Author: Press Room

A modern-day Robin Hood supermarket plans to deliver profits back to foodbanks.The Community Grocer has begun delivering pantry staples to online shoppers in three cities, with profits going to the Salvation Army and its community partners.Its Auckland kai champion Joel Williams is helping to run the initiative.”We’re working in partnership with market gardeners. It’s an online shopping platform where anybody can jump online, order some groceries, choose their pick-up point that they want to pick it up from,” he said.”That sounds pretty normal, the difference is who are the shareholders? Community organisations, so the profits from the sale of these…

It might sound idyllic to live beside a lake, but for Pegasus residents, it is anything but.The Pegasus Residents’ Group wants answers on the fate of Pegasus Lake, due to ongoing issues with toxic algae.Environment Canterbury (ECan) issued an abatement notice to the developer, Templeton Pegasus Ltd, last month about the state of the artificial lake in the Canterbury town.It followed the latest public health warning for toxic algae, which was issued in December.Residents’ group chairperson Matt James said frustration was growing among residents, who continued to face uncertainty.‘‘We have a good relationship with Templeton Group, which has given us…

A Northland lines company says substation break-ins are endangering lives and causing power cuts affecting thousands of people.Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw said he was shocked by what he described as the offenders’ “astonishing recklessness” and “absolute stupidity”.In the most recent break-in, thieves took essential equipment from a substation and forced a power shutdown that left 4500 Far North homes in the dark.Shaw said the thieves also sabotaged a high-voltage earth connection, putting themselves — and any staff working at the substation afterwards — at serious risk of electrocution.In another break-in, thieves damaged generators and made them unusable just…

A review by Health New Zealand has outlined “significant” staffing issues at Nelson Hospital but stops short of outlining how this will be addressed. Senior doctors spoke out to 1News earlier this year, saying patients’ lives were being put at risk due to staffing levels at Nelson Hospital. The subsequent review by HNZ’s top clinicians has found that Nelson Hospital has specific shortfalls in some services compared to the rest of New Zealand. Senior doctors say patients’ lives are being put at risk. (Source: 1News)It found there was a shortage of senior doctors, especially in general medicine, geriatrics, obstetrics and…

Devices found near a body beside Auckland’s Southern Motorway were pipe bombs that could have killed people, police say.Police were alerted to the death about 11.30am on Tuesday and it resulted in the motorway being closed for many hours.Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward said an investigation into the man’s “sudden death” was continuing and further specialist examination of two devices found near him had been completed.”From this examination, police can confirm both devices were in fact viable pipe bombs.”These devices would have been capable of causing death or serious injury to any individual in proximity.”Hayward said these devices had now…

A doctor pleaded guilty overnight to giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star’s overdose death.Dr. Salvador Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry’s death to plead guilty. He stood next to his lawyer and admitted guilt to four counts to Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court in Los Angeles.Plasencia, 43, was to have gone on trial in August until the doctor agreed last month to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles.He spoke…

A suspected car thief has been stopped in his tracks by a Selwyn family yesterday morning following a string of alleged burglaries. On Monday evening, the 27-year-old allegedly stole a vehicle – a white Nissan Presage – from Hornby, in Christchurch. The car was crashed and abandoned in West Melton just after midnight. Over the next few hours, police allege the man “attempted to break into more vehicles and steal from several properties”.A car owner disturbed the man as he attempted to break into his vehicle in the Kingsdowne Dr area around 8am on Tuesday and called police.“The car owner…

Rough sleepers in Napier now have a place to stay overnight with the official opening of the city’s night shelter.Named Āhuru Mōwai as a “warm, calm haven”, the shelter would provide short-term refuge initially for some of the city’s most vulnerable men – known as whānau pounamu – as winter deepens. The facility has been unofficially open for the past three weeks, and rough sleepers and advocates have already noticed huge positive changes. Now, the shelter has been officially opened with Whatever It Takes Trust managing operations at the facility, which hosts up to eight men each night from 4pm…

Ozzy Osbourne, the “prince of darkness” and godfather of heavy metal, has died aged 76, just weeks after he reunited with Black Sabbath bandmates for a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham in England, writes Australian music educator Lachlan Goold.His family posted a brief message yesterday: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.”John Michael Osbourne changed the sound of rock music and leaves behind a stellar career spanning six decades, numerous Grammy awards, multiple hall of fame inductions – and a…

The Department of Conservation is investigating the unexplained discovery of a dead stoat on Stewart Island.Rakiura is known to be stoat-free with the nearest population 30km away across the Foveaux Strait.The dead stoat was found on the Rakiura Great Walk Track earlier this month with its skull crushed, either from a trap or similar blunt force.The department’s Southern South Island Director of Operations, Aaron Fleming, said a stoat’s swimming range was 2km and they were not known to stowaway on boats.”This stoat has died from a head injury then mysteriously turned up on a busy walking track,” Fleming said.”We need…