Previously in person invigilation has been sufficient to manage these concerns
due to the increasing ability and sophistication of AI the faculty were concerned about the reliability of the exams
leading to their decision to make the Equity and Ethics exams handwritten."
The representative said the law students' society had expressed that students' preference was for typed exams — "reflecting how our professional lives will look"
once it became clear that the faculty felt they needed to proceed with handwritten exams we emphasised that students should be informed as early as possible
accessibility options should be made clear
and exam content and timing should reflect the fact that many students have not done handwritten exams since high school and are not used to writing for extended periods of time."
The representative added it was separate from the delay to the exam timetable
Victoria University Provost Professor Bryony James said students' handwriting their exams meant the university could be confident that the results truly reflected the students' own knowledge and effort — free of any suggestion of the influence of AI
James said she would ensure that no student was disadvantaged
and was committed to working with students — including those with disabilities — who might need further support to participate in exams and final assessments as a result
"As part of this undertaking the Faculty of Law will review this Trimester's exam results to ensure this cohort's performance is in line with previous years and confirm that students are not significantly impacted by this decision."
President of Victoria University's Students' Association Liban Ali told Morning Report he was aware that this could happen as early as last year
"It has been on the card as of last year
I feel like there was something that was going to happen."
Ali said the announcement had come at the wrong time
and that the Students' Association were very concerned for students
He said the Students' Association had engaged the Law Society and the faculty to determine the best way to support students
He added that he would make sure that any changes were communicated early in the future
rnz.co.nz
The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp
procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model
Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope:
The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised
about aspects of the revised lunch programme
and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said
"Because of the importance of these services
we have decided to carry out an inquiry."
the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective
under which lunches would be provided for $3 each
The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students
which had been part of the School Lunch Collective
A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services
rnz.co.nz
There are calls for New Zealand to follow England’s footsteps and make uniforms cheaper in a bid to remove a barrier preventing some children from attending school
The British government is planning to reduce the number of compulsory branded items its four million students must own and wear to three branded pieces
The change will save families an estimated 50 pounds (NZ$112.80) per student
there are calls for similar policies to be adopted here
Variety Children's Charity's Susan Glasgow said limiting branded clothes students much wear "would alleviate so much pressure on families who are doing it really
One school alleviating uniform expenses for whānau is Te Kōmanawa Rowley School in Christchurch
The primary school has given all of their students a free uniform after principal Graeme Norman found an anonymous donor
“They supplied me with the money to supply the uniform and saw the benefit it was giving our whānau,” principal Graeme Norman told 1News
The school is also keeping costs down with limited branding and insignia
“We've gone to a supplier that is able to supply quality but at a reasonable price.”
Norman said one of the barriers to attendance is uniform "because some parents don’t want to send their children if they haven’t got uniform"
meaning it's up to each board to decide what uniform is required
The Ministry of Education said schools should always consult with the community before making any uniform decisions
adding that some already offer cheaper unbranded clothing and second-hand shops to save families money
"The costs are phenomenal for so many parents," Glasgow said
"We know that 50% of our parents earn less than $50,000 per annum
you're having to pay two weeks worth of salary simply to provide a uniform for a child."
Britain is expected to introduce its cost savings next September
The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks
Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes
The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract
The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic
with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024
everyone knows that," he told reporters today
"These crime issues are actually global
they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act
Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March
Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime
along with a "prevention mindset"
He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job
Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure
Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police
Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair
He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities
and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP
"Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing."
The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001
The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running
"I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said
"Culture is a consequence of leadership."
establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities
Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February
with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job
Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April
Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over
Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government
Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force
"Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said
whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute
admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders
The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns
"We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said
The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act
The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court
It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets
the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act
deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were
"Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials
and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry
"Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market
well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right."
She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes
In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets
Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time
rnz.co.nz
Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months
who served as prime minister for eight years
was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today
Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed
"I'm not a fan of tariff policies
I don't think they really work," he said
as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment
that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose."
Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy
"They're just a negotiating point
I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point
"What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction
You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked
The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part
'I'm going to negotiate case by case'."
Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US
but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy
Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy
he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States
It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs."
Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries
Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing"
particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented
"I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said
noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies
who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks
said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions"
"I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view
but I don't think we should panic either
and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said
"There are growing markets around the world
It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view
We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us."
Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris
he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs
middle-income consumers or consumers in America do
because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country
He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs
and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that
and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade."
Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months
A US$3 billion (NZ$5 billion) repair backlog
a stunning directive from President Donald Trump for the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons to “REBUILD
AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” — the notorious penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay that last held inmates more than 60 years ago
Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing
chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities
Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as The Rock
Trump declared in a social media post that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders”
Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K Marshall III said that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps”
We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law
and justice,” Marshall said in a statement
“We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.”
an 8.9-hectare spit of land with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline
was once the crown jewel of the federal prison system and home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals
including gangsters Al Capone and George Machine Gun Kelly
But skyrocketing repair and supply costs compelled the Justice Department to close the prison in 1963
and the Bureau of Prisons has long since replaced Alcatraz with modern penitentiaries
including a maximum-security prison in Florence
The former and perhaps future penitentiary is now a popular tourist attraction and a national historic landmark
It’s controlled by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
meaning the Bureau of Prisons could be in for an interagency tug of war if it tries to wrest away control of the island
Trump’s Alcatraz directive is yet another challenge for the Bureau of Prisons as it struggles to fix lingering problems while responding to the president’s priorities on incarceration and immigrant detention
includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security
The problems at the Bureau of Prisons transcend administrations and facilities
An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep
previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons over the last few years
including widespread criminal activity by employees
and severe understaffing that has hampered responses to emergencies
then-President Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency
It remains the Justice Department’s largest agency
155,000 inmates and an annual budget of about US$8 billion (NZ$13.4 billion)
but the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures have eliminated some pay bonuses that were credited with retaining and attracting new staff
That has resulted in long overtime shifts for some workers and the continued use of a policy known as augmentation
teachers and other workers are pressed into duty to guard inmates
A Bureau of Prisons official told Congress at a hearing in February that more than 4000 beds within the system — the equivalent of at least two full prisons — are unusable because of dangerous conditions like leaking or failing roofs
a 37-year-old Florida businessman who was found dead April 28 in a suspected suicide at a federal jail in Miami
He was awaiting trial on charges that he kidnapped and killed his estranged wife in Spain
inmate Ramadhan Jaabir Justice was killed in a fight at the federal penitentiary in Pollock
where he was serving a nearly 11-year sentence for a conviction related to an armed robbery
As Trump was ordering Alcatraz’s reopening
correctional officers at the same Miami jail were fighting to curb the spread of tuberculosis and Covid-19
isolating inmates after they tested positive for the diseases
immigration detainees at the facility ripped out a fire sprinkler and flooded a holding cell during a lengthy intake process
the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin
has sat idle for more than a year after the Bureau of Prisons cleared it of inmates in the wake of rampant sexual abuse by employees
the agency made the closure permanent and idled six prison camps across the country to address “significant challenges
crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources”
While Trump hails Alcatraz as a paragon of the federal prison system’s cherished past
other facilities stand as reminders of its recent troubles
They include the federal jail in Manhattan
which remains idle after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide there in 2019 exposed deep flaws in its operations
where 23 inmates have been charged in recent months with crimes ranging from smuggling weapons in a Doritos bag to the stabbing last month of a man convicted in the killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay
Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis
Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her
All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state
thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February
Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg
which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state
Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband
safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said
Hanson was assigned the case in late February and
he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region
They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account
obituaries and marriage licenses from that region
they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg
including date of birth and social security number
Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address
"I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say
‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me
I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.”
Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share
saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found
“I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had
having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said
Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of
And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting
he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to
so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything
any phone numbers of family members back here," he said
"Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.”
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
Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event
was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner
on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park
A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed
"Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention
the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said
"This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured
and another sustaining significant injuries."
Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries"
Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre
where he died from a "catastrophic head injury"
British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders
including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood
were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries
which did not require transfer to hospital
Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured
who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year
Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson
a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human"
"Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family
Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family
along with our condolences to Owen’s family too."
Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death
"Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer
Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time
The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends
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
Today's biography is about one of our great entertainers and the first musician to have a number one hit in Te Reo
To help us remember the mighty man and his talents
Mahora Peters in our Whangarei studio today
See terms of use
for easy access to all your favourite programmes
is pleased to announce the latest game in the G123 lineup: Negima
Pre-register Now
Everyone will receive amazing items at the start of the game based on the pre-registration numbers
an SSSR "Ako Izumi," and other luxurious items
Pre-register now to get a powerful ally from the start of the game
1. Register at the official game page
2. Follow the official X (formerly Twitter) account
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Another TaleNew encounters await you in another world in this fantasy RPG
Magister Negi Magi - Mahora PanicTrue magic results from courage of the heart
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest - Rebellion SoulThis Synergist..
