The people of Upper Hutt City are proudly wearing their "bogan heritage" on their tattooed sleeves Even mayor Wayne Guppy donned his best mullet hairdo in support of a weekend of hard rock Guppy said he still had a few old Uriah Heep and AC/DC records lurking in his collection He appeared in a promotional video for this weekend's Brewtown's Bogan Day Out - rocking his best black jeans and getting a fresh new 'I love Upper Hutt' tattoo Guppy admitted the tattoo was fake - but said the sentiment was real Guppy said it was time for the city to "proudly stand up and celebrate its bogan culture" - and what better way than a weekend of music The city even modified its town sign in homage to the event Today many of those 60s and 70s bogans are now older bogans and still enjoy that lifestyle So that's something to embrace and when you come to Upper Hutt you will see it's not 'welcome to Upper Hutt' it's 'Welcome to Bogan Town'," Guppy said Leanne Wickham said the Bodgies to Bogans exhibition would tell the stories of rebellious teenagers of the 1950s - coined bodgies - through to the fans of the heavy metal boom of the 1980's She said the region's bogan links could be traced back to a moral panic that sprang from reports of juvenile sexual delinquency stemming from the "milk bar gangs" of the mid 1950s "The New Zealand government was so concerned with young people - and their loose morals - that they actually commissioned the Mazengarb report focussing on what was happening in the Hutt Valley "They suggested that it was the music and woman going to work All these causes why these teenagers were being promiscuous at milk bars and the rest of it," Wickham said Phil Gorman was well known in the area for his flowing locks - long in the back and short at the front He said - being Upper Hutt born and bred - he was happy to identify as bogan "Living in this community here you can look and dress whatever the way that you feel To me it's about being comfortable - a little bit rough around the edges - a bogan is someone that's heavily influenced with metal music," Gorman said Brewtown were hosting tribute bands bashing out the hits of Deep Purple The nearby Te Mārua speedway would also hold an evening of stockcars ministocks and saloons for those who took their entertainment with a heady dose of high octane fuel Musician Andrew Bedford had been playing in metal bands in and out of the Hutt for more than 30 years He said fashions came and went but the bogan attitude was timeless "Maybe it's the attitude of youth that's like 'hey you can't tell me what to do I'm gonna grow my hair long and put on a leather jacket and play really loud music "You know what you like and you like what you know and in the case of boganity it's usually the hard raucous music the V8s and beer with the buddies around a beast roasting on a spit," Bedford said Bogan Day Out kicks off on Saturday at Brewtown and all over Upper Hutt Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Upper Hutt may have once shied away from its bogan side but is now set to embrace and celebrate it with a two-day festival of all things bogan It's the time of the week where we speak to one of our local leaders New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joins Peri Zee on a walking tour of Upper Hutt – and asks if she has what it takes to unseat one of New Zealand’s longest-serving mayors Peri Zee has an idea for just about every corner of Upper Hutt’s city centre from the road cavities and pavement cracks to the shut-up shops on Main Street she stops every minute to watch a car bump over a pothole or to discuss the aesthetics of the cobbled pavement but there’s no harm in having a laser focus on your neighbourhood – especially if you want to be the mayor The transport and climate change adviser, who has spent the last 14 years working with and for local councils, was one of the country’s earliest 2025 mayoral candidates  when, in June 2024 she put up her hand to say “I want the big job” announcing she would be running for Upper Hutt City Council would steal Tim Shadbolt’s crown as Aotearoa’s longest-standing mayor while Shadbolt held the Invercargill mayoralty consecutively from 1998 to 2022 (as well as from 1993-1995) a row of breweries sandwiched between a go-kart course and an outdoor stage that hosted Six60 in early February tucked away in an industrial area of Upper Hutt It’s a popular hangout for the city’s growing population of young families but this place was also once a tyre factory Zee reminds me – her father worked here when she was a young child The 34-year-old has essentially lived in Upper Hutt  all of her life Her “politically vocal” and “very Dutch” grandparents had settled in Wairarapa decades ago before her parents eventually moved to Wallaceville when Zee was a toddler her husband and another pride and joy: her garden where her vision of a self-sustaining Upper Hutt is exercised on a small scale She shares some sage advice her husband gave her right before she put her hat in the ring for the mayoralty: “You can’t be running for mayor and be a homesteader.” sauerkraut and smoked meat from Te Aro Brewing Zee shares her urbanist vision for Upper Hutt She says her focus as a mayor would be in what the council can “create for communities to feel like communities” – which is why one of her mayoral priorities would be to bring two new train stations to the city extending the number of train stations in the city to seven Zee reasons the new stations – which would have significant costs and construction times attached – would knock out a few of the city’s immediate issues: road congestion (especially for commuters who drive to Upper Hutt station to reach suitable public transport) social isolation between the northern suburbs and city centre with the potential for homes to be built along the train line The station in Timberlea would be complemented by Zee’s plans for a new community centre in the suburb which could at some point turn into a larger retail centre but Zee is one of those glass-half-full sorts quoting singer/activist Joan Baez: “Action is the antidote to despair … I still feel OK We leave Brewtown, head to Fergusson Drive and pass a not-yet-ready-for-business H2O Xtream Aquatic Centre (the pool reopened a week after we spoke) to reach the council’s big Zee puts her thoughts on the building pretty bluntly: “It doesn’t look very inviting The building itself is symbolic of the limitations she sees within the council: a bit old unchanged and lacking much appeal to its locals Zee hopes she could be someone her constituents feel connected to – which is also why she’s been trying to use social media platforms such as TikTok as campaigning tools because how else are you supposed to get your messaging out to the masses and I’ve always wanted to see it get better,” Zee says “I tried to make change as a community advocate but I felt like there was so much structural and cultural change that needed to happen within the council for them to even be able to start accepting different ways of thinking “It’s really going to require a fundamental shift The starting point of how you view your community’s opinion influences how you do everything as a council.” Next door to the council building is the local library where in the middle of the afternoon rows and rows of cars are parked – a visual reminder of how many locals need to drive to access public transport And across from the train station is one of Zee’s favourite cafes: Cake & Kitchen which offers beautifully baked slices and a place for locals to chat catch up on work or just wait for the next train A block over from Fergusson Drive is Main Street, where you can find The Mall (named “NZ’s saddest mall” by Stuff a few retro op shops and some empty retail spaces – a good mix of too-old mainstays and new spaces breathing a bit of life into the city But Zee’s eyes are mostly glued to the ground where she inspects every nick collected by the cobblestones and points out each pothole in the road Upper Hutt’s roads are relatively old and well-worn with few improvements made over the years – although the council is currently footing a $11m bill for two roundabouts one of which will be moved about 10 metres from its current location in a bid to improve congestion The money would probably have been better reserved for actually upgrading the roads Heading back into the city to Wallaceville Station Zee is still brainstorming ideas for Upper Hutt’s future that she’ll focus on for the next few months of her campaign before the local election rush picks up speed in July and voting starts in September – and pondering how she’ll make it up to her husband for having him cover the school pick-up while she drops off a journalist what makes her reckon she has what it takes to unseat Mayor Wayne Guppy “I’m a change candidate for more reasons than wanting to change how they do everything,” Zee says there’s a wide interpretation of what the role of a councillor is in local government … the way they think about it here is not quite as progressive as it could be.” “I think there’s more to it in terms of being a leader and community champion but also connecting with your communities … It’s so important to have a mix of skills around the council table I think that’s what the community is angry about here: they feel like they’re not being communicated with.” Changing the mayoralty hasn’t been a big tradition in Upper Hutt since its council formed in 1966 – Rex Kirton and he was only the third mayor of the city Challengers have made decent attempts in the past and who has not yet announced whether she will contest the mayoralty again Reminiscing on the road that brought her here, Zee can’t help but laugh when she remembers a moment from the last local election in 2022. At a community event, a colleague had tapped Guppy on the shoulder, and warned him: “Watch out, she’ll be after your job.” A complaint must be first directed in writing the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication Matchday scoring highlights of Saturday’s fourth round Swindale Shield affair between the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone The home team the Rams won on a last play try taking the game 32-29 on their Old Timers’ Day their interclub trophy first presented to Petone in 1968 Both sides traded penalties in a tense second half before the Rams won with two tries in the last few minutes including the match-winner on fulltime Scoring highlights of this game below (via Club Rugby TV): Highlights of the Premier 2 curtain-raiser Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Rachael Ayling grew up in a converted army shed has a wardrobe full of black clothing and is amped about Upper Hutt officially being transformed into “Bogan Town” “You can take the girl out of Upper Hutt but you can’t take Upper Hutt out of the girl,” she says The city is hosting the Bogan Day Out festival this weekend at Brewtown where punters have been told to prepare for a wild ride of barbecue live music and “all the bogan fun you can handle” The New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has even approved temporarily changing the sign at the city’s entrance to read “Welcome to Bogan Town” Ayling said being from Upper Hutt “gives you that badge” of being a bogan she didn’t necessarily identify with being a bogan until people pointed a few things out to her having beers after work and catching up with mates It’s a bit of a lifestyle without even realising it.” Ayling admitted to wearing animal print in her 20s but now her wardrobe is mostly black but when it came to flannel: “Stop wearing it.” Ayling has an extensive collection of black shoes and handbags that match her black Holden Commodore and black Staffordshire bull terrier Her dad is a panel beater and has fixed several dents in the car She would quite like to get the windows tinted at some stage Her parents raised her in an old army shed they turned into a home barbecues all the time - it was a really cool upbringing.” Ayling will be attending the Bogan Day Out festival on Saturday and was happy to spot a Lion Brown Lounge as part of the lineup “It’s my birthday on the day so I’ll be catching up with some mates - hopefully it’s nice and sunny - and having some beers I’m interested to watch the chilli eating contest.” Dr Dave Snell will be speaking at Whirinaki Whare Taonga this weekend about the history of bogans he said it was usually someone from the working class who listened to metal and rock music “If you think of the biggest bogan centres in New Zealand who said that the term bogan is just so the rest of New Zealand could feel like they’re a Westie.” “Boganism” was almost an extreme form of Kiwi identity having a barbecue and a beer with your mates .. He suggested this was why bogan culture was so enduring in New Zealand While Upper Hutt is celebrating its bogan roots with new offerings like Brewtown attracting big gigs from the likes of Six60 and Fat Freddy’s Drop Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy said Brewtown was now an integral part of the city’s tapestry providing a significant boost for the local economy who lives in Upper Hutt and proudly sports a mullet said it was the first time he had seen something draw so many visitors to the city “Upper Hutt has always been looked upon as Wellington’s poor cousin “But the addition of Brewtown has absolutely elevated the city into a unique destination within the Wellington region we’ve never had anything quite like this.” Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app the Wellington Transport Alliance (WTA) will be making safety improvements and competing a road rebuild on State Highway 2 near Totara Park in Upper Hutt These improvements will make this section of the state highway safer and more resilient The drainage works will begin in late April 2025 and finish in mid-May 2025 We are installing new stormwater pipes to help drain water off the road surface This helps prevent potholes and ensures a more resilient and long-lasting road State Highway 2 will be closed at night for southbound traffic between Totara Park Road and Mangaroa Hill Road/Fergusson Drive Southbound traffic will need to detour via Fergusson Drive Northbound traffic can travel on State Highway 2 at a reduced speed State Highway 2 will be open in both directions during the day with a temporary speed limit View larger detour map during drainage works [PDF, 245 KB] The road rebuild will begin in mid-May 2025 and finish in early June 2025 The road’s base has reached end-of-life and needs to be rebuilt We will need to excavate the road to around 300mm and rebuild back up State Highway 2 will be fully closed at night between Totara Park Road and Mangaroa Hill Road/Fergusson Drive Traffic will need to detour via Fergusson Drive the road surface may be uneven during the day View larger detour map during rebuild works [PDF, 254 KB] The median barrier installation will begin in early-June and finish in late June 2025 WTA is continuing the work that began in 2023 to install median barriers in Upper Hutt Research shows median barriers virtually eliminate head-on crashes and reduce deaths and serious injuries from run-off-road crashes by around 40 to 50 percent Learn more about this project and median barriers If you are interested in receiving work notifications: Sign up to our weekly roadworks bulletin(external link) customer@wta.nzta.govt.nz There’s no set agenda, just space to shoot hoops, chill upstairs, eat, talk, or not talk. And that’s the point. "It’s like my getaway,” one teenager said, "to get away from home and stuff." The rules are simple: no vaping, no smoking, no drugs, and no alcohol. "I wanted to get these kids out of their bedrooms," founder Kim Hina said. "Off the PlayStation, off their phones, that’s what’s important for mental health.” Hina started Hangout eight years ago when her daughter Lily was struggling, with a close friend of Lily's in an even darker place. "She was struggling, so I sort of took her under my wing and did what I could to help her, and a part of that involved getting her some counselling," she said. The problem was the interim period spent on the waitlist. "I just thought to myself, what happens to these kids while they have to wait eight weeks for counselling?" A social worker's advice inspired her: listening and caring was crucial to helping. "Sixty percent of this young lady’s recovery is going to come from just me, a general person that cares, that’s prepared to help her," Hina said. Marcus said he used to be in the "dark stage" of his life. "I came here and everything changed, I've become nicer." Vincent was facing expulsion from school, and thanks to Hina he has been allowed to stay. "She helped me get back into school, I had a meeting with the Board and she helped get me back in." Hina said there was a simple plan: Ask if they were alright and then stop talking. "They just need someone to talk to them, ask them how they are, and just to listen." Hangout, a youth group, is run by Kim Hina for young people in Upper Hutt and the difference is there to see (Source: 1News) Every Thursday night in Upper Hutt, teenagers gather at the Salvation Army to hang out. Man's cigarette smuggling attempt stubbed out Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was "an attempt to defraud Customs revenue" Crime and Justice Wellington Airport's giant eagles to depart terminal "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them." 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 Health Wellington residents 'left in limbo' as power outages continue Thousands of homes lost power during the storm which battered the region this week 'Politics has become an ugly place': Tory Whanau on mayoral role Whanau announced this week she will not stand again for the Wellington mayoralty Politics Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire 56 mins ago US states push for speed-limiting devices on the cars of dangerous drivers 9:20am Ten dead after tourist boats capsize in sudden storm in China 9:07am Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights 8:52am Britain's VE Day parade draws thousands celebrating 80th anniversary 8:30am Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson 34 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters Erin Patterson shared love of mushrooms in online group Stephen Stone’s son files complaint over Crown Solicitor’s statement Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon teenagers gather at the Salvation Army to hang out "It’s like my getaway,” one teenager said "to get away from home and stuff." "I wanted to get these kids out of their bedrooms," founder Kim Hina said that’s what’s important for mental health.” Hina started Hangout eight years ago when her daughter Lily was struggling with a close friend of Lily's in an even darker place so I sort of took her under my wing and did what I could to help her and a part of that involved getting her some counselling," she said The problem was the interim period spent on the waitlist what happens to these kids while they have to wait eight weeks for counselling?" A social worker's advice inspired her: listening and caring was crucial to helping "Sixty percent of this young lady’s recovery is going to come from just me that’s prepared to help her," Hina said Marcus said he used to be in the "dark stage" of his life and thanks to Hina he has been allowed to stay I had a meeting with the Board and she helped get me back in." Hina said there was a simple plan: Ask if they were alright and then stop talking "They just need someone to talk to them Wellington's famous eagles will take flight from the airport this week after 12 years in the terminal They will be replaced by a new display that is currently being kept under wraps Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said that the departure of the birds (and their passenger Gandalf) will be emotional for staff "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest “We’re working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique locally themed replacement to take their place." The eagles were created by Wētā Workshop as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies and unveiled in December 2013 Each bird weighs 1.2 tonnes and has a 15-metre wingspan Wētā Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Richard Taylor said it's a "bittersweet moment" saying goodbye to them "There are many more stories to be told and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life."  The eagles will be taken down and disassembled on Friday May 9 and placed into storage with long-term plans for them still yet to be decided "We’ll unveil what’s next later this year so keep watching the skies," Clarke said Tolkien fans will be relieved to know that Smaug the Magnificent will remain in the check-in area 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." Frustration is mounting among residents in Wellington who have been without power since early Thursday but Wellington Electricity says some repairs will continue until the middle of next week Natasha Eagle and her two children have been coping without electricity at their Island Bay home for four days She said communication had been muddled and sparse and it was difficult having no idea whether restoration was hours or days away That view was backed up by Brooklyn resident Sean Keaney He said he and his family of five had been without electricity since midnight Thursday He said they were the only house in the street affected and an electrician had confirmed the problem was at the pole Keaney said communication from Wellington Electricity had been appalling "However there is absolutely no information for us and others like us I've called multiple times to be told 'we have no ETA' we don't have any information on when someone will be there' and when I pushed and asked to talk to someone to escalate this was told they 'don't want to talk to you and you can make a complaint when it's all resolved' "This is appalling communication from Wellington Electricity - they will have a schedule of work and an idea of when they could be out to fix but refusing to share it as our family of five approach 60 hours without electricity not knowing how long it will be and unable to plan." venting frustration about the lack of communication and updates from Wellington Electricity Wellington Electricity said it was progressively restoring power to single-premise outages - with faults being prioritised by how long they had been out "After the strongest winds in a decade lashed the Wellington region on Thursday Wellington Electricity has restored power to the bulk of affected customers," it said in a statement to RNZ on Sunday afternoon adding that 8000 customers had been impacted "Crews have worked 14-hour days since Thursday managing safety with regular check-ins and roster rotations to manage fatigue." "Wellington Electricity anticipates restoring the bulk of its remaining customers without power by Monday evening however further repairs will be necessary including streetlight circuit restoration." Anyone without power who has not been contacted should call their electricity retailer directly so repair crews can be dispatched to restore supply "Wellington Electricity acknowledges the extended disruption these outages have caused and thanks customers for their continued patience while final restoration work is completed." rnz.co.nz As a progressive mayor Tory Whanau has had to deal with the "old guard" resistant to change Her decision came shortly after former Labour leader Andrew Little confirmed he would be contesting with Whanau saying she didn't want a Greens versus Labour narrative to swamp the election she plans to run for the council's Māori Ward Whanau has previously said she would consider quitting the mayoralty after facing scrutiny for her political and personal challenges including the appointment of a Crown observer for the council She told Saturday Morning she has attracted extra attention because the "old guard" are resistant to issues such as climate change "Being the progressive change mayor - that does bring a lot of negativity." Being wahine Māori has also posed extra difficulties citing the treatment of other Māori politicians such as Tamatha Paul and the negativity had also moved onto the rainbow community "Politics at the moment has become quite an ugly place and I'm just an example of part of that." especially this week since her decision on the mayoralty politics could be "a lonely place" and "isolating" "It's absolutely crucial" to have discussions about the online criticism directed at women and gay politicians "When is it OK to threaten the life of a politician It is never OK," she said in response to a councillor's claim that she had asked for the abuse she received because of her behaviour She did not regret using social media in her bid to attract support from young people the political landscape had changed a great deal US President Donald Trump and some of the New Zealand coalition government members had helped to ramp up the criticism politicians received "The online trolling has accelerated significantly .. the