Woolf said language ‘runs dry’ when it comes to convey the reality of illness Here is an impressive effort to do just that American essayist Elaine Scarry makes a case for the “unsharability” of pain and its resistance to language “does not simply resist language but actively destroys it.” Sixty years earlier in On Being Ill Virginia Woolf made her famous claim about how language “runs dry” when it comes to articulating illness Both theories grapple with inexpressibility persistent pain invokes many feelings: irritation fear (of something sinister) and ultimately the desire to eradicate it The search for a diagnosis can be as debilitating as the condition itself Maggie Nelson tries to solve the mystery of a longstanding health issue it is as if my mouth has survived a war – it has protested Nelson breadcrumbs backwards through teenage orthodontist visits recurrent battles with tonsillitis and “tongue thrust” in an attempt to find the source of the problem She diligently keeps records of appointments lugging files between GPs and several dentists whose waiting rooms show slick testimonial videos this short work is also testament to the apocalyptic uncertainty that infused that time Her partner is in a separate support bubble and Nelson makes several attempts to get their son vaccinated she confesses: “I have never felt as angry as I’ve felt over the past two years.” In this thoughtful book Nelson excavates the duties of parenthood and care loneliness and mortalityThe locus of Pathemata (ancient Greek for “sufferings”) may be pain and the pandemic but Nelson has never been a single-subject writer even in books that professed to be singular such as Jane: A Murder (the death of her aunt) or Bluets (the colour blue) she excavates the duties of parenthood and care and yet Nelson wonders why “some people with bites more fucked up than mine have no pain just like two people could have identical back MRIs but one can’t get out of bed and the other does CrossFit” It is not lost on her that the mouth has a symbolic role in the life of the writer: someone whose job revolves round words while the pain itself remains unamenable to language Mandatory face covering during Covid brings a realisation of how many emotions are expressed with the mouth Its visibility means it becomes a site of art: the rapidly moving lips of Beckett’s Not I or The Scream by Munch Nelson succumbs to the Covid routines of doomscrolling the news and watching beloved TV shows Her partner eventually returns to the house and “each activity – popcorn popping the clatter of violence on Netflix – floats into my bedroom – our bedroom – like a fresh abandonment” The pandemic’s forced confinement also means that she has to say goodbye to a dying friend by phone she can’t stop hearing her friend’s voice saying her name “No one will ever say my name like that again – no lover The way she knew me died with her; from now on Nelson reads articles about how the pandemic has killed coincidence and moments of surprise She feels that “magic is seeping out of my life” Understandable in a time of enforced lockdowns but there is a palpable link to getting older; that there is less time ahead than behind Nelson’s work never does self-pity and she admits that this failure to summon magic “is uniquely my own” Nostalgia was a balm for many during Covid and amid the possibility of a future full of fear her thesis on Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath and a beloved feminist theory teacher the narrative repeatedly circles back to the implications and consequences of pain “Sometimes I wonder what I would have thought about all these years if I hadn’t spent so much time thinking about the pain Then I remember that I thought about a lot of other things as well.” For Nelson a life of pain must coexist alongside the other roles she inhabits: of mother The book’s full title comes from a phrase in ancient Greek meaning “learning through suffering” which is not as simple as solving what Nelson calls “the pain puzzle” The pain endured by martyrs and saints suggests penance or ecstasy but Nelson is neither religious nor seeking absolution In trying to untangle the problem of her own pain and her experience of disconnection The singular as metaphor for the collective urging us to fully inhabit the lives we have Free weekly newsletterDiscover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews Pathemata or, the Story of My Mouth by Maggie Nelson is published by Fern (£12.99). To support the Guardian order your copy at guardianbookshop.com All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access Scottie Scheffler ran away from the field at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson The CJ Cup Byron Nelson was a special tournament for Scottie Scheffler long before the South Korean lifestyle company became a sponsor has been going to the Byron Nelson since he was a child a six-year-old Scheffler met the legendary Nelson while at the tournament Scheffler made his professional debut at the Byron Nelson while playing on a sponsor exemption as a 17-year-old 1 added to his CJ Cup Byron Nelson history by running away from the field to claim his 14th career PGA Tour win Scheffler opened his hometown tournament with a blistering 61 and backed it up with a 63 to enter the weekend with a six-shot lead the biggest 36-hole margin on the PGA Tour since Brooks Koepka led the 2019 PGA Championship by seven at the halfway point Scheffler increased his lead to eight after three rounds and he coasted to victory on Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch Scheffler’s 72-hole total of 252 ties the PGA Tour record for lowest 72-hole score Scheffler’s continued run of immaculate play has left his playing competitors in awe who is trying to make up ground on Scheffler now that he’s fully healthy what he’s been doing is inspiring given — I mean it wasn’t that long ago I was definitely better than him and now I’m definitely not right now,” Spieth said after shooting a 9-under 62 on Sunday to finish in fourth place “I hate admitting that about anybody but I just watched it those first two rounds How much every player made at the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson  Sam Burns $305,971Adam Schenk $305,971Ricky Castillo $305,971Mark Hubbard $305,971Will Gordon $305,971Eric Cole $305,971Kurt Kitayama $305,971Takumi Kanaya $305,971 Antoine Rozner $200,475Jhonattan Vegas $200,475 Matt McCarty $136,719Chris Gotterup $136,719Max McGreevy $136,719Chandler Phillips $136,719Si Woo Kim $136,719Cameron Champ $136,719Vince Whaley $136,719Kevin Roy $136,719Andrew Putnam $136,719Patrick Rodgers $136,719 Ross Steelman $79,447.50Danny Walker $79,447.50Nico Echavarria $79,447.50Pierceson Coody $79,447.50 Trey Mullinax $66,330Kevin Yu $66,330Taylor Dickson $66,330Thorbjorn Olesen $66,330 Sungjae Im $52,800Doug Ghim $52,800Harry Hall $52,800Niklas Norgaard $52,800Ben Martin $52,800Michael Thorbjornsen $52,800 Jake Knapp $40,095Rikuya Hoshino $40,095Alex Smalley $40,095Joseph Bramlett $40,095Sami Valimaki $40,095Nate Lashley $40,095 Henrik Norlander $31,185Davis Riley $31,185Matteo Manassero $31,185 Webb Simpson $25.509Patton Kizzire $25.509Karl Vilips $25.509 Rico Hoey $23,710David Skinns $23,710Ben Kohles $23,710Thomas Rosenmueller $23,710 Stephan Jaeger $22,770Matt Kuchar $22,770Isaiah Salinda $22,770Nicolai Hojgaard $22,770 Cam Davis $21,978Ryan Fox $21,978Victor Perez $21,978Byeong Hun An $21,978 Alejandro Tosti $20,691Rafael Campos $20,691Camilo Villegas $20,691 Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com Josh was the Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago He previously covered the 49ers and Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area Josh spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog thinking of how the Ducks will break his heart again and trying to become semi-proficient at chipping Josh will never stop trying to break 90 and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s major drought will end (updated: he did it) All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team What a week for Scottie Scheffler in his hometown event The world's No. 1 player dominated at the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson shooting 31 under to tie the PGA Tour scoring record the largest winning margin at the event since 1983 and it was the lowest score in the history of the Byron Nelson tournament The win was Scheffler's first in 2025 and his 14th of his PGA Tour career He also earned $1.782 million for the victory Here's the breakdown of how much money each player earned at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson Scottie Scheffler won his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson Sunday by eight shots. His 253 total (31 under) tied the lowest 72-hole aggregate score in PGA Tour history He earned $1,782,000 from the $9.9 million purse Runner-up Erik van Rooyen took home $1,079,000 Here’s a look at how the full purse was paid out at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome If you or someone you know has a gambling problem Dedicated volunteer organisation Coastguard Nelson (NZ) has selected Omnitronics omnicore Express Dispatch completing their transition from analog to digital Struggling with an unreliable analog system the organisation says it decided to upgrade and take advantage of the benefits of a digital Tait DMR T3 network As a final piece to the communications puzzle the 35 people strong organisation has now committed to upgrading their dispatch to an omnicore Express Radio Dispatch Console The upgrade transitioned their communication system from an analog to a digital system using Radio over IP and was fully self-funded through generous grants from Pub Charity the Lion Foundation and Coastguard New Zealand This upgrade has significantly enhanced the range and clarity of transmissions across its large 10,400 sq km operational area It also allows sensitive operations to be conducted away from public radio channels and enables remote access to the dispatch console from a Windows tablet This digital shift positions the Unit to integrate with the upcoming Public Service Network (P25) for emergency services in New Zealand the Tasman and Nelson Harbour Masters and Nelson Surf Life Saving have also moved to a DMR (digital mobile radio) network enabling all four marine emergency services to communicate over a common DMR Search and Rescue channel The solution was devised and implemented by Mount Campbell Communications Managing Director at Mount Campbell Communications says “I am pleased we have been able to provide Nelson Coastguard with a state-of-the-art and future-proof system that will greatly enhance their response capability both internally as well as in collaboration with other rescue agencies.” Jerame Ashton from Mount Campbell Communications has been selected to speak about this project at the Comms Connect New Zealand conference in Christchurch in June 2025 Coastguard Nelson says this upgrade will significantly enhance the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the service ensuring better service and safety for the community and the around 10,000 recreational and commercial waterborne craft operating in the area The only spectre haunting Anthony Albanese’s government going into Election Day tomorrow will be the way the polls got wrong the likely 2019 election outcome the Scott Morrison government got re-elected in an upset result Opposition leader Peter Dutton is clinging to that precedent all of the prevailing signs – including the consistent theme of the polls for the past month – indicate that Albanese’s Labor government will trounce Dutton’s conservative coalition As a maritime nation we are prioritising naval capability The new helicopters will be able to go further and carry larger loads personnel and equipment – all of which is critical for Defence to protect New Zealand and New Zealanders we can prevent the worst of the climate crisis by reducing methane pollution from intensive dairy which are under threat from intensive dairy pollution Jotika will join Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand Executive Director to explore the struggles and resilience of Fiji's garment workers and their collective fight for better pay and conditions In a significant milestone for indigenous-led conservation Hokotehi Moriori Trust has successfully carried out the first imi (Moriori tribal group) translocation of hakoakoa (muttonbird) relocating 50 juvenile birds from Mangere Island to a newly prepared site in Kaingaroa The new standard requires public service agencies to conduct a risk assessment whenever personal information is to be shared and includes robust safeguards to protect individual privacy and directs agencies to apply best practices when granting access to personal information A window to the world for our rangatahi and whānau,” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer “We won’t sit back while this Government shuts the door on Māori futures Our commitment is clear—we would invest more in regional tertiary education The tournament brought out the biggest names in the sport of golf who struggled to keep pace with the event's top golfers heading into Saturday and Sunday's action Spieth was tied for 26th at 6-under par heading into the Saturday's action, 12 strokes behind tournament's leader Scottie Scheffler The second round will finish Saturday morning before the cut is made and the third round begins Spieth's round on Friday was noteworthy not just for his solid if unspectacular performance but also for the presence of a special guest who turned heads on the golf course.  Jordan Spieth at the Byron Nelson Classic.  "Bring your son to work day," the PGA Tour wrote on its X account Friday with a ruby red heart emoji.  The account shared a video of Spieth with his son as the golf superstar signed autographs in front of a throng of supporters at the prestigious golf event.  excited and at times frightened as he followed his famous father around for pictures and autographs.  "Very nice to see, thank you for sharing," one fan wrote.  "Hopefully he's better than his dad," another fan added criticizing Spieth for his more than three-year winless streak on tour The heartwarming video softened the blow of Spieth's less-than-stellar round as he attempted to scrape and claw his way back into contention.  Willie Nelson's wife Annie D'Angelo shut down an accusation that their 36-year-old son Lukas Nelson was serving as the couple's caretaker "I still take care of my husband." Annie D'Angelo is setting the record straight The 68-year-old wife of Willie Nelson clapped back after coming across a claim that the couple's 36-year-old son Lukas Nelson was their caretaker In a photo shared to AXS TV's Instagram account April 14 and Annie sat in chairs while posing with Lukas who stood between them wearing a plaid button-down "Lukas Nelson takes pride in taking care of 91-yr-old dad "Lukas makes sure mom & dad are comfortable," the post continued "and living their best life after many long years of making rad music." with Willie—shut down the claims made by the TV channel and clarified Lukas' role in their family "Hey @axstv why would you take a photo from someone else’s feed (my friend @marthacasselbodell ) & then make stuff up?" she commented under the Instagram "I still take care of my husband (Lukas has always been there for us as has his brother @particlekid ) and love it." And that wasn't the only issue she had with the TV company's post Annie also noted that her and her husband's ages were wrong "Then you claim our incorrect ages." "Don’t do that," the makeup artist added News has reached out to Willie and Annie for comment but hasn’t heard back This isn't the first time Annie and Willie have provided a glimpse into where their health stands. In 2023, the "Highwayman" singer shared an update on how he was feeling physically and mentally ahead of his 90th birthday "I'm doing pretty good," Willie told E! News at the time "I've managed to keep my weight down pretty good and I really don't do anything that's bad for me I still take a drink of tequila occasionally And the country music legend—who is also dad to daughters Lana from past relationships—credited his ability to change his lifestyle habits to his cannabis use it probably saved some other people's lives." "And I might have killed a lot of people So I'm just glad that that didn't happen." For more stars who have gotten candid about their health 90210 alum revealed in April 2025 that he was recovering from surgery after his appendix nearly burst “Last week, I started feeling some pain in my stomach,” Brian said in an Instagram video at the time Adam Devine shared that injuries he sustained after getting hit by a cement truck when he was 11 years old are still affecting him to this day “It’s been a nightmare,” Devine said in a 2025 episode of the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast [the doctors] told me I was dying—literally "My body has all these things that are a little wonky and a little wrong with it." The Bachelor Nation alum shared that he went to the hospital “crawling on all fours” due to overwhelming back pain that was aggravated during an RV trip with a friend “Right now, knees to my toes, it’s, like, still tingly, which is crazy,” he said on a March 2025 episode of his Trading Secrets podcast But with the help of a back specialist and some steroids Casey Fitzgerald's Neck Injury From Hockey Skate Blade The AHL player was cut by a fellow player's skate during a game in December 2024 and received 25 stitches New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald later told ESPN after his son was fully recovered I don't wish that on any parent." Real Housewives of Orange County’s Gina Kirschenheiter shared her ex-husband Matt Kirschenheiter suffered a heart attack in March 2025 The 30 Rock star suffered a health scare at a New York Knicks basketball game in March 2025 leading to him being wheeled out of Madison Square Garden However, the comedian shared an update on social media the following day noting it was a case of food poisoning and that he was on the mend The Even Stevens alum shared in February 2025 that she was shot in the face while on a trip to shoot clay pigeons to celebrate husband Brendan Rooney's birthday "There was another party with us and they unsafely fired in the wrong direction and shot me in the face," she wrote on Instagram "@thebrendanrooney immediately sprung into action one was less than an inch from hitting me directly in my right eye." "Unfortunately a fragment got lodged behind my eye and it is too risky to remove surgically at this time Doctors will continue to monitor me (I can see normally at the moment)." The actress said she was grateful to be alive "I saw my life flash before my eyes and I’m telling you hug the people around you every chance you can "Finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out and I'm healthy was the greatest news imaginable." it was just a very scary and random situation to happen but he's going to be totally OK and I'm just grateful that he's fine."  