Masterton Mayor Gary Caffell is "gutted" to hear about 100 jobs could be on the line as an iconic New Zealand food products business goes into liquidation Hansells Masterton has been tipped into receivership by a company owned by the Hart family Receivers BDO Auckland are urgently trying to find a new buyer for the business which is known for products that include drink powders and syrups Caffell said he felt for the staff and their families who faced uncertainty and hoped a solution that kept jobs could be found Hansells Masterton had been part of the town's fabric for 75 years and he "was gutted to hear the news" "Businesses like Hansell's are the backbone of our local economy and community," he said "The company has provided jobs and stability for generations of Masterton families producing iconic products that have been in Kiwi pantries for decades." Caffell hoped the council would be kept up-to-date with developments and pledged support for the business and staff employed there "We've got [council] staff here who are very well versed in economic development," he said "I know we'd only be too happy to do what we can to help out because we know just how important Hansells is to our community." Hansells Masterton director Alan Stewart said he had supported the business to the best of his ability over the past 11 years to keep staff employed and the 90 year-old-brand alive "but this has now been taken out of my hands" "I feel sorry for the many long-serving staff some who have worked in the company for over 40 years and there are many who will have difficulty getting continued employment in Masterton." Stewart said the receivers had arrived in Masterton and staff may learn more about their fate on Monday The trading environment had been difficult in recent years with challenges exacerbated by the Covid pandemic Walter & Wild purchased the Hansells brand which was then sold to Hansells Masterton in 2023 Stewart said conditions that came with purchasing the Hansells brand from Walter & Wild could not be met and the Hansells Masterton had been placed into receivership and said it would make a rapid assessment to identify and implement cost-saving measures to stabilise the company during the sale process BDO business restructuring partner Andrew McKay said Hansells Masterton had made trading losses and was insolvent The business would continue to trade while a buyer was sought and he confirmed there had already been some interest Hansells Masterton would be closed and the assets - including plant equipment land and buildings - would be broken up and sold Walter & Wild chief operating officer Isi Tupou said Hansells Masterton was affected by the economic downturn and challenges with the global supply chain He said Walter & Wild would support the receivers in their process A boil water notice has been in place in the Grey District since Wednesday after bacteria linked to human and animal waste was found The biggest risk to the manufacturing sector is the outlook for demand amid global volatility Markets have been roiled since Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs late on April 2 Air Chathams needs support from Whakatāne District Council and the community if is to continue providing flights to the Eastern Bay EBOS - the animal and health care company behind well-known pet shop Animates - is raising up to $275 million to buy 100 percent of New Zealand's SVS Veterinary Supplies Business RSS Follow RNZ News A child was bitten on the face over the weekend, while irresponsible owners are killing or dumping surplus puppies, the advocate told council. Masterton District Council recently consulted on an updated dog control policy and bylaw which attracted 135 submissions from the community. The Control of Dogs Bylaw and the Dog Policy aimed to minimise danger, distress and nuisance to the community while striking a balance with the needs of dogs and their owners for exercise and recreation. On Wednesday, the council’s hearings committee heard submissions from a handful of people including HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) chief executive Carolyn Press-McKenzie. She told councillors that irresponsible owners and uncontrolled dogs were creating public safety and animal welfare issues in Masterton. "Things have got to a point where they are just untenable." She said HUHA had received two calls on the weekend from Masterton; one was about a child who was bitten on the face by an ex-farm dog puppy and another was "a hoarding situation that was out of control". Press-McKenzie said HUHA supported the proposed changes in the council’s bylaw and policy which included discretion for the council to waive surrendering fees. "A few weeks ago we took an unwanted litter of pups from a Masterton farm. The farmer was going to drown them, but his wife intervened," she said. "Thanks to the old-fashioned theory that working dogs work harder if not desexed and the unlimited number of dogs allowed on a farm, this work is ongoing, time consuming and extremely expensive for HUHA." She said that not all dogs owned by farmers were working dogs and said there needed to be some way to regulate registrations in these contexts. "Farmers should also be encouraged to desex all dogs not intended for breeding." Another problem for Masterton was the volume of puppies bred by irresponsible pig hunters, Press-McKenzie said. "The constant breeding to find the perfect hunting dogs, means that the hundreds of surplus puppies are banged on the head, drowned, dumped, or passed on to ill-equipped community members. "This is extremely irresponsible and inappropriate." She believed there were also rural areas in Masterton suspected to be holding dogs for the purpose of dog fighting. A limitation on dogs registered to these rural properties would give animal control officers more enforcement tools, Press-McKenzie said. Another submitter Darren McGregor, from NZ Post, said delivery workers were being attacked by dogs in Masterton or became injured trying to escape from dogs. He said there had been 31 recorded dog incidents involving NZ Post staff or contractors in Masterton over the past five years. "We welcome any steps that Masterton District Council takes with reference to dogs that would make our employees and contractors safer when delivering to customers within its area," McGregor said. He said delivery workers aimed to deliver items to the door as that was the expectation of customers. "When customers have a dog or dogs running loose in their property and there is no safe access to a door without encountering a dog, that puts delivery people’s safety at risk. "It is only luck that has prevented our local delivery people from suffering serious life changing injuries because of dogs. Elsewhere in the country people have not been so lucky." He asked the council to enforce safe access to at least one door of a house without encountering a dog. The council’s hearings committee would discuss the submissions and consider community views and staff advice and decide recommendations at the committee meeting scheduled for April 30. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. An animal welfare advocate has painted a grim picture of Masterton’s dog control issues, labelling the situation "untenable". Warning to parents over 'upsetting' Auckland dog attack statsMore than 1000 Auckland children were attacked by dogs last year Little Azaiah needed surgery and months of recovery after being attacked New Zealand Masterton refreshes dog rules — what it means for ownersThe proposed policy would be out for consultation until March 21 Stowaway weka catches ride across Southern Alps The native bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite Man's cigarette smuggling attempt stubbed out Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was "an attempt to defraud Customs revenue" Crime and Justice Wellington Airport's giant eagles to depart terminal "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them." Wellington residents 'left in limbo' as power outages continue Thousands of homes lost power during the storm which battered the region this week 'Politics has become an ugly place': Tory Whanau on mayoral role Whanau announced this week she will not stand again for the Wellington mayoralty Politics Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 39 mins ago Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 55 mins ago National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s 9:51am Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire 9:29am US states push for speed-limiting devices on the cars of dangerous drivers 9:20am Ten dead after tourist boats capsize in sudden storm in China 34 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Stephen Stone’s son files complaint over Crown Solicitor’s statement Erin Patterson shared love of mushrooms in online group 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 fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. 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 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon An animal welfare advocate has painted a grim picture of Masterton’s dog control issues labelling the situation "untenable" A child was bitten on the face over the weekend while irresponsible owners are killing or dumping surplus puppies Masterton District Council recently consulted on an updated dog control policy and bylaw which attracted 135 submissions from the community The Control of Dogs Bylaw and the Dog Policy aimed to minimise danger distress and nuisance to the community while striking a balance with the needs of dogs and their owners for exercise and recreation the council’s hearings committee heard submissions from a handful of people including HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) chief executive Carolyn Press-McKenzie She told councillors that irresponsible owners and uncontrolled dogs were creating public safety and animal welfare issues in Masterton She said HUHA had received two calls on the weekend from Masterton; one was about a child who was bitten on the face by an ex-farm dog puppy and another was "a hoarding situation that was out of control" Press-McKenzie said HUHA supported the proposed changes in the council’s bylaw and policy which included discretion for the council to waive surrendering fees "A few weeks ago we took an unwanted litter of pups from a Masterton farm "Thanks to the old-fashioned theory that working dogs work harder if not desexed and the unlimited number of dogs allowed on a farm time consuming and extremely expensive for HUHA." She said that not all dogs owned by farmers were working dogs and said there needed to be some way to regulate registrations in these contexts Another problem for Masterton was the volume of puppies bred by irresponsible pig hunters "The constant breeding to find the perfect hunting dogs means that the hundreds of surplus puppies are banged on the head or passed on to ill-equipped community members She believed there were also rural areas in Masterton suspected to be holding dogs for the purpose of dog fighting A limitation on dogs registered to these rural properties would give animal control officers more enforcement tools said delivery workers were being attacked by dogs in Masterton or became injured trying to escape from dogs He said there had been 31 recorded dog incidents involving NZ Post staff or contractors in Masterton over the past five years "We welcome any steps that Masterton District Council takes with reference to dogs that would make our employees and contractors safer when delivering to customers within its area," McGregor said He said delivery workers aimed to deliver items to the door as that was the expectation of customers "When customers have a dog or dogs running loose in their property and there is no safe access to a door without encountering a dog that puts delivery people’s safety at risk "It is only luck that has prevented our local delivery people from suffering serious life changing injuries because of dogs Elsewhere in the country people have not been so lucky." He asked the council to enforce safe access to at least one door of a house without encountering a dog The council’s hearings committee would discuss the submissions and consider community views and staff advice and decide recommendations at the committee meeting scheduled for April 30 LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air More than 1000 children were victims of dog attacks across Auckland last year as dog control officers struggle to keep up with increasing numbers of menacing and roaming dogs with more than $2.5m paid out by ACC for dog-related injuries was playing at a neighbour's house unsupervised at the age of 2 when their dog attacked him His mother Shayna Clausen said the dog's owners came out to see her son after hearing the commotion "They grabbed him and took him in to their room and I think they were running cold water onto his head Azaiah required surgery and months of recovery with scars from the attack visible on his scalp Clausen said she comes from a dog family and that it has been "hard to have that fear that was never there before" just