political landscape has become a lot more toxic." the abuse would turn off women and rangatahi Māori from any thoughts of going into politics "And that becomes a danger to our democracy." She appealed to other politicians to make debate about policy rather than personal Whanau said she was surprised by former Labour Minister Andrew Little's announcement after he had ruled out the suggestion last year "I accepted it [Little's decision] I am really excited about running for the Māori ward." She said she was not disappointed some on the left had backed Little instead of her The most important thing was to keep the city "on track" with issues such as the cycleway network She said many of the things she had campaigned on such as more investment in water and more social housing had started during her mayoralty "The biggest thing I didn't achieve was light rail .. I at least was able to keep the Golden Mile." Questioned about her "flip-flop" over the sale of Wellington Airport shares There was a need to address the $2.3 billion underinvestment in insurance and she believed the share sale would be the best option The council had moved on and relationships had been rebuilt It had caused "great upset" that iwi did not have a voice over ther sale of the shares her relationship with iwi remained strong throughout the saga and having a voice at the table were the main priorities for mana whenua They had been supportive over her decision to stand for the Māori ward Whanau said the atmosphere was "light" during her meeting with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown during which the appointment of a Crown Observer was discussed "We've had independent advice that it didn't need to happen but I wanted to show Wellington that I was more than willing to work with the government to prove we could have a successful Long Term Plan .. it's back on track without the airport." The presence of the observer had helped with the management of councillors' behaviour She had a "polite" relationship with Brown and said things were warmer with the new minister Simon Watts Whanau said it had been an honour to perform her first karanga at two events during her term as mayor "One of the most special honouring moments of my life .. that has been an absolute privilege of this role." rnz.co.nz A teenager who admitted being "addicted to speed" behind the wheel had totalled two other cars in the year before he slammed into a minivan at 180km/h in a Seattle suburb killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op After sentencing Chase Daniel Jones last month to more than 17 years in prison the judge tacked on a novel condition should he drive again: His vehicle must be equipped with a device that prevents accelerating far beyond the speed limit Virginia this year became the first state to agree to give its judges such a tool to deal with the most dangerous drivers on the road already is using it and similar measures await governors' signatures in Washington state and Georgia New York and California also could soon tap the GPS-based technology to help combat a recent national spike in traffic deaths "It's a horror no one should have to experience," said Amy Cohen who founded the victims' advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding driver in front of their New York home more than a decade ago the minivan driver who was killed when Jones ran a red light was building a backyard greenhouse with her husband to help educate several kids who shuttle between homes during the school day Also killed in the March 2024 crash near Hudson's home in Renton were Boyd "Buster" Brown and Eloise Wilcoxson Hudson's two children were sitting on the passenger side and survived "You always hear of these horrific accidents Smith knew Washington state Representative Mari Leavitt who reached out to offer condolences and tell him she was sponsoring legislation to mandate intelligent speed assistance devices as a condition for habitual speeders to get back their suspended licenses Leavitt predicts it will have an even more powerful impact than revoking driving privileges citing studies showing around three-quarters of people who lose their licenses get behind a wheel anyway the state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going at least 80km/h over the speed limit according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission "I guess I don't understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast," Leavitt said "But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter It's going to stop them in their tracks." which Washington legislators passed last month and Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson is expected to soon sign using the first letters of the names of the four victims: Buster didn't receive a speeding ticket in his two previous crashes he likely wouldn't have been required to use the speed-limiter ahead of the fatal one And because it could be 2029 before the law takes effect the judge's requirement at sentencing only applies to his time on probation after being released from prison Competing tech companies that joined forces to lobby for ignition interlock requirements for drunken drivers have been working in unison again the last few years to pitch intelligent speed assistance chief government affairs officer at one manufacturer said fleet vehicles including school buses in the nation's capital have been trying it out for years But it took a lot of refinement before the GPS technology could instantly recognize speed limit changes and compel vehicles with the devices installed to adjust accordingly "We've got a lot more satellites in the sky now," said Ken Denton a retired police officer who is the chief compliance officer at Cincinnati-based LifeSafer the devices would prevent cars from exceeding speed limits or whatever threshold regulators set An override button allows speeding in emergencies but states can decide whether to activate it and authorities would be alerted any time the button is pushed which beeps to alert drivers when they are going too fast is required for new cars in the European Union California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar proposal last year explaining vehicle safety requirements are set by the federal government and he was concerned a patchwork of state laws could stir confusion Before Delegate Patrick Hope agreed to sponsor the proposal in the Virginia Legislature he tried out the device in Nannini's car which was calibrated to not go more than 14km/h over the speed limit "That was my first question: Is it safe?" Hope said Hope is now pondering whether to install it on the cars of his three children the price could be hefty: US$4 (NZ$6.70) per day and a US$100 (NZz$167.50) installation fee The fee would be less for low-income offenders which provides support services to the loved ones of crash victims knows firsthand the kind of impact slowing down speeders can make A year after her son was struck and killed in front of their New York apartment the road's speed limit had been lowered "When you are going a few miles slower it's much less likely to be deadly." Four boats capsized in a sudden storm at a tourist spot in southwestern China More than 80 people fell into a river when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province late Sunday afternoon The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm on the upper reaches of the Wu River a man could be seen performing CPR on another person while one of the vessels drifted upside down Initial reports said two tourist boats had capsized but state media said on Monday that four boats were involved and the seven crew members were able to save themselves Guizhou's mountains and rivers are a major tourism draw and many Chinese were travelling during a five-day national holiday that ended Monday Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to find the missing and care for the injured the official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday Xi underscored the importance of strengthening safety at tourist attractions large public venues and residential communities as well as for the rush of people returning at the end of major holidays CCTV said the capsized boats had a maximum capacity of about 40 people each and were not overloaded An eyewitness told state-owned Beijing News the waters were deep but that some people had managed to swim to safety the storm had come suddenly and a thick mist obscured the surface of the river Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." A 100-year-old Royal Air Force veteran accepted the thanks of a nation as Britain paused to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and honour the men and women who fought to save the country during World War II The day featured a procession by 1300 members of the British armed forces accompanied by troops from Ukraine and the UK’s NATO allies The parade didn't begin until Alan Kennett accepted the salute from Garrison Sgt Major Andrew Stokes in front of an audience that included King Charles III “Thank you and your generation for securing our freedom 80 years ago,” Stokes wearing a navy blue blazer with his medals pinned on the left breast This year’s V-E Day events have taken on increased significance because they are likely to be the last major observance to include significant numbers of World War II veterans actor Timothy Spall recited the victory speech wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered to a roaring crowd in central London on May 8 Britain started its V-E Day ceremonies three days early because Monday is a public holiday in the UK “I think we’ve been very lucky that we’ve had 80 years of peace … and we’ve got to think about all those that have (made) the ultimate sacrifice and there’s very few of them left now because they’re all over 100,″ said Michael Burn who wore a suit patterned after Britain’s red “This is the last time we will celebrate the day in this sort of scale.” Then it was time for the parade from the Houses of Parliament through Trafalgar Square and down the Mall to Buckingham Palace won a huge round of applause as their flag swept past the royal viewing platform The event ended with a flyover by British military aircraft including a wartime Lancaster bomber and the RAF’s Red Arrows aerobatic team the Princess of Wales chatted amiably with Bernard Morgan a veteran who worked as a code breaker during the conflict Their place in the front row was a reminder of the gulf between those who fought in World War II and the present generation With even the youngest of those men and women nearing their 100th birthdays and their ranks dwindling rapidly many have said they feel a special imperative to tell their stories and attend events that honour their fallen comrades a mechanic who landed in Normandy to set up an airfield said he was proud to represent the veterans “I just remember those that didn’t come back,” he said A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Erin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington The 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue today The son of Stephen Stone has filed a Law Society complaint against the Auckland Crown Solicitor alleging she misled the court with her statement about the lack of evidence to retry his father who was acquitted of double murder last week said Alysha McClintock’s statement had caused "significant harm" to his father and family by “perpetuating a myth” the Crown case was dropped because witnesses were unavailable Stephen Stone spent more than 26 years wrongfully imprisoned for the 1989 murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens the Crown admitted he and three others convicted in connection with the crime suffered a miscarriage of justice The Court of Appeal accepted a police failure to disclose two key documents led to the miscarriage Stone’s convictions were quashed in October and a retrial ordered Known as the "Larnoch Road Four" their convictions relied heavily on four eyewitnesses who were given immunity from prosecution and name suppression McClintock told the High Court in Auckland one of the key reasons a retrial couldn’t go ahead was because three of the four witnesses were "no longer available through a combination of the consequences of the appeal decision death and witnesses no longer being in New Zealand" The Evidence Act sets out scenarios where a witness is considered unavailable These include if the person is dead; outside of New Zealand and it’s not reasonably practicable for them to be a witness; they are unfit to be a