Ruler of the LabyrinthThe labyrinth survival fantasy tale begins
Magical Circle Guru-Guru: Stardust AdventureLet's meet up
Queen's Blade Limit BreakJoin the Beautiful Warriors Now
Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time - Defender of Virtue 2The Strongest Man is Fighting for His Virtue?
Four Square Mahora owner-operator Scott Iskowicz alongside partner Stephanie Tidey with Ollie
The couple have just completed renovation of their store after Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc with their plans at the start of 2023
Anyone would believe Four Square Mahora co-owner/operator Stephanie Tidey when she says the last 18 months had been “a bit hectic”
If a move from Australia to New Zealand to helm the store wasn’t enough
she and her 8-month-old son Ollie were also rescued off the roof of their Puketapu rental as Cyclone Gabrielle floodwaters rose just three months later
“We waited for a terrifying six hours until we were both helicoptered off the roof by a local helicopter company while the rain continued to come down,” Tidey recalled
“Our neighbours stood in the paddock all morning in their high vis trying to help us
They were trying to wave someone down or do something.”
faced another monumental challenge back at the store he’d gone to check
the loss of power meant a large amount of food had to be disposed of
Scott then got stuck in Mahora with flooding cutting off the roads
Thanks to the kindness of strangers and the help of the New Zealand Army
“We were still fairly new to the region but luckily had just made some new friends who offered to put us up for a few days,” Tidey said
There was also help from other nearby Foodstuffs stores
“We were able to use their support to get hold of some skip bins to dispose of our damaged stock,” he said
another big milestone has occurred for Tidey and her partner as they celebrate the long-awaited renovation of their store - one of the first in Hawke’s Bay to showcase the refreshed Four Square brand that’s being rolled out across the country
“We’re really happy with how it’s turned out
It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said
The pair said they got into the business to help give back to the community
and they were blown away by how much the community
“I don’t think we’ve ever experienced such supportive customers
who are really pleased that there’s been investment into the community,” Tidey said
“We also had several messages from our regular customers who also offered their homes to us
even though so many of them were having their own flooding issues; it just shows how wonderful the locals are here.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023
He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things
CTW is proud to present the latest game on G123
Magister Negi Magi - Mahora Panic," now open for international pre-registration
Pre-register Now
Magister Negi Magi - Mahora Panic" (NegiMaho) is a 10 vs 10 chaotic and magical idle battle RPG
PV
Everyone will receive amazing items at the start of the game based on the pre-registration numbers. At 50,000 pre-registrations, players will receive 10 gacha rolls, an SSSR "Ako Izumi," and other luxurious items. Pre-register now to get a powerful ally from the start of the game.
Gems x4000, Trial Stone x10, Artifact Rank Up Tome x20, Magic Ring Shard x100
Gems x7000, Trial Stone x10, Artifact Rank Up Tome x20, Magic Ring Shard x100, Student Gacha Ticket x10, SSSR Student "Ako Izumi"
Recommended gamesTSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy-: Peace ChroniclesJourney to a peaceful world
A vehicle and its occupants were located in Kauri St
Mahora about 8km away from outside the Havelock North business where two people were reported acting suspiciously
Police have taken two people into custody after reports of suspicious behaviour outside a Havelock North business
A police spokesperson said two people were reported acting suspiciously outside a business on Lipscombe Cres
"The people left the scene soon after the report and police conducted area searches and made inquiries into the vehicle's whereabouts.''