Jamie Foxx's Brain Bleed & Stroke I need an aspirin,’” the Oscar winner said in his 2024 Netflix special What Had Happened Was.. I don’t remember 20 days.”Jamie said he was initially taken to a doctor who gave him a cortisone shot and then sent him home his concerned sister Deidra Dixon then drove him to a hospital where they got an answer: He had a brain bleed that led to a stroke.Twenty days after undergoing an operation the Django Unchained woke up May 4 in a wheelchair and couldn’t walk He then went to Chicago for rehabilitation and therapy."All I can tell you is that I appreciate every prayer,” he said she's now "at a hundred per cent." "Everybody just came to my rescue."Because of other medical concerns Cori ended up staying in the hospital longer than she initially expected."I could have went home after my stroke but my lupus wasn't doing so well," the Snoop's Fatherhood: Cori and Wayne's Story star continued Cori is on the mend."I'm doing great," she added "I just had a little bit of motor skills that I had to work back on “It was this conflation of issues and diagnoses and different doctors telling me different things.”So Shailene—who chose to keep the exact condition private—set out to find answers “I come from a very holistic background and study herbalism,” she added [and] I’m also going to work with independent kind of healers.’ Just trying to search for some sense of comfort in my own skin.”It was a long journey—one that lasted for 10 years.“Throughout that decade a lot of other things came from feeling so much discomfort physically,” the Big Little Lies star noted I’m now suddenly afraid of food.’ And then going into the kind of mental f--ckery that can happen with that of body dysmorphia and confusion about identity and feeling safe in my own capsule and what that should be.”After tending to both her physical and mental health Shailene is feeling much better.“It was a journey that ultimately physically resolved itself “I’m so happy to be able to say that." Scottie Scheffler watches his drive on the sixth tee during the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament and his caddie approach the 8th green during the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney Jordan Spieth follows through on his shot off the sixth tee during the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney walk the sixth fairway together during the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney Si Woo Kim hits off the sixth tee during the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney Cameron Champ watches his shot off the ninth tee during the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is happy to be back at his hometown event and showed it Cameron Champ isn’t far from familiar territory which is a good thing considering he got the call that he was in the Byron Nelson as an alternate about 18 hours before his tee time Scheffler made the turn in 29 on his way to a 10-under 61 on Thursday for a two-shot lead over Rico Hoey and Jhonattan Vegas with Champ among seven players another shot back at 64 Defending champion Taylor Pendrith shot 67 with players allowed to lift clean and replace their shots in the fairways after the par-71 TPC Craig Ranch got heavy rainfall Wednesday The top-ranked Scheffler outshined fellow hometown star Jordan Spieth with the former Texas Longhorns paired together along with Si Woo Kim a South Korean who also calls Dallas home and was showcased in an event sponsored by CJ Group capping his round with a lofty chip-in for eagle at the par-5 18th and rolling onto his back in celebration had a bogey-free round along with Scheffler and Hoey The others at 7 under with Champ are Stephan Jaeger Scheffler missed last year’s event in Dallas’ northern suburb of McKinney for the birth of his first child This tournament has meant a lot to us over the years,” Scheffler said “Obviously last year I was missing for some pretty good reasons I wasn’t too sad about what was going on in my life at the time.” he had 10 wins combined before May over a three-year stretch including the Masters and Players Championship twice each Scheffler is still seeking the first victory of 2025 Not that he was playing poorly before posting his lowest round of the year Scheffler finished fourth as the defending champion at Augusta and has four other top-10 finishes this year anything like that,” the 13-time winner said of seeking his first victory in 2025 and there’s three more days of the tournament Just focused on going home and getting some rest.” Scheffler birdied four consecutive holes on the front nine and added one more before putting his approach at the par-5 ninth inside 5 feet for an eagle to get to 7 under A chip for birdie stopped on the lip at the par-4 11th the second of three consecutive pars before he pulled even with Hoey with a birdie at 13 Scheffler took the lead by putting his tee shot on the stadium hole — the par-3 17th — inside 3 feet a 29-year-old from the Philippines seeking his first PGA Tour victory started with eight pars on the back nine before an eagle on 18 triggered an 8-under finish over his final 10 holes His 63 tied his career low on the PGA Tour Hoey’s best finish this year also was in Texas but from the start of the last season and comparing it I think I’m doing a way better job,” said Hoey who won on the Canadian tour in 2017 and the Korn Ferry circuit two years ago “Just feel like there are rounds I’ve been clicking; other rounds I haven’t put it up Kind of nice to get the momentum rolling now.” who lives in Houston and played at Texas A&M was home when he got the call that he was replacing Gary Woodland He made it to the Dallas area Wednesday night and countered two bogeys in his first three holes with nine birdies The 29-year-old from California won three times from 2019-21 but missed 35 of 55 cuts over the previous two years I haven’t really been playing that bad,” Champ said “The last two years is probably the hardest I’ve ever worked It’s just getting back to the right mental state.” Spieth and Danny Walker had to pause to clean spikes after wayward tee shots into muddy territory Walker’s cleaning delay lasted several minutes including others helping by splashing the soles with bottled water ended up with a bogey on the par-4 11th on his way to a 68 3 after barely missing the water while putting his tee shot in a waste area Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced 15 new temples during the concluding session of the April 2025 general conference The temples will be built in the following locations: “We are grateful to the Lord for the acceleration of temple-building in recent years,” said the prophet who has announced 200 temples since he became president in 2018 In addition to announcing 200 temples, last year the 100-year-old prophet dedicated the Church’s 200th operating house of the Lord Today’s announcement brings the total number of temples — operating Each temple is a house of the Lord and the most sacred place of worship on the earth The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church to receive peace and spiritual power as they enter into sacred agreements with God in His holy house See below for more information about the Church of Jesus Christ in each location The Reynosa Mexico Temple will be the 27th house of the Lord in the country Reynosa is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande River across the Mexico–United States border from Hidalgo Mexico is home to more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in nearly 1,900 congregations, the second largest membership outside of the United States. Missionary work began in Mexico in 1875 The Chorrillos Peru Temple will be the 10th house of the Lord in the country Chorrillos is located on the Pacific Ocean and is home to many popular beaches there are nearly 650,000 Latter-day Saints in about 800 congregations in the country The first missionaries arrived in the country in 1956 The Rivera Uruguay Temple will be the second house of the Lord in the country, joining the Montevideo Uruguay Temple The Montevideo Temple was dedicated in March 2001 by President Gordon B Rivera is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay It borders the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento they form an urban area with about 200,000 residents There are about nearly 110,000 Latter-day Saints in around 130 congregations in Uruguay The Campo Grande Brazil Temple is the 24th announced temple in Brazil Campo Grande is a city in west central Brazil Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles There are more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in Brazil the third-most populous country of Latter-day Saints outside the United States Porto, with a population of approximately 1.3 million, is the second-largest city in Portugal a nation home to nearly 48,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 60 congregations The temple in Porto will be the second in the country, joining the Lisbon Portugal Temple The first branch was organized in Lisbon in 1975. That same year, then-Elder Thomas S. Monson dedicated the country for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ There are more than 250,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 850 congregations in Nigeria West Africa is one of the fastest growing areas of the Church in the world The San Jose del Monte Philippines Temple will be the 14th in the country. There are more than 880,000 Latter-day Saints in around 1,325 local congregations in the Philippines Since the country officially opened for missionary work in 1961 the rate of Church growth in the Philippines continues to be among the fastest in the world This will be the first temple in New Caledonia a group of islands in the southwestern Pacific Islands that are home to more than 2,500 Latter-day Saints The first members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved to New Caledonia from Tahiti The first stake (a group of congregations) was organized in 2012 The Liverpool Australia Temple will be the second temple in the greater Sydney area The Church was introduced in Australia in 1840 when a British convert immigrated to the country were among the first stakes established outside of North America Today, Australia is home to nearly 160,000 Latter-day Saints in around 300 congregations The temple to be built in Caldwell will be the third in the Boise, Idaho, metropolitan area. The Boise Idaho Temple was dedicated in 1984 and the Meridian Idaho Temple was dedicated in 2017 Idaho is home to more than 475,000 members of the Church in over 1,225 congregations Early Church pioneers settled in Idaho in 1855 Several Church presidents are natives of Idaho Flagstaff is located about 150 miles north of Phoenix among one of the world’s largest ponderosa pine forests and next to the tallest mountain in the state Rapid City is the second-most populous city in the state In nearby Black Hills stands the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial The Rapid City South Dakota Temple will be the first in the state South Dakota, located in north-central United States has more than 11,500 members in approximately 30 congregations The Greenville South Carolina Temple will be the second house of the Lord in the state. The Columbia South Carolina Temple has been in operation since October 1999 found in the northwestern part of South Carolina South Carolina which is in the southeastern United States is home to nearly 46,000 Latter-day Saints in approximately 85 congregations a waterfront city located along Chesapeake Bay Virginia is home to 100,000 Latter-day Saints in about 210 congregations The Spanish Fork Utah Temple will be the ninth temple in Utah County Utah County is also home to Brigham Young University with Utah Lake to the northwest and the Wasatch Range to the east Latter-day Saints settled Spanish Fork in 1851 Utah is home to more than 2.2 million Latter-day Saints approximately two-thirds of the state’s population of 3.5 million people The temple in the city of Spanish Fork will be the 32nd temple in Utah either in operation On November 10, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson dedicated the 200th operating temple of the Church — the Deseret Peak Utah Temple in Tooele For more information about temples, visit temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org Return to top You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com) You are now leaving a website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you and security practices that differ from those on our website By referring or linking you to this website we do not endorse or guarantee this content If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it To download all photos or videos related to this article select the links at the bottom of each section The Jets have won 4 straight to find themselves sitting 5th while rolling out one of the more powerful offenses in the league while the Giants come to town having finally tasted victory Purchase Tickets Here The Panthers took to Palmerston North to take on the Jets with a few new faces to take on a Corey Webster-less Jets squad but not having the third leading scorer in the league didn't have much effect on the home team as they dominated the second half by 27 points to win going way 106-70 5ast) providing the bulk of the attack while a young Cooper Lepou (27pts) shined in his first start of the season for the Panthers  A winless Nelson side traveled to Otago who was also looking to end a 4-game skid and fancied their chances but the Giants found the lead early as Jeremy Combs (25pts 5ast) looked in midseason form in just his second game with the team while Alex Robinson (14pts 7ast) sliced his way through the defenses to create for himself and others 11rbs) did his best to bring the Nuggets back but in the end the Giants were too good and finally took home their first victory of the season (98-86) 6.8apg) sits third in the league in scoring and can get his shot off against any defense and has paired well with Miles Gibson (24.6ppg 7.7rpg) who has been scoring nearly as well as a weak side option 3stls) leads the league in steals and has been steady on offense 8.1rpg) will need to play above their measurables but have been doing that with regularity of late 6.9rpg) is a wild card as he may be the most athletic player on the court but will need to find a way to deal with the size of the Giants The Giants will need to find a slower ball control pace to slow down the Jets so will likely look to exert their size advantage behind Jeremy Combs (22ppg 5.3rpg) has been the penetrating creator and scorer that the Giants were hoping he would be Liam Judd (10.8ppg) will be looking to perform well against his former team (as will Lachy Crate off the bench) but the ability of the Giants to win may come down to hitting close to as many threes as the Jets Alex McNaught and Hayden Jones to find their range Matchup to Watch: Corey Webster v Alex Robinson - Two guards that puncture defenses in different ways Webster with his impeccable footwork and the best mid-range game in the league and Robinson with his elite change of speed and shifty handle all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com Ranchhod Tower, Level 6, 39 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 © 2017 by Basketball New Zealand. All rights reserved. Nelson City Council last year gave its contractor for the Trafalgar Centre – CLM (Community Leisure Management) – exclusive food and beverage rights for events at the stadium. But revenue from food and beverage sales from 11 home games each season account for about 14% of the NBS Nelson Giants’ income. “This decision will likely kill the Giants,” club manager and head coach Mike Fitchett warned the council during its Thursday meeting. The Giants are the only club to have competed in the National Basketball League every year since its formation in 1982 and has played at the Trafalgar Centre since “the late ‘80s”. The charity-owned club also provides community programmes, with members spending 343 hours coaching more than 1500 children in regional schools last year, and has created 35 Tall Blacks. Fitchett understood the policy had been changed to minimise costs to ratepayers, but said the Giants had not been consulted on the decision. He added that while he understood the desire to reduce costs, community events provided wider benefits to the region. Earlier in Thursday’s council meeting, researchers from Massey University advised that every dollar spent on live events generated $3.20 for the community. While the club was “very grateful” to secure an exemption from the policy for this season, it had no guarantees for next year which would result in losses of $80 – 145,000 if it was unable to sell food and drink or host its corporate tables. “I’d describe us as one of the most under-resourced clubs in the NBL, financial losses are not an option for us,” Fitchett said. “We’re always trying to grow our revenue base, but this change to operations would mean that … additional revenue we generate will go straight to fill that hole.” The club wanted all community groups, including the Giants, to be exempted from the policy prohibiting them from supplying their own food and drink. “The status quo is the only scenario that guarantees the Giants’ immediate future.” Corkage fees charged by CLM at the Trafalgar Centre have previously come under fire from the NBS Dancing for a Cause charity event. It had said the fees doubled the cost of running the event, limiting the amount it could donate to the Nelson Tasman Hospice, and that future increases to the fee threaten its feasibility. The biennial event raised $440,000 for the Hospice in 2023. The Trafalgar Centre is Nelson’s only venue in the region that could host the club, with the floors at Saxton Stadium being too weak to support the stands for game attendees. Councillors were concerned about the prospect, with Tim Skinner saying he was “horrified” to hear the news and would be “asking questions” of staff, while Mel Courtney said a solution had to be found “as soon as possible’. Mayor Nick Smith said the issue required “careful thought” as the council needed to maximise both the use of and revenue from the facility, which ratepayers subsidised by about $2 million. “We’re very keen to find a solution. No one wants the Giants to end.” The club will need a solution by 31 August, the deadline for when it needs to commit to the 2026 season. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air The Nelson Giants are facing a potential $150,000 shortfall next season if they are barred from selling their own food and drink. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Changes to the food and drink policy at Nelson’s Trafalgar Centre could end the city’s basketball club, its manager has warned. Manager and coach Mike Fitchett warned that the policy "will likely kill the Giants". (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Mayor Nick Smith said the council was "very keen" to find a solution. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Indian Panthers hit with immediate NBL suspensionThe Panthers defaulted their recent game against the Canterbury Rams and have been accused of not paying players and staff Basketball NBA legend Scottie Pippen's nephew snapped up by Nelson Giants If you're of a certain vintage you'll know the name Scottie Pippen a star on that great Chicago Bulls NBA team in the 90's alongside Michael Jordan Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Changes to the food and drink policy at Nelson’s Trafalgar Centre could end the city’s basketball club Nelson City Council last year gave its contractor for the Trafalgar Centre – CLM (Community Leisure Management) – exclusive food and beverage rights for events at the stadium But revenue from food and beverage sales from 11 home games each season account for about 14% of the NBS Nelson Giants’ income “This decision will likely kill the Giants,” club manager and head coach Mike Fitchett warned the council during its Thursday meeting The Giants are the only club to have competed in the National Basketball League every year since its formation in 1982 and has played at the Trafalgar Centre since “the late ‘80s” The charity-owned club also provides community programmes with members spending 343 hours coaching more than 1500 children in regional schools last year Fitchett understood the policy had been changed to minimise costs to ratepayers but said the Giants had not been consulted on the decision He added that while he understood the desire to reduce costs community events provided wider benefits to the region researchers from Massey University advised that every dollar spent on live events generated $3.20 for the community While the club was “very grateful” to secure an exemption from the policy for this season it had no guarantees for next year which would result in losses of $80 – 145,000 if it was unable to sell food and drink or host its corporate tables “I’d describe us as one of the most under-resourced clubs in the NBL financial losses are not an option for us,” Fitchett said “We’re always trying to grow our revenue base but this change to operations would mean that … additional revenue we generate will go straight to fill that hole.” to be exempted from the policy prohibiting them from supplying their own food and drink Corkage fees charged by CLM at the Trafalgar Centre have previously come under fire from the NBS Dancing for a Cause charity event It had said the fees doubled the cost of running the event limiting the amount it could donate to the Nelson Tasman Hospice and that future increases to the fee threaten its feasibility The biennial event raised $440,000 for the Hospice in 2023 The Trafalgar Centre is Nelson’s only venue in the region that could host the club with the floors at Saxton Stadium being too weak to support the stands for game attendees Councillors were concerned about the prospect with Tim Skinner saying he was “horrified” to hear the news and would be “asking questions” of staff while Mel Courtney said a solution had to be found “as soon as possible’ Mayor Nick Smith said the issue required “careful thought” as the council needed to maximise both the use of and revenue from the facility which ratepayers subsidised by about $2 million The club will need a solution by 31 August the deadline for when it needs to commit to the 2026 season who have endured a disastrous start to their inaugural season in the NBL have been suspended for the rest of the season accused of not paying their players and staff defaulted a recent game against the Canterbury Rams a no-show which forced the NBL commission to act Players told 1News yesterday of their disappointment at their treatment, with one saying some imports were relying on food banks to get by The NBL this afternoon released a statement which confirmed the Panthers' suspension until either: The satisfaction of conditions outlined by the Commission being met by the Panthers A final determination by the Commission of an investigation into the alleged breaches of the Participation Agreement by the Panthers "As there is an ongoing investigation the details of the conditions and matters being considered are confidential at this stage but the allegations are sufficiently serious that the Commission has decided to suspend the Panthers participation in the League indefinitely and effective immediately," the statement read Commission chair Tracey Garland said: “It is very disappointing for the Commission to be facing this situation especially given that following careful due diligence the original concept was sustainable and so exciting for the League we have had to face the reality that things have not panned out as any party intended The Commission is particularly concerned that all the positive growth and progress that has been made with the Sal’s NBL is not put at risk while we consider the very significant implications of what is before us with the Panthers’ situation The Panthers are fully aware of the conditions they must meet for any consideration given as to their future participation and these will remain confidential while both parties work through this the League has commenced an investigation into the alleged breaches “We have been advised by the Panthers today that all players have been paid and that staff and other creditors will be paid by May 15 We hope all of these payments will be made as communicated to us we want the players and staff of the Panthers to know we are treating the alleged breaches seriously and their interests and the integrity of the competition is our highest priority.” The NBL would not go into any further detail due to the investigation The Nelson Giants have now tapped into that famous dynasty for their national league season here with recruiting Scottie Pippen's nephew Kavion Pippen From first look there's a lot of similarities the killer slam dunk and he even wears the famous number 33 people think I'm his son said Kavion who goes by the nickname of 'KP' Uncle Scottie just so happens to be a legend of the game a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a hall of famer "My first love was baseball but I had a growth spurt and once I hit that I transferred to basketball." A decision that's eventually aided the Nelson Giants who have locked in the 26-year-old for a season "We saw Kavion playing in the G League the NBA minor league and we liked what we saw - worked the basketball back channels and got hold of him," said Giants coach Mike Fitchett our winter is in the European summer so we can drag really high level players from Europe so they can play year round." Pippen has been with teams like the Golden State Warriors where he signed with them in 2019 and played preseason games While the NBL is far from the NBA's bright lights it's seen as a springboard to other leagues "I've heard great things from my agent telling me he played here in this league," said Pippen "I feel like its great and fast-paced like the NBA and I feel like a lot of guys love that game so they want to come over here and let it translate." Pippen's ultimate goal is to return to the NBA and secure a contract Lucky he has his uncle Scottie keeping a close eye on his progress up the basketball ranks "He just gives me advice on basketball in general - he always likes to stay in touch." Pippen had a solid debut against the Manawatu Jets grabbing six rebounds and scoring 14 points He only arrived in the country just over a week ago but the 2.08m centre is making a huge impression "He's a big dude," said Giants guard Tom Ingham very athletic and for us a lot of size which we need in rebounding "It also helps he can throw a few balls through the hoop - rather than at it." A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate A stranger allegedly tried to force an 8-year-old boy into a car outside an Auckland primary school yesterday before bystanders intervened and the man drove off Police confirmed they were investigating an incident from around 3pm on Monday outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa "Police are still working to understand exactly what was occurring at the time and our enquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson said "We have spoken with the boy and will continue to work through a careful process Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau said in a statement to social media that other parents had intervened "The student then made his way home and told his parents who then came into school to let us know and then they rung the police." Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive "Our student is safe now and his family are thankful that nothing further happened to their boy but are wanting us all to be aware and stay safe It's about working with that child to make them feel safe again but also looking forward to returning back to school with a little bit of normality." Police had reacted "pretty quickly" to the reports "They've been in this morning to touch base and connect the community police constables are going to come back to tomorrow to address the whole school in relation to what had happened and around keeping themselves safe before and after school." Increased police patrols would remain in the area after school from Wednesday Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 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 Speeds of 100km/h are returning to State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim despite a local community rejecting one of the increases in northern Nelson The New Zealand Transport Agency has finished consulting on 49 sections of the state highway network that were facing potential speed limit increases The changes are the result of the coalition government's updated speed limit rule that aimed to reverse the reductions which took place under the previous Labour administration Six sections of highway in the Top of the South from Nelson's Marybank to Marlborough's Woodbourne that were lowered in December 2020 were consulted on a majority of submitters favoured raising the speed limits from a mix of 60 The increases must be implemented by 1 July Speeds through rural townships on the highway will not increase and consultation is ongoing for the proposed increases in Marybank and Wakefield But the margin of opposition was narrow for the stretch of SH6 between Marybank and the beginning of the Whangamoas About 56 per cent of respondents wanted to increase the speed limit on that section more than two thirds of the respondents from the local community wanted the speed limit to remain unchanged from 80km/h New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) confirmed that under the government's rule the speed limit decision could only consider the overall consultation response with no weighting given to particular road user groups and excluded both safety and economic considerations SH6 from Nelson to Blenheim was classified as high-risk before speeds were reduced which led to a 93 percent drop in fatal and serious crashes 20 people died and 92 were seriously injured on the route Nelson MP Rachel Boyack slammed the decision saying that a speed limit increase would result in more crashes "If they want to make choices based on public opinion rather than evidence and science and safety for people Boyack said the lack of specific consideration given to the local community was "disrespectful" because people who lived in the area knew the road the best A particular concern for her was the highway's "dangerous" intersection with Glen Road "We've had some pretty serious accidents on that corner and so I don't think it's safe for it to be put back to 100(km/h)." She lives on the intersection of Glen Road and SH6 which she described as an "absolute nightmare" She was "hugely concerned" about the speed limit increase as she and her neighbours already have trouble entering and exiting their driveways due the speed of traffic and she drives her children to their school bus stop because of safety concerns Other residents in the area are also concerned about the speed limit increase believing the change would impact safety for motorists Jenny North said housing development in Todds Valley had made the area busier and that an increase to 100km/h was "madness" while Miriam Woon had seen many near misses and thought the speed limit change was "terrifying" Todds Valley resident Debs Martin works in Marlborough and said she has encountered many crashes on the highway "It's outrageous - I'm really worried about people's lives." All the residents indicated that there should be more weight given to the local community "It's really difficult when somebody from Wellington is making decisions based on data in front of them rather than sitting in the road conditions locally," Wood said The region's joint transport committee had requested to keep the speed limits from Marybank to the Whangamoa Saddle unchanged Committee chair and Tasman's deputy mayor Stuart Bryant had concerns about the increases in that area and wondered if they were "a bit of a jump too far" he was "quite comfortable" with the changes from 90 to 100km/h in Marlborough though he didn't expect a significant economic benefit from the change Nelson mayor Nick Smith acknowledged the "natural clash" between local communities and commuter traffic as well as the "trade off" of safety and economic impacts While he thought the Labour government had gone "too far" with the reductions he said the coalition government risked overcorrecting and thought speed limits had been too politicised Smith thought it was appropriate for state highway speed limits to be set nationally Hira School principal Nic Moynihan was "relieved" the 80km/h limit was staying through the "busy" township and was looking forward to the school's government-mandated 30km/h variable speed limit being implemented next year she was concerned about the increased speed for children catching the school bus in the area If you've got school buses moving on and off the state highway when it's 100km/h the Fire and Emergency NZ district manager for Nelson Marlborough supported retaining the lower speeds specifically between Rai Valley and Hira FENZ data indicates a reduction in both total incidents attended and serious injuries since speeds were reduced "We have responded to numerous serious accidents that have caused trauma for our crews and the community," Haywood's submission said "Increasing the speed limit will likely exacerbate these risks rather than improve safety outcomes." Rai Valley fire chief Nigel Patterson was personally undecided on the speed limit changes "A lot more people are impatient because the speed limit's down Patterson did however think "it would be nice" if the windy road through the Whangamoas had been left at 60km/h managing director of general freight for Marlborough-based Renwick Transport was "really pleased" by the changes The trucking company makes about 50-60 round trips to Nelson a week "By drivers being able to consistently drive - whether that's a car or a truck - at their speed Smith said Renwick Transport was "really safety conscious" but truck cameras had recorded an increase of motorists growing impatient behind their vehicles "What it comes down to is drivers behind the wheel not so much the speed at the end of the day." chair of the Automobile Association's Nelson District Council The AA supported raising the speed limits back to 100km/h even though Lightfoot acknowledged that reaching that speed on some of the route was unsafe We encourage all drivers to drive to the conditions; we want our roads to be safe." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Bernie Wanden says there have been no deaths or serious injuries between Ōhau and Manakau since the speed limit was reduced Only 41 percent of 864 respondents supported keeping the speed limit at 80km/h Successful reversals to 100kph include the journey to Whakatāne Six sections of state highway will not have their earlier higher speed limits reinstated due to public opposition 38 sections of the state highway network are heading back to higher speed limits and more are being mulled Local Democracy Reporting RSS Follow RNZ News My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event This autumn Pitch Black are touring to celebrate the inaugural vinyl release of Rude Mechanicals Also coming out will be a new collection of remixes which features mixes from the album's original era plus contemporary reinterpretations Joining Pitch Black at 18a will be Funkin SloCuts another artist who remixed a tune off the Rude Mechanical’s album .css-s4id4f{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;line-height:2.