witness; or they cannot be compelled to give evidence Daniel Stone acknowledged one witness was dead and one was in Australia he claimed that it was not correct to say three witnesses were no longer available the others were “wholly unreliable” witnesses and the Crown’s statement was: “Designed to publicly spin the position in favour of the prosecution in an inappropriate abuse of the Crown's role.” During the Court of Appeal hearing in August the court heard the two non-recanting witnesses had changed their stories significantly multiple times and how bodies were disposed of,” Stephen Stone’s lawyer Annabel Maxwell-Scott told the court The Court of Appeal declined to rule their evidence inadmissible “The fact Mr X and Mr Y each made a number of startling contradictory statements to the police was before both juries in the earlier trial,” the judgement said McClintock said there was no longer enough evidence to prove charges against Stone beyond a reasonable double – referring to additional ESR testing on samples collected by police at the time which had not produced any results of significance; and Stone’s admissions of murder to get parole did not provide a basis for prosecution said outside the court on Wednesday that the Crown’s statement was “incredibly frustrating” “There is no acknowledgement of their own role in these miscarriages of justice and they gave the distinct impression that they believe Stephen has done something — and that's outrageous in my view." McClintock told 1News: "It is not appropriate for me to engage in debate about the reasons for my decision or the content of the statement through the media." Attorney-General Judith Collins’ office said: "It is not appropriate for the Attorney-General to comment about what has been said in Court by a prosecutor about a particular criminal prosecution." Stephen Stone’s acquittal was handled very differently to the acquittal of Alan Hall – another high-profile miscarriage of justice case the Crown and court acknowledged the miscarriage "We cannot end this judgment without acknowledging that just as the criminal justice system has failed Mr Hall so too has it failed the Easton family," said the 2022 judgment Alan Hall was declared innocent in 2023 and received nearly $5 million compensation for 19 years wrongful imprisonment Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album Multiple vehicles were damaged in the crash There are scenes of devastation in Upper Hutt after a driver allegedly fleeing police smashed into multiple parked vehicles Police say they spotted a vehicle of interest on Whakatiki St on Monday morning and signalled it to stop The driver managed to avoid the spikes but crashed into multiple parked vehicles Video from the scene showed several vehicles with smashed fronts and scraped sides A low fence at the front of the property had also been knocked over The property’s owner told Stuff the crash was “the loudest noise [she had] ever heard” One vehicle at the property was “a total write-off” And she wasn’t confident insurance would pay for the damage as their vehicle was uninsured “I’m not holding out hope,” she told Stuff Footage of the aftermath sparked anger from the community at the amount of damage “The devastation this has caused right after Christmas I hope everyone is okay,” one person commented Those poor innocent people getting caught up in one idiotic person’s actions,” another person said Police said after the crash two people abandoned the wrecked vehicle and fled on foot into the back of nearby properties Police found one man shortly afterwards and he was taken into custody at the scene Another person was tracked with a dog unit to Hood Ave where they were taken into custody without incident Police found a small amount of ammunition in their vehicle A 37-year-old man is to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on Tuesday Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday At least one person has been seriously injured in a crash in Upper Hutt involving a pedestrian and a vehicle Police said the crash happened on Whitemans Road in the suburb of Silverstream at about 9.50am on Monday Initial indications suggest there are serious injuries The road was blocked on Monday morning and motorists were advised to take an alternate route A teenager rescued from the Upper Hutt bush after two nights lying injured near the base of a waterfall has shared more details of her ordeal Maia Johnston was found by LandSAR on Monday afternoon amid a huge community search had told family she was going for a walk to get some space Family began searching for her shortly after realising she had left her phone and wallet behind legs and my spleen is messed up,” she wrote in a post to her Instagram story last night “I was missing for almost 48 hours before being found in the hills of Totara park,” she wrote “I couldn’t walk & tried my best to follow the stream down the maunga I’m going to need a lot of surgeries and a long recovery period My parents & family are around supporting me but their work can not support them to be here.” Johnston said she was doing well in terms of her mental health while she was surrounded by family “I don’t know what effects are to come but I am ready to fight.” She said her face was “terrifying right now” “Y’all ain’t going to see me for a while,” she said Johnston shared a link to a Givealittle page set up by one of the members of the group who had been searching for her saying the funds would go towards keeping her family by her side during her recovery Johnston was rescued from a remote bush area in the hills of Upper Hutt yesterday afternoon, having spent two nights alone and injured while desperate family searched tirelessly for her. “Got lost in the mountains and fell down a almost two-storey waterfall couldn’t walk my way out and I’ll be in hospital for a while,” Johnston wrote over a screenshot of a Herald story about her rescue Johnston disappeared on Saturday about 8pm after telling family she was going for a walk to get some space A location provided by police shows she was found by LandSAR a short distance from the last place she was seen on CCTV The area was less than a 10-minute walk away Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years After a heart-wrenching 42 hours fearing her teenage daughter was dead Amy Walsh has received the best Christmas present of all: "I have my girl" "Got lost in mountains and fell down [an] almost two storey waterfall couldn't walk my way out and I'll be in hospital for a while," she posted on social media on Tuesday morning The search for the missing teen began on Saturday which Walsh said had started out as "a really great day" her siblings and her best friend Keri had travelled down from Hamilton to celebrate an early whānau Christmas Johnston and Keri had been to the park in the early evening and sat chatting on the doorstep when they returned 'I just need some time by myself'," said Walsh "There was nothing out of character to need a bit of fresh air Keri realised Johnston had left her phone behind and went looking for her friend in the pouring rain Walsh got in the car to find what she thought would be "two wet girls" at the park - but only Keri was there They had no idea where Johnston was - and Johnston did not know the area at all Walsh calls the police and reports her daughter missing and locals brave the weather to search the area through the night There's no sign of Johnston, the search continues and a plea goes out for more help An online group chat is created with people from Totara Park Stokes Valley and further afield wanting to join the search They knock on doors throughout Totara Park in a bid to piece together Johnston's movements She finally goes home to sleep so she can continue looking for her daughter on Monday Some volunteers told RNZ they were out searching until 3am on Monday A base is set up at the Totara Park School Hall in an effort to better co-ordinate the search Organisers Penny Clash and Susan Stevenson spoke with people about where they had been Dozens of people were in and out of the hall Police officers arrive and park up at the hall too with Clash and Stevenson feeding them any information they get from searchers and volunteers continue searching throughout Totara Park including the bushy hills surrounding the suburb A police search and rescue team finds Johnston in the hills above Cannon Point Road but was "cracking jokes" with her rescuers Walsh is at the hall when police deliver the news her daughter has been found alive She told RNZ she was in disbelief - and other volunteers said when police made the announcement there was a brief silence before they erupted Walsh and whānau headed to the bottom of the hill where Johnston would be brought out as a special stretcher had to be delivered from Wellington Hospital Maia is stretchered out of the bush and into an ambulance Her whānau are crying and embracing - just glad Johnston is alive Walsh posts on social media that her daughter is likely to be in hospital for weeks and needed multiple surgeries - her first was on her spleen overnight and she was due for her second on Tuesday morning One of the searchers has set up a Givealittle page to assist the family during Johnston's recovery Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Family members and friends have embraced Maia Johnston who has been carried out of the bush by search and rescue The Hamilton teen went missing in Upper Hutt on Saturday night and was found on Monday in the hills above Totara Park Three children narrowly missed being seriously injured when a car in Upper Hutt hit the adults they were with just before 1.45 this afternoon An Upper Hutt hairdresser said she ran outside to help "We heard the bang and I turned to look and .. the little kids instinctively crouched down and just ran." after a blue car hit a silver vehicle on Fergusson Drive in Trentham The silver car crashed into a garden and hit a house The other vehicle mounted the curb narrowly missing two children A witness told RNZ there were a lot of people at the scene "My wife and I went out just to have a look and that's when we saw the one car was pushed in right up to the windscreen." Another witness said they believed one of the drivers suffered a medical event Two patients have been taken to Hutt Hospital one in a serious condition and one with mild injuries Two others are in Wellington Hospital with mild injuries and a fifth person was treated at the scene The site is a few blocks from the Trentham Racecourse where Wellington Cup is being held Fergusson Drive has now reopened after being closed for several hours Two helicopters are supporting firefighters battling a bush fire in Upper Hutt More than 10 fire trucks are fighting the blaze which started near Stroma in the suburb of Timberlea Fire crews are trying to cut the fire off from an area of pine trees and dense scrub along the rail corridor Fire and Emergency NZ said train services had not been affected so far FENZ was asking members of the public stay clear of the area Assistant commander Gareth Hughes said: "We appreciate that we are currently causing some disruption in the area we have all resources needed in place to fight the fire and would appreciate the public giving our crews some space to operate." FENZ also asked that drones not be flown in the area as this would ground its helicopter support Emergency services were alerted just before 1pm a FENZ spokesperson said the fire had grown to nearly 200 square metres in size but there were no reports of homes being threatened at this stage Firefighters say conditions on the ground are gusty Fire and Emergency said the blaze had been contained to an area of about one hectare "Our crews continue to dampen down hotspots and will remain on site for some time "We will be operating a Fire and Emergency drone over the fire later today to map hot spots so we continue to ask the public to ensure they do not fly drones near the scene." The mother of teen Maia Johnston - who was missing for two days - says her daughter has a long recovery ahead after falling at a waterfall The 19-year-old went missing on Saturday night and was last seen leaving a family home in the suburb of Totara Park during heavy rain She was found injured with a broken leg and ribs Family members and friends embraced Johnston as she was carried out of the bush by search and rescue She was taken to hospital and treated for her broken bones and a split lip Johnston's mother Amy Walsh said her daughter had "a long recovery ahead" "She's in her first of many surgeries now