Northland new briefs

Taupo Bay is one of three Northland beaches in the competition to find New Zealand's best beach, with entries closing tomorrow.

Beach vote nears close

Voting closes tomorrow in the competition to find New Zealand's best beach. Three Northland beaches are in the Top 10 Beaches competition being run by the New Zealand Herald.

The Top 10 beaches are Maitai Bay, Matapouri Bay and Taupo Bay, in Northland; Te Arai, Auckland; Castlepoint, Wairarapa; Hahei, Coromandel; Kaiteriteri, Tasman; New Chums, Coromandel; Opito Bay, Coromandel and Whangamata, Coromandel. Voting closes tomorrow, go to tinyurl.com/votenzbestbeach.

By-election vote packs

Voting packs for the Far North District Council byelection are being mailed out to all 19,200 electors in the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Ward starting this Friday. The four candidates vying to replace Willow-Jean Prime, now a Labour list MP, as councillor are Harko Brown, David Clendon, Peter Gill and Kelly Stratford.

Voting closes at noon on February 17. Anyone who believes they are eligible to vote, but has not received a voting pack by February 1, can arrange a special vote by contacting the electoral office on 0800 922 822.

Kaipara mayoral meeting

Kaipara voters can meet their mayoral candidates at a meeting in Dargaville tonight. The meeting is from 7pm at The Lighthouse Function Centre in Dargaville and has been organised by Federated Farmers,

Waipapa man dies

Waipapa identity Don Speake, whose Waipapa Loop Rd home was rebuilt by volunteers after it was razed by fire in 2013, has died. Mr Speake, who was about 77, was found deceased in his garden. He had been battling cancer for some time.

Stolen car burnt

A Volvo station wagon stolen from Kawakawa last week was found on Friday burnt out by the beach at Beaufort St near Opua. The fire had spread into nearby shrubs and trees. Police inquiries are continuing.

Correction

A page one Northern Advocate headline yesterday referred to a road rage stabbing. However, the accompanying story reporting on the death of Kaikohe man Christopher Vujcich, who died on Saturday, made no reference to a stabbing. Our apologies for the error and incorrect inference that a stabbing took place.

The accused, Patrick Dennis Tarawa, from Kaikohe, has been charged with manslaughter, after he was initially charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.