The vehicle and its occupants were located in Kauri St
Police - including armed officers - cordoned off the area while a search took place
Police took two people into custody and were still conducting inquiries
"It will be some time before details such as whether the two people in custody will face charges and if so
earlier in Hastings on Friday two people were detained after security officers found ammunition when a group tried to enter Hastings District Court
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said two items of ammunition were found in a person's jacket during routine screening
A woman in the same group was found with drug paraphernalia
"The police attended and dealt with the matter," the spokeswoman said
Police were called to the Hastings suburb of Mahora after a report of disorder at about 7.40pm today
one critically injured and another seriously hurt
have been rushed to hospital after a disorder incident in Hastings
A spokesman for St John Ambulance said they were taking the pair to Hawke’s Bay Hospital
after a report of disorder about 7.40pm today
“Police are making inquiries into the circumstances of what has occurred,” a police spokeswoman told the Herald
The crash on Saturday evening at a Cornwall Rd intersection in Hastings
One person is recovering in hospital following a crash in Hastings on New Year’s Eve that caused a power outage to about 400 properties
A vehicle hit a power pole about 6.30pm on Saturday at a Cornwall Rd intersection in the suburb of Mahora
Firefighters helped free a man in his 30s who was trapped in the vehicle
He was taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital in a serious condition
and was in a stable condition on Sunday morning
a Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay spokeswoman said
Power was cut to about 400 properties following the crash
including in the suburbs of Mahora and Mayfair
one person was taken to hospital with injuries after a car struck a tree on Ormond Rd in Twyford
a cow was hit and killed by a car along Korokipo Rd in Fernhill
One person involved in the crash was treated by paramedics for minor injuries
Take a walk around Hastings' many suburbs - including Mayfair
Raureka and Mahora - and you'll see whole streets of new affordable houses being built
left derelict with old rundown uninhabitable state houses
are coming back to life and neighbourhoods are being transformed into communities once again
The 317 new houses are a combination of public and transitional homes and papakāinga
Kāinga Ora and other community housing providers have delivered 215 new homes
including replacing 70 old houses throughout Hastings
More are in the pipeline: 132 are either under construction
Tukituki has become an electorate success story for housing
Hastings has been piloted under a place-based approach for building new homes
This has seen our Government and agencies working very closely together with the council
developers and many local business to get more homes built
We've funded more than $36 million for Hastings District Council for civil and water infrastructure to get the pipes in the ground and new roads built
There has also been new transitional housing built to support people out of hotels and affordable homes for first-home buyers
The improvement in new builds is also lifting the quality of whole streets and the new subdivisions also include landscaping
All this work is continuing to create a pipeline of work
adding greater confidence to the local economy and job security and new employment opportunities
Infrastructure funding is key for unlocking more new housing across Tukituki
The country's housing crisis has been decades in the making
and we know one of the main barriers to the construction of more homes is a lack of basic infrastructure
we've just announced $18.5m through the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund for Hastings
enabling around 4000 new homes across multiple developments
This investment is designed to speed up the pace and scale of house building
like kick-starting more council and iwi affordable housing projects including 150 homes in Flaxmere
We're also taking steps to modernise the country's building consent system
A better building consent system will support our work to transform the housing market
stimulate urban development where it is needed
but every New Zealander deserves a healthy
affordable place to call home – and we're making good progress
A 30-year-old woman has died after battling life-threatening injuries in hospital following a house fire in Hastings last weekend
A woman battling life-threatening injuries after a fire in Hastings last weekend has died
The 30-year-old woman had been in a critical condition following the residential fire in Kauri Place
since last Sunday but died in the Hawke's Bay Hospital this morning
A police spokesperson said the cause of the fire was not considered suspicious and her death had been referred to the Coroner
Police were investigating the fire last week after the woman was pulled from the house with life-threatening injures
The fire was thought to have started sometime between 3.30am and 6am Sunday
The fire started in a bedroom and was able to be confined to that room
however other parts of the house were smoke and fire damaged
The woman's death shortly follows the death of 10-year-old Ariki River Baden Mau who was rushed to hospital on Monday afternoon after being involved in a suspicious fire in a derelict building on Heretaunga St West
He died early the following morning and the 9-year-old boy also taken to hospital in a serious condition is now in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital
made using wool from Wimbledon farmer Brian Hales' flocks
Wimbledon farmer Brian Hales' dream to ensure school children are warm and cosy during the winter is coming to fruition
with 22 children from Mahora School in Hastings among the first to benefit
Mahora School had sent two teachers and a teacher aid to Mr Hales' farm to join students from Weber School and staff from Pongaroa and Porangahau Schools to learn the art of felting
Now 22 children from Team Tekau at Mahora School have spent a day making felted slippers
"Team Tekau is a shoeless classroom and this was the perfect opportunity to make sure every child had warm feet over the winter terms," teacher John Willoughby said
"When the bell rang we had 22 excited children heading into our school hall ready to begin a day creating a pair of personalised slippers
We were lucky to have expert felters who had all been to Brian's workshops at his farm to help out."
