August 3: Texts released by Tauranga City Council show Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell called a colleague a "soft c**k" and a "spineless coward" appear to show he considered resigning during a power struggle with a breakaway faction of councillors.
August 6: A Tauranga councillor texted a colleague about another councillor's "low cut tops" "really tight white pants" and "frilly party tops" - then asked if cellphones could be checked in official information requests.
First-term councillor Dawn Kiddie also wrote mockingly of deputy mayor Tina Salisbury sharing a ride on mayor Tenby Powell's "Harley" and walking around town with "a plum in my mouth" in the text released under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.
August 6: US giant Intuit has agreed to buy a software company founded by two Tauranga brothers for more than $100 million.
Cameron and Bradley Priest founded TradeGecko, which makes inventory and order management software for small businesses, in Singapore in 2012, along with another Kiwi, Auckland web developer Carl Thompson.
Big payday: TradeGecko founders Bradley and Cameron Priest. Photo / Supplied
August 8: Todd Muller opens up about his bombshell decision to quit as leader of the National Party after just 53 days in the job.
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller and wife Michelle after his departure as leader of the National Party. Photo / File
August 11: A total of $13 million has been approved to start building a new primary school in the Pāpāmoa area where more than 4400 children already go to school.
Te Okuroa Dr School's new principal Shane Cunliffe says it is a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to be able to build a brand new school from the ground up.
Te Okuroa Dr school's newly-appointed principal Shane Cunliffe at the building site. Photo / George Novak
August 13: Rest homes are in lockdown, funeral homes are bracing for devastation, and women's refuges are preparing for violent households to spike again.
The news of a return to alert level 3 for Auckland and level 2 for the rest of New Zealand came after four confirmed Covid-19 cases with no known source and another case of Covid in an isolation hotel in Auckland.
August 15: Tauranga's mayor says he is surrounded by "smiling assassins" after what has been described as his "unprovoked blow-up" at a councillor in an informal meeting.
August 21: A Bay of Plenty man has been jailed for more than 12 years for importing 500kg of meth with an estimated street value of up to $150 million.
August 24: Bay company Comvita has made 90 staff redundant as part of a company restructure while its iconic tourist attraction at Paengaroa is unlikely to reopen.
The restructuring process has resulted in 50 job cuts to New Zealand-based roles with the remainder based overseas, which has enabled the company to dramatically reduce its projected losses for the year.
Experience Comvita in Paengaroa will likely not reopen. Photo / Supplied
August 25: The Tauranga neighbourhood stoush over the future of an avocado tree has resulted in a victory for those who want it gone - but not without conditions.
The tree is located on a Tauranga City Council berm on 13th Ave but owners of 5 13th Ave have, since January, fought to have the tree removed as part of plans to subdivide the property.
Phil Green, chairman of the Grace Road And Neighbourhood Residents Association and architect. Photo / File
August 27: A "pink" beach house with views of the Pacific Ocean has sold under the hammer for $3.15 million - almost $1m above its rating valuation.