and will be in hospital for several weeks "Thank you again to each and every person who supported us in getting her back." Walsh went on to detail how her daughter came to have several broken bones "She has fought like a trooper for 42 hours alone after falling at a waterfall and getting some quite bad injuries.. "[It's] thankfully nothing that can't be fixed Police thanked the Upper Hutt community for the way they rallied around search staff and the family Rescue co-ordinator Penny Clash said it was the best outcome after a mammoth effort to find Maia the community have just rallied together and it just shows what an awesome community Totara Park is "It's quite a close-knit community and this really showed it." A teenager missing for two nights in Upper Hutt has been found alive but has suffered several broken limbs in a suspected fall Maia Johnston, 19, was found by a police search and rescue team in the dense bushy hills surrounding Tōtara Park this afternoon Walsh told RNZ her daughter had suffered a broken leg and some broken ribs and said it seemed she may have had a fall It’s understood she was being taken to hospital and treated for broken bones and a split lip Walsh said she was in disbelief when police told her that her daughter had been found alive her daughter was well and “cracking jokes” Walsh earlier told the Herald it would take time to extract Johnston from the bush “But she is alive and that’s all that matters.” Walsh said Johnston was found by Search and Rescue The Hamilton woman disappeared in Upper Hutt on Saturday evening sometime between 8pm and 8.30pm telling loved ones she was going for a walk to get some space Her family later realised she did not have her phone or wallet with her and had gone out in just shorts and a T-shirt Police said in a statement she had been found “a short time ago in a remote area and is currently speaking with rescue staff” “Police’s priority is to now get her to medical staff so she can be assessed,” they said “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Upper Hutt community for the way they have rallied around search staff and the family.” Family friend Susan Stephenson told RNZ Johnston was being helicoptered out but did not know the nature of her injuries or how she got to the location where she has been found “Police came in to let us know that she has been found It was just ecstatic and we were hugging strangers said the charity’s staff and board were relieved “Maia is a beloved and highly valued kaimahi [employee] at Seed Waikato She is a passionate community contributor with a love for community te ao Māori and manaakitanga for others,” she told RNZ “She has a gift for storytelling and amplifying the voices of our young people We mihi to all of the community members who have been searching for and are so happy she has been found.” It is understood Johnston was found up the Cannon Point track which zigzags uphill from Tulsa Park through private land and the Akatarawa Forest to take walkers to the historic Birchville Dam The popular track is considered an intermediate-level trail just minutes' walk from Tulsa Park where the start of the Cannon Point trail can be found members of the public have joined the search in the hundreds searching through pouring rain and darkness This morning a search base was set up at Tōtara Park School hall where strangers gathered to offer their help and take instructions on where to search People were also asked to doorknock and hand out flyers to help spread the word about Johnston’s disappearance This morning Walsh made a heartfelt plea to her daughter to come home saying she didn’t believe Johnston had simply gone to a party or gotten in someone’s car if you’re out there and you did get in someone’s car and you now feel embarrassed because there are hundreds of people looking for you and you’re all over the news A woman and her husband injured when a police officer did a U-turn directly ahead of them and crashed into their car are furious with the response Hutt Valley area commander Inspector Wade Jennings told the Herald “the police officer was deemed to be at fault” for the Moonshine Rd incident in Upper Hutt last November But victim Eden Webster was dissatisfied with the consequences the officer has faced Webster told the Herald she was angry police responding to the crash breath-tested her husband while he lay in the ambulance and allegedly not the officer who crashed Police told the Herald the officer was breath-tested we all know where [husband] Chris would be,” Webster said The crash left Webster with bruising across her body and her husband suffered a dislocated toe Jennings said the crash happened as the officer was pulling out to respond to a “priority incident” and they performed the U-turn “The matter was referred to the District Driving Panel to ensure the resolution was overseen and determined appropriately,” Jennings said “The police officer was referred to a Te Pae Oranga panel with consultation with and the co-operation of the complainant who has the opportunity to participate in the process “The outcome was proportionate and in line with police charging practices.” Webster said she intended to be at the panel meeting but she believed it was not a serious enough consequence Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022 A teenager missing for two nights in Upper Hutt is facing surgery after falling at a waterfall in the bush The 19-year-old was found by rescuers yesterday afternoon after hundreds of people joined in a community search for her Maia Johnston was last seen on Saturday evening about 8pm when she told her loved ones she was heading out for a walk to get some space Her family began searching for her a short time later, increasingly worried as they realised she had disappeared without her phone and wallet mum Amy Walsh said her daughter was in hospital “with a long recovery ahead” “She’s in her first of many surgeries now and will be in hospital for several weeks Thank you again to each and every person who supported us in getting her back,” she wrote “She has fought like a trooper for 42 hours alone after falling at a waterfall and getting some quite bad injuries It is understood Johnston was found somewhere along the Cannon Point trail which starts just minutes away from the place she was last seen in the suburb of Tōtara Park zigzags uphill from Tulsa Park through private land and the Akatarawa Forest to take walkers to the historic Birchville Dam The community effort to find Johnston was strong with searchers setting up a base at the Tōtara Park School hall where strangers could come to receive instruction on where to look Flyers were printed and people were sent doorknocking to ask local residents to check their CCTV cameras for sightings of Johnston Walsh made a heartfelt plea to her daughter to come home The heartbroken mum of a missing teenager who vanished after heading out for a walk has made a tearful plea for her daughter’s return just come home,” Amy Walsh said on Monday morning Her daughter, 19-year-old Maia Johnston, has been missing since Saturday evening, having gone for a walk to get some space about 8pm She did not take her phone or wallet with her “My gut is saying so many things but at this point I find it really hard to believe that she would have gone to a random party or hopped in someone’s car or anything like that,” Walsh said but if she has just done something dumb and is somewhere Every single person here is hoping that’s the outcome.” with some searching throughout the night in all weather Harcourt Park and Brown Owl to check their properties including any outbuildings such as sheds or sleep outs to see if Maia might have gone in seeking shelter “I am just blown away by the amount of help from the community We just have continuously more people showing up to help We’ve had hundreds of people out every night and day all over I did 27 hours of searching on foot from the moment she went missing until midnight last night,” Walsh said She was finally able to get some sleep for the first time last night though it was “the hardest thing in the world” In an early Facebook post the evening Johnston disappeared Walsh mentioned she was intoxicated and had gone out to walk off the alcohol Walsh said she did not believe her daughter would have been particularly intoxicated by the time she left and said she had told others she just needed some space “We thought she was just leaving the house to walk around the block “She’s happy and vibrant and amazing and we had an amazing Christmas Day on Saturday as a family,” she said who lives in Hamilton and is not familiar with the Hutt Valley at all noting her workmates have been contacting her to share their support [The coworkers] are really helping her grow as a person.” As she prepared for another day of searching Walsh had one final message for her daughter Police said they received multiple tips from the public about possible sightings of Johnston Walsh said confirmed sightings from CCTV show Johnston travelled from Akron Grove California Drive and was last seen heading past 41 Tacoma Drive Today a search base was set up in the Tōtara Park School hall on California Drive Members of the public gathered this morning wearing sneakers rain jackets and backpacks as they awaited instructions on where to search Walsh told those gathered there were still people in the suburb who had not heard about Johnston’s disappearance so they were having fliers printed out to share around the area you will see me crack a lot of inappropriate jokes,” she said “I assure you Maia would appreciate my inappropriate jokes She thanked the people joining the search today “I just love and appreciate every single one of you,” she said black jean shorts and black and white Converse shoes The T-shirt had an image on the front of a skull-like face with a blue background in a circle around it Johnston’s hair is a patchy blue and black mixture Police released a CCTV image of her walking away from Akron Grove Walsh said Johnston was carrying a vape and a flower in the image Police are asking anyone in the Harcourt Park and Brown Owl area to review their CCTV footage for sightings of Johnston “If you have any information or CCTV footage that could help our inquiries Please use the reference number 241222/0237.” Johnston and a friend went to nearby California Park on Saturday after a few drinks between 4.30pm and 6.30pm and had another drink at home after returning but Walsh believed Johnston would not have been particularly intoxicated as she had not been drinking for the two hours she was at the park Johnston’s friend said it was not unusual for her to take time out and go for walks but Walsh said Johnston had never “gone missing” before After half an hour her friend went to check on her and about 9pm it began raining so Walsh jumped in the car barefoot and wearing just a T-shirt and shorts thinking she would need to pick the girls up “I found a very wet child looking for her friend and we haven’t stopped searching since.” Walsh said she tried to report the matter to police overnight but they were more concerned with reports of a man in a yellow high-vis jacket acting suspiciously She said she was even questioned by a police officer while out searching because she was wearing a yellow rain jacket She believed it was possible her daughter had suffered an accident and was stuck somewhere Members of the public have been commenting on the Upper Hutt Facebook pages saying they have been out looking for Johnston as well “I’ll stay out as long as I’m needed to get her home safe,” said one man Another person said they and their partner had been out searching with their baby daughter in the car with them “My son and his friend came home late last night really concerned as they had been helping to look for her last night I’ll send the boys back out today to look,” one woman wrote Other people have been searching along the Hutt River and throughout multiple Upper Hutt locations has disappeared after going out for a walk from her mother's home in Akron Grove A mother desperate to find her missing teenage daughter says she feels like she’s been walking in circles and can’t understand how the 19-year-old has still not been located She is urging anyone with information to come forward and told the Herald that specialist search and rescue teams had now been deployed “We have been walking since 9pm last night but I just can’t get my head around that no one has seen her “It seems impossible that she could be walking around and not bump into people looking for her.” Maia Johnston was