Seven Otumoetai teachers are retiring this year: Doreen Swetman, Larry Dixon, Julie Eagle, Stewart Henderson, Anna Shaw, Alan Galletly, Colette MacKenzie.

A boy playing with a lighter is believed to have started the fire that destroyed a house in Otumoetai. The fire service was called to the house on Otumoetai Rd about 8.45am yesterday, which was fully engulfed by thick black smoke and flames coming out of the windows.

An intrepid group of runners are training in -23C temperatures in a Sandord's cool store ahead of an Artartica Marathon next March. We caught up with them to see how they were coping.

Firefighters were called to a major house fire in Otumoetai, Tauranga. The road was blocked as they worked to battle the blaze.

The SPCA have begun a new initiative to bring kittens and puppies to Tauranga workplaces, including the Bay of Plenty Times. We made sure we were part of the action.

Haeata Charitable Trust founder and friend Teisha Reihana is supporting the Filo family, who had all their Christmas presents stolen.

Ongare Point, just north of Katikati is home to a massive community effort to clean up the waterways. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Kurt Pickard returned home to Tauranga to host a two-day development camp over the weekend. We caught up with the London Olympian to find out why.

A beach mat was trialled on Mount Main BEach on Saturday could bring joy to locals with disabilities. It allows them to roll onto the beach and down to the water's edge with no drama.

Mount barber Sam Dowdell is taking his barbershop to the road, planning to visit every town in New Zealand trading haircuts for services to raise awareness of male suicide and men's mental health.

Almost 100 children raced across Gate Pa Park, from St Georges Church, to claim new bikes donated by the Tauranga community.

Former Tauranga City Council has launched a bid to save two mature trees which are due to be felled.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced a$158,000 funding boost during his launch of the 2016 Bay of Connections Yearly Report in Tauranga

The ageing membership of the Tauranga Sunrise Lions may no longer be able to go door-to-door collecting for the needy but they have found another way to contribute to the cause.

A car and motorcycle collided on State Highway 2 intersection with Omokoroa Rd leaving one motorist in a serious condition.

For years, thousands of young people have flocked to Mount Maunganui for the New Year's Eve celebration. But not this year. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

For the International Tattoo and Art Expo next year Tiki Taane is running a competition for one lucky teenager to perform live with him at the expo.

Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns hands over $6000 cheque to Tauranga Community Foodbank chairwoman Sharon Hitchcock.

The Bay of Plenty Times asks residents who should replace John Key as leader of the National Party

More than 800 tonnes of sea lettuce has been collected from Tauranga shores. We visited Kulim Park at low tide to see just how bad the stinky problem was.

A new Banksy image has cropped up overnight in central Tauranga, of Prime Minister John Key flipping the bird while being beamed up by an UFO wearing a shirt saying 'don't vote'.

Tauranga teen Alanna Campbell, who leads Bay of Plenty at this week's Toro Interprovincial has landed a scholarship at Iowa State University

Jaxon Bolton-Bennett has scored himself a job after a winter spent on the dole.

The new chief executive of Tauranga economic development organisation Priority One is a former media man.

Bike Mount's Heidi Hughes has spearheaded a petition to keep the Bayfair underpass for cyclists

Tauranga's Volunteer of Year Linda Scott from Assistant Dog NZ with Asher, who has raised $70,000 for the organisation