because of all the dogs around." Auckland Council dog controller Emma Ginsberg said it was "really stressful" to see a child having been bitten "That's going to scar a child for life so to see that when the incident could have been prevented is really upsetting." There are more than 2000 unregistered "menacing" dogs across Auckland and the council said that the number was growing Ginsberg said dog control officers are flat out and that shelters are at capacity "The rate of aggression in dogs has risen and that is due to dogs not being socialised correctly "They're not going through training they're free roaming in our streets." A renewed Masterton dog policy will increase dog access in some public places and aims to reduce roaming and nuisance incidents The draft policy received unanimous support from Masterton councillors on Wednesday Amendments included designating Taranaki St’s park as off-leash to expand accessible dog exercise areas and address the demand for more off-leash areas in urban Masterton The Taranaki St park had effective fencing and feedback indicated the area was already used off-leash without issues The policy would also clarify on-leash requirements at the northern end of Riversdale Beach and prohibit dogs from the Castlepoint Beach reef area to protect sensitive wildlife The Castlepoint reef was identified in the regional council's Natural Resource Plan as a significant habitat for native birds with five threatened or at-risk species frequenting the area Feedback to council indicated the reef area was rarely used for dog exercise and the change would not be too disruptive for the community There would also be neutering requirements for repeatedly uncontrolled dogs and clarification that exercising dogs from a moving motor vehicle was not allowed Mayor Gary Caffell said he was particularly keen on "making ground on people exercising their dogs through windows of cars" The proposed policy also introduced a process for removing the "menacing dog by deed" classification when owners had demonstrated responsible behaviour and room for council discretion to waive surrender fees in exceptional circumstances council staff said discretion to waive the surrendering fee encouraged better behaviour around surrendering dogs and prevented potential harm to the dog a hearing would be held on April 9 and deliberations on April 30 This would be alongside consultation on the Dangerous the council would make amendments if required and consider adoption on May 14 A weka who travelled from the West Coast to Christchurch over the Alps has been returned home after his roadie adventure The endemic bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite in Buller Gorge while packing up from their Easter getaway The gear was split between campers Kim Ranger and her partner Ian's two vehicles hidden in dog blankets in Ian's ute despite multiple stops He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn’t notice the weka," Kim said I opened the back door of the Ranger to get something there it was in the rear passenger footwell what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?”  Kim said they contacted the after-hours vet SPCA and DOC but were told to care for the bird until morning Apart from setting off the car alarm at 7am and covering the inside of the ute with poo Kim said the weka didn't seem distressed after her last name and given its temporary home Ranger was collected by DOC and checked over at the South Island Wildlife Hospital where — apart from being slightly dehydrated — was in good health and was released back to the area from where it hitched a ride DOC Biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander said the episode was a reminder for people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping “There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn’t want to see them accidentally introduced here.”  we also had someone accidentally bring two wētā over from the West Coast in their wetsuits,” said Alexander If you find a native animal has snuck a ride somewhere it shouldn't be; contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next Wellington's famous eagles will take flight from the airport this week after 12 years in the terminal They will be replaced by a new display that is currently being kept under wraps Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said that the departure of the birds (and their passenger Gandalf) will be emotional for staff "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest “We’re working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique locally themed replacement to take their place." The eagles were created by Wētā Workshop as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies and unveiled in December 2013 Each bird weighs 1.2 tonnes and has a 15-metre wingspan Wētā Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Richard Taylor said it's a "bittersweet moment" saying goodbye to them "There are many more stories to be told and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life."  The eagles will be taken down and disassembled on Friday May 9 and placed into storage with long-term plans for them still yet to be decided "We’ll unveil what’s next later this year so keep watching the skies," Clarke said Tolkien fans will be relieved to know that Smaug the Magnificent will remain in the check-in area Frustration is mounting among residents in Wellington who have been without power since early Thursday but Wellington Electricity says some repairs will continue until the middle of next week Natasha Eagle and her two children have been coping without electricity at their Island Bay home for four days She said communication had been muddled and sparse and it was difficult having no idea whether restoration was hours or days away That view was backed up by Brooklyn resident Sean Keaney He said he and his family of five had been without electricity since midnight Thursday He said they were the only house in the street affected and an electrician had confirmed the problem was at the pole Keaney said communication from Wellington Electricity had been appalling "However there is absolutely no information for us and others like us I've called multiple times to be told 'we have no ETA' we don't have any information on when someone will be there' and when I pushed and asked to talk to someone to escalate this was told they 'don't want to talk to you and you can make a complaint when it's all resolved' "This is appalling communication from Wellington Electricity - they will have a schedule of work and an idea of when they could be out to fix but refusing to share it as our family of five approach 60 hours without electricity not knowing how long it will be and unable to plan." venting frustration about the lack of communication and updates from Wellington Electricity Wellington Electricity said it was progressively restoring power to single-premise outages - with faults being prioritised by how long they had been out "After the strongest winds in a decade lashed the Wellington region on Thursday Wellington Electricity has restored power to the bulk of affected customers," it said in a statement to RNZ on Sunday afternoon adding that 8000 customers had been impacted "Crews have worked 14-hour days since Thursday managing safety with regular check-ins and roster rotations to manage fatigue." "Wellington Electricity anticipates restoring the bulk of its remaining customers without power by Monday evening however further repairs will be necessary including streetlight circuit restoration." Anyone without power who has not been contacted should call their electricity retailer directly so repair crews can be dispatched to restore supply "Wellington Electricity acknowledges the extended disruption these outages have caused and thanks customers for their continued patience while final restoration work is completed." rnz.co.nz As a progressive mayor Tory Whanau has had to deal with the "old guard" resistant to change Her decision came shortly after former Labour leader Andrew Little confirmed he would be contesting with Whanau saying she didn't want a Greens versus Labour narrative to swamp the election she plans to run for the council's Māori Ward Whanau has previously said she would consider quitting the mayoralty after facing scrutiny for her political and personal challenges including the appointment of a Crown observer for the council She told Saturday Morning she has attracted extra attention because the "old guard" are resistant to issues such as climate change "Being the progressive change mayor - that does bring a lot of negativity." Being wahine Māori has also posed extra difficulties citing the treatment of other Māori politicians such as Tamatha Paul and the negativity had also moved onto the rainbow community "Politics at the moment has become quite an ugly place and I'm just an example of part of that." especially this week since her decision on the mayoralty politics could be "a lonely place" and "isolating" "It's absolutely crucial" to have discussions about the online criticism directed at women and gay politicians "When is it OK to threaten the life of a politician It is never OK," she said in response to a councillor's claim that she had asked for the abuse she received because of her behaviour She did not regret using social media in her bid to attract support from young people the political landscape had changed a great deal US President Donald Trump and some of the New Zealand coalition government members had helped to ramp up the criticism politicians received "The online trolling has accelerated significantly .. the political landscape has become a lot more toxic." the abuse would turn off women and rangatahi Māori from any thoughts of going into politics "And that becomes a danger to our democracy." She appealed to other politicians to make debate about policy rather than personal Whanau said she was surprised by former Labour Minister Andrew Little's announcement after he had ruled out the suggestion last year "I accepted it [Little's decision] I am really excited about running for the Māori ward." She said she was not disappointed some on the left had backed Little instead of her The most important thing was to keep the city "on track" with issues such as the cycleway network She said many of the things she had campaigned on such as more investment in water and more social housing had started during her mayoralty "The biggest thing I didn't achieve was light rail .. I at least was able to keep the Golden Mile." Questioned about her "flip-flop" over the sale of Wellington Airport shares There was a need to address the $2.3 billion underinvestment in insurance and she believed the share sale would be the best option The council had moved on and relationships had been rebuilt It had caused "great upset" that iwi did not have a voice over ther sale of the shares her relationship with iwi remained strong throughout the saga and having a voice at the table were the main priorities for mana whenua They had been supportive over her decision to stand for the Māori ward Whanau said the atmosphere was "light" during her meeting with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown during which the appointment of a Crown Observer was discussed "We've had independent advice that it didn't need to happen but I wanted to show Wellington that I was more than willing to work with the government to prove we could have a successful Long Term Plan .. it's back on track without the airport." The presence of the observer had helped with the management of councillors' behaviour She had a "polite" relationship with Brown and said things were warmer with the new minister Simon Watts Whanau said it had been an honour to perform her first karanga at two events during her term as mayor "One of the most special honouring moments of my life .. that has been an absolute privilege of this role." rnz.co.nz A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air 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 Wanganui 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 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 A teenager who admitted being "addicted to speed" behind the wheel had totalled two other cars in the year before he slammed into a minivan at 180km/h in a Seattle suburb killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op After sentencing Chase Daniel Jones last month to more than 17 years in prison the judge tacked on a novel condition should he drive again: His vehicle must be equipped with a device that prevents accelerating far beyond the speed limit Virginia this year became the first state to agree to give its judges such a tool to deal with the most dangerous drivers on the road already is using it and similar measures await governors' signatures in Washington state and Georgia New York and California also could soon tap the GPS-based technology to help combat a recent national spike in traffic deaths "It's a horror no one should have to experience," said Amy Cohen who founded the victims' advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding driver in front of their New York home more than a decade