last seen at Akron Grove when she left a residential property to take a walk While Johnston had been drinking during the day her mother Amy Walsh did not believe her daughter would have been particularly intoxicated at the time Walsh told the Herald she felt like she was walking in circles since news of her daughter’s disappearance There are so many locals out looking for her,” she said Walsh estimated between 50-100 people were now searching for Johnston She said Johnston was visiting from Hamilton and had joined in their family Christmas celebration yesterday Walsh posted images from the search on Facebook Still just the community searching it seems everyone knows your name at this point..there are SO many people searching .. how has no one seen you?,” she said in another post “I must have called your name several thousand times at this point .. Johnston’s family learned of her disappearance last night but only later realised the teen Police and Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy are urging anyone with CCTV footage to send it to police to help in the search for Johnston who went for a walk about 8pm last night to get some space after Christmas drinks and never returned Family, members of the Upper Hutt community and police are undertaking a large-scale search Guppy said Tōtara Park was a tight-knit community “Anyone that thinks they saw anything last night at that time “Police are wanting to know if people have CCTV cameras please get in contact urgently because everyone is thinking of her and her family.” Deputy Mayor Hellen Swales said when a young person went missing the community’s heart went out to their loved ones “We hope that she is found and it is such a terrible thing to happen at a time so close to Christmas when families should be together.” Police are now asking residents in the Tōtara Park area to check their CCTV cameras for any sightings of Johnston Officers are particularly interested in footage between 8pm-9pm on Saturday It is understood police wanted to know where to look for Johnston before search and rescue were brought in “If you have any information that could help our inquiries please update us online now or call 105,” police said “Please use the reference number 241222/0237.” Johnston and a friend went to nearby California Park after a few drinks between 4.30pm and 6.30pm Johnston said she wanted some space and left for a walk carrying nothing but a black T-shirt with a skull on it and wearing black jean shorts a green shoestring singlet and Converse shoes Family and friends have posted on local community Facebook groups asking people to look out for Johnston and members of the community have been out helping with the search overnight Police contacted Walsh this morning asking her to come in and fill out paperwork about the disappearance Walsh is gravely concerned for her daughter She did not believe it was possible Johnston was drunk enough to have fallen asleep somewhere particularly given the poor weather overnight and said she would surely have woken up well before now if that was the case “Just please come home,” Walsh begged her daughter Police have put out a statement about Johnston’s disappearance this morning A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 5km north of Upper Hutt at 12.16am Residents at the bottom of the North Island were awakened by a “jolt” overnight after a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Upper Hutt GeoNet reported the quake struck within 5km of Upper Hutt at a depth of 20km just after midnight Locals took to Facebook shortly after the quake and many said they heard it before they felt it “I heard it coming followed by a strong thump Thankfully it didn’t last long,” one person commented sounded like a light aircraft and a loud scooter exiting with background rumbling The shake was a short but decent shake with a mild to moderate jolt.” Some reported hearing a loud “boom” noise while others said they slept through it with no issues Upper Hutt’s famous H2O Xtream Aquatic Centre reopened on Monday morning to a crowd of loyal locals Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy is now the second New Zealand mayor named Wayne to open a popular pool in recent months – but rather than unveiling something new it was the city’s beloved 29-year-old pool Standing in a row of city councillors on Monday morning Guppy gingerly fingered the red ribbon cordoning off the entryway into the freshly revitalised H2O Xtream Aquatic Centre and using a pair of Lincraft scissors likely purchased from the mall across the road he tore the material in half with a few deft snips Around 50 locals were there to witness the pool’s grand reopening at the crack of dawn families and older swimmers who were treated to a cost-free dip to commemorate the occasion They’d been waiting two years to be able to use their destination pool again one that once invited visitors around the nation with its mildly famous “get set to get wet” advertisements The tagline has disappeared from the building walls its long-standing blue and white colourway now swapped for an appropriately expensive-looking black The pool’s revamped hydroslides still twist above the footpath on Fergusson Drive you can hear the “ahh”s and screams of rangatahi sliding down the chutes to the tune of $17.5m over the next decade By the time the pool closed in February 2023 to begin works, the pricetag was $51m, which had swollen to $55m by late 2024 – a sore spot for some of the city’s ratepayers. But to be fair, the end result does look like a pool that has had tens of millions of dollars spent on it. There are no immediate aesthetic changes – the spa still bubbles, the mushroom shower in the kids’ area still spouts – except for the hydroslides, now a bit more compact within the building itself and up a revamped tower, where the railing has been made sturdier but you still need to brave a few flights before reaching the top. The yellow slide that used to run adjacent to the lanes no longer exists – maybe a good thing for the serious swimmers. Tucked in at the mouth of the slide, I waited for the green light then let go, travelling through the new chutes bending here, there and everywhere. Lights in rainbow colours flash through the ride, and as I rushed to the bottom, the water blasting at the other end was strong enough to flush out my sinuses. A trip to the GP and a psychedelic experience, all knocked out in one go on the hydroslide. A dip in the lanes felt a bit chilly in comparison, but maybe it was just the heating system chugging into gear for the first time. The lanes are essentially the same, but freshened up with refurbishments – and they’re great to swim in. An older woman in the lane next to me flashed a smile and the chirpiest “good morning!” I had ever heard at 6am. At the back of the facility, there’s a new leisure area for juniors, with a shallow pool and a wading area with a playground for young kids. Don’t wear heels when you’re walking around – a councillor nearly face-planted within five minutes of her arrival. The changing rooms are more or less the same, but now unburdened by stink. Before you reach them, you’ll notice something new: a 16-seater sauna, ideal for sweating out the beverages consumed around the corner at BrewTown the night before. Most Upper Hutt locals – or pretty much anybody who has ever visited H2O Xtream, for that matter – have had a terrifying ordeal in the wave pool or river ride. Children will be able to enjoy the character-building opportunity of a near-death experience for many more generations to come – hopefully still soundtracked by the pool’s haunting alarm bell. H2O Xtream has been to Upper Hutt what Queensgate mall is to its sibling city, Lower Hutt – a centre for socialisation and leisure, a mecca for the masses, a hangout spot because where else are you going to hang out. It’s hard to overstate how much of a chokehold a leisure centre can have on a place where not much else happens. “It’ll be great for our city, but it’ll be a regional attraction,” Guppy said. “I just say to the region: come and enjoy it.” Come and enjoy it: not as catchy as “get set to get wet”, but it captures the feeling all the same. And there’s nothing quite like swimming in a pool that you know for sure nobody has peed in – yet. Wellington Police are appealing for sightings of missing man Terrence Jameson The 74-year-old was last seen at around 9am on Friday 25 October on the walking track directly behind Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt "Terrence used this track often and would regularly ride his electric one wheel scooter between the duck pond through to Akatarawa Road Bridge," Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said he had his electric one wheel scooter with him however on this day he could have been carrying it which would give the appearance of him carrying a black box." "He also had distinctive red basketball boots which he may have been wearing or also carrying." Police have fears for Jameson's safety and are asking anyone who may have seen him on 25 October or who may have information which could help locate him to call 105 and quote file number 241025/6976 Residents in the Harcourt Park/Brown Owl area can expect to see a continued police presence on Sunday too OSPRI contractors EcoFX completed an aerial application of sodium fluoroacetate (1080) in the Northern Remutaka Ranges Hunting and dog walking is prohibited for the next 6 months or until notified otherwise We face a choice; let predators reach out of control numbers or manage them to protect our native species primary production sector and social wellbeing Greater Wellington and Wellington Water Limited propose to undertake an aerial possum control operation in the Wainuiomata Regional Park and the Wainuiomata/Orongorongo Water Collection Area We are proposing to carry out the operation during suitable weather conditions from Late April 2025 onwards The operational area covers approximately 7,200 hectares The area includes the Wainuiomata/Orongorongo Water Collection Area All land within the proposed operational area is owned by Greater Wellington Most of it is managed as a source of water for treatment and supply to Wellington OSPRI NZ had approval to undertake an aerial 1080 operation in this area in 2024 this operation did not proceed due to unsuitable weather conditions The key objective for this proposed 1080 operation is to preserve one of our most important Key Native Ecosystem (KNE) sites in the region by removing possums The Wainuiomata/Orongorongo Water Collection Area is is made up of one of the largest and most pristine lowland forests in the lower North Island It is also a significant habitat for native bird species such as tītipounamu (rifleman) Update: Operation completed 22 February 2025 an aerial application of 1080 was completed by OSPRI in the Northern Remutaka Ranges The purpose of this operation is to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) from possums to farmed cattle and deer The use of 1080 also has additional biodiversity benefits for native birds and bush and is extremely effective at controlling other introduced predators such as stoats and ship rats Hunting and dog walking will be prohibited at Mt Climie parts of Tunnel Gully and the Remutaka Cycle Trail for up to six months Caution is advised when visiting other areas Signage will be erected around key access points such as walking and cycle tracks Please check the signage if you are in the area this means you can resume normal activities in these areas.  