The felters included Mahora teacher Robyn Perry and teacher aid Charlotto Ayto and Mr Willoughby's mother Kathryn
"There were plenty of questions from the children
because many had never touched wool before," Mr Willoughby said
Mr Hales told the Dannevirke News he was delighted with the response from the school children
"There were some pretty happy children at the end of the day and the impact of this is quite dramatic in the learning environment," he said
there was great excitement as they began making their own slippers
"Robyn [Perry] demonstrated the very first steps of feathering out the wool to create the first layer and how to wet the wool to create the felt," Mr Willoughby said
but finally the first stage was complete and each child had a wet
semi foot-shaped clump of wool in front of them."
Each child from Team Tekau had a senior student working with them
"Every child then popped on their slippers and the seniors began the task of moulding them to their feet," he said
"The seniors worked hard to make sure each slipper was moulded perfectly and the Team Tekau children were becoming extremely proud of the new slippers being custom made in front of them
With the home time bell not far away excess water was squeezed out and finally the children were at the last stage
22 children with huge smiles stood proudly holding a pair of custom-made felted slippers they had created."
Mr Hales said the slipper project will be one of the features of the exotic sheep shearing day to be held at his farm in September
"They look pretty good and we hope to run the project for schools again next year," he said
Police have named the victim of a workplace accident at a Hastings juice factory last week
A police spokesperson said 23-year-old Manpreet Kaur
died following an incident at Homegrown Juice Company Limited in Mahora
"Police's thoughts are with Mrs Kaur's family and co-workers at this time."
A WorkSafe investigation was launched after Mrs Kaur was believed to have been entangled in machinery in a cool store shortly before 2.15am
A WorkSafe spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing and was unable to provide any further information
Homegrown Juice Company Limited director Steve Brownlie have previously said the company was deeply saddened by the loss of one of their staff
The factory and office was closed on June 15 while investigations were carried out
Nationally this work-place fatality was the fourth within a week but each case would be assessed by WorkSafe to ensure that it met the criteria before it was included in the official statistics
WorkSafe figures show that the Hastings incident was the second work-related fatality reported for Hawke's Bay this year
Hawke's Bay Regional Council senior resource technician Michael Francis Taylor
was killed on a rural farm in Ashley Clinton after a vehicle he was travelling in left a farm track and rolled
The toll is already catching up to last year's high of three recorded work-related deaths
Since 2011 Hawke's Bay has had 20 workplace fatalities
set a target to reduce work-related fatalities and serious injuries by 25 per cent by 2020
with an interim target of 10 per cent by 2016
The latest release by WorkSafe showed that positive progress is being made towards the target reductions for fatal and serious non-fatal injury
with fatal work-related injuries at the lowest rate since the data series began in 2002
The release stated that recent WorkSafe estimate data suggests that the recent improvement in the rate of fatal injury may be slowing
while international comparisons with Australia and the United Kingdom confirm that despite progress
New Zealand's fatal injury rate remains higher
this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read
Hastings District Council is considering permanently closing an alleyway near a school that has become a haven for violence and drug dealing
Resident Renae Van Der Meer lives next to a 90m-long alleyway which connects Frederick St West and Manuka St in Mahora
She said it had caused residents trouble for more than 30 years
The council will vote on Thursday whether to permanently close it
I even saw my mum get beaten up by two guys in the alleyway (when I was young)," she said
The single mum said she regularly heard shouting in the alleyway and violence
"It would ease my stress if it was closed because it is actually really frightening
"I have been calling council since I was old enough to know who to call
She said people also park at the top of the alley and dash down the path before returning to their vehicle
Council papers stated there had been complaints about vandalism
It is located 200m from St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Frederick St Kindergarten
a former longstanding principal of Frimley Primary School
said he fully supported closing the alleyway
"They find them very claustrophobic and quite dangerous because there is no escape route
He said in his experience children did not go anywhere near narrow lanes with high fences
they thought they would be a good idea but they have become a hazard."
He said that included others like it in the region that are close to schools
Council papers state that the land could be sold to neighbouring residents if the proposal is approved
"Implementing the road stoppage will incur some costs to council
including legal fees for the subdivision and disposal of the land," the agenda reads
"This may be partially offset via the sale of the land."
Dixon said he supported the land being given to residents whose fences backed onto the Mahora laneway
and did not think residents should be made to pay for it
Fellow resident Evan Robson has been living next to the alleyway for 35 years
"It has just become a cowboy alleyway and a place where people could get drunk and high and vandalise our fence lines and yell and curse," he said
many incidents where police have been called."