ago the minivan driver who was killed when Jones ran a red light was building a backyard greenhouse with her husband to help educate several kids who shuttle between homes during the school day Also killed in the March 2024 crash near Hudson's home in Renton were Boyd "Buster" Brown and Eloise Wilcoxson Hudson's two children were sitting on the passenger side and survived "You always hear of these horrific accidents Smith knew Washington state Representative Mari Leavitt who reached out to offer condolences and tell him she was sponsoring legislation to mandate intelligent speed assistance devices as a condition for habitual speeders to get back their suspended licenses Leavitt predicts it will have an even more powerful impact than revoking driving privileges citing studies showing around three-quarters of people who lose their licenses get behind a wheel anyway the state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going at least 80km/h over the speed limit according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission "I guess I don't understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast," Leavitt said "But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter It's going to stop them in their tracks." which Washington legislators passed last month and Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson is expected to soon sign using the first letters of the names of the four victims: Buster didn't receive a speeding ticket in his two previous crashes he likely wouldn't have been required to use the speed-limiter ahead of the fatal one And because it could be 2029 before the law takes effect the judge's requirement at sentencing only applies to his time on probation after being released from prison Competing tech companies that joined forces to lobby for ignition interlock requirements for drunken drivers have been working in unison again the last few years to pitch intelligent speed assistance chief government affairs officer at one manufacturer said fleet vehicles including school buses in the nation's capital have been trying it out for years But it took a lot of refinement before the GPS technology could instantly recognize speed limit changes and compel vehicles with the devices installed to adjust accordingly "We've got a lot more satellites in the sky now," said Ken Denton a retired police officer who is the chief compliance officer at Cincinnati-based LifeSafer the devices would prevent cars from exceeding speed limits or whatever threshold regulators set An override button allows speeding in emergencies but states can decide whether to activate it and authorities would be alerted any time the button is pushed which beeps to alert drivers when they are going too fast is required for new cars in the European Union California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar proposal last year explaining vehicle safety requirements are set by the federal government and he was concerned a patchwork of state laws could stir confusion Before Delegate Patrick Hope agreed to sponsor the proposal in the Virginia Legislature he tried out the device in Nannini's car which was calibrated to not go more than 14km/h over the speed limit "That was my first question: Is it safe?" Hope said Hope is now pondering whether to install it on the cars of his three children the price could be hefty: US$4 (NZ$6.70) per day and a US$100 (NZz$167.50) installation fee The fee would be less for low-income offenders which provides support services to the loved ones of crash victims knows firsthand the kind of impact slowing down speeders can make A year after her son was struck and killed in front of their New York apartment the road's speed limit had been lowered "When you are going a few miles slower it's much less likely to be deadly." Four boats capsized in a sudden storm at a tourist spot in southwestern China More than 80 people fell into a river when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province late Sunday afternoon The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm on the upper reaches of the Wu River a man could be seen performing CPR on another person while one of the vessels drifted upside down Initial reports said two tourist boats had capsized but state media said on Monday that four boats were involved and the seven crew members were able to save themselves Guizhou's mountains and rivers are a major tourism draw and many Chinese were travelling during a five-day national holiday that ended Monday Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to find the missing and care for the injured the official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday Xi underscored the importance of strengthening safety at tourist attractions large public venues and residential communities as well as for the rush of people returning at the end of major holidays CCTV said the capsized boats had a maximum capacity of about 40 people each and were not overloaded An eyewitness told state-owned Beijing News the waters were deep but that some people had managed to swim to safety the storm had come suddenly and a thick mist obscured the surface of the river 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 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 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" The son of Stephen Stone has filed a Law Society complaint against the Auckland Crown Solicitor alleging she misled the court with her statement about the lack of evidence to retry his father who was acquitted of double murder last week said Alysha McClintock’s statement had caused "significant harm" to his father and family by “perpetuating a myth” the Crown case was dropped because witnesses were unavailable Stephen Stone spent more than 26 years wrongfully imprisoned for the 1989 murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens the Crown admitted he and three others convicted in connection with the crime suffered a miscarriage of justice The Court of Appeal accepted a police failure to disclose two key documents led to the miscarriage Stone’s convictions were quashed in October and a retrial ordered Known as the "Larnoch Road Four" their convictions relied heavily on four eyewitnesses who were given immunity from prosecution and name suppression McClintock told the High Court in Auckland one of the key reasons a retrial couldn’t go ahead was because three of the four witnesses were "no longer available through a combination of the consequences of the appeal decision death and witnesses no longer being in New Zealand" The Evidence Act sets out scenarios where a witness is considered unavailable These include if the person is dead; outside of New Zealand and it’s not reasonably practicable for them to be a witness; they are unfit to be a witness; or they cannot be compelled to give evidence Daniel Stone acknowledged one witness was dead and one was in Australia he claimed that it was not correct to say three witnesses were no longer available the others were “wholly unreliable” witnesses and the Crown’s statement was: “Designed to publicly spin the position in favour of the prosecution in an inappropriate abuse of the Crown's role.” During the Court of Appeal hearing in August the court heard the two non-recanting witnesses had changed their stories significantly multiple times and how bodies were disposed of,” Stephen Stone’s lawyer Annabel Maxwell-Scott told the court The Court of Appeal declined to rule their evidence inadmissible “The fact Mr X and Mr Y each made a number of startling contradictory statements to the police was before both juries in the earlier trial,” the judgement said McClintock said there was no longer enough evidence to prove charges against Stone beyond a reasonable double – referring to additional ESR testing on samples collected by police at the time which had not produced any results of significance; and Stone’s admissions of murder to get parole did not provide a basis for prosecution said outside the court on Wednesday that the Crown’s statement was “incredibly frustrating” “There is no acknowledgement of their own role in these miscarriages of justice and they gave the distinct impression that they believe Stephen has done something — and that's outrageous in my view." McClintock told 1News: "It is not appropriate for me to engage in debate about the reasons for my decision or the content of the statement through the media." Attorney-General Judith Collins’ office said: "It is not appropriate for the Attorney-General to comment about what has been said in Court by a prosecutor about a particular criminal prosecution." Stephen Stone’s acquittal was handled very differently to the acquittal of Alan Hall – another high-profile miscarriage of justice case the Crown and court acknowledged the miscarriage "We cannot end this judgment without acknowledging that just as the criminal justice system has failed Mr Hall so too has it failed the Easton family," said the 2022 judgment Alan Hall was declared innocent in 2023 and received nearly $5 million compensation for 19 years wrongful imprisonment Erin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington The 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue today 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 Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read The owner of Hansells Masterton believes that after its factory made a loss it was unable to make its loan repayments to Walter & Wild due to the “unsatisfactory pricing” of a production agreement with the company Andrew McKay and Rees Logan from BDO were appointed receivers to Hansells The company makes a range of well-known household items liquid sweetener Sucaryl and common pantry items such as vanilla essence Hansells director and majority shareholder Alan Stewart has now detailed what he believes led to the company being unable to pay the debt Hansells was purchased in 2018 by Walter & Wild which is 67% owned by Graeme Hart and 33% owned by his son Harrison Hart Stewart said that after buying the Hansells Food Group business Walter & Wild decided to divest Hansells’ branded products and offered them to Hansells Masterton Walter & Wild helped finance the purchase of the business after Hansells Masterton couldn’t obtain finance for the purchase from either a bank or other financiers Walter & Wild decided to leave the amount owing on terms to be settled over four years at a 10% interest rate Hansells Masterton was unable to deliver the first loan repayment so the business was placed into receivership by Walter & Wild as a secured debt holder Stewart explained that a condition of the purchase and financing of the business was for Hansells Masterton to manufacture Greggs sauces for Walter & Wild at its Penrose plant in Auckland “They offered a production price to make their products based on their supposed labour and overhead costs which turned out to be totally unacceptable,” Stewart claimed He claimed that during the 2024 financial year the Masterton factory incurred losses in excess of $900,000 “due to the unsatisfactory pricing before Walter & Wild finally agreed to a more satisfactory price” Stewart said those losses were only before Walter & Wild agreed to a more reasonable price after Hansells Masterton threatened to stop supplying them He also claimed that because of the condition of the plant supplied by Walter & Wild a further $600,000 was spent to make it operational Stewart believes those losses were a key reason why the business couldn’t make the profitability required to meet the loan repayment “We offered to pay by monthly instalments together with the interest payments we had regularly made but that was not accepted and has resulted in the receivers being appointed.” Walter & Wild has declined to comment on Stewart’s claims BDO’s Andrew McKay said it was unhelpful to comment on the specific issues raised by Stewart but said the business was insolvent before the appointment of receivers and “has been for a period of time” the company owes significant amounts to employees the business appears to have become inefficient and also had a number of low or negative margin customer contracts,” McKay said “The receivers’ current focus is working to stabilise the business by working with employees to improve efficiency customers and suppliers to improve margins and continue trading while we undertake a sale process.” McKay said the aim of the sale process is to sell the business as a going concern but said he was pleased by the level of interest in the sale process to date Stewart said the business’ operations were markedly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in the retirement of many experienced staff as well as by rapidly growing material costs which he said were “impossible to pass on to customers and supermarkets in time” He also said there was an inability to gain the efficiencies required to be a successful food manufacturing company “These problems have all resulted in a tight cash-flow and suppliers have put unreasonable requirements on the company including a requirement to prepay for supply of materials in some cases with anti-competitive reasons and packaging suppliers putting unworkable credit limits on accounts based on less than a month’s normal purchasing,” Stewart claimed He said the tight cash flow conditions had been easing because of the co-operation of “good customers” and he had hoped Walter & Wild wished to continue to be supplied with their product from the Masterton factory with Walter & Wild’s first preference for its loan to be repaid “Not many companies can come out of a receivership situation particularly with the high costs incurred in the receivership and it is most likely that valuable assets – including land and buildings and plant and equipment and brand value – will be sacrificed for a quick sale.” Stewart said that pursuing any legal action regarding the business would be difficult “against such a strong party” He said that while legal letters have been sent Walter & Wild claimed Hansells Masterton did not meet the agreement “We don’t have the funds to fight Graeme Hart’s empire.” Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald Goodman Group is upgrading Highbrook Crossing to add retail dining and public space to New Zealand’s largest business park in East Tāmaki Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Wellington Transport Alliance thank drivers for their patience and cooperation while emergency services and contractors responded to the crash The highway’s northbound lane has reopened a closure remains in place for southbound traffic Southbound traffic must continue to detour via East Taratahi Road and Hughes Line Updates on the highway’s status can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website: Highway conditions - Wellington(external link) State Highway 2 is currently closed between Masterton and Carterton following a crash early this afternoon The two-vehicle crash occurred north of Clareville and was reported shortly after midday State Highway 2 is closed between the Wiltons Road roundabout and the Hughes Line intersection Local road detours are available via East Taratahi Road and Hughes Line Drivers can expect  traffic delays until the crash scene is cleared Please take extra care when travelling through the area follow all instructions of emergency services NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,” the National Hockey League announced today The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters were designated as finalists Following are the finalists for the Masterton Trophy “The always-jovial Fleury is one proud athlete he signed for one final year and accepted his role as [Filip] Gustavsson’s backup to prioritize team success over personal accolades despite being on the cusp of retirement,” Russo wrote “This is a man who has long been one of the game’s most beloved figures for his competitiveness on the ice how he treats people off it and his unbridled love and enthusiasm for a sport that won’t be the same without him.” “You’ve got to break it down in incremental parts That’s it … Obviously it’s been challenging mentally at times So you just lean on your support system for those moments.” “Just the way Monny has persevered through really It’s been inspiring to me and to the whole group,” captain Boone Jenner said just stepping in here under those circumstances He’s been a leader in the room and a leader on the ice A $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner The trophy was presented by the NHL Writers’ Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton a player with the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance sportsmanship and dedication to hockey and who died on Jan The series of NHL Trophy finalist announcements for the 2025 NHL Awards continues Monday when the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy will be unveiled Police are still appealing for information on a man wanted in relation to fires at six Masterton churches emergency services were alerted to six suspicious fires targeting churches and a chapel at a funeral home a warrant was issued for the arrest of a suspect At the time Police said they believed McRae was still in the Wairarapa area Police now say McRae is yet to be found and they are still appealing for any information on his whereabouts all thought to have started between 4:25am and 4:35am were seen at Anglican Church Of the Epiphany Masterton Baptist Church and Equippers Church Masterton Two additional arsons attempts were then found at St James Union Church and the Kingdom Hall The Gary Pickering Funeral Home was also set alight about 10am Police believed the funeral home was targeted because there is a chapel there Some of the buildings were more severely damaged than others by the fires Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday An arrest warrant has been issued for Michael McRae A green Ford Festiva was seen leaving one of the Masterton church fires A funeral home was set on fire at 10am on Saturday morning and four churches set a light overnight - two other churches were targeted New Zealand RSS Delays caused by recent bad weather means two further night closures are required to complete resurfacing work on State Highway 2 between Masterton and Carterton The highway will be closed on Sunday (2 February) and Monday (3 February) nights Road users can expect delays on the route from 6 pm when traffic management is put in place Road crews are working hard to get this job finished dry weather is needed to create a durable and long-lasting road surface so resurfacing cannot be completed effectively during wet Highway maintenance frequently asked questions A 50 km/h temporary speed limit will be in place on the detour route A temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place on the highway for up to five days after the resurfacing works It is essential drivers follow this speed limit as it helps prevent damage to the road and to vehicles New dates have been confirmed for these resurfacing works planned for State Highway 2 between Masterton and Carterton Five nights of road closures will now take place on Wednesday 28 January.  The road will be closed between 8 pm and 4:30 am on these nights Road users can expect delays on the route from 7 pm when traffic management is put in place Road users travelling between Masterton and Carterton must detour via Cornwall Road and Hughes Line Residents in the works areas will retain access to their properties A temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place for up to five days after the resurfacing works Recent poor weather has meant that this road resurfacing has been rescheduled a few times Further updates will be provided if bad weather is expected to affect these works Forecast bad weather means night closures due to begin on State Highway 2 Masterton to Carterton Sunday (19 January) will no longer proceed as planned Road resurfacing work requires warm dry weather to be effective and cannot be done during wet and cold conditions Warm temperatures and dry air help new seal stick to the road surface They also help ensure the new seal becomes strong and long lasting New dates confirmed for State Highway 2 Masterton to Carterton resurfacing Resurfacing work for State Highway 2 Masterton to Carterton will begin this Sunday It will require night-time closures from Sunday 23 January between   9 pm and 4:30 am These works have been previously delayed due to cold ground temperatures If ground temperatures go below 15 degrees State Highway 2 traffic will need to detour via detour via Cornwall Road and Hughes Line The highway will be open in both directions during the day a temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place for up to five days after the resurfacing works Earlier release: Postponement of SH2 Masterton to Carterton resurfacing due to cold temperatures(external link) NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport, state highways and local roads. Hansells Masterton has gone into receivership after facing global supply chain challenges. Photo / Lynda Feringa A company owned by the Hart family – one of the richest families in New Zealand – has tipped Hansells Masterton into receivership. Walter and Wild Ltd, as a secured debt holder, has appointed receivers Andrew McKay and Rees Logan from BDO. Hansells Masterton is a contract manufacturer which also owns the Horley’s brand and licence for the Hansells brand. Hansells describes itself as “an iconic New Zealand brand that’s been in kiwi kitchens for 75 years”. Its products include Thriftee juice concentrates, soup mix brand King, liquid sweetener Sucaryl and common pantry items like vanilla essence, tartaric acid, black pepper and curry powder. The company is also involved in producing milk powder for the export market. Hansells Masterton’s sole director is Alan Stewart, who is also the largest shareholder in the company. Australian company Dr Oetker Queen Australia owns 15.24% of Hansells Masterton. Dr Oetker Queen Australia makes frozen pizzas. Isi Tupou, the chief operating officer at Walter & Wild, said it had worked with Hansells for a very long time. “They have contract-manufactured a range of our products over time. “Like many businesses in NZ, it has been affected by the current economic downturn and continued global supply chain challenges,” Tupou said. “We will support the appointed receiver, BDO, as they explore various avenues for the business, its employees and other stakeholders.” The Hansells brand was purchased in 2018 as part of the set of acquisitions that formed Walter and Wild. The Hansells business was then sold to Hansells Masterton in 2023. Hansells Masterton is a separate entity and is not a subsidiary of Walter & Wild. It employs around 100 staff. Walter and Wild Holdings is the ultimate shareholding company of Walter & Wild which is 67% owned by Graeme Hart and 33% owned by Harrison Hart. Graeme Hart’s net worth was valued at $12.1 billion in the 2024 NBR rich list. Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism. Retail NZ members reported more than 140,000 crime incidents in 2023-2024. Police are seeking a man following a spate of church arsons in Masterton in the early hours of Saturday. Michael Kane McRae, 44, has a warrant out for his arrest. "We believe Mr McRae will be able to assist with our investigation into several arsons at churches in Masterton on the morning of Saturday, February 22," police said. A Masterton church damaged in a fire. (Source: 1News) Four Masterton churches suffered damage ranging from "moderate to significant" following a group of suspicious fires believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am. A graphic showing the locations of the church fires in Masterton. (Source: 1News) The churches affected were the Anglican Church of the Epiphany, St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Masterton Baptist Church, and Equippers Church Masterton. Police have also reiterated their appeal for information about a green Ford Festiva spotted leaving the scene of one of the fires. "Police are working to establish the movements of the vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning when the arsons were reported, and the day or days beforehand," a spokesperson said yesterday. The vehicle was located abandoned on Sunday on Mikimiki Road north of Masterton, leading armed police to cordon off the road as they worked to locate the occupant. Masterton church arsons: Sightings of vehicle seen leaving fires soughtPolice said it was following "strong lines of inquiry" into the arsons at four churches on Saturday Four fires at Masterton churches treated as suspiciousThe fires were believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am "A significant search was deployed into the area, however no occupants of the vehicle were located," the spokesperson added. Anyone with information has been asked to contact police. Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one but one has spent years breaking the law while the other just pays a steep price for sharing his name Stephen Stone’s son files complaint over Crown Solicitor’s statement Stone spent more than 26 years wrongfully imprisoned for the murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens Police believe wave of Invercargill robberies two burglaries and one attempted burglary took place in Invercargill between 2.30am and 4.20am and are believed to be connected Tree planted as Kyle Whorrall's mother Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei blessed and planted a provided pōhutukawa tree at St Johns Bush in honour of the slain PhD student from the United States 40 mins ago 56 mins ago 35 mins ago Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email Police are appealing for sightings of a vehicle as part of the investigation into arsons at several churches in Masterton on Saturday Four Masterton churches suffered damage ranging from "moderate to significant" on Saturday in a group of suspicious fires believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am The churches affected were the Anglican Church of the Epiphany Police said they were following "strong lines of inquiry" and sought information about a green Ford Festiva seen leaving one of the fires "Police are working to establish the movements of the vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning when the arsons were reported and the day or days beforehand," a spokesperson said The vehicle was located abandoned on Sunday on Mikimiki Road north of Masterton, leading armed police to cordon off the road as they worked to locate the occupant "A significant search was deployed into the area however no occupants of the vehicle were located," the spokesperson added Police said officers carried out checks at other churches in the town on Saturday morning — and located evidence to suggest three further churches were targeted but did not catch alight "It does look as if they've used petrol bombs [for at least some of the churches]," a police spokesperson said Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have been called to fires at four churches in Masterton this morning It is now thought up to seven churches were targeted The four fires were believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am and the "damage to the churches ranged from moderate to significant" "The fires are being treated as suspicious and have been referred to police." The churches damaged were: Anglican Church Of The Epiphany St Patrick's Catholic Church Masterton Crews responded from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station in Lower Hutt Police said officers have carried out checks at other churches in the town on Saturday morning — and located evidence to suggest three further churches were targeted but did not catch alight "The great thing about this is no one's been injured." Senior station officer Ian Wright said firefighters arrived at the first church fire within three minutes He said it was a challenge to deal with several fires at once "It's not something we encounter very often but firefighters do what fighter fighters do We pivot and we arrange and we organise and respond." Wright said there was significant damage to two or three churches There was no damage to neighbouring properties A police spokesperson earlier told 1News officers will be "conducting reassurance patrols including in nearby towns Featherston and Carterton" Police are asking for anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Police have appealed to the public after two aggravated robberies and a series of burglaries in Invercargill overnight Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said officers were called to a premises on Dee St at around 2.30am on Monday to reports of two people entering a store demanding cash A worker was assaulted but not seriously injured Harvey said an attempted burglary and two burglaries were reported at three further premises on Windsor St Police then received a report that two people had entered a Tay St premises and demanded cash and items Harvey said information suggested the incidents were linked "Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents "The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car," said Harvey "We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am." Anyone with relevant information about these vehicles or those involved should contact police on 105 A pōhutukawa tree has been planted in honour of Kyle Whorrall the US PhD student slain during an attack at an Auckland bus stop last month The 33-year-old was attacked at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank on April 19 friends and colleagues of Whorrall gathered for a vigil on April 24 at the bus stop where he was attacked Whorrall's mother Carole was joined by members of the community and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for the blessing and to plant a pōhutukawa tree in honour of his life The planting ceremony began with a blessing by Otene Reweti from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei "This tree will stand as a memorial to Kyle to come to this special place and remember Kyle and what he has done and what he was looking to do "This tree indicates times to harvest different things in our seasons and also pōhutukawa in terms of the star from Matariki and pleiades So Kyle is one of those that we are reminded again of his tragic passing in this area," said Reweti Carole was flanked by Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson and one of Whorrall's flatmates as she shovelled dirt onto the base of the tree She softly commented that she enjoyed gardening as the sun shone down on her in St Johns Bush Others shared a poem or short tribute to Whorrall's life and the tragedy that it was cut short Ōrākei Local Board chairperson Scott Milne said that in times of tragedy it was important to "look at the good stuff" and find moments of connection with one another "We have now forged a relationship across the waters This family will come back to see this tree thrive and out of that tragedy we will find good," he said He told Te Karere the tragedy had "turned our community upside down" "Yet in the matter of a few short weeks the community have come together certainly like nothing I have ever seen before "There is just this deep disappointment and we all feel so privileged to live here He said he hoped over time the grief would "turn to healing" and that Carole would continue to come back and see the tree flourish and grow "People understand they have to talk more to each other watch out for one another and we want to make something of this lovely young man's life by changing our attitude." He said the board had worked hard to build relationships over the past six years "The relationship with Ngāti Whātua is deeply personal and important to this board A 16-year-old youth has been remanded in custody after being charged with his murder and a 32-year-old woman was also charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the investigation was "by no means over" as police believed "there were other occupants in the vehicle" when Whorrall was attacked He said officers have since seized a black SUV on the North Shore It was being forensically examined by police "Our enquiries are ongoing to locate these persons of interest and I encourage them to do the right thing and come into their nearest police station or phone us." The detective inspector said police were also seeking "critical witnesses" including a white Toyota ute that was cut off by the black SUV doing a U-turn in front of them He said police were still working to fully understand the events leading up to his death Police say a man wanted in relation to burning is six Masterton churches is likely getting help to evade arrest At 4:25am on 22 February, emergency services were alerted to the first of seven suspicious fires targeting six churches and a chapel at a funeral home Detective Senior Sergeant Philip Skoglund told RNZ despite wide-ranging enquiries "We believe McRae is still in the Wairarapa area; my message to anyone helping him evade capture is come forward now do not put yourself at further risk of prosecution," Skoglund said please call 111 immediately and do not approach him." Skoglund said police also wanted to hear from anyone who saw a green Ford Festiva which was seen leaving one the fires on 22 February and located abandoned on Mikimiki Road the following day "We want to track the movements of the vehicle on the Saturday morning when the arsons were reported The outpouring of community support following a spate of arson attacks on churches at the weekend has been staggering Police believe a man wanted in relation to several Masterton church fires is getting help to evade arrest Despite “wide-ranging inquiries” police are yet to locate Michael Kane McRae Six churches were targeted in the early hours of February 22 including the Anglican Church of the Epiphany police issued a warrant to arrest McRae who they believed could assist with their inquiries Detective Senior Sergeant Philip Skoglund said McRae was likely avoiding arrest and getting help to hide from police “We believe McRae is still in the Wairarapa area; my message to anyone helping him evade capture is [to] come forward now do not put yourself at further risk of prosecution.” Anyone who sees McRae should not approach him and call 111 immediately Police also wanted to hear from anyone who saw a green Ford Festiva which was seen leaving one of the fires and was later found abandoned on Mikimiki Rd the following day “We want to track the movements of the vehicle on the Saturday morning when the arsons were reported and the day or days beforehand,” Skoglund said the man pictured in police press releases today said: “Kia ora Police earlier told the Herald they were aware of the videos and they were forming part of an investigation into the blazes Emergency services only discovered Masterton Baptist Church was on fire while they were on their way to a different church fire Up to 12 fire engines earlier rushed to fight the fires which all started between 4.25am and 4.35am It appeared an object had been thrown through a window with an accelerant to start the fire at at least one church St Patrick’s Catholic Church has praised the efforts of a local police officer who happened to be driving past and managed to dampen the flames with an outside hose until firefighters arrived Masterton Baptist Church elder David Dew viewed the damage through a doorway early Saturday morning after emergency services called him to the scene Dew said the fire brigade told him that they were on their way to reports of another church fire when they noticed flames coming out of his building so they stopped to deal with it He was thankful and thought the damage could have been a lot worse if firefighters had not stumbled across the fire All the upholstery and foam are completely charred and gone There are smoke marks right up to the ceiling.” Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist The boy described the man's car as having offensive words and gestures on its panels Multiple Masterton churches and a funeral home are now crime scenes with police investigating a series of possible arsons - news that has rippled through the shocked town A seventh building has been targeted on Saturday morning in Masterton in a spate of attacks on churches and a funeral home by an arsonist Four churches across the Wairarapa town were set alight between 4am and 5am on Saturday morning Police said they believed the funeral home was targeted because there is a chapel there Duty commissioner Bradley Allen said a funeral home was also set alight at 10am He said no one was in the Gary Pickering Funeral Home on Waltons Ave at the time of the fire Allen said the police are following up CCTV as well as a Facebook post in which a local man claimed he carried out the attacks He said Saturday morning's attack took police by surprise No arrests have been made but a dozen officers have been sent up from Wellington and off duty officers from the local station have been called in The method was the same in all cases - in each case a petrol bomb was thrown through a window All caught fire and there is some fire damage A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said "the fires are being treated as suspicious and have been referred to police." The four blazes were all thought to have started between 4:25am and 4:35am and were found at: Anglican Church Of the Epiphany The two additional arsons were also at Masterton Churches: St James Union Church on High Street and the Kingdom Hall both on High Street A church co-ordinator from St Patrick's Catholic Church said they were devastated to have been a target of the fires By late morning Saturday she had not been able to see inside the church to check the damage but said they knew there was a broken window and fire damage in the front foyer Masterton mayor Gary Caffell said the community was reeling from the news I mean you just don't expect something this sort of thing to happen and particularly in a place like Masterton," Caffell said Equippers Church Pastor Matt Cornford said on Saturday morning that the community was already rallying around them The congregation did not yet know if their church would be able to open to worshippers on Sunday but had been offered other places to hold their service Emergency services were still investigating the fire and Cornford said he would not know the full extent of the damage until they were finished But he said he was already aware of some broken and blackened windows and that some of the rooms facing the road had been affected An RNZ reporter at the scene on Saturday morning said charred damage could be seen inside the church building behind broken window glass and the beeping of what could have been an alarm continued well into the morning Another building on the church grounds was also cordoned off but it was not clear if that had been damaged too Cornford said from the outside it looked like some of the other churches were affected worse He said ultimately it was the people that made the church and fortunately none of them had been harmed "The building that we're in has been a place that we've been able to love and serve the community in lots of different ways over the last 30 years "It's a shame that has been attempted to be disrupted." FENZ said firefighting crews had responded to the fires from throughout the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station