Northland news in brief, Sol3 Mio winners and crash victims named

Three readers have won double passes to see Sol3 Mio, above, in Kerikeri on Saturday.

Lucky winners
Three Northern Advocate readers have won double passes to see Sol3 Mio in Kerikeri on Saturday in a competition the newspaper ran. The trio, Brenda McLeish, Julie Butel and Theresa Harvey correctly answered that Sol3 Mio are playing at Kainui Rd Vineyard. They also win a Sol3 mio t-shirt each. More than 220 entries were received in the competition.

Children named
Police have named the two children killed in separate crashes in Northland last Friday.
The six-year-old girl who died in the crash on SH12 near Omanaia was Joshwyn Reihana-Ruka. While the five-year-old boy who died in the crash in Whangarei, on Mill Rd, was Jahquin Sadler. Both crashes remain under investigation by the Northland Serious Crash Unit.

Pursuit called off
Police abandoned a pursuit due to high speeds reached by a fleeing driver.
Sergeant Claire Carter said the vehicle described as a gold-coloured Holden was involved in a petrol drive off in Dargaville just after 2pm on Tuesday. The vehicle was spotted on SH12 just outside Dargaville and failed to stop for officers. The pursuit was called off near Matakohe and the vehicle has still not been found.

Arrests for assault
A 28-year-old woman was taken to hospital after an alleged assault by two male family members left her with facial fractures.
The assault on Boxing Day happened at a Kaikohe house about 8pm. The woman was initially taken to Bay of Islands Hospital but was then transported to Whangarei where she remains. Two men were arrested and held in custody to appear in Whangarei District Court yesterday, each on a charge of wounding with intent.

Businesses burgled
A number of burglaries have been reported to police over the last few days in the Whangarei area including two businesses on Bank St.
It has prompted a warning from police to ensure all properties are secure and for neighbours to report any suspicions behaviour immediately.

4G mobile service
Spark has switched on a summer 4G mobile service at Kaeo, Helena Bay, Panguru and Kawakawa in time for the influx of holiday-makers. General manager of networks, Colin Brown, said a big effort had been made to ensure coverage and capacity were available in the places where New Zealanders spent their summers. "We want people to stay connected with their families and friends throughout the holiday season, no matter where they decide to spend their time," he said. "The huge increases in data use over the summer period last year show there's strong demand for these services in the Northland region."

Caravan clarification
A caravan that was dumped in a scenic rest area at Kaiwaka was left in the reserve on December 4, not last week as reported in Tuesday's Advocate.
The caravan was removed on Saturday by NZTA within 24 hours of the transport agency being informed by the Northern Advocate of the caravan, that had been destroyed since it was first dumped.