He said it used to be much worse but was still a disgrace
He said residents had been petitioning the council for decades to remove it but "they have insisted that they have to keep it open"
"This would never have lasted in Havelock North."
Robson said he would like to see it turned into green space and blocked off to foot traffic
The offending blackboard outside The Elbow Room Sports Bar owner in Hastings
The owner of a Hastings bar is spending a week volunteering at Hastings Women's Refuge to try to make amends for a joke his staff wrote outside The Elbow Room Sports Bar in Mahora last week
Duty manager Roger Wright wrote on a footpath blackboard sign: "I saw six men kicking and punching my mother-in-law
A local resident complained to Hawke's Bay Today
saying the humour on the bar's blackboard was often misogynistic and some women felt scared walking past the "degrading and senseless" jokes
She said last week's was the worst she had seen
Hastings Women's Refuge manager Julie Hart said if the bar manager and staff spent a week working in the refuge it would give them the opportunity to see the harm that is done to women and children "and how social discourse plays a large part in its continuation"
Police Eastern District's family violence and victims' manager Greg Brown said the bar's management had exercised bad taste and poor judgment
"I can assure you there's nothing remotely humorous about family harm," he said
"It robs women and our children of their potential and their future
To have people making light of the situation demonstrates ignorance."
He said family violence had a strong connection with alcohol and occurred across all sectors of society
"You couldn't put this in any context that's acceptable
Bar owner Mike Newrick said he was shocked when he found out what was written outside his bar
"I have contacted Women's Refuge and I am taking up Julie's offer to help for a week," he said
We help heaps of charities at the bar - we have a box at the bar for hospice and child cancer and now it looks like we are going to have one for Women's Refuge."
He said people talking the issue over was one good thing to come out of the situation
While some said such a joke should not be taken seriously
"you can't say that to a victim of domestic violence"
"I won't have a local resident too frightened to walk past the bar because of the sign on the blackboard
I own the bar and just sold the Four Square
Mr Wright said it was the first complaint he received in his two years of writing a different joke each week for the bar's mainly male patrons
Mr Newrick said there would be no more blackboard signs on the footpath
Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Mahora School principal Rohan Pearse
A capital injection of $5.5 million will be invested into five Hawke's Bay schools to help solve current and future overcrowding problems
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa
Frimley Primary School and Gisborne's Kaiti School have been promised a combined 10 new classrooms by the Ministry of Education
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced the funding on Wednesday as part of a $20m spend on 39 new roll growth teaching spaces to be built at schools across the Waikato
"This Government is taking a responsible approach to ensure funding is available in areas where student numbers are growing," Hipkins said
"This investment will create more teaching spaces and give thousands of students the opportunity to learn in a better environment than they've been used to."
Unprecedented roll growth at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa - the only total immersion Māori language school in the area - has meant the addition of three new teaching spaces is much needed
The kura opened its doors in 1994 to about 10 children and in 2015
a $4m project saw a new school built with a capacity of 79 students
But now with the roll at 113 students from Year 0 to 13
spaces have had to be remoulded to make more room
Tumuaki (principal) Anaru Ratapu said the roll has risen each year since 2015 and is expected to continue
"We are really grateful that we got these classes
We have to be more proactive than reactive with these things."
Ratapu anticipates another 13 students to enrol next year
Eskdale School principal Tristan Cheer said the two additional teaching spaces will allow them to cater for their current needs and those in the immediate future
"Although we are short on detail at the current time we do know that the new classrooms' spaces will form part of a larger rebuilding and modernisation project for our school
"It is exciting to think that we will have innovative learning spaces to match the teaching and learning that is already happening at Eskdale and that we want to develop further."
Tukituki Labour Electorate Committee chairwoman and local education advocate Anna Lorck said the addition is a "proactive approach rather than reactive
which is a big change to what we saw in Havelock North under the previous government"
"It is good to see we have a Government responding to future demand as well as the existing needs
"We have fantastic schools which play an important role in our great communities and we need to make sure they have good quality infrastructure to provide the best teaching environments."
Frimley Primary School will receive two classrooms and principal Tim White said they are intended to cater for anticipated growth based on the Lyndhurst Rd housing development
which will see 180 sections built within the next two years
Mahora School will also receive two classrooms and principal Rohan Pearse said they are "very much in need of additional classroom space"
"Our school has been working with the Ministry of Education for several years to facilitate this to manage our current growth in the Mahora community."
Camberley School in Hastings has reportedly lost most of its teaching staff
The Ministry of Education has appointed a limited statutory manager to a Hastings primary school following the resignation of the principal
Hawke's Bay Today understands the current Camberley School principal
resigned following ongoing rifts with members of the board
Before taking up the job at the end of 2016
she was the deputy principal of Mahora School
four of the six school's teachers resigned in support of her
It was unknown whether they have returned or have left permanently
Ministry of Education deputy secretary Sector Enablement and Support Katrina Casey said they had "been talking to the board along with others about solutions to a range of issues including a number of resignations of staff at the school"
She said the Board of Trustees was still in place and the ministry had appointed Kevin Palmer as a limited statutory manager (LSM)
"The board has agreed that it needed some additional expertise to assist it
communication and policy and procedural issues
He will also help the board to consolidate any new and improved systems into its practice and will advise on governance best practice
"By far the majority of schools operate successfully
but a small number develop difficulties or have unanticipated events that they cannot resolve without outside help
"We always work with schools to support them to resolve problems themselves
an intervention aims to bring expertise and fresh perspective
"It also acts as a circuit breaker for entrenched problems
so that the focus of the school can go back on teaching and learning."
who is also the LSM for other schools around the country
visited the school this week.He said his primary role was to "support principal's and their boards"
Mr Palmer said "the future of Camberley School is assured and important"
"I will be assisting the board and principal in the areas of employment
He did not not wish to comment on whether the teachers and or principal had resigned
It is believed Ms Smith will not be returning next term
at Instinctive Fitness with workout equipment
It was all about connection with a good dose of competition as a group of Rotorua's elderly took on the Kaumātua Olympics
The Kaumātua Olympics were held at Rototuna High School in Hamilton on Friday
The 20 Te Arawa kaumātua who took part in the event who were split into two teams
The only criteria for the event was that participants had to be 65 years old or more
and the kaumātua did not know what activities were planned beforehand
The local kaumātua who went are part of the group Pakaru Tinana which meets at Instinctive Fitness on Tuesdays and Thursdays
On Tuesdays there are a range of activities they may do
said she was looking forward to meeting up with other kaumātua and connecting with people
said it was great to bring elderly people together
and he would love to see their local fitness group and the Kaumātua Olympics continue in the future
said events like this helped to give them a gauge of what other kaumātua were doing in other areas
One of the Pukarara Tinana teams took home the prize for being the best dressed on the day
They are aiming for the Iron Māori taking place in Napier during November
The Kaumātua Olympics is a great way of training for this
The Women's Health League Rotorua branch and Dr Laurie Morrison co-ordinated the local kaumātua taking part
He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life
two of the original members of the Maori Volcanics Showband
Rotorua is in for a trip down memory lane with the touring Maori Volcanics Showband coming to town
all-dancing multi-instrumentalists - including two original members of the group - will perform at the Waikite Clubrooms on Saturday with promoter and performer Huiariki Watene saying it will be a great chance to see and hear some of the classics live
"It's highlighting the showmanship and entertainment that Billy T James and Tui Teka were also once a part of
"We also have two originals in there as well with Mahora Peters and her husband Billy Peters
Mahora is the pioneer of the Volcanics since back in 1964 - they have both been on the road for 46 years."
Mr Watene said the show wouldn't just be a trip down memory lane with comedy
impersonations of famous acts such as Roy Orbison
"It will all be finished before the All Blacks test as well," he joked
"When I first started with them with our first four shows down in the Wellington area
they thought it was too risky thinking the audience were also either dead or in rest homes
with sold out shows around the North Island we were really pleased to know there is still an audience out there for real top quality entertainment."
He said the group were was planning a South Island tour and was heading to Tahiti
They are also playing at the Opotiki RSA this Friday from 7.30pm and at the Kawerau Cosmopolitan Club on Sunday at 1.30pm
- The Maori Volcanics Showband play at the Waikite Clubrooms
For bookings or other queries call (07) 348 2788
Rohan Pearse of Mahora School says pupils are being taught in the library while the books have been shifted to the hall
Twenty-four schools in Hawke's Bay have more students than the Ministry of Education provides to educate them
Ministry figures provided to Hawke's Bay Today under the Official Information Act reveal 24 schools in the region have more students than teaching space
Mahora School principal Rohan Pearse said the roll had steadily grown to 401 students
29 more than the school's enrolment zone capacity
He said the growth had forced the decile 3 primary school to teach two classes in the library but it wasn't a problem
"It's not ideal but it's the best we can do
"We're pretty disappointed that we've had to move our library to the hall but obviously
we're looking at other ways we can manage the growth we're experiencing."