For more information about the Northern Remutaka 1080 operation, view OSPRI’s factsheet The biodegradable pesticide sodium fluoroacetate (or 1080) is one of the many methods we use to manage the array of predators within the Wellington Region 1080 has been proven over many years to reduce predator numbers safely with no adverse impact on the environment or human health We use aerial 1080 for controlling predators in areas which are rugged and/or hard to reach making them difficult to control through other forms of ground control quality-assurance and monitoring requirements Helicopters are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational technology to ensure bait is accurately placed within agreed operational areas and identified ‘exclusion zones’ are avoided The use of 1080 requires consent from the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) It also must comply with both the Hazardous Substances & New Organisms Act and the Resource Management Act non-toxic tan-coloured “pre-feed” cereal pellets are sown by helicopter This gives possums a taste for cereal pellets encouraging them to consume the 1080 pellets sown at a later date making the operation more effective About seven to ten days after the non-toxic pellets are sown helicopters will sow cereal pellets containing the biodegradable pesticide sodium fluoroacetate (1080) Aerial control is particularly suited for large areas with rugged terrain cost-efficient and safe method of controlling mammalian pests Rats will die when they consume possum baits while stoats will be killed when they consume the carcasses of poisoned rats and possums A reduction in these introduced predators will further protect native plants and birds the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment strongly endorsed the continued use of 1080 in New Zealand water soluble and biodegradable substance that is readily broken down by bacteria and other micro-organisms in the environment Local health authorities apply strict conditions to aerial operations so that drinking water supplies are not contaminated Safety has been confirmed by tests on several thousand water samples taken after aerial 1080 operations over many years Dogs are extremely vulnerable to 1080 poisoning. For this reason we have put together some guidelines and resources you can use to keep your dog safe in our region’s parks and reserves As well as our operations, Department of Conservation and OSPRI are also involved in 1080 pest control We strongly recommend all dog owners read this information on keeping their dogs safe during any 1080 operations in the Greater Wellington Region My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event winner of three New Zealand Music Awards Paul Ubana Jones was born in London to aYorkshire mother and a Nigerian father.Paul was playing the guitar by the age of eleven Four decades as a professional decades and nine albums later he continues to performthroughout New Zealand Australia Europe and the USA.Paul has shared the stage and toured with the best: BB King Tuck and Patti… He has delighted festivalaudiences at the Dublin Blues Festival Blues at Bridgetown and many others in Europe.“A national treasure; Paul Ubana Jones is so much more than one man with a guitar He is a conjuror of unique and original songs rooted in primal Bluesand Soul”“The most exciting Electro Acoustic Artist to visit our shores”Good Morning News Police have left the scene of a bomb threat in Upper Hutt saying officers found no “items of note” A daycare centre and the NZCIS sporting campus it is located on have been in lockdown today as police swept the property A police spokesman earlier said they were making inquiries into a “threatening message sent to an organisation in Upper Hutt” “We do not believe there are any immediate safety risks these sorts of threats are taken seriously,” they said “Inquiries remain ongoing into the source of the message.” the spokesman said police staff were no longer at the site “Inquiries did not locate any items of note,” he said the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) earlier said it was working with police on-site with regard to an incident “In the interest of the safety of all on campus while the risk is low - everyone on-site has been evacuated and we expect an all clear for business as usual early this afternoon.” The Upper Hutt campus includes accommodation blocks had told them there was a bomb threat at the property we need to inform you we are currently in lockdown,” the preschool’s email said “This lockdown was enforced by NZCIS campus There has been communication of a bomb threat at the campus Officials are on-site and we hope to know more soon “We understand the anxiety this causes you but please know the tamariki are happy having games and are all accounted for.” was followed by an 11am update saying they remained “safe and well in lockdown” “Currently police with dogs are searching the whole premises thoroughly while a specialist team is arriving shortly,” the email said The preschool urged parents to take comfort in the fact they practised lockdown drills with the children each term “This is to ensure kaiako and tamariki are as prepared as they can be for situations like these.” asked parents and caregivers to pick up their children by 3pm today “We have been advised from the police and the serious threat team that they would like the whole campus (including Farmyard Preschool) to be evacuated as an extra precaution by 3 this afternoon “They have advised us that they are 99% sure that this was a hoax but would prefer to err on the side of caution and therefore we are asking that you come and collect your tamariki before 3pm so that the centre is closed for 3pm as advised above.” The email said the children were “amazing” through the lockdown The Wellington Phoenix cancelled their scheduled media session today at NZCIS due to “unforeseen circumstances” The northbound lane has reopened to traffic and the southbound lane is expected to reopen shortly Lines work remains ongoing and further traffic management may be used overnight Drivers can expect ongoing delays and should take extra while driving through the area Road users are asked to follow the instructions of contractors on site and obey all traffic management in place State Highway 2 is  currently closed near Timberlea/Brown Owl in Upper Hutt following a crash tonight The road is closed between Akatarawa Road and Norana Road has downed a power pole and power lines onto the road Local road diversions are in place and drivers must  follow the instructions of emergency services at the site Delays through the area can be expected until the crash scene is cleared and made safe Updates on the highway’s status can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website Highway conditions - Wellington(external link) NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport, state highways and local roads. Maia Johnston left a family address in Totara Park, Upper Hutt, at around 8.30pm on Saturday night to go for a walk and has not been seen since, authorities say. "Maia’s family are concerned about her well-being and are anxious to locate her. The photo of Maia attached to this release was taken yesterday and shows the clothing she was last seen wearing," police said. Police were asking for anyone in the vicinity of Harcourt Park and Brown Owl, as well as those in Totara Park, to review their CCTV for any sightings of Maia after 8.15pm on Saturday night. "We believe that Maia was wearing a black cardigan or light top, short shorts, and black and white converse shoes." People with information are urged to call 105, citing file number 241222/0237. Maia Johnston, 19, in the clothes she was last seen wearing. (Source: NZ Police) Police are making inquiries after a 19-year-old woman was reported missing by her family in Upper Hutt. Body found in burnt-out vehicle in Wellington 'not suspicious' Officers were called to Ladbrooke Drive in Woodridge overnight following reports of a vehicle fire 59 mins ago 37 mins ago Police are making inquiries after a 19-year-old woman was reported missing by her family in Upper Hutt Maia Johnston left a family address in Totara Park at around 8.30pm on Saturday night to go for a walk and has not been seen since "Maia’s family are concerned about her well-being and are anxious to locate her The photo of Maia attached to this release was taken yesterday and shows the clothing she was last seen wearing," police said Police were asking for anyone in the vicinity of Harcourt Park and Brown Owl to review their CCTV for any sightings of Maia after 8.15pm on Saturday night "We believe that Maia was wearing a black cardigan or light top People with information are urged to call 105 A body was found in a burnt-out vehicle in a north Wellington suburb overnight Officers were called to Ladbrooke Drive in Woodridge at around 11.40pm following reports of a vehicle fire When emergency services arrived at the scene "Initial indications suggest the death is not suspicious and the death will be referred to the Coroner," Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said Ryan said that while the death was not being treated as suspicious police were still appealing for CCTV footage to establish the events leading up to the fire "Police would like to hear from anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage in the surrounding streets specifically Ladbrooke Drive and Woodridge Crescent," Ryan said Anyone with information that may be able to help investigators were asked to call police on 105 Police dive teams have scanned the Hutt River and a duck pond in the search for missing man Bret Hill Bret Hill, 50, was last seen at 5.30pm on Sunday on Hillside Drive in the Upper Hutt suburb of Māoribank His whānau are searching Akatarawa and Birchville on Thrursday His son Trenton Hill said police are reviewing security camera footage and are looking for two people with a dog who last saw his father He added the duck pond at Harcourt Park was drained and drones have searched the area Police have confirmed they are following up information received from the public but would not say what that information is Trenton Hill told RNZ it was his and his father's birthday on Saturday - the day before he went missing Some of his whānau are coming over from Australia within the next week to assist with the search and we're just planning what to do," he said He said he has received more than 4000 messages since Sunday "We've heard a million things of where he could be so there's every possibility that he could be anywhere in New Zealand right now." The 50-year-old was described as 195cm tall Trenton previously told RNZ his dad had just got a new job and had been doing really well for the past three years He said he had a past of mental health issues but it had been a long time since he had "an episode" people could contact him via his Facebook profile "Trent Bone" Police want to speak to a couple who were seen talking to Bret Hill while walking their dog on the afternoon he went missing This morning just after 10am a man came into the Redwood Dairy and asked for band aids Owner Jugvinder told the man he did not have any in stock The man left but returned with a mask on and wielding a metal bar He tried to jump over at the counter at Jugvinder who then armed himself with a stick and gave chase Jugvinder’s wife Manmeet spoke to the Herald this afternoon “He came back to frighten my husband and my husband couldn’t understand why that was Then the guy tried to jump over the counter so my husband stepped back and tried to find something to save himself,” she said “He grabbed a little stick and ran after him Manmeet said she usually opened the shop on a Sunday - and often had her daughter with her Today though it was only Jugvinder in the store It is the second time the store has been targeted in an attempted robbery really scary for me because usually I open on Sundays .. it could have been me and my daughter,” she said “My husband rang me then I just came up and I said “I rang the emergency number and then the police came in about 15 minutes and fetched the (security) videos.” Manmeet and Jugvinder posted the videos on Facebook They hoped someone in the community would recognise the alleged offender - who came in the first time with his face uncovered and was captured clearly on camera Manmeet said the man was driving a stolen car She asked anyone who recognised the man to contact the police as soon as possible we work 13 hours a day to earn income,” she said She described people who targeted dairies and small businesses as “scumbags” “They might be coming from a bad background or they have a sad story from their family or their childhood was something traumatic Mairehau house fire: Firefighters battle two-storey house blaze 10 patients were assessed and treated by our crews in total Auckland commuters face a chaotic morning after two highways leading into the central city have been majorly disrupted by crashes NZ film industry faces uncertainty over US tariff ongoing decline in livestock numbers and questions over longer sentences reducing reoffending Reporter Sierra is at Magnificent Moa Day where experts are revealing their incredible 3.6 million year-old find Emergency services are attending the fire at a McDonald's on Pakuranga Rd Christopher Luxon holds a post-Cabinet press conference Air New Zealand's chief executive talks about the $490m Dreamliner retrofit and his job A video of a dog abuse incident is circulating on social media showing a dog swinging in the air and slamming into the ground