This year's RSA Poppy Appeal has been launched with a focus on the support needed for families of service men and women, calling for New Zealanders to be understanding and show their care not only for veterans and those currently or previously in service but the families who share the impact of that service. The appeal, which will benefit 41,000 veterans, current service men and women and their families, will culminate in an earlier than usual Poppy Day on Friday.
Packhouse to open
Seeka opens its new fruit packhouse in Waipapa Rd, Kerikeri today. The new packhouse building and grading machinery completion is part of the $18.6m facility upgrade and investment in Northland.
Seeka's chief executive, Michael Franks, said: "This is a world class post-harvest facility. The investment will significantly lift the capacity of the business and give growers better harvest timing across all varieties handled – kiwifruit, avocados and citrus. While there is a little way to go to complete the upgrade to the site, final machine shifts, coolstore builds and construction, this is an important waypoint achieved."
Jury trial elected
A man accused of attacking two police officers in Whangārei has pleaded not guilty to all charges and elected a jury trial.
August Lemon, 43, appeared in Whangārei District Court yesterday on charges of causing grievous bodily harm to a male officer on March 19 and assaulting a female officer the same day.
The charges relate to a callout at Otaika Shops in which a policeman was allegedly knocked unconscious. Lemon was remanded in custody and a trial date is yet to be set.
