WATCH: The funeral of artist William Jameson was as big and well-sculpted as his artworks.

Unrepentant former Northland church leader has been jailed for 20 years for systematically grooming and sexually abusing a dozen girls for more than a decade.

A modest Whangarei bungalow has sold for $230,000 above its capital value - has the world gone mad?

More police dedicated to targeting drugs and organised criminal groups are needed to stem the flood of methamphetamine into Northland.

Building Minister Nick Smith says tighter rules for businesses which test for meth contamination will be in place by the end of the year.

The sudden death of one of Wairarapa's most colourful characters and community leaders has shocked and saddened the district.

A teenager serving a life sentence for murder is facing a charge of indecently assaulting a female prison officer at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

The man who punched Stephen Dudley has said he feels responsible for the teenager's death and has labelled himself a "coward".

Hawke's Bay Police are looking for the young man responsible for the sexually motivated incident.

State Highway 2 linking Opotiki and Gisborne was closed this morning due to a large slip in the Waioeka Gorge.

The Bay man accused of attempting to kill two police officers and also allegedly shot at four others is heading to trial.

More methamphetamine has been found by police among sand dunes in Northland, adding to what is already the largest meth seizure in New Zealand history.

Three men charged in connection with what police say is the nation's biggest ever methamphetamine haul have appeared in Kaitaia District Court.

A section of State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa is closed until midday while a crashed truck and its cargo are removed.

A man aged about 80 has been rescued after a night in his car stranded in a Central Hawke's Bay farm paddock.

Safety upgrades designed to reduce the risk of death and serious injury crashes are being installed by the NZ Transport Agency.

The crash happened this morning at the intersection of Glenfield Rd and Manuka Rd in Glenfield.

Two men have been arrested following an incident where shots were fired and a vehicle rammed in the Coromandel this afternoon.

The distinctive 1965 Chrysler 300C, registration DSA652, was stolen overnight from a Palmerston North property.

Motorists travelling through Horowhenua are facing a slow tip because of surface flooding this afternoon.

Revered Maori leader Sir Graham Latimer was farewelled by hundreds of mourners at a funeral in Northland yesterday.

The Sky Tower is glowing orange tonight until Sunday, in support of Kiwis doing the 40-hour famine to raise money for World Vision this weekend.

Alcohol, speed and an overloaded vehicle contributed to the severity of an accident that killed Brethren members near Dargaville on Monday.

Emergency Services have successfully rescued a horse trapped by dangerously rising floodwaters in the Otaki River.

INTERACTIVE: Explore map of assaults, sexual assaults and robberies to see how your neighbourhood compares with the rest of the country.

Two women have admitted methamphetamine charges after a police raid in which more than $20,000 cash was seized.

Northland's top roading cop is "horrified and astounded" after a driver was stopped allegedly doing 165km/h on a busy stretch of Northland state highway.