Northland news briefs

Two Whangārei men accused of a tyre-slashing spree have been further remanded in custody.

Tyre-slashing charges
Two men charged with slashing the tyres of vehicles parked on Whangārei streets have been further remanded in custody until the new year. Derek James Lynn, 27, of Ōtangarei, and Wesley Ian Thomas Hodgkinson, 28, of Kensington, have pleaded not guilty in the Whangārei District Court to a raft of charges. Lynn is jointly charged with 15 charges of arson, two of intentional damage, two of driving while disqualified, one of possession of an offensive weapon, and resisting police. Hodgkinson is also jointly charged with 12 counts of arson, two of intentional damage, and two of wilful damage. Both will reappear on January 25, 2019.

Whangārei Lotto winner
A ticket sold in Whangārei was among four that each won $250,000 on Lotto First Division on Wednesday. The winning tickets were sold at New World Regent in Whangārei, Pokeno Superette in Pokeno, Rolleston New World in Selwyn and on MyLotto to a player from Wellington. Powerball was not struck and has rolled over to Saturday night, where the jackpot will be $7 million.

Otaika Shopping Centre sold
Whangārei real estate firm Bayleys has sold the popular Otaika Shopping Centre at an auction this week. The entire complex, with a rating value of $2.4 million, was sold for $3.8m. The building consisting of eight businesses, including the Otaika Four Square, Aussie Butcher, Liquorland, a pharmacy and Lotto and Post Shop. Most of the retailers have 10-year leases that expire in 2027.

Northland pair for Kiwis
Two Northlanders are in the Kiwi rugby league team for the first test against England at Hull's KC Stadium tonight. James Fisher-Harris will start at No 13 for the Kiwis while Adam Blair will be on the interchange bench in an unchanged team from the one that beat the Kangaroos two weeks ago. Blair has 46 tests for the Kiwis while Fisher-Harris has three caps.

Highway repairs at Oakleigh
A section of State Highway 1 in Oakleigh, south of Whangārei, will be closed overnight for repairs and sealing from tomorrow. Roadworks just south of the Mangapai Rd intersection will replacing the surface with new aggregate and seal. The road would be closed to all traffic for two nights from 9pm to 5am on Sunday and Monday. A detour will be in place for southbound traffic via Mangapai Rd, Paparoa Rd, Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd, and SH12 back to SH1. The detour is the same in reverse for northbound traffic. Work is weather dependent and scheduled for completion by November 8.

No racing at Dargaville
For the second year running there will be no racing at the Dargaville course in November. The situation with the track was not major but there was not enough time for officials to remedy the problem before the race meeting. Instead the meeting will be held at the Ruakaka track on November 16. The Ruakaka club has offered Dargaville Racing Club members to use the Members Lounge and Sunline Bar and Deck at the Ruakākā racecourse.

Kamo Shared Path next stage
The multimillion-dollar contract for stage three of the Kamo Shared Path has been approved by the Whangārei District Council. The contract is worth $4,509,070.92 and has been awarded to Broadspectrum, who have been the contractors for the first two stages. Stage three stretches from Kamo Rd to Fisher Terrace. Work is due to start at the beginning of November with anticipated completion in mid 2019.

Garden tour tickets on sale
The 2018 Whangārei Garden Discovery will be held next month. The event will run from November 23-25 and people can visit 22 superb gardens over the three days. It's expected to be an inspiring weekend for garden lovers. Tickets are $25. Go to www.whangareigardens.org.nz for more information.