Police officers will remain at the affected churches through Saturday morning along with firefighters and officers will be patrolling in Masterton Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Dates have also been confirmed for resurfacing works next month on this section of highway STOP PRESS: The schedule outlined in December is now being revised due to cold road temperatures in January 7 January 2025 traffic bulletin: Postponement of SH2 Masterton to Carterton resurfacing due to cold temperatures It will require night-time road closures from Sunday 12 January to Thursday 16 January Drivers can expect delays during this time To ensure the public and road crews are kept safe there will be a full closure of State Highway 2 in both directions and traffic will need to detour via detour via Cornwall Road and Hughes Line residents in the works areas will retain access to their properties As these are local roads and will be carrying extra traffic Resurfacing this road ensures a more resilient state highway between Masterton and Carterton Road users are encouraged to check for updates on the highway’s status on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website SH2 Masterton to Carterton resurfacing – detour route Essential road repairs mean there will be a week of closures on State Highway 2 between Masterton and Carterton from mid-December The highway will be closed to southbound traffic between the East Taratahi Rd roundabout and Hughes Line from Sunday 15 December for up to one week with a detour via East Taratahi Road and Hughes Line The highway will remain open for northbound vehicles These works weather-dependent and may be rescheduled at short notice says  a rebuild is the most effective way fix the short section of road “It is deteriorating and has significant cracking that needs urgent repairs A pavement rebuild will make the road safer for drivers and reduce the risk of further damage.” “This is best done while the weather is warm and dry and before the holiday season and expected busier traffic around Christmas and the New Year,” Ms Hilliard says “Road crews need to excavate to a depth of at least 700 millimetres They need to make sure the new road has a proper and solid foundation for the new surface.” “A full closure means we can complete the repairs quickly and have the highway back to two lanes in time for peak holiday traffic,’ Ms Hilliard says She says the work will affect about 130 metres of the highway’s southbound lane near Ravensdown and will create disruption and travel delays A local road detour will be available via East Taratahi Road and Hughes Line Further work is also planned for this section of State Highway 2 in early in the New Year Road resurfacing will be done mid-January and the community can expect to see an improved road surface once it is finished As well as improving sections of the road between Masterton and Carterton The Wellington Transport Alliance are making a huge investment in rebuilding sections of State Highway in Wairarapa that most need repair View larger image [PNG, 188 KB] Solutions to protect urban Masterton against a major flood will cost $30 million to implement Greater Wellington Regional Council was seeking feedback on flood management options developed by the council community members and mana whenua to protect the urban area at risk of flooding from the Waipoua River It is hoped the work would safeguard against the devastation of a Cyclone Gabrielle-sized event Parts of the Masterton urban area were at risk from flooding in a one percent AEP flood - a flood that has a one to 100 chance of occurring in any given year - and severe weather events were likely to become more unpredictable and hazardous due to climate change The cost of the work would equate to an average total regional council rates increase of $10 per $100,000 CV Greater Wellington's director for knowledge and insights Dave Hipkins said there were a number of draft concepts that provided flood protection from the Waipoua River "We now want to hear what locals think about each of them bring together the best features," he said "We would like significant local input on this project due to the value of the community's knowledge and experience and because we understand the significant impact the options could have on local assets such as parks "We want to take the time to listen and understand different perspectives and work together to develop the best possible outcome for the entire community." The four concepts for managing the flood risk to Masterton included improving and extending stopbanks in existing locations increasing channel capacity through extensive work in the channel retreating some stopbanks and implementing nature-based solutions in the upper catchment there were other proposals to reduce the impacts of flooding including protection work near the bridges and embankments to safeguard several areas of Masterton Hipkins said this work was the beginning of a long-term project to improve the area's flood resilience "While these are the first steps in addressing the immediate risk within the urban area in the future we will also be looking at nature-based solutions in the upper catchment areas allowing us to work with the land rather than against it." People wishing to contribute to the planning and offer feedback could do so in person at a range of drop-in sessions or online at haveyoursay.gw.govt.nz/waipouafloodconcepts Auckland Council is considering moving Kumeū after finding no other viable solutions On the second anniversary of one of the worst storms in NZ history reporter Alexa Cook talks to Hawke's Bay families living in the red zone Cyclone Gabrielle tore through parts of the district in February causing serious flooding in the small community The Masterton District Council set out details for the $2.5 million proposal on Monday Local Democracy Reporting RSS The Wellington Transport Alliance will be resurfacing the roundabout as part of the ongoing state highway summer maintenance season The work will see the roundabout closed to all traffic Local road detours will be available via Te Ore Ore Road Drivers should allow for extra travel time These works are to be done at night when fewer vehicles are on the road This helps minimise disruption and delays for drivers NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Wellington Transport Alliance thank the public for their patience and understanding while this essential state highway maintenance is completed View larger map [PNG, 1.4 MB] Police have cornered off a road in the Masterton area a day after several churches and a funeral home there were reportedly targeted in arson attacks Police said they sighted a vehicle of interest about 9.15am this morning and the vehicle was located abandoned a short distance away at about 11am Cordons are in place while police work to locate the occupant Four churches across the Wairarapa town were set alight between 4am and 5am on Saturday morning Police said Saturday they were following up CCTV as well as a Facebook post in which a local man claimed he carried out those attacks There is no information as to whether today's police cordons are related to that investigation Four Masterton churches have been damaged in suspicious blazes while three others also appear to have been targeted One church has praised the efforts of a local police officer who happened to be driving past The damage to some of the churches has been described as “significant” with police now investigating and standing guard at the buildings Up to 12 Fire and Emergency NZ trucks earlier rushed to fight the fires The churches are: Anglican Church Of The Epiphany said they were unsure of the extent of the damage at St Patrick’s Catholic Church because they were not allowed inside while investigations were under way Visible exterior damage included a broken window “But we are very blessed and thankful to the policeman who was driving past and saw our church was red hot so he got the hose that we have on the outside through into the foyer area and managed to dampen it down by the time the fire brigade got here.” Equippers Church pastor Matt Cornford said there were also broken windows at his church “I am guessing something’s been thrown through the window but as to how or what there’s some anticipated backlash or ill feeling and I know that not everyone is going to like what we do and that’s okay but certainly acts of violence rather than conversation don’t really help anything.” School holiday programmes were run from the church buildings There is also a climbing wall and gym spaces “The facility does enable us to serve the community in different ways so it’s a shame that someone would want to or feel the need to disrupt that” Cornford was still hoping to hold a service tomorrow as usual because he understood the damage was mainly limited to two breakout rooms Anglican Church of The Epiphany was one of seven churches targeted in arson attacks overnight in Masterton Schools and other churches have offered the use of their facilities if needed “One thing that’s heartening to see in the middle of these types of moments is the way the community rallies together both within the faith community and the wider community as well.” Damage to the Masterton churches ranged from moderate to significant It could also have been worse given other churches were also targets “Police have undertaken checks at other churches in the town this morning and have located evidence to suggest three further churches were targeted but did not catch alight,” police said Police remain at the fire scenes this morning “Officers will also be conducting reassurance patrols including in nearby towns Featherston and Carterton,” police said They asked for anyone with information that could assist them to please contact Police via 105 Masterton's Epiphany Church was targeted in a suspicious fire Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Fire and Emergency said it sent fire crews from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station to battle the blazes It's been four years since a popular tractor and bulldozer were controversially removed from a children's playground in Masterton due to safety fears The vintage farm machinery did not meet modern playground standards and councillors were told it would cost $60,000 to safeguard the duo Despite being mainstays of Queen Elizabeth Park's Kids Own Playground for more than 60-years they were removed with little notification in the early hours of December 2020 the playground would once again be home to a shiny blue tractor The bulldozer was still a work in progress Masterton Mayor Gary Caffell said the council and community were "indebted" to Paul Foster an engineer who worked tirelessly through a cancer diagnosis over the past few years to get a tractor back on site for generations to enjoy Despite criticisms that any safe tractor would no longer resemble one this was a case of the little tractor that could the tractor helped motivate Foster through some of the hardest days of his life as he battled with fatigue and illness from cancer and chemotherapy saved only by an American drug trial which he said had given him his life back who belonged to the Friends of the Park group He said the group's plans were originally to restore the machinery "in situ" resulting in an uproar on local social media with accusations council staff were ignoring the wishes of residents and councillors Councillors had previously rejected a recommendation from staff to remove the playground equipment They had also questioned estimated costs of $60,000 to safeguard the equipment the Friends of the Park's offer to get the two antique farm vehicles up to standard was accepted by Masterton District Council and they assumed possession in July that year Foster said the blue Fordson tractor was "pretty buggered" and conceded it was dangerous for kids it must fulfil all of the safety requirements," he said it was decided to replace the tractor with a similar vintage model which still needed to be retrofitted to comply with modern playground standards This meant encasing parts of the machinery to avoid little fingers getting hurt Caffell said the playground equipment saga had been caused by changes to health and safety regulations which he personally thought were "far too strict" but it's amazing that Paul has taken the job on and done it "There's been a lot of frustrations and health battles along the way we're just indebted to Paul and the Friends of the Park." Caffell said the council had never had a complaint about the tractor's safety She was pleased the project had been finished in time for Christmas and the community for letting us know how important it was to them "We find we get more traction with community-led "We are a council that prefers to roll out the red carpet rather than the red tape." The tractor would make its debut at Masterton's Christmas Parade on Saturday where it would be led to the park to stay on permanently as playground equipment The parade would start at 12.30pm on Queen St near Countdown - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Masterton's council is considering "alternative approaches" to addressing the problem of businesses using public car parks for vehicle storage Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Sean Monahan of the Columbus Blue Jackets were announced on Friday as finalists for the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance sportsmanship and dedication to the game.” The popular Fleury was celebrated throughout his 22nd and final season Despite ranking second all-time in the NHL in victories he continued to mentor the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson as his backup He received multiple send-offs on the road — from emotional ones in Pittsburgh where he began and spent the bulk of his career The showering of adulation Fleury received on his way out of the NHL also included testimonials to the respect he garnered from former teammates made sure his Washington teammates saluted Fleury after the Capitals’ last game against the Wild Landeskog did not play in a game for the third consecutive regular season He underwent four surgeries to an injured right knee including cartilage replacement in May 2023 It’s a procedure from which no NHL player had ever returned — until Landeskog did during the first round of the playoffs continued to fill that role off the ice while rehabbing his knee for a potential return His dedication to the Avalanche and the grueling process of rebuilding his injured knee served as inspiration in Colorado and to injured players throughout hockey Monahan signed with the Blue Jackets for one reason — to play with his best friend following the direction of Gaudreau’s widow during his eulogy approached the season with energy and purpose Monahan’s 19 goals and 57 points in 54 games fueled one of the NHL’s most productive lines and sparked an unforgettable season in Columbus as the Blue Jackets surprisingly remained in playoff contention until the season’s final days The Masterton Trophy honors the late Bill Masterton the only NHL player to die from an on-ice injury It is the only award voted on by the entirety of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association; every team has a player nominated by that team’s PHWA chapter A young shearer who was “so full of promise” has been remembered as a “top man” after his death in a jetboat accident last week Jack Hintz died during a recreational jetboat ride on the Ruamahanga River in Wairarapa Police said emergency services were called to Lees Pakaraka Rd, Te Ore Ore at 4.20pm Friday with reports of a male jetboat passenger being unresponsive. Since the tragic news, loved ones have been sharing tributes about the “selfless” Masterton man, who had just started talking about taking his shearing career to the UK. Boss Paerata Abraham said he first came across Hintz when he was a shearing instructor, then welcomed him on to his team at Abraham Shearing in 2023. He described Hintz as “the best kid”, saying he was respectful, pleasant, reliable and “just all around a top employee”. He was not a big drinker but was the “go-to” sober driver for their tight-knit crew. His willingness to help out others extended to even sleeping in a van during an event so he could sober-drive his co-workers home afterwards, Abraham said. “That sort of sums up his character ... very selfless.” Abraham was “stoked” the team had been able to share a final lovely day together two weeks ago, hiring a boat, dressing up and cruising Wellington Harbour. “It was the perfect day, basically, and I’m really grateful that he got to experience that.” Knowing they had that recent memory with Hintz to look back on “really gave me a bit of peace”, Abraham said. Wife and business co-owner Cushla Abraham said Hintz was “always there for the crew and just a pleasure to have in the shearing shed”. “Nothing was ever a problem. He always did his part, did his best. He was just a top man ... it’s so heartbreaking that he was just full of promise – he had just started talking about travelling for shearing to the UK.” News of Hintz’s death hit the team hard, and the group gathered on Sunday for a breakfast to mourn him together. The pair wanted to send “so much love” to Hintz’s family and the person who was with him when he died. His obituary described him as an “adored son” and much-loved brother, grandson and nephew. A service to celebrate his life will be held on Thursday. Loved ones shared messages on his obituary page, expressing their support for Hintz’s family during “this unimaginable heartbreak”. “Thinking of you and sending you so much love at this sad time,” wrote one person. One family member shared a message to Hintz on social media. “Gone too soon my cousin. The best man in the world who would do anything for anyone,” he wrote. Another friend said he was grateful to have got to know Hintz during his time in New Zealand. “You constantly made an effort to bring me to events, show me new foods, and help me experience the culture. I’m grateful I was able to buy you a beer for your birthday and watch our Christchurch Crusaders win the Super Rugby Pacific championship together. Those are memories I will never forget.” He said he would “forever be grateful for how you positively affected my time spent in New Zealand”. “I love you buddy. Heaven got a really great one.” Maritime NZ is investigating the jetboat incident and working with police to make initial inquiries. When asked whether the jetboat was privately or commercially operated, a spokesman said the jetboat was recreational and that there was one other person on the boat at the time. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice, and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. It's unclear how long the Hamilton District Court building will be shut for. Four Masterton churches suffered damage ranging from "moderate to significant" on Saturday in a group of suspicious fires. Police said it sighted a vehicle of interest at around 9.15am this morning. "After area enquiries the vehicle has then been located abandoned a short distance away at about 11am. Cordons are in place while police work to locate the occupant," a spokesperson said, also confirming that the Armed Offenders Squad were present at the scene on Mikimiki Rd. Crews responded to the fires on Saturday morning from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station in Lower Hutt. Police said officers carried out checks at other churches in the town on Saturday morning — and located evidence to suggest three further churches were targeted but did not catch alight. "It does look as if they've used petrol bombs [for at least some of the churches]," a police spokesperson said. Senior station officer Ian Wright said firefighters arrived at the first church fire within three minutes. He said it was a challenge to deal with several fires at once. "It's not something we encounter very often, thankfully, but firefighters do what firefighters do. We pivot and we arrange, and we organise and respond." Armed police have cordoned off a rural road north of Masterton as the investigation into multiple suspicious fires at churches in the area continues. The blazes were believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am. (Source: 1News) 41 mins ago 57 mins ago 36 mins ago Armed police have cordoned off a rural road north of Masterton as the investigation into multiple suspicious fires at churches in the area continues Four Masterton churches suffered damage ranging from "moderate to significant" on Saturday in a group of suspicious fires Police said it sighted a vehicle of interest at around 9.15am this morning "After area enquiries the vehicle has then been located abandoned a short distance away at about 11am Cordons are in place while police work to locate the occupant," a spokesperson said also confirming that the Armed Offenders Squad were present at the scene on Mikimiki Rd Crews responded to the fires on Saturday morning from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station in Lower Hutt Police have a warrant to arrest a 44-year-old man after several churches were set on fire in the Wairarapa town of Masterton Four churches across the town were set alight between 4am and 5am on Saturday There were also arson attempts at two other churches Police believe Michael McRae will be able to assist their investigation They are again calling on the public for information about the movements of a green Ford Festiva The car was found abandoned in Masterton on Sunday Night works are planned from Sunday 17 November until Thursday 21 November The highway will be closed between Hughes Line and the Norfolk Road/Cornwall Road roundabout from 9pm to 4:30am They will also repair the wire rope median barriers along the route Local road detours will be in place while the work is underway It allows work crews to complete tasks faster meaning less overall disruption for drivers so drivers are encouraged to allow extra time for their journeys Wairarapa shearer David Buick in action at the Golden Shears Organisers are also gearing up for the 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in 2026 The Golden Shears is New Zealand’s premier shearing, woolhandling and pressing event First held at Masterton’s War Memorial Stadium in 1961 it has cemented the town’s reputation as the shearing capital of New Zealand About 380 competitors will participate in shearing woolhandling and pressing grades from Thursday to Saturday Among this year’s highlights are the Mongolian shearing team – last year’s breakout stars – who return to Masterton, and Jack Fagan, fresh off winning the world’s largest cash shearing prize at the Oberton Quick Shear in Australia who will compete in both the open shearing and Thursday’s Speed Shear event Golden Shears president Trish Stevens said the region was buzzing with accommodation almost fully booked and anticipation building for an action-packed weekend and we’re excited to build on the Golden Shears’ iconic status as we prepare to host the World Championships in 2026 bringing teams from all over the world to Masterton,” Stevens said the sport has seen major technological advances we’re rolling out a new timing system that will be used for the world championships an elite sport that attracts the best of the best.” WellingtonNZ Events and Experiences general manager Heidi Morton said the Golden Shears was a world-class event and a major economic driver for the region it generated over 2500 visitor nights in the Wairarapa and more than $360,000 in visitor spending,” she said visitors spent $358 per person and with the world championships on the horizon we’re expecting another fantastic year for Golden Shears.” Thursday night’s events, including the Speed Shear featuring Golden Shears 2024 Open Champion Leon Samuels Tickets for the rest of the programme start at $10 for children and $20 for adults Find out more at www.goldenshears.co.nz The court has previously ruled it did not have jurisdiction to make a decision Police are appealing for information to locate Christopher Lott who has been reported missing in Masterton Lott is visiting Wairarapa from Auckland and has not returned home since he left Grant Crescent for a bike ride at 10am on Thursday 19 December He is wearing black padded motorcycle pants He also has a small backpack and is riding the bike he is pictured in or have any information that may assist in locating him please make a report at 105 online or call 105 Works will be planned as soon as ground temperatures allow us to complete the surface work without compromising quality,” says Roxanne Hilliard Wellington Alliance Manager for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Night-time road closures will detour onto Cornwall Road and the Hughes Line. (See map below) A further update will be provided once the weather has improved These particular works cannot be carried out in colder ground temperatures as it would affect the quality of the surfacing NZTA requires overnight ground temperatures to be at or above 15 degrees for this work Road users are encouraged to check for updates on the highway’s status on the NZTA website once this work gets underway: SH2 Masterton to Carterton detour route once resurfacing work gets underway Earlier media release: State Highway 2 Masterton to Carterton - urgent road repairs planned before Christmas On a prime section on the edge of Masterton’s CBD sits a once-derelict hall that’s being rebuilt into a haven of hope The tradies are doing the physical work but this is essentially the house that Lyn has built with a little help from a lot of friends and local businesses is a driving force behind the transformation of the building that will soon accommodate up to 13 extreme homeless people a night in the Wairarapa town She estimates there are about 15-20 people in that category right now after Lyn’s late friend Kim McKinley who was also dedicated to the homeless - is expected to open in the next few weeks Behind it has been a massive community fundraising and work campaign district councillor Stella Lennox and former mayor Bob Francis helping lead the charge And the new facility will purposely break some traditional conventions to ensure the needy are helped Masterton already has a night shelter but it is restricted