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;}Official Money Scottie Scheffler taps in to secure wire-to-wire win at THE CJ CUP Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler dominated his hometown event Had Scheffler played his last two holes Sunday in even-par, he would have held the PGA TOUR scoring record alone. But he missed the green left at the par-3 17th and flubbed his chip shot en route to a bogey, and he failed to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the par-5 18th, missing an 8-foot birdie putt and settling for par. Before those final two holes, Scheffler’s week at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson was nearly flawless. The world No. 1 carded rounds of 61-63-66-63 at TPC Craig Ranch, becoming the first wire-to-wire winner on TOUR since Lee Hodges at the 2023 3M Open (and just the third wire-to-wire winner at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, an event that dates to 1944). Scottie Scheffler's excellent tee shot leads to birdie on No. 7 at THE CJ CUP Scheffler led the field at +12.811 Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, his second-best approach week on TOUR behind the 2024 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (+12.96). He also ranked third in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and sixth in Strokes Gained: Putting. Prior to Scheffler’s bogey on No. 17, CBS analyst Colt Knost received a tongue-in-cheek text from Thomas that encouraged Scheffler to be satisfied with a share of the record: “Tell Scottie to just make bogey-par and tie my 72-hole record, please … 31-under is just fine,” Thomas texted Knost. “Take pride in that.” Scheffler obliged – and he certainly took pride in his first PGA TOUR stroke-play title in Texas, at the same event where he made his first TOUR start in 2014 at age 17. “It feels like a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice for little moments like these,” said Scheffler, who also won the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas. “And they're pretty special.” Copyright © 2025 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission Sign In Subscribe Now The pressing social challenges of homelessness and mental health crises in British Columbia demanded action from government and service agencies the swift response inadvertently led to negative community repercussions stemming from the inadequate operations of certain street-level services These issues heightened community concerns regarding safety and adversely affected the viability of small businesses in affected areas this situation has resulted in an inconsistent delivery of services often failing to effectively meet individual needs and ensure community safety The Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce has been and will continue to be committed to addressing rising safety concerns and offering solutions It has been our belief that you can’t have strong communities without safe downtowns and strong businesses that generate the jobs revenues and tax increase and that goes a long way towards delivering the social supports we have come to expect We want to ensure business voices are always at the heart of the conversation on public safety and drive real The Chamber has been an advocate for public safety solutions for years with an increased focus since the provincial government implemented the decriminalization legislation more than two years ago The government was steadfast in its belief that the three-year pilot program would ease the overdose deaths on our streets the province addressed some of the concerns by implementing amendments to the legislation to address the open public consumption rules.  People are not allowed to use or possess illicit drugs in public spaces Substance-use disorder can cause those addicted to turn to theft or any means to get their next fix There are still challenges with property crimes these laws are being broken by a small handful of individuals and that leads to frustration over seemingly catch and release for repeat offenders Premier David Eby and Minister and MLA Brittny Anderson recently hosted a small community roundtable on public safety It included representatives from city council the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce and local social service providers NPD has stressed that a handful of individuals are the cause of regular call outs property crime repeat offenders have caused frustration for police as well as community members and businesses The strong message delivered to the premier by Chief Donovan Fisher and the Chamber was that repeat offenders of property crimes need to be made a priority by the provincial government Premier Eby's visit comes after local police and business owners voiced concerns about a rise in downtown crime as well as a lack of resources available to deal with it There is public policy for repeat violent offenders but so far none of the crimes in our community reach that threshold The Chamber and the NPD suggested lowering the threshold to include repeat violations of property crimes We were pleased to see the Premier was open to the idea and will determine how those changes could be implemented in the future He added the province is also lobbying the federal government to review bail provisions as a way of giving judges the ability to keep offenders in custody That is also a position the Chamber has advocated for through letters to the Premier Participants at the meeting also asked Eby to increase access to complex-care housing for people with mental-health issues substance-use disorders and brain injuries There are currently no such beds available in Nelson In partnerships with the Canadian Chamber and BC Chamber of Commerce we will work collaboratively to advocate for stronger measures to deal with violent and repeat offenders while also advocating for better front-line support for vulnerable populations and minimum service standards and to ensure that provincial budgets allocate the resources necessary to implement and deliver those standards.  Tom Thomson is executive director of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines By Tracy Neal, Open Justice journalist of A man tried arguing a family emergency was the reason he chose to drunk drive Gregory Robinson has now logged his seventh conviction for driving while over the alcohol limit and despite his efforts to avoid being disqualified he's now off the road for a year and serving a sentence of community detention Robinson was at dinner with friends on a Saturday night in July last year when he got a message about a "family emergency" His former partner said she needed to get her daughter to the hospital and she would be dropping Robinson's son at his house Robinson had already drunk some Bourbon pre-mix drinks but thought he would be okay to drive He was stopped by the police for speeding on SH60 on his way to Richmond A breath test showed him with 502 microgrammes (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath The legal limit for drivers aged 20 and over is 250mcg and infringement notices are issued for readings under 400mcg He later admitted a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol on a third or subsequent time Robinson has six previous drink-drive convictions dating back to 1980 The self-employed builder tried arguing his reason this time was good enough to prevent him from being disqualified from driving But Judge Tony Snell said during last week's sentencing in the Nelson District Court he had plenty of options to get home he could have taken a taxi or asked a friend to drive him home Judge Snell said Robinson's view that he felt he was under the limit at the time was speculation and he was not responding to a genuine emergency when he decided to drive "Your choice to drive may have been motivated by your need to get home He declined Robinson's application to avoid mandatory disqualification Judge Snell also noted Robinson's 39 previous convictions for a "wide range" of offences the offending was aggravated by his driving over the speed limit who worked in a physical role as a builder claimed he was unable to do community work for health reasons Robinson was given credit for the "modest" breath alcohol reading and his early guilty plea He was sentenced to six months of supervision which was imposed with an 8pm to 6am curfew Robinson was also disqualified from driving for a year - This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald. Police will be keeping an eye on a tangi held in Lower Hutt this week after a woman believed to have family connections to Black Power Motorists are told to be honest with insurers about drinking The company taking over the country's mobile speed cameras is running tests in the UK on how to use the AI-powered cameras to do just that Anna Park was fined nearly $500 after being caught driving three times the legal alcohol limit Jake Hamlin was sentenced to 12 months' home detention in the Whangārei District Court for driving drunk causing the death of Samantha Williams at Uretiti in 2023 New Zealand RSS {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/04/12/hundreds-rally-outside-nelson-hospital-over-staffing-waitlist-issues/"},"datePublished":"2025-04-12T03:13:14.433Z","dateModified":"2025-04-12T06:12:30.711Z","headline":"Hundreds rally outside Nelson Hospital over staffing waitlist issues","description":"It comes after a series of stories from 1News where senior doctors raised concerns about the impact staffing shortages were having on patients Nelson has the worst wait times in the country for first specialist assessments While there are 7297 people waiting for an assessment or elective surgery in the region 4120 are already waiting longer than the recommended four-month timeframe At the event today Daniel Walker told the crowd: "It is unforgivable and unacceptable and us as community we're not going to take it anymore" Walker was meant to be seen at Nelson Hospital within two weeks but it took nine and his cancer spread Health Minister Simeon Brown called his situation "regrettable" but Walker said it was avoidable Nelson Hospital nurse Amanda Field said the turnout shows the community wants better And that's what we want to give," she said Health New Zealand has flown a senior team of clinicians into Nelson to get a handle on issues after doctors revealed to 1News their concerns about how patients were being impacted Dr Richard Sullivan said this week he was "very confident things will change" for the people of Nelson "I would hope we will have some answers within weeks but the solutions are not going to be an easy fix," he said It comes after senior doctors revealed they had been privately raising concerns for months New emails released to 1News by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists give some details of the alarm bells being raised at the hospital the president of the union and an anaesthetist at Nelson Hospital told 1News there "is no possible way that our current leadership does not know that these issues have been going on for some years" a doctor wrote that there was a "crisis" in the Department of Medicine They said: "patient care compromised due to inadequate staffing and facilities" another doctor wrote: "The General Surgery Department is now in tatters due to lack of investment." the Obstetrics and Gynecology department first started asking for more doctors in 2022 – an issue which has been raised repeatedly over the years The department now has more than 1000 people on the wait list a urologist wrote to management four times with their concerns saying "patients are now 6-12 months overdue for their cancer follow-up appointments" They went on to use the example of a patient who was ".. diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer six months late" Dr Ben said since she started at the hospital 16 years ago doctors but the issues have got more apparent over time "We've been raising these issues with our current leadership team and with their predecessors," she said Figures show the number of staff working at Nelson Hospital has increased in recent years but there have been some long-term vacancies which have been unable to be filled The number and complexity of patients has increased too Another ongoing issue is a lack of a second on-call anaesthetist staff raised an incident from more than four years ago where a person was in surgery after an accident The emails state: "8 anaesthetists were attempted to be contacted with no success" The email goes on: "A delay of one hour resulted.. could have resulted in disastrous consequences" Dr Ben has told 1News previously that she thinks it's not a case of if someone will die as a result of this issue "We have absolute categories of delivery where the baby has to be delivered within a certain timeframe and on occasion we are unable to meet those timeframes because we only have one anaesthetist and they are already busy doing something else," Dr Ben said Health New Zealand's deputy chief executive Martin Keogh told 1News in statement that the situation at Nelson Hospital was being taken very seriously "We are aware of Nelson Hospital's long-standing issues and staff concerns We already have a range of initiatives underway to help alleviate pressure on our staff so they can continue to provide quality care for our community." Around 700 elective surgeries or treatments have been outsourced already to private hospitals in Nelson and there is work already underway to address some of the issues Health New Zealand has said previously they are bringing doctors to Nelson from Blenheim to help as well as plans to carry out some procedures in outpatient clinics A woman holding a sign at a protest about staffing at Nelson Hospital Hundreds have gathered in Nelson today over ongoing concerns about staffing at Nelson Hospital and the impact wait times are having on patients Hundreds gather for a protest over staffing levels and patient wait times at Nelson Hospital Health New Zealand has flown a senior team of clinicians into Nelson to get a handle on issues after doctors revealed to 1News their concerns about how patients were being impacted Dr Richard Sullivan said this week he was "very confident things will change" for the people of Nelson. "I would hope we will have some answers within weeks, but the solutions are not going to be an easy fix," he said. One wrote of a “crisis in the Department of Medicine” as far back as 2013. (Source: 1News) It comes after senior doctors revealed they had been privately raising concerns for months, if not years. New emails released to 1News by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists give some details of the alarm bells being raised at the hospital. Dr Katie Ben, the president of the union and an anaesthetist at Nelson Hospital, told 1News there "is no possible way that our current leadership does not know that these issues have been going on for some years". In 2013, a doctor wrote that there was a "crisis" in the Department of Medicine. They said: "patient care compromised due to inadequate staffing and facilities". Five years later, another doctor wrote: "The General Surgery Department is now in tatters due to lack of investment." As 1News reported last month, the Obstetrics and Gynecology department first started asking for more doctors in 2022 – an issue which has been raised repeatedly over the years. The department now has more than 1000 people on the wait list. Last year, a urologist wrote to management four times with their concerns, saying "patients are now 6-12 months overdue for their cancer follow-up appointments". They went on to use the example of a patient who was "... diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer six months late". 1News got an exclusive look into their heavy workload and limited resources. (Source: 1News) Dr Ben said since she started at the hospital 16 years ago doctors, have been raising issues, but the issues have got more apparent over time. "We've been raising these issues with our current leadership team, with their predecessors, and with their predecessors," she said. Figures show the number of staff working at Nelson Hospital has increased in recent years, but there have been some long-term vacancies which have been unable to be filled. The number and complexity of patients has increased too. Another ongoing issue is a lack of a second on-call anaesthetist. In the emails, staff raised an incident from more than four years ago where a person was in surgery after an accident, but a woman needed an emergency C-section. The emails state: "8 anaesthetists were attempted to be contacted with no success". The email goes on: "A delay of one hour resulted... could have resulted in disastrous consequences". Dr Perry Turner loves orthopedic surgery and says he thought he'd retire at Nelson Hospital. (Source: 1News) Dr Ben has told 1News previously that she thinks it's not a case of if, but when, someone will die as a result of this issue. "We have absolute categories of delivery where the baby has to be delivered within a certain timeframe and on occasion, we are unable to meet those timeframes because we only have one anaesthetist and they are already busy doing something else," Dr Ben said. Health New Zealand's deputy chief executive Martin Keogh told 1News in statement that the situation at Nelson Hospital was being taken very seriously. "We are aware of Nelson Hospital's long-standing issues and staff concerns. We already have a range of initiatives underway, and more to come, to help alleviate pressure on our staff so they can continue to provide quality care for our community." Senior doctors speak out over concerns about staffing patient safety at Nelson HospitalNelson Hospital is the worst in the country for how long it's taking patients to get a first specialists appointment something Health New Zealand admits is "unacceptable" Health 'I think we're failing our community'- senior Nelson ED doctor Dr Andrew Munro says he's never seen the Nelson ED in such a bad state Why a senior doctor felt he had no choice but quit Nelson HospitalDr Perry Turner loves orthopaedic surgery and says he thought he'd retire at Nelson Hospital Around 700 elective surgeries or treatments have been outsourced already to private hospitals in Nelson, and there is work already underway to address some of the issues. Health New Zealand has said previously they are bringing doctors to Nelson from Blenheim to help, as well as plans to carry out some procedures in outpatient clinics, rather than using up theatre time. Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour DOC apologises after non-toxic pellets spark warning at Nelson sandflats A drone trial by the Department of Conservation unintentionally sparked a public safety alert in Nelson after leftover non-toxic pellets were mistaken for poison New Zealand Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare Life-saving heart transplant technology a 'game changer' Doctors at Auckland City Hospital have been using a HOPE box for heart transplants – and they're showing promising results New air ambulance unveiled for Auckland and Northland The Leonardo AW169 swept into action as a welcome service for Auckland and Northland as one of nine new or near-new choppers to replace the ageing fleet More than 5000 senior doctors strike over pay dispute The strike followed months of unsuccessful negotiations with Health New Zealand Six senior doctors at Nelson Hospital have spoken out about their concerns staffing levels are putting patients lives in danger The doctors say they – along with their union the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists – have privately raised their concerns with management for months This is the first in a two-part series by 1News' Jessica Roden Some of Nelson's most experienced senior doctors say a lack of staff in their departments has led to waitlists blowing out sometimes putting patients' lives in danger The obstetrics and gynaecology department now has more than 1000 people on their waitlist with 483 waiting more than the target four-month timeframe The two senior doctors 1News spoke to said there is no way they will be able to get through this waitlist with their current staff They said they are doing emergency hysterectomies on women who are waiting for appointments to save their lives Another doctor said she's seen a patient's cancer go from curable to incurable after they waited longer than recommended for an appointment While hospitals across New Zealand are struggling Nelson Hospital is the worst in the country for how long it's taking patients to get a first specialists appointment For the last three months Nelson woman Amy Aitken has been in serious pain "It just feels like I've got a sharp knife that's being twisted," she said is taking morphine and regularly returns to the emergency department It's taken over my life effectively." Doctors originally thought it was a twisted ovary but after further investigation discovered it wasn't Aitken said they don't know what's going on In February she went on the waitlist for a first specialist appointment with a gynaecologist at Nelson Hospital She was told she will be seen within 12 months but Aitken said she can't wait that long means her concerns about the pelvic pain aren't being taken seriously When asked what it would mean to her if she got an appointment tomorrow Health New Zealand's deputy chief executive with responsibility for the South Island told 1News Aitken's concerns are being taken seriously "We have genuine sympathy for Amy on her health journey and want to acknowledge the impact that delays in care have had on her He said they are doing their best to improve wait times and will continue to prioritise the sickest patients first who is the head of Nelson's obstetrics and gynaecology department "We have over a thousand patients that are waiting for either a first specialist appointment or a follow-up appointment," she said "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be seen." 483 have been waiting more than the four-month target time frame Senior doctor and consultant Dr Adelle Hanna said a lack of staff and the growing waitlist was first raised privately with management three years ago "We had an emergency meeting called summer three years ago because we had a hundred women that were past their 120 days – and that was seen as a terrifying number," Hanna said Hays said there can be consequences of those wait times "The first one that we worry about the most is needing an emergency hysterectomy," she said Hays said while those people would have likely needed a hysterectomy regardless — a planned procedure is safer "That is genuinely a life threatening situation and that's the situation that we have found ourselves in more times than we would like "I can't think of a time in my career outside of the last two years where I've seen or done an emergency hysterectomy for the reasons we're now seeing and doing them." Martin Keogh sat down for an interview with 1News regarding the concerns raised by the doctors He admitted Nelson Hospital is now the worst in the country for first specialist appointments "That's unacceptable for me and the clinical teams and clearly not OK for the community we're serving there." Keogh said there have been some long-standing issues in Nelson which Health New Zealand is trying to get to the bottom of roles have been advertised but were unable to be filled An announcement was due in the coming weeks about more staff for hospitals across the South Island "We won't be able to do everything immediately And clearly Nelson is going to be a key feature." Keogh said they are looking into the instances the doctors have raised regarding impact on patients saying he'd only recently been made aware of the concerns about emergency hysterectomies "There's always patients that deteriorate for whatever reason on our waiting lists Is there is a new trend here is something we're looking into." The doctors say there isn't just one department struggling Senior doctor and consultant Dr Suzanne Beuker said the urology department has regularly been short-staffed over the last two years as extended leave of senior doctors often hasn't been covered Beuker said that has led to waitlists blowing out "Many patients that have been triaged to be seen within 56 days are waiting an excess of nine to 12 months to be seen," she said Beuker was left in tears at the end of a shift "Certainly I have seen patients that I believe their disease has gone from curable to incurable during that waiting time." She said many patients aren't even making it onto the department's waitlist "Unless you've got a cancer or a life-threatening condition on our urology service Private doctors were flown in recently for a Saturday "super clinic" to get through the urology backlog Beuker said extra staff across the whole department and cover for leave is needed to stay on top of it Daniel Walker is still recovering from a surgery "My GP had done it as an urgent cancer referral and they had changed it to a right painless testicle An administrative staffer changed the referral While he should have been seen within two weeks Beuker said cases such as Walker's is what the department feared would happen "My mind boggles why he waited that period of time," she said Walker said his life was turned upside down and his mental health suffered he wouldn't have needed intensive chemotherapy or a second "I kind of feel like when I went through this that the old Daniel died in that chemo in that whole process and that this new Daniel now is someone that I don't recognise," he said Health New Zealand apologised for the distress the delay in treatment has caused Walker "Daniel’s referral was triaged as urgent We acknowledge that departmental resourcing and clinical capacity "Nelson Hospital had been trying to secure a locum prior to Mr Walker’s referral as our staff member was on long-term leave While there was not a locum in place when we received Daniel’s referral locums were employed for periods after than time." Since Walker went public with his story earlier this year he said he's been overwhelmed by others who have reached out about their concerns regarding Nelson Hospital While he is now cancer-free and returning to work this week he doesn't want anyone else to go through what he did If you have information about the issues at Nelson Hospital please email jessica.roden@tvnz.co.nz This is the second in a two-part series by 1News' Jessica Roden A senior doctor at Nelson's emergency department says "I think we're failing our community" as staffing pressures and long wait times take a toll Read more: Senior doctors speak out over concerns about staffing, patient safety at Nelson Hospital Dr Andrew Munro is a specialist in emergency medicine and has worked in Nelson's ED on and off for the last 40 years He said he's never seen it in such a bad state we'd be seeing about 50 to 60 patients a day," he said we're seeing of the order of 100 to 120 patients a day." He said the biggest issue is a lack of ward beds meaning patients are waiting up to 50 hours in the emergency department before being admitted Health New Zealand said the region's ED is one of the best in the country in terms of the meeting its targets it told 1News patients not needing admission were out of the emergency department in under six hours 94% of the time Munro said the figures in no way reflects what is happening on the ground every clinical space in the ED is being used – including corridors – and the waiting room is full of patients and their families Munro said there were two recent cases from March where patients were impacted by long wait times a patient who arrived at the emergency department with a limb injury was sent to another facility – before being sent back to the ED the patient waited for 14 hours before being admitted to a hospital bed had a general anaesthetic and operation and subsequently died "Possibly contributing to the death of that person was a long wait in the emergency department from a condition known to occur from long periods of time sitting." a person was concerned they were taking too much of a medication but left the ED as it was too busy "Came back the next day was seen medically and was assessed to have a liver injury related to medication." He said it could have been averted if they'd been seen the day before Health New Zealand said formal reviews are underway in both cases said in terms of the targets the Nelson region's Emergency Department is doing well "I'm really proud of our ED team in Nelson despite significant growth over the last couple of years that they are doing extremely well to keep up with," he said Keogh said the ED is currently being expanded to add seven cubicles and more investment in ED staff is coming He agreed a lack of ward beds in the hospital is putting pressure on the emergency department "Our challenge at the Nelson site is that we don't have enough beds for the demand that is now coming to that site." Nelson Hospital has been earmarked for a rebuild for many years The business case is currently before cabinet Munro disagreed with Health NZ's assessment but agreed that a lack of ward beds is a big part of the problem "We've got patients waiting upwards of 24 hours This has been occurring over the last 12 months or so," he said "In other words we have a waiting room full of patients We can't see the next patient because we're waiting to offload patients to a hospital bed that doesn't exist." As the demand for the ED has increased in recent years the number of senior staff hasn't and he said that's putting significant pressure on the doctors "We haven't had an increase in senior medical staffing for at least the last 10 years and we've been signalling with management this problem for some time There's been an unwillingness or an inability to advertise for jobs." The emergency department isn't the only area of the hospital struggling Nelson is now the worst in the country for how long patients are waiting for first specialist appointments Dr Andreas Brodbeck says the Intensive Care Unit is meant to have seven senior doctors "We are working more than we should work at the moment and Health New Zealand says there have been long term vacancies in some of the ICU roles In October the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists wrote to hospital management about their concerns saying there was a "staffing crisis" among doctors at Nelson Hospital The four page letter contained a plethora of issues some of which the union says date back years One of those long standing problems is having a single on-call anaesthetist which Dr Katie Ben says is very challenging "In my opinion it is now not a question of if somebody dies as a result of one anaesthetist on-call Health NZ says it is looking at options and there is scope for a second on-call doctor but agreement hasn't been reached with staff about how it would work and there may be other options Keogh said: "The advice we're getting from our senior medical staff is what they really need is more junior doctors in the anaesthetic dept So we're on a pathway to see if we can add some resource in that space." While 1News has heard more staff are needed in some departments "We currently have two jobs going for SMO (Senior Medical Officer) and anaesthetists and we have not had one single application," Ben said people simply don't want to come and work in Nelson with the workload and stress Tonight's Good Sort is Dr Warren Nicholls a retired GP from Feilding who never quite stopped being a doctor Dr Nicholls took his skills on the road as part of a mobile medical service aimed at increasing access to healthcare There are no appointments needed – people just show up the team checks basic information like weight "There's a huge need for it," Dr Nicholls said The service began with local farmer Dean Williamson who wanted farmers to get more than their tractor checked up "To be able to book a health check in with the doctor you're looking at four or five weeks in advance and goodness knows what the weather's going to be like or what they're going to be doing on farming," Williamson said "I've signed a thousand death certificates but I've also delivered a thousand babies so the ledger of life is balanced," he said One caravan has now turned into a three and they've seen over a thousand patients He said one in four patients need further help "We've got a person who's probably a diabetic with a sugar of 12 and they don't know it." A mental health survey always finishes the visit it's their first doctor's visit in years "I haven't retired yet," Dr Nicholls said he wants to expand his operation into Northland "It's become my glorious obsession now." Taylor Keepa was like every other teenager full of plans for the future beyond the walls of Rototuna Senior High School But undergoing a heart transplantation was never one of them Taylor was in his final year of school in 2023 working a real estate internship and a part-time job at McDonald's when he began experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue "I would have to take a break on my walk to school and even just doing nothing I would struggle to breathe," he told 1News What followed was a frustrating series of visits to the doctors and Waikato Hospital where he was initially diagnosed with pneumonia Taylor and his mother Michelle were given a devastating diagnosis – left and right ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy a rare condition which was causing his heart to fail that's when we were getting a chopper from Waikato Hospital to Auckland Hospital and then the very next day he was put on life support; he was put on an ECMO machine that took over the function of his heart," Michelle said And I just had to watch it all happen." Taylor was now facing the biggest battle of his life What followed was a series of surgeries to keep the teenager's heart beating as he awaited transplantation Just days after being rushed to Auckland Hospital doctors inserted a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) – a mechanical pump that helps circulate blood from his heart to the rest of his body "It's kind of like having two satchels and they both cross over you and you kind of wear them like bags There are two wires that attach to your heart and sort of come out of your stomach area and funnel into these batteries," he said including a portable mode which has a 12-hour battery life Taylor would have to plug the batteries – still attached to him – into a power outlet while he slept "They definitely did not make it easy You would constantly be thinking about them Did I charge them correctly?" he said Taylor was eventually put on the urgent donor list "When you're put on the urgent list that's basically saying there isn't much longer we need this now" But seven months later on New Years Day 2024 during an intense card game in the hospital cafeteria with his dad 'I don't want to get your hopes up "It was kind of like a 'finally' type moment a heart was transported from Australia using a Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion box A Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion box – also known as a HOPE box by staff at Auckland City Hospital – is a specialised device used in organ transplantations The technology helps preserve oxygen and blood flow to a heart keeping the donor organ viable for longer than other traditional methods "It's basically like a really fancy version of a chilly bin It has a cooling device that keeps the heart at 8C and then it is perfused with blood and nutrients to provide exactly what the heart needs," said Dr Jamie O'Loughlin clinical lead for the Auckland Heart and Lung Transplant programme "The cool temperature keeps the metabolic demands low but providing oxygen and blood keeps the heart in the best condition that we can prior to transplant." The device was part of a clinical trial at Auckland City Hospital from March 2021 to December 2022 and has been used for 18 transplantations in New Zealand – five of those involving donor hearts flown in from Australia Dr O'Loughlin described the HOPE box as a "game changer" "We're not up against a time frame knowing that the donor heart is deteriorating over time so it gives us a lot of leeway in terms of how fast we're progressing the operation and the surgeons can take their time and do it really carefully," she said But this type of technology doesn't come cheap The technology is currently funded through donations given to the Auckland Hospital Foundation which means patients must meet strict criteria to qualify Advocates hope the Government will one day help fund the device so more people can access it "It's enabling the teams to build the capacity enabling the teams to build the care pathways and then for it to be adopted in government budgets," said Candy Schroder the director of the Auckland Hospital Foundation The last thing Taylor remembers before his heart transplantation was fist-bumping the surgeons and anaesthesiologists "He'd become quite popular in there," his mum said Taylor had received what he calls "the gift of life" "I remember waking up a couple of days later and I was really high," he laughed "People were coming in and saying hi to me and I was like After surgery he was transferred to Greenlane Hospital's Hearty Towers for recovery and rehabilitation and to connect with other New Zealanders who had also received heart transplants "I'm doing pretty awesome," he said "I'm studying again and I'm working now" When asked about the donor who gave him his heart "I like to think their life continues on in me" His gratitude is echoed by his mother and his wider whānau I wake up and I'm just like 'I still have my son' I'm thankful for everything I have," Michelle said I don't think there are enough words to describe how grateful I am," Taylor added "It's really hard to describe this feeling." Auckland and Northland's emergency medical response capabilities have been boosted with a new air ambulance helicopter Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello and ACC Minister Scott Simpson unveiled the new helicopter as part of a national fleet upgrade designed to improve aeromedical services across the country Speaking at Northern Rescue's Ardmore base where the aircraft was now stationed Costello said the helicopter represented a "major advancement" in aeromedical service delivery "We are pleased to see it become operational in this part of the country." the first of its kind to enter service under this initiative important for missions in remote or challenging weather conditions The Auckland/Northland chopper is the third aircraft to be rolled out under the national Emergency Air Ambulance Helicopter Service renewal programme would deliver nine new or near-new helicopters across the country in 2024/25 Ageing helicopters were to be replaced in Auckland "It's great news that this helicopter will support people living in these regions as part of the Government’s investment to upgrade some of New Zealand’s air ambulance fleet." Simpson said the service played a "critical role" in time-sensitive care for people in urgent need particularly in regional and rural communities this is the first helicopter purchased using ACC Investment debt financing which has enabled the ageing helicopter replacement programme to progress at a faster pace "This financing arrangement has contributed to savings of around $500,000 per year." The next helicopter would enter into service in Auckland/Northland in July 2025 More than 5000 senior doctors have gone on strike following months of unsuccessful negotiations with Health New Zealand Health NZ put forward an updated offer last week but that was rejected by The Association of Senior Medical Specialists the rejected agreement would have meant senior doctors received increases to base pay ranging from $8093 to $29,911 Those on steps 4 to 15 would have received a $8000 lump sum payment a 1.5% cap on total salary increases over the two-year term The union said its proposed increase was crucial for attracting more doctors to fill understaffed roles in public health departments and keeping experienced doctors from moving overseas to places like Australia where pay was much higher and departments are less strained Health NZ said today’s strike would lead to 4300 planned procedures being postponed Hospitals and emergency departments would remain open would still be available to deliver services to those who needed them transplant nephrologist Dr Helen Pilmore said "we don’t want to strike" “We’ve never wanted to strike in the 35 years I’ve been a doctor and the 26 years I’ve been a senior doctor She said the health system was in "dire crisis" "It makes me sad every day when I see what’s going on And what I think people need to understand is that the public healthcare system is crucial for the well-being of all Kiwis." She said “people will die” if doctors didn’t have sustainable conditions to work in "This is an unsustainable system at the moment Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Deralie Flower said those on strike today were actually fighting to save the public health system The ones who are on strike are actually the ones who are still here,” Flower said “They are the ones who actually believe our health system is worth fighting for.” said the biggest challenge with negotiations was the “financial gap” the system was experiencing “We know these are pretty tough economic times and we’ve been pretty public about our financial constraints we’ve been working hard with the union to try and come to an agreement and I guess we’ve just not managed to get there yet.“ He said the organisation had been struggling up and down the country Recruitment and retention were issues in places like Tairāwhiti the region experienced a 44% vacancy rate for senior doctors Nelson was also experiencing staffing difficulties. 1News spoke to multiple doctors at Nelson Hospital who had serious concerns that staff shortages were impacting patients Sullivan said Health NZ was still “really determined” to keep working with the union to try and reach an agreement He said the organisation had applied to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) for facilitation in the hopes of finding an agreement “I guess it’s really about working with our teams to lift that environment and make sure we can deliver the best services and get to a place that is acceptable to both parties.” Nelson woman Alley Papadopoulos was supposed to be in the hospital today but her surgery was postponed by two weeks due to the strike she spent her day handing out ice blocks and cups of frozen fruit to union members at a rally in the city centre She told 1News she had been on the surgical waiting list for more than a year but was "pretty joyous" to be at the rally and I was supposed to have had my surgery yesterday but to be able to be here and then get my surgery She said it was a "pretty good feeling" “I would hope that people who have been put off can really understand the importance of [doctors] being heard "It’s all for the greater good of all of us." Taupō mother Anya Devlin said her 4-year-old son was supposed to have an appointment with his paediatrician for an autism assessment and genetic testing She told 1News this was the fourth appointment that had been cancelled since January Despite the frustration around her son's cancelled appointments "I completely understand the position they’re in and completely agree with the fact that they do need to strike "We want to be able to do everything we can to retain our healthcare professionals in the country so they don’t go off overseas” In a Facebook post last night, Health Minister Simeon Brown said today’s strike would disrupt hospitals and delay healthcare He urged the union to return to the negotiating table Brown said the Government’s updated offer reflected the desire to avoid any delays to healthcare “Instead of putting this offer to members to vote on it deciding to go ahead with pre-planned strike action which will impact thousands of patients “The updated offer addressed a number of the key issues raised by the union to attract and retain Senior Doctors including offering bonding of $25,000 for senior doctors who move to hard to staff regions for two years.” The Minister would not appear on Breakfast saying the strike was operational and that Health NZ would be best suited to discuss it Finance Minister Nicola Willis did appear and said New Zealand’s doctors were valued Willis said she was “disappointed” that patients were having their procedures cancelled due to the strike “We would really like to see doctors back at the negotiating table in particular because in this case they haven’t taken the offer that the Government has made to their members Willis thought the dispute could be negotiated and resolved Labour MP Ginny Andersen said the Government was “clearly” not doing enough “The problem we have is that in this initial couple of stages for doctors but there’s not enough in that offer to keep the doctors who are employed in New Zealand here now “This Government has consistently made the wrong choices they’ve prioritised tax cuts for landlords and tax breaks for the tobacco lobby over properly funding our health system.” Willis said the Government was investing significantly in health calling it the "biggest increases to its funding it's ever seen" but there was no "endless money." "We do need to balance everything up." Changes have been made to the monitoring of Nelson's rivers since the damaging floods of August 2022 but council staff say the region remains vulnerable to storm events without a rain radar Nelson City Council hydrologist Chris Strang said in the last 18 months, work had been underway to build resilience in the flood monitoring network and bring it back in-house River management services across Nelson and Tasman have been managed by the Tasman District Council since 1992 after being transferred from the Nelson/Marlborough Regional Council in 1989 and before that Since last July, the council had been in charge of its river data, maintaining a network of flow monitoring sites in a number of rivers with water level data collected and sent back through telemetry into Civic House The monitoring stations used gas bubbler sensors or float and weight systems to measure river levels transmitting data in real time back to the operations centre via cell networks or digital radio Strang said his team were out checking the river flow sensors and getting the flood gauging gear and equipment ready to capture data He said Nelson was surrounded by hills on three sides and its river catchments were quite short compared to larger rivers in other regions, and the rivers flowed through urban areas - so being able to provide early flood warnings was crucial we have a series of stage alarms so when the river rises to a certain stage it alarms and then there's actions that are taken from those stage levels." Nelson Tasman Emergency Management and wider council staff would get involved to make decisions on evacuations or other public safety matters Three days of high intensity rainfall during the storm in August 2022 led to flooding and widespread slips across the region The Maitai River burst its banks and reached a flood flow of 322 cumecs (cubic metres per second) Strang said that was the equivalent of 322,000 one litre milk bottles flowing past someone He said it was the sub-tropical weather systems that came towards Nelson from the north that caused the biggest trouble like the one bearing down on the country this Easter especially if they included high intensity rainfall in a short space of time "There's a lot of ocean between us and the tropics for it to collect rain and moisture and Nelson is open to the north that's why we historically have had very large floods in the Nelson-Tasman region." A report to the Tasman District Council in June 2023 said the unpredictable nature of rain that year had highlighted the poor coverage in Tasman of the Wellington weather radar with "isolated convective rain cells sneaking in between our rain gauges" Environmental information manager Rob Smith said in the report that a good example was the large Wai-iti flood in May 2023 which was the largest since records began in that area in 1987 with no advance warning from the rain gauge network He noted there had been an increase in storms and unpredictability with heavy rain appearing when it wasn't expected a marine radar at a cost of $30,000 had been installed which gave a visual output of heavy rain but no numerical data so it could not be ingested into flood warning models Tasman District Council principal hydrologist Martin Doyle said the council had been pushing for a rain radar in the region since 2010 after a major flood in the Aorere Valley in Golden Bay The region was considered a blank spot in the national radar coverage situated around the region that collected rainfall samples but in some places they were up to 50 kilometres apart "We're actually quite blind between the location of those rain gauges and so the radar just fills in the gaps it gives us a visual picture and it also gives us data we can feed into our flood forecasting models Richmond and Riwaka that are highly vulnerable to short duration high intensity rainfall and so that just gives us an extra bit of information and we can see incoming storm cells which we weren't able to see very well in 2013 He said there had been an upsurge of flood events in the last decade including ex-tropical cyclones Fehi and Gita in 2018 the latter which caused numerous slips that closed the Tākaka Hill and significant flooding in the Riwaka Plains and Takaka Valley The 2021 storm caused the Motueka River to burst its banks and the 2022 storm also badly affected Nelson City he'd learnt extreme care was needed when it came to dealing with ex-tropical cyclones "With a small change in direction or speed that weather system can cause vastly different effects so whenever we've got a system like this coming through we actually take it very seriously and take quite a conservative approach - and that was particularly borne out with recent experiences with ex-cyclone Gita." Without four experienced flood forecasting staff who could fill in the gaps he said the council would be in a very poor position "We kind of feel like it's our time to have something located here just because of that vulnerability and the huge advantages that weather radar brings to not only us and the flood forecasting team It had been one of his goals to see a weather radar installed in the region before his retirement With Doyle planning to hang up his raincoat in the next year he said a rain radar for Nelson Tasman would make a better retirement gift than a gold watch MetService has been approached for comment Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The eastern Bay of Plenty is expected to bear the brunt of the worst downpours MetService has issued heavy rain watches for parts of the South Island and says they could be upgraded to warnings on Wednesday Nelson City Council is buying out 16 homes that were damaged in the August 2022 storms A Civil Defence controller who has led emergency responses for numerous floods and fires says its the people that have kept him involved for the last four decades An oncology nurse who has worked at Nelson Hospital for more than 25 years says the staffing shortages run down buildings and lack of bed space is now the worst she's ever seen it Amanda Field began working at Nelson Hospital as a paediatric nurse in the children's ward in 1999 which she said was in a housed prefab building that was built in the 1960s "There was water coming down the hallway when it rained and those issues haven't changed "If you went into the hospital after that rain last weekend buckets catching water and windows taped up." Field said staff have long raised these issues but there simply wasn't "money in the bucket" for upgrades or changes with the long promised hospital rebuild set to take care of things nurses are working on the floor with a toilet that might not flush or they can't wash their hands in one room because the sink doesn't work." Field said there were persistent staffing issues knowing that you're going to be turning up to work short-staffed having to carry that workload and wondering are you going to be able to give safe care let alone the best care for a patient's outcome." She said they needed more staff and a better hospital to work in this is not good enough for healthcare workers and this is totally not good enough for patients what is happening at Nelson Hospital." Several unions joined forces on Saturday to further highlight Nelson Hospital's troubles with hundreds of people turning out to a rally organised by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa Public Service Association and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists to highlight the need for change Members of the community and hospital staff walked the streets around the perimeter of Nelson Hospital appealing to the government for more funding safe staffing numbers and a commitment to building the new hospital the Association of Medical Specialists publicly raised concerns about Nelson Hospital being forced to operate at one stage without a medical registrar due to understaffing issues It came after a crisis meeting with Te Whatu Ora Health NZ (HNZ) regional deputy chief executive Martin Keogh in January where concerns were raised that ongoing staffing shortages were putting patients and clinicians at risk ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton said staffing issues at Nelson Hospital had been an issue for years and had been left unaddressed by DHB hospital management and now HNZ Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said the people of Nelson deserved a new hospital that was properly staffed and resourced crumbling and in desperate need of replacement Her office was inundated with people struggling to get the care they needed with many still waiting to receive the results of tests they had months ago The business case and master plan for the hospital redevelopment have not yet been released "[The government] need to listen to the people on the ground rebuild the Nelson Hospital like it was promised and not continue to keep the business case languishing on the minister's desk." HNZ said senior clinicians have been sent to Nelson to learn more about the issues within the hospital Chief clinical officer Richard Sullivan said they were focused on five areas: Patient safety infrastructure and the emergency department The intention was then to collate information gathered from staff and release a series of recommendations "There's no doubt some of the facilities definitely need significant improvement and some rebuilding and there's no doubt that the number of beds is a challenge." He said infrastructure issues took time to fix but there were huge opportunities to make changes to how care was delivered There was a chance that some more vulnerable services in Nelson like the sole vascular surgeon and orthopaedic spinal surgeon may need to become part of a South Island wide service Sullivan said the senior clinicians were likely to make a number of recommendations for Nelson Hospital and he was hopeful the first of those could be made in the coming weeks but it was likely to take months before a report with formal recommendations was released HealthNZ was only aware of one of the cases of patients becoming sicker during delays at the hospital before media reports surfaced Doctors say they are "very worried" about a measles outbreak as cases rise rapidly overseas and they're urging people heading overseas to make sure they're vaccinated An SOS from doctors to the Health Minister did not draw the response they hoped for Services scattered Whangārei are combining under one roof called Manaia House The second phase of the police initiative to step back from mental health callouts will begin on Monday Twenty years after the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary was established in Nelson it's set to become home to a species of kiwi that had long been considered functionally extinct in the South Island are being translocated into the sanctuary from Kapiti Island in early May Sanctuary ecologist Robert Schadewinkel said the vision of the original founders including the late environmentalist Dr Dave Butler to see the return of kiwi to Nelson had been made possible due to the thousands of hours of volunteers and staff "They had this vision 20 years ago to build the fence and then have kiwi reintroduced and to see it finally going to happen is significant for all those people who have been here for so long and working towards it." The project is a partnership between the sanctuary and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira the last free-roaming little spotted kiwi were found on the South Island and subsequently five individuals were translocated to Kapiti Island "All the kiwi that we have got now are the descendants of those five kiwi that were saved and then brought to Kapiti Island so to see them returning to the South Island now is quite a milestone as there are no other populations on the mainland." A team returned earlier in the week from a trip to Kapiti Island where they found caught and attached radio transmitters to 24 kiwi at the northern end of the island Another team would be sent out next week to look for another 16 birds ahead of the translocation in a month's time It is not the first bird translocation for the sanctuary. Starting in 2021, orange-fronted parakeet, kākāriki karaka, have been released on five occasions with the population of the rare forest birds now thought to be the largest in the country Earlier in 2021, forty tīeke or South Island saddleback were translocated from Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds but despite promising signs and sightings of young fledglings a population had not established with the birds thought to have left the sanctuary area It also comes after dozens of tuatara were released into the sanctuary last year Schadewinkel said kiwi were the perfect bird for translocation into a fenced sanctuary robust little things and when we release them into a predator-free area that is fenced really there's very little that can go wrong they are hyper vulnerable to predation from dogs so being into being released into a completely predator-free environment He was hopeful that those living close to the sanctuary would soon be able to hear the kiwi calling at night and in time there were plans to do night tours so people had a chance to see them Matt Hippolite from Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira said the iwi is proud of the role Kapiti Island played in bringing the taonga species back from the brink of extinction it has been an honour to be the kaitiaki of these manu as their population recovers to a point to start returning them to their whenua." Turi Hippolite from Ngāti Koata said welcoming little spotted kiwi back to the South Island would be a momentous occasion "Te Waipounamu is the traditional home for kiwi pukupuku so being the first region to welcome them back to their whenua in almost a century is a privilege." Save the Kiwi chief executive Michelle Impey said little spotted kiwi were thought to be gone from most parts of the South Island by the 1930s so it was a significant conservation milestone to have them return to the Nelson area Nelson mayor Nick Smith said the upcoming translocation was a momentous conservation achievement "Kiwi have not lived in Nelson for around 100 years due to predators such as stoats and this reintroduction is a tribute to the visionaries volunteers and sponsors who have worked so hard over 20 years to create this sanctuary with its predator-proof fence "I cannot wait to hear the call of the kiwi in our own backyard It will also be a boost for Nelson's visitor industry to have kiwi so close to the city and in a natural setting." Four of the strictly protected birds died in just three days DOC is considering revising trap standards after the bird's bill was caught and it was killed The Eastern Whio Link project is protecting a population of 'scrappy little ducks' When people arrived on the shores of Aotearoa New Zealand and began to turn the land to their needs A kiwi which was part of a project that brought the native birds to Wellington's hills has drowned in a water trough By Tracy Neal, Open Justice reporter of Warning: This story contains details of sexual offences against children and may be upsetting to readers A businessman found with thousands of images of children being sexually exploited stroked the head of his tearful wife in court and said "I'm sorry my darling" as he was led away to prison was sentenced to two years and three months' imprisonment for possession of child exploitation material Durbin was found with 2077 unique child sexual abuse and exploitation files across five devices seized after a search of his family home in Nelson by the Department of Internal Affairs Digital Child Exploitation Team in August 2023 Among the images found was his "dedicated interest" in one victim who appeared hundreds of times from the age of 4 until about 12 Other images and videos showed children aged between 3 and 16 years old While the children he viewed online were direct victims of his offending his own children had suffered immensely since the search of their family home would have to live with the consequences of his actions "The children are having to deal with the fallout and they are completely innocent," he said and his LinkedIn account stated this was in the window cleaning trade white temporary dock rigged in the temporary courthouse in Nelson with his head in his hands as he was sentenced on six charges of knowingly possessing objectionable material The other five were for the material found on the five separate devices But the summary of facts said Durbin had consistently searched for objectionable publications over at least 10 years Initially he did not acknowledge responsibility for the offending but claimed he had "inadvertently seen objectionable material previously" and had earlier opened child sexual abuse publications out of "curiosity" He was convicted after pleading guilty last December and was given credit in sentencing for his early pleas Forensic analysis revealed child exploitation material on two computer hard drives an external hard drive and two mobile phones Evidence of Durbin's search for objectionable material was found on a further three items seized a laptop hard drive and another mobile phone Among the 2077 files were thumbnail and cache images or smaller-sized replicas of an original file which meant the originals had once been present on the device and viewed by the user Crown prosecutor Jackson Webber said even though Durbin had not distributed any of the material aggravating features were his interest in a particular child and his engagement online with like-minded people The summary said Durbin had a peer-to-peer file sharing software program to download the material The program searched for other connected users on the network who might be looking for content which was then shared directly between the users' private computers "This was a high level of engagement over a long time," Webber said Vesty submitted there were ways the court could denounce and deter without sending Durbin to prison "I do not consider that any alternative to prison is appropriate," she said Judge Rielly acknowledged the stressful time that Durbin had experienced having "lived in limbo" from the start of the investigation to the prosecution months later The delay was linked to the sheer volume of material that had to be sifted through Judge Rielly also acknowledged the steps Durbin had taken to address his offending behaviour and figure out the root cause which had led him to become more aware of the harm caused by online child sexual abuse She also acknowledged Durbin's supportive wife and loving children and the community around the family From a starting point of four years' imprisonment Judge Rielly arrived at two years and three months after credits that included recognition for the impact of a prison term on Durbin's children The Parole Board would determine his release date Durbin's prison sentence meant he was automatically registered as a child sex offender Police said the demand for child sexual exploitation material resulted in a continuing cycle of sexual abuse of existing victims and demand for new victims who carried the burden for the rest of their lives * This story first appeared in the New Zealand Herald It turns out that hiring a dedicated manager for Nelson's forests is not so clear-cut The Nelson City Council first advertised for a forest systems manager in October 2024 but The role was born from the council's decision to transition away from commercial forestry to create a well-managed continuous canopy amenity forest The forest systems manager would take the lead in implementing the council's new strategic direction and managing its 10,000-hectare forest estate offered pay of $129-$143,000 per annum and sought someone with experience in the natural sciences and project management an excellent understanding of forest transition management The role was advertised for two weeks nationally and locally across Seek But the spot remained unfilled despite receiving 42 applications The difficulty in recruiting a forest manager comes as residents of Marsden Valley have expressed concern about the bare deforested slopes behind their neighbourhood potentially having a negative impact on both their local natural and built environments if a storm hit the area The council's group manager infrastructure said the council is continuing the recruiting process with the aim of hiring "the right person for the role" Louverdis continues to have oversight of the city's forestry with governance direction from a forestry transition working group made up of elected members "This oversight includes continuing with operational issues working on wider strategic matters and managing the transition away from commercial forestry." He added that transition plans have been developed to address winter planting in the Maitai and Marsden Valleys Ensuring close oversight of the forestry transition is a continued endeavour for councillor Rachel Sanson At last week's meeting of the council's Audit she asked why the council's forestry transition wasn't included in a project health summary "It's high political and community interest a million dollars per annum for the next ten years," she said "It's important that we monitor it because it's a significant project and significant investment." Mayor Nick Smith said he had "complete confidence" the work was being done but he agreed that the topic should be reported on in the near term before the new approach became business as usual I think it's appropriate it be a line item that we report on." Chief executive Nigel Philpott assured it would be included in future summaries - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Maintaining Tasman's infrastructure this financial year is expected to cost $3 million more than was budgeted for and the district's councillors aren't happy They voted in favour of Nelson City Council boycotting businesses which operate in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories The Waimea Community Dam finally opened on Friday and served as an example of the country's challenges in delivering large infrastructure projects "It's been a long and tortuous process to get this far," mayor Tim King says of the five-year saga one councillor says: "Let's be honest here whānau the system we have had for the last 150 years has not worked for Māori" A Frenchman in New Zealand on a working holiday who violently fought three police officers is now trying to avoid a conviction Things unravelled for Ulysse Felician after he was seen doing a U-turn in front of oncoming traffic on a busy state highway near Nelson It ended with him being taken to the ground before he bit two police officers and then tried to remove the taser from the holster of one was in the country on a tourist working visa He admitted to charges in the Nelson District Court on Monday of assaulting and resisting police and a drugs charge after a search of his vehicle found 25.5g of dried cannabis Felician was driving a grey Mazda station wagon on State Highway 6 in Appleby when he was seen by police doing a U-turn in front of oncoming traffic but Felician did another U-turn near a busy intersection and headed off in a different direction He stopped briefly just past the Appleby Primary School on the Moutere Highway but then drove off as the officer got out of his vehicle He stopped further up the road but then drove off again before he stopped a third time on Waimea West Rd when the police removed the keys from his vehicle Felician became "very agitated" and lunged towards the police officer whom he pushed and then took the keys out of the officer's pocket Felician was arrested but resisted and fought violently against three officers biting one officer on the leg in the process Felician then bit another officer on the shoulder as he tried to get his taser from him Both officers were left scratched and bruised He was eventually handcuffed but continued to struggle and kick out at the police until he was placed in a patrol vehicle He later told the police he did not remember fighting the officers involved but wanted to apologise to those he hit He said through an interpreter who assisted him in court that he was also able to offer a donation and asked that no conviction be entered He was remanded on bail to June for a sentencing hearing to determine a discharge without conviction * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald The man accused of killing Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming on New Year's Day still cannot be named A staff member at Whanganui Community Corrections was taken to hospital after being injured in an incident at the centre after being acquitted of common assault and assault with intent to injure Scottie Scheffler’s Round 4 highlights from THE CJ CUP It was a march to the finish line that turned into a sprint, and the best player in the world left everyone in his dust in his hometown event. Scottie Scheffler finished at 31 under (!) and won by eight (!) shots. It was his first win of 2025, and as he looks ahead to the rest of the major championship season – and his FedExCup defense – he is very much dialed in. “What he's doing is inspiring, what he's been doing is inspiring,” said Jordan Spieth, who grew up hearing about Scheffler, a town over, who was younger and really, really good. “I mean, it wasn’t that long ago I was definitely better than him, and now I'm definitely not right now. “I hate admitting that about anybody, but I just watched it those first two rounds, and like I've got to get better. It's very inspiring.” Scheffler finished with an 8-under 63 Sunday, going out in a 6-under 30 after making eagle on the par-5 ninth. He added three more birdies in his first six holes on the back nine, before his almost laugh-out-loud flubbed chip on the penultimate hole, leading to a bogey. The win was made official, though, with an easy par to close things out. “I don't play with the world number one too often, and you’re almost flabbergasted in a way because, like that 5-iron on nine comes to mind because I hit it to whatever it was, five feet, and he just makes eagle,” said Erik van Rooyen, who had his own 8-under 63 and finished at 23 under, which would have been the lowest or tied for the lowest score at this event every year in its history, save two – and this year. “There’s nothing you can do. Scottie was practically flawless, which is kind of what you expect from the world number one.” Hats off to van Rooyen, however, and Scheffler would be the first to admit it. “This is a golf course where you can kind of make a run, and I knew that I couldn't just coast to the finish line today. I knew I had to put together a good round. Let's say I played super safe today and shot even par, Erik would have chased me down there,” Scheffler said. “I knew I had to get out and make some birdies. Did a good job on the front nine and was able to play some consistent golf here.” So, there you go. Scheffler, the game’s top player and reigning Player of the Year, finally got his first trophy of 2025. It wasn’t like he was playing poorly leading into the week – this was his sixth top-10 finish of the season, the most on TOUR. He is also second in Strokes Gained: Total and SG: Tee-to-Green. It’s been a tidy year despite a delayed start after hurting his hand making Christmastime ravioli and needing surgery. Through the beginning part of 2025, Rory McIlroy hasn’t yet taken the No. 1 spot from Scheffler in the Official World Golf Ranking, but he’s certainly playing like it with three wins already, including THE PLAYERS and the Masters. Last year, McIlroy said he took some inspiration from how Scheffler was dominating week in and week out. The tables haven’t quite turned, but Scheffler said he’s fired up to compete even harder. “I think that's what's great about our game,” Scheffler said. “This week, I was the best player. I have the week off, and we'll see the week after who is the best player at the PGA. Rory has been playing some tremendous golf this year. The career Grand Slam was really special to watch. I was glad to be able to be there for it. “I think any time you're getting beat, you're always fired up just a little bit extra to go out and practice.” After the delayed start to his year, it’s not like, in the grand scheme of things, it took him that long to find the winner’s circle. It’s barely May. But when Scheffler is compared to, well, Scheffler '24, it seems like the question of “when” was getting a little too loud for his liking. As the saying goes, then, there’s no place like home. Scottie Scheffler’s interview after winning the THE CJ CUP When Scheffler was addressing the crowd after the win, he got choked up. The event means a lot to him for a variety of reasons. He grew up watching it in person, and as a high schooler, he got to have his first TOUR start at it. The girl he was dating then is now his wife. His sister was his caddie, and she was there Sunday along with her two kids. He gave them the best thing to cheer about. “My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once. We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament,” Scheffler said. “I just dreamed to be able to play in it, and it's more of a dream to be able to win it.” Scottie Scheffler capped a dominant victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history Scheffler fired an 8-under 63 on Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch to finish at 31-under 253 first recorded by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and again by Ludvig Åberg at the 2023 RSM Classic Scheffler rattled off four straight birdies and then capped his front nine with a 20-foot eagle make at the par-5 ninth “I never really felt like my lead was too comfortable,” Scheffler said A flubbed chip that rolled back to his feet at the par-3 17th led to bogey and Scheffler closed with par at the par-5 finishing hole Hideki Matsuyama won The Sentry earlier this year at 35 under Scheffler is now the ninth member of the 30-under club though only the second player who didn’t accomplish the feat at Kapalua Dustin Johnson shot 30 under in winning the 2020 Northern Trust so Scheffler has the relation-to-par record in the continental U.S which included a best-ball score of 17-under 54 over four days comes right before a $15 million renovation to the TPC layout led by former major winner Lanny Wadkins solid test of golf; they don’t want it to be a putting contest,” Wadkins said “They want it to be something to test every bit of their ability from driving in the fairway and quality iron play and everything else that goes into shooting a round of golf Wadkins said during last week’s appearance on Golf Channel’s Golf Today that he’d be “shocked” if the winning score was lower than 15 under Third-place Sam Stevens was 11 back and Jordan Spieth “I told you it was going to be a steep mountain to climb which is kind of what you expect from the world No and you’re almost flabbergasted in a way because I’d fire in like that 5-iron on 9 comes to mind Added Scheffler: “It was going to take something special for him today in order to catch me I think he did his best to put up a special round This is Scheffler’s first official PGA Tour victory since last June’s Travelers Championship He’s more recently won the Olympics and Hero World Challenge It’s also his maiden title at his hometown PGA Tour event usually watching his idols for hours on the driving range and first played in 2014 when he was a senior at Highland Park High in Dallas I think about a lot of different stuff,” Scheffler said This was my first start on the PGA Tour when I was in high school The girl I was dating at the time is now my wife My sister was caddieing for me at the time and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament and it’s more of a dream to be able to win it.” A team of specialists were sent to the hospital amid a raft of issues The head of the Health New Zealand team looking into issues at Nelson Hospital says he hopes to have some answers in the coming weeks Dr Richard Sullivan is the chief clinical officer for Health NZ and leading the team announced last week after a series of 1News stories Senior doctors told 1News they had for months been raising concerns about how staffing levels were impacting patients part of the reason why we're here is to support the team and go okay there's been some concerns raised and so we need to work alongside the teams to really understand what that looks like," he said Some members of the team arrived in Nelson last week but Dr Sullivan's first day on the ground was today He told 1News: "I am very confident things will change." The team is continuing to meet with hospital staff before reporting back "I would hope we will have some answers within weeks but the solutions are not going to be easy fix," he said Dr Sullivan used the example of one department that had three long-term vacancies for doctors that it has been unable to fill including: the patient cases highlighted by 1News He said the team's findings will be shared with Nelson staff first "We'll certainly be making some of the findings public whether we make the full reports public we haven't decided yet." Health Minister Simeon Brown said: "I am sure it will be released the first point is they need to go do the work." Dr Katie Ben is an anaesthetist at Nelson Hospital and the president of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists She described the staff sentiment as "cynical "There is a move that actually we may be able to effect some real change for the hospital." She said some staff were unhappy about comments made by Health New Zealand's South Island boss Martin Keogh about Nelson's emergency department. Keogh told 1News last month: "They are leading the nation in terms of our ED performance, in terms of timely care." The claim was refuted by emergency medicine specialist Dr Andrew Munro, who said at the time, "We've got patients waiting upwards of 24 hours, 48 hours, 50 hours in the emergency department." Dr Ben said Keogh told staff in a meeting last week: "Everyone makes mistakes. I got it wrong." "It's just a little bit unfortunate that he went on national TV with the wrong data," she said. But in a statement late this afternoon, Keogh told 1News: "I stand by my comments around being proud of the Nelson Hospital team in providing timely emergency care to their community and being one of the best performers in the country." The latest data shows that Nelson and Blenheim EDs were both ranked 8 out of 20 for shorter stays in emergency departments. Keogh said the issues in Nelson are not to do with the department, but the lack of beds in the wider hospital. The Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner is keeping an eye on the situation. In a statement, it said: "We continue to monitor complaints about Nelson Hospital, and will follow up with Health NZ about what action they are taking to address identified issues." The Health and Disability Commissioner's office previously said it had looked into issues such as the delay in cancer treatment in the southern region. Anyone with concerns about care in Nelson has been asked to get in touch. Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verall said in-depth reports "are really helpful for getting on top of problems and making sure lasting solutions are put in place". 1News has repeatedly asked for interviews with Health New Zealand's boss in the Nelson region, Lexie O'Shea, but has not had a response. The board chair of the Suter Art Gallery in Nelson has warned of "dark clouds on the horizon" as costs continue to rise Nelson City Council provides an inflation-linked annual grant to the Suter but it isn't proving enough to meet ballooning bills our audit fees went up substantially… at $40,000 it's a lot of money for a small organisation like ours," board chair Steve Green told Nelson City Council on Thursday when he presented the gallery's half-year report the Suter has reduced its staffing to "skeletal" levels and had stopped funding depreciation despite "probably just establishing a problem for ourselves four or five years hence" Green said the current economic environment was making it "far more difficult" to raise additional funds the gallery had a net loss of $183,000 which was expected to climb to $264,000 by the end of the financial year The gallery will tap into cash reserves to cover its shortfall this year That pot includes money from bequests and investments made for the gallery's collection Behind some of the increased costs was the gallery's heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system which was "tottering along" and needed "major" refurbishment Green said the HVAC system was slated to be upgraded in about 12-18 months "providing it holds together… it's pretty much band-aid stuff" and was hoped to leverage new technology to bring down the gallery's emissions and electricity use Funding of about $190,000 has been allocated for that work Ongoing concerns also linger about the future of the Ministry of Education's Enriching Local Curriculum (ELC) programme the Suter is awarded about $40,000 to deliver out-of-school classes - described by teachers as "incredible" - to 6000 students across the Nelson Tasman region but rumours are flying around the Ministry," the gallery's new director Toni MacKinnon said and I don't think there's any expectation from the sector that that funding will be renewed in the next financial year." MacKinnon said the gallery was waiting with "bated breath" for an announcement but it would explore its options should the funding be reduced or disappear "There's a lot of things we'd rather not do than education Schools are our future and getting those kids through the door is a big part of what we do." A Ministry spokesperson has previously told Local Democracy Reporting that any decisions on the future of ELC offerings would be confirmed through the Budget 2025 process When presented with the financial information councillor Pete Rainey asked if the Suter had explored implementing an entry fee While Green and MacKinnon said it had been considered they had observed that other museums and galleries regionally and around the country had seen visitor numbers plummet when admittance fees were introduced Mayor Nick Smith said he would "connect directly" with the relevant officials to try and ensure the "valuable" ELC programme was retained he helped establish the programme back when it was known as Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) "I will be very disappointed if it is curtailed." a living wage employer now with just 6.5 full-time equivalent staff has also in the past said staffing costs were a challenge The living wage will rise $1.15 to $28.95 in September - Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Does an overemphasis on profit make cultural groups wary of market and strategy hampering innovation in the art and culture sector Analysis - Five years after New Zealand's first Covid-19 lockdown it is clear there will be no going back to the pre-pandemic "normal" Rising costs threaten to blow out the $6 billion budget companies are permitted to charge customers for upgrades to their networks over the next five years More than $20 million in Holidays Act remediation payments have been made to Health New Zealand's staff in Nelson and Marlborough found former district health boards were not paying staff correctly Health New Zealand deputy chief executive Te Waipounamu Martin Keogh said 3029 staff in Nelson Marlborough were collectively owed approximately $20.6 million cleaners and administrators were among those affected Keogh said the process had been complex and time-consuming requiring a large amount of manual processing there were about 90,000 current employees plus 130,000 former employees covered by the Holidays Act remediation project for the period from 1 May 2010 to the present day The total amount paid nationally was now over $334.1 million across 45,667 current employees Nelson Marlborough is the thirteenth payroll nationally to have the payments processed to current staff with Auckland Wairarapa and four former shared services completed and a partial payment made in Bay of Plenty Keogh said Health NZ aimed to complete the Holidays Act remediation payments to most current employees by July 2025 with all other outstanding payments to be completed this year The first payments to former employees were expected to start shortly Three small health districts are exposed to the biggest risks in the trouble-plagued project to pay back thousands of dollars owed to hospital staff the "base expectation" is they will take leave without pay The cost of Holidays Act breaches and untaken long service service has now hit $3.6b with authorities making savage budget cuts to pay for them But a new report also shows cancer patients are starting treatment earlier and newborn immunisation enrolments have increased "Pooping" in bushes and public urination are hoped to reduce under a proposed freedom camping ban for three Nelson sites but a business owner says the rules need to be enforced to make a difference Campers would not be allowed at Kinzett Terrace or the Maitai Valley cricket ground under Nelson City Council's draft Responsible Camping Bylaw The three locations are magnets for freedom camping complaints cumulatively receiving more than 240 over the last two and a half years there would be a net increase in freedom camping spaces in the central city carparks particularly Buxton and Montgomery Squares as part of an offset for the loss in other areas The time limit for campers would remain at the current limit of two nights Kinzett Terrace itself has seen "numerous complaints and police call outs… relating to threatening [and] abusive behaviour and blocked access" from both commercial tenants and other freedom campers "It's really not the experience that we'd be wanting our visitors having," said Paul Harrington the council's principal parks and facilities activity planner He added that there will always be non-self-contained freedom campers "They do generally want to do the right thing and offering somewhere that's appropriate is likely to reduce numbers in less appropriate areas which should in turn reduce enforcement costs." said the area wasn't a problem with freedom camping until enforcement action stopped about two years ago "Campers without toilets began pooping in the bushes on a regular basis where people would not even bother to conceal themselves but would simply squat in plain sight," he said the quantity of rubbish resulted in "the entire alley [being] covered with food waste which attracted vermin" and the carpark being so congested he couldn't leave Drug sales and use also prompted Josse to call the police on several occasions "Regardless of what laws the council passes I do not see any potential for positive change." chair of the Nelson Tasman branch of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association While he said that some freedom campers were "fantastic" Wilson was concerned about the tidiness and amenity of the central city if more campers were present "It's just the few that spoil it," he said "I worry that the council in Nelson may regret bringing them into town if they're not controlled." The council would have to actively enforce the rules and provide appropriate facilities for the campers to use to ensure they were well-behaved and tidy He thought most freedom campers were travelling "the cheapest way they could" and would gravitate to free camping sites and would be unlikely to spend much in the local economy It would be up to ratepayers to decide if they wanted to fund the regulation and necessary infrastructure to provide for freedom campers Harrington noted that if the proposed bylaw was adopted the council would likely have to increase its budget to enforce the rules and install the necessary signage Mayor Nick Smith said the proposed changes would help protect the "really important" local tourism industry's social license We have had reports of people urinating in public … unruly behaviour that our police have had to deal with," he said "I think our council would be negligent if it did not respond to that level of community concern." Homelessness has been removed from the national definition of freedom camping and won't be regulated under the bylaw The council's draft Responsible Camping Bylaw is now open for consultation until 7 May A freedom camping advocate says more and more working people are having to live in vehicles due to the cost of living and rising rental prices Under-fire freedom campers say they do support local businesses on their travels the lack of a freedom camping ambassador is being felt by locals in the Catlins with an urgent call made to replace a vacant role People experiencing homelessness can no longer be inadvertently caught out by freedom camping laws Complete our customer survey for a chance to win in our weekly prize draw - flights and other goodies up for grabs The airport has today given notice to the Nelson City Council of its decision on the notice of requirement (NoR) to enable a future extension to its main runway.    independent commissioners recommended the airport's NoR be confirmed subject to conditions. The airport's decision is to accept the recommendations from the independent commissioners in full.    The Council is now required to give formal notice of the airport’s decision within 15 working days to submitters and landowners and occupiers affected by the decision.  designate land required for a future northern runway extension   update the airport’s noise control boundaries (known as noise contours) to reflect the future pattern of noise associated with forecast growth in aviation activity over time and an extended runway  ensure appropriate height restrictions on obstacles near the airport in order to protect aircraft approaching and leaving the airport  The airport anticipates an extension will be needed in 10 – 15 years While the actual development is still years away the planning needs to happen now to provide the airport and the community certainty for the future.  Nelson Airport Board chairman Quinton Hall said the airport had accepted all the recommendations of the independent commissioners and the Council “The airport is now well-placed to continue providing essential transport infrastructure and services for this region well into the future with the ability to extend the runway when required to meet future aviation needs including those of zero-emissions aircraft.”  As well as the ability to cater for next-generation aircraft an extended runway will improve efficiency for current aircraft allowing airlines to carry full loads to and from Nelson Nelson’s short runway means airlines face payload restrictions in certain Airport Chief Executive Brendan Cook said there are a suite of conditions included on the NoR to ensure the effects of the airport’s operations on neighbouring communities are well-managed including the introduction of a fully funded noise mitigation package for eligible homeowners within the airport’s noise boundaries.  “This is a significant uplift in the airport’s obligations to manage noise into the community with mitigation assistance available for the first time,” Brendan said “The package is best-practice and is an important commitment from us towards ensuring healthy living environments for our closest neighbours.”  Brendan said the airport acknowledged the concerns some members of the Tāhunanui community had expressed about future airport development “We’re committed to working with stakeholders to ensure clear and open lines of communication and we’ll continue to provide comprehensive and accurate information through our website and other channels.  and anyone can submit an enquiry through the portal on our website,” Brendan said.  *closing is subject to change depending on the last flight of the day Trent DriveNelsonNew ZealandTel: +64 3 547 3199 ©2023 Nelson Airport. All rights reserved. Website by UpShift  |  Photography by Chocolate Dog  |  Colin J