Mr Pearse said the ministry had been happy to discuss new building plans to account for the roll growth and was liaising with the council about new housing and families in the enrolment zone
it's about trying to manage it when we're unsure as to when these children are coming
The growth just happens and it's about being proactive rather than reactive."
The ministry provides teaching space for in-zone students
Some schools privately own buildings and classrooms to accommodate out-of-zone students
The ministry does not hold information on privately owned buildings
Education Minister Hekia Parata announced three Hawke's Bay schools would get eight extra classrooms at a cost of $4 million - four at Havelock North Primary School and two each for Te Mata School and Lucknow School
Havelock North and Te Mata schools had been using extra areas such as the library
administration area and music suite to meet the growing enrolment demands
a growing divide between demand for high and low decile schools was becoming problematic
said the chairman of the NZ Secondary Principals' Council
Some parents sent their children to higher-decile schools because they believed the quality of education was higher but he said that was not necessarily true
high-decile schools tend to be getting larger and very low-decile schools seem to be getting smaller
"That holds true in pretty much any community where there is choice," Mr Vester said
"From an overall efficiency as a network and use of public money
it would be much better if all schools were seen as great schools and people simply went to the school closest to their house."
principal of Edgewater College in Auckland
said the vast majority of baby boomers received a good education attending the closest school and developing stigma around a school's decile was not healthy
not just as a principal but as a general educator and what's good for the country
I don't think this divide that's growing is good," he said
The ministry managed the complex school network well but spent a lot of money running rural schools that operated well below capacity
Schools exceeding ministry-funded capacity in Hawke's Bay:
* The Ministry of Education could not provide updated school roll numbers
The numbers included in the story were full-time equivalent (FTE) figures
The Māori Volcanics have been the most successful
Billy T James started his career with them
after starting out with the Maori Troubadours
Prince Tui Teka became well-known through his stint with the Volcanics
The current line up were all present on opening night at Volume
and Yadana Saw caught up with Jermaine Kawau
Mahora Peters and Billy Peters for a korero and a waiata
More about the Māori show bands on RNZ
The game company CTW announced on Tuesday that Ken Akamatsu's Negima! Magister Negi Magi manga is inspiring a "10 vs 10 chaotic and magical idle battle role-playing game" on CTW's online gaming platform G123 for web browsers (on HTML5)
Magister Negi Magi - Mahora Panic game is accepting pre-registration internationally
and it will be free to play (with in-game purchases)
The original manga ran from 2003 to 2012. Del Rey Manga began publishing the manga in North America, but Kodansha Comics took over publishing duties for this title and others in 2010
Xebec's 2005 Negima! anime adapted material from the manga's early volumes with a focus more on the manga's romantic comedy story (as opposed to the magic battles) and an anime-original ending. SHAFT's 2006-2007 Negima!? anime, from director Akiyuki Simbo
told an alternate storyline that also diverged from the manga
Sources: Press release, Negima! Magister Negi Magi - Mahora Panic game's website
Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu.
The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser
Japanese version
Pre-registration for the English version of Negima Magister Negi Magi – Mahora Panic is now open
This is an idle battle RPG adaptation of the Negima series
You can pre-register through the G123 website
This is a browser game that is free-to-play but has gacha elements
A teaser trailer shows off Negi and the Mahora students that you can add to your roster
Their Pactio forms will be available as well
There’s actually not a lot of information on how the game will play like
but the trailer implies that there will be some sort of multiplayer or co-op function
when Negima Magister Negi Magi – Mahora Panic reaches 50,000 pre-registrations
Negima! Magister Negi Magi is a Japanese manga series by Ken Akamatsu, who is now a politician in Japan
It ran from 2003 to 2012 in Weekly Shonen Magazine and there were several animated adaptations of the manga
a boy with magic powers who becomes the homeroom teacher for Mahora Academy Class 2A
His students also have their fair share of supernatural powers or identities
Negima Magister Negi Magi – Mahora Panic is available for pre-registration
though there’s no information on when it’ll come out