to men and it bans alcohol called a night refuge rather than night shelter and alcohol - Tankersley believes this will be a New Zealand first “It’s going to be interesting to see how it goes,” says Tankersley “A lot of people are going to be watching to see what happens The former Masterton foodbank co-ordinator - Tankersley was there 20 years - came to know the town’s homeless community well it hit home to us that there were still quite a few on the street who refused to go into accommodation,” says Tankersley “I just felt that they were a part of our community that was really forgotten and I just felt nobody cared She firmly believes alcoholic homeless people won’t use the new facility if alcohol is banned but that’s not to say there won’t be rules It’s only for Masterton’s extreme homeless We’re working very closely with Masterton police to make sure that happens,” says Tankersley “We don’t want anybody coming from other areas because this is a free thing Once people in Palmy or Wellington start hearing about it “It will be invitation only and they can have the same bed every night if they want to come.” Volunteers will staff the facility initially I ask Tankersley where her sense of compassion comes from “My mum and dad were very compassionate to other people as we were growing up they would always help people and took people in My mother was a Presbyterian minister’s daughter Hayden McGrail - who she praises as a huge support - have lived in Masterton for 45 years after buying her great-grandfather’s former farmhouse while they were living in Levin and to live in your home that was your ancestors’ and has so many memories for people in our family.” Tankersley is a beloved figure herself by many in her community Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty praised the woman he has known most of his life He and her son David were at school together “You stood out as someone who was welcoming completely caring and compassionate but selfless as well – and that’s the reflections of an 11-year-old,” McAnulty said you’ve taken those attributes and shared that love with the community.” Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor the street outside Masterton's Bowling Club is packed with cars it would signify a healthy turnout for the club's "Friday funzy" where dozens of players test their skills on the bowling green But many of the cars taking up the spaces were for sale and were stored there long-term making it difficult for many club members to find parking A recent report to Masterton District Council said the bowling club had delivered a letter requesting the council's intervention to resolve parking issues near the premises on McKenna Street occupied a "significant number" of parking spaces on both Dixon Street and McKenna Street Of the 23 cars parked on McKenna Street and the intersecting Bunny Street on Friday nine sported a licence plate frame with branding of the dealership some of which were not displaying current registration it was not an offence to park outside a property for an extended time unless it was a restricted parking space it was an offence to park on the road without displaying a current warrant of fitness and licence label or registration Masterton District Council would tackle this offence "Throughout the months of November and December stationary vehicles without a current warrant of fitness or registration that are not already known to council will have a flyer placed on the vehicle warning them of the offences and a warning will be recorded in the infringement system "Vehicle owners who have previously been engaged with will be infringed in December." infringement notices would be issued for offences by the First Security Wardens and the Animal and Bylaws Team If the vehicle owner provided to council evidence of registration and warranting within a 28-day period after the infringement notice was issued "We are also aware that some private car businesses are using public parking to store vehicles," the council report said "Those business owners will be visited to inform them that they may be infringed for any unwarranted and unregistered vehicles found parked around Masterton "They will be left with a letter that outlines the outcomes if unregistered and unwarranted vehicles are found parked in public areas "Infringing for these will commence about two weeks after receipt of the letter." staff said they were considering "alternative approaches" to addressing the problem of businesses using public car parks for the storage of vehicles as part of the Wairarapa Consolidated Bylaw It was not a problem unique to one dealership Christchurch City Council had a bylaw that addressed the issue prohibiting businesses from storing vehicles on a public road "For example if a panel-beater or a mechanic is in the practice of parking their customers' vehicles in the street adjacent to their premises or a car dealer who parks vehicles for sale on the street," the bylaw's explanatory note said Gisborne District Council had a similar bylaw Under-fire freedom campers say they do support local businesses on their travels Increased parking enforcement on Stewart Island/Rakiura has been welcomed as a long time coming A huge leap in fines for misusing mobility parks help with childcare and access to new drugs are just some of the measures coming into effect The fees would apply seven days a week and are expected to generate almost $2.1 million in annual revenue A Miramar resident says the Wellington City Council should have consulted with them before leasing car parks to Sir Peter Jackson for $1 a year Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » Armed police have cordoned off a road north of Masterton after a string of churches were torched in the town yesterday Police confirmed a “vehicle of interest” was spotted around 9.15am today before it was discovered abandoned nearby at 11am on Mikimiki Rd – which has since been shut off to the public “Cordons are in place while police work to locate the occupant,” a police spokesperson said Nine police cars were seen racing through Carterton The police operation this afternoon on Mikimiki Rd, about 10km north of Masterton, comes amid the beginning of an investigation into a man claiming to be behind the torching of a string of churches in Masterton Videos appeared on social media of a man who claimed to have started suspicious fires that damaged four Masterton churches and appeared to target three others in the early hours of Saturday seven candles,” a man says in one video clip seen by the Herald Police told the Herald officers were aware of the videos An elder of one of the Masterton churches said a row of chairs had been completely burned and marks from smoke stretched up to the ceiling The four churches hit were the Anglican Church of the Epiphany Emergency services discovered Masterton Baptist Church was on fire while heading to the scene of a different church fire St Patrick’s Catholic Church praised the efforts of a local police officer who happened to be driving past The damage to some was described as “significant” with police investigating and standing guard at the buildings Up to 12 Fire and Emergency New Zealand trucks earlier rushed to fight the fires Masterton Baptist Church elder David Dew viewed the damage through a doorway early this morning after emergency services called him to the scene Dew said it appeared someone had thrown an object through the window with an accelerant to start the fire He told the Herald it was very disturbing four churches were targeted in one night and the fact that people or persons unknown have felt they could plan – you don’t normally have seven Sign up to the Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Police are asking the public for information about a green Ford Festiva they say was seen leaving one of the church fires in Masterton The investigation comes after arsons at multiple churches in Masterton on Saturday morning Police said they were working to figure out the movements of the vehicle during the arsons They said they found the vehicle abandoned on Mikimiki Rd in Masterton on Sunday The occupants of the vehicle have not been found to contact them via 105 online or the 105 phone reporting line Police are investigating after a man claimed to be behind the torching of a string of churches in Masterton An elder of one of the Masterton churches said a row of chairs has been completely burned Emergency services discovered Masterton Baptist Church was on fire while headed to a different church fire Up to 12 Fire and Emergency New Zealand trucks earlier rushed to fight the fires He told the Herald it was very disturbing that four churches were targeted in one night “This deliberate act is very upsetting and the fact that people or persons unknown have felt they could plan – you don’t normally have seven Sign up to The Daily H Feedback sought on Masterton flood risk management planning Masterton locals are invited to give feedback on flood management options developed by Greater Wellington Parts of the Masterton urban area are at risk from flooding in a 1% AEP flood (a flood that has a 1:100 chance of occurring in any given year) and severe weather events are likely to become more unpredictable and hazardous due to climate change Greater Wellington’s director for knowledge and insights says there are a number of draft concepts that provide flood protection from the Waipoua “We now want to hear what locals think about each of them and from there bring together the best features,” says Hipkins “We would like significant local input on this project due to the value of the community’s knowledge and experience and because we understand the significant impact the options could have on local assets such as parks.” “We want to take the time to listen and understand different perspectives and work together to develop the best possible outcome for the entire community.” there are other proposals to reduce the impacts of flooding that we would also like community feedback on.” Hipkins says that this work is the beginning of a long-term project to improve the area’s flood resilience “While these are the first steps in addressing the immediate risk within the urban area allowing us to work with the land rather than against it.”  Locals wishing to contribute to the planning and offer feedback can do so in person at a range of drop-in sessions or online For more information visit Greater Wellington. Police are investigating after four churches across the Wairarapa town were set alight between 4am and 5am on Saturday A police presence would remain in the town on Monday with officers continuing to conduct reassurance patrols in Masterton and nearby towns Masterton mayor Gary Caffell said the attacks were shocking and locals had really rallied together "It's been an outpouring of community support from tradespeople who are willing to help out from organisations who have got halls and buildings that churches could have services in if they need to Caffell said the churches were working with their insurers to assess the damage "They've been amazed at the community support that's come through on this very happy that there were no buildings absolutely destroyed or lives lost," he said Police said on Saturday they were following up CCTV as well as a Facebook post in which a local man claimed he carried out those attacks On Sunday police cordoned off a road in the Masterton area while they worked the find the occupant of a vehicle of interest that was found abandoned There was no information as to whether the cordons were related to the arson investigation It is now thought up to seven churches were targeted, although fire took hold at four sites. The four fires were believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am and the "damage to the churches ranged from moderate to significant", a Fire and Emergency spokesperson said. The churches damaged were: Anglican Church Of The Epiphany, St Patrick's Catholic Church Masterton, Masterton Baptist Church, and Equippers Church Masterton. Crews responded from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station in Lower Hutt. Police said officers have carried out checks at other churches in the town on Saturday morning — and located evidence to suggest three further churches were targeted but did not catch alight. "It does look as if they've used petrol bombs [for at least some of the churches]," a police spokesperson said. "It's not something we encounter very often, thankfully, but firefighters do what fighter fighters do. We pivot and we arrange and we organise and respond." Wright said there was significant damage to two or three churches, but the rest of the damage was minor. There was no damage to neighbouring properties. A police spokesperson earlier told 1News officers will be "conducting reassurance patrols, including in nearby towns Featherston and Carterton". Police are asking for anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers. Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have been called to fires at four churches in Masterton this morning. 43 mins ago 58 mins ago 38 mins ago so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat.