Paihia gun buyback event
The first gun buyback event in the Paihia area since a law change made most semi-automatics illegal will take place from 3-7pm today at Bledisloe Domain at Haruru Falls. Other Northland firearms collection events will be held at the Maungakaramea Rugby Club from 3-7pm on August 21 and at Lindvart Park in Kaikohe from 11am-3pm on August 25. Firearms owners are urged to pre-register at www.police.govt.nz to speed up the buyback process.
Selection panel chosen
Russell residents have chosen five people to act as a trustee selection panel for the newly approved Kororareka Russell Community Wharf Kaitiaki Trust. The successful candidates, with the number of votes received, are John Grant (588), Colin Cashmore (581), Rob Lang (543), Manuela Gmuer-Hornell (502) and Antony Hanlon (437). Christine Moses, Stephen Western and Chris Reid were unsuccessful. The panel will meet at a later date to choose the initial members of the new wharf trust, which was approved with an almost three-quarters majority in a poll of Russell residents conducted by Independent Election Services. A total of 955 people, a return rate of 36.4 per cent, voted.
Measles case
Parents and children who spent time at Whangarei Academy of Gymnastics on Wednesday, August 7 or at Flip Out on Friday, August 9 are being warned to check for signs indicating they might have measles. A 12-year-old boy who was later confirmed to have measles spent time at those places on both afternoons. It is the 23rd case confirmed in Northland this year but is likely to have been caught in Auckland, as have the last three cases. Northland Medical Officer of Health Dr Catherine Jackson said measles starts with flu-type symptoms, fevers, cough, runny nose, and sore red eyes with a rash appearing on day three to five.
Teen found safe
Family members alerted police to a missing 19-year-old sparking a late night search and rescue operation in the Far North yesterday. Sergeant Craig Burrows, who was part of the police search team, said the male had gone bush after a domestic incident on Wednesday afternoon. However family members became concerned when the teenager, from Houhora, had not returned by midnight. A police search and rescue team, from Whangārei, travelled north and started their search off Hukatere Rd. A family member discovered the young man walking along the road about 8am yesterday. Burrows said the man was tired and emotional but was uninjured. He was taken to Kaitaia Hospital as a precaution.