on a walk in Manurewa A memorial tree has been planted at the entrance of St John’s bush in honour of slain American entomology student Kyle Whorrall where hip hop crews from all over the world are battling to see who’s the best and Parliament tackles alcohol and mental health The Coleman family has been melting down precious metals for more than 40 years This is the first time they've shared inside their multi-million dollar gold and silver operation The Prime Minister joins Mike Hosking in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big politicial issues Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined by Deputy PM Winston Peters and Minister of defence Judith Collins to make a pre-budget defence announcement The NBA star's split-second jab at an Australian reporter’s accent was picked up by microphones and 3D-printed limbs help child amputees in Gaza Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to be joined by Defence Minister Judith Collins and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters make a pre-Budget defence announcement The moment that cost Liam Lawson his first F1 points of 2025 Neighbours heard explosions as a fire ripped through a Mt Roskill house Mum pays tribute after Auckland bus stop killing Australians vote early and insurance companies brace for claims Megyn Cordner and Lucas Prince started their business from the back of a van in 2022 Andrew Che lost his life savings after sending it to the wrong account Barclays Bank has refunded his money after a prolonged battle for compensation Aerial footage reveals the scale of flooding across areas of Canterbury after a destructive weather system hit the region and prompted a state of emergency North Shore real estate agency chief responds to a Real Estate Disciplinary Tribunal decision Mark Mitchell provides an update on the state of emergency in Christchurch and Selwyn A possible mini tornado was spotted about Auckland Harbour as the latest band of wild weather hits the city Fire and Emergency NZ said it responded to more than 30 callouts overnight more Kiwis turning to methamphetamine and Drs are back at the negotiating table NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander speaks about CEO pay in 2024 Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking' and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm Heather Keats updates the powerful system battering New Zealand breaks down why Wellington is under a rare red warning with extreme winds and Local MP Hon Nicola Grigg speak to the media on the local state of emergency in Selwyn Gisborne locals and health workers marched to Heipipi Park where speakers highlighted what they say is a regional health crisis NZ Herald Live: Simeon Brown talks to media A tourist in the Philippines climbed into a crocodile cage to pose for a selfie A car has hit a group of pedestrians in Upper Hutt this afternoon closing the city’s main road and causing serious injuries The two-vehicle crash happened shortly before 1.45pm on Fergusson Drive Three people have been taken to hospital in serious conditions One was taken to Hutt Hospital and the other two were taken to Wellington Regional Hospital a spokeswoman for Wellington Free Ambulance said RNZ is reporting three children narrowly missed being hit in the group with one car mounting a kerb and the other crashing through a garden into a house “My wife and I went out just to have a look and that’s when we saw the one car was pushed in right up to the windscreen,” a witness told RNZ A police spokesman confirmed to the Herald they were unsure how many pedestrians were hit and there have been varying reports between the different emergency service agencies The blockage was disrupting traffic headed for the Wellington Cup at Trentham Racecourse involved a car and several pedestrians,” police said in a statement Fegusson Drive near Tararua St was expected to be blocked for “at least another hour” Police said motorists should follow detours and take alternate routes Fire and Emergency New Zealand was called to the crash at 1.43pm A spokeswoman said two cars collided and “two or three” pedestrians were involved Firefighters cut one person out from one of the vehicles One of the cars has also hit key electricity infrastructure on the street and firefighters are waiting for linesmen to come to assist Fire and Emergency had not received any reports of power outages in the area Power distributor Wellington Electricity’s website did not show any reports of power outages Upper Hutt City councillor Matt Casey said people should be aware of heavy traffic in the area following the crash so just be aware that traffic is heavy as well,” Casey said “Hopefully those who are injured will recover and hopefully others are all right too.” It was a giant blinking road sign that told Whiteman's Valley resident Josh Bailey time was up the Upper Hutt community of Katherine Mansfield Drive had been fighting to keep chainsaws away from a stand of beech trees threatened by a project to widen the road to improve safety of access to a new subdivision But as Bailey turned into the gravel road last Tuesday night the glowing letters told him access would be closed for three days the following week A group of about 20 had gathered in the roadway to say goodbye on Sunday afternoon - to "spend some time with the trees a bit to say 'These are things that have been long since there were people here Fourteen trees had been marked with a blue dot for removal - most living and a handful dead Bailey said the results had shown a huge amount of unique biodiversity you can't just pop out a couple of them and there's no impact on the trees around them Even the dead trees were habitats for other species Amelia Geary from Forest and Bird said Sunday's gathering was a "last-ditch attempt" at getting a message to the council "There were really mixed feelings," she said "A combination of people despairing the loss of the trees a lot of indignation at the terrible decision making at Upper Hutt City Council." But the council said the final road redesign was still a compromise Director of planning and regulatory services Helen Hamilton said the final road realignment plan had narrow shoulders and added curves to save as many trees as possible "one considering the minimum requirements in the Upper Hutt City Council Code of Practice for Civil Engineering Works and two alternatives that looked at reducing the standards to save additional trees" "Following an independent Road Safety Audit it was considered that the reduction in safety created by the alternative solutions was not acceptable." She said there had already been one crash on this road so far there is potential for more frequent and serious accidents." Councillor Tracey Ultra said their loss was a disappointing outcome The vote was held during the previous council term and she suggested that had it been held today more councillors might have voted to save the trees Bailey said he hoped its legacy would do some good with work planned to study the changes in the ecosystem after the trees' removal Photographs had been taken of the trees and the forest as a whole and monitoring would be ongoing to assess the effect of their loss Now to a long-running battle in the Hutt Valley where the council is set to fell a section of native black beech trees so a road can be widened Hamish Reith and Ealing Farm Limited cleared nearly 10 hectares of indigenous forest A body found near the Birchville Dam in Upper Hutt was of missing man Bret Hill Police were notified about 1.40pm on Sunday that a body had been found Formal identification established it was that of Bret Hill The body was removed on Sunday afternoon and a scene examination carried out with up to 50 people including Land Search and Rescue scanning the Hutt river At that stage police said the last sighting was along Hutt River road north of Māoribank duck pond His son Trenton Hill told RNZ it was his and his father's birthday on Saturday - the day before he went missing Some of his whānau were coming over from Australia within the next week to assist with the search Police thanked members of the public who helped police and provided information during the search was last seen at 5.30pm on Sunday on Hillside Drive in the Upper Hutt suburb of Māoribank A teenager miraculously found alive after falling down a “nearly two-storey waterfall” has shared a post about her ordeal saying the messages of love and support are making her emotional Meanwhile the 19-year-old’s mum has spoken of how well her daughter handled the ordeal Maia Johnston, 19, was rescued from a remote bush area in the hills of Upper Hutt yesterday afternoon, having spent two nights alone and injured while desperate family searched tirelessly for her. “I can’t get back to messages rn [right now] y’all make me too emotional rn haha.” Johnston disappeared on Saturday evening about 8pm after telling family she was going for a walk to get some space When she failed to return and loved ones realised she had left her phone and wallet behind A location provided by police shows she was found a short distance from the last place she was seen on CCTV who searched through the night and much of the days until Johnston was found by Search and Rescue yesterday afternoon said her daughter had surgery on her spleen overnight and will go back into surgery today “for three other areas of concern” “Her injuries are definitely more serious than originally thought She said Johnston “just wanted some fresh air and a walk” and “made the simple decision to wander to a waterfall that wasn’t on a track” Johnston has since “apologised profusely” to her family for not telling them where she was going or taking her phone with her “Who among us hasn’t made a dumb decision in life?” Walsh asked “She’s just really unlucky that she has fallen a substantial distance and seriously injured herself so she couldn’t get back out.” It “wasn’t a smart decision and a serious accident has happened” but the searches for her – joined by hundreds of members of the Upper Hutt community – were “what saved her life” She also credited Johnston’s “sheer determination to live and make it through” Johnston was now on a lot of pain relief medication but had been “very chatty and matter of fact about the events of the time in the bush” even as her mum I’m blown away with how she handled it .. but hopefully feels a bit better after this next surgery this morning.” Walsh said she had not yet slept because she had been by her daughter’s hospital bedside all night but would go home today to get some sleep and “do the Santa thing” with her 6-year-old twins in the morning before heading back to hospital A Givealittle page has been set up for Johnston’s family so they can focus on supporting her recovery “She has extensive injuries and is going to require multiple surgeries and a very long recovery Let’s help Maia and her family so they don’t need to have added financial stress during this difficult time,” wrote the page creator who was one of the people who helped in the search Kim Anderson (aka Kim Can Draw) is of Māori and Singaporean Chinese descent She says the Fellowship provides her with the “time energy and resourcing” needed to develop a graphic novel translator & community leader Tauanu’u Perenise Tapu Sitagata the book is designed to introduce children to the rich cultural heritage of Samoa and the environment by drawing on a wealth of traditional wisdom that can appeal to younger readers of all ethnicities in Aotearoa Headway is issuing a strong and urgent warning to whānau and young people about the deeply troubling ‘Run It Straight’ trend a challenge gaining popularity among rangatahi that encourages participants to charge at each other in full-speed collisions This is not a sport; it’s a direct assault on developing brains offering clear skies and mild winds — a rare gift in the Tararua Range which averages over 160 days of gale-force winds and 200 days of rain annually The Commissioner will work alongside the Secretary for Education who will remain actively involved in the negotiations Their advice and expertise will be central to his decisions From the return of a legendary cultural relay to a brand-new forest trail course and a kids' run that brings schools together in celebration of movement this year’s event promises to be one of the most vibrant and community-driven editions yet Emergency services were called to Twin Lakes Rd at 7am A person has died in a single-vehicle crash in Upper Hutt Police said the sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene