Mid-winter's ups and downs

BY WARWICK RASMUSSEN

June kicked off with the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Among those to receive gongs were city oncologist Richard Isaacs and retired lawyer Kevin O'Sullivan, who were made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Levin's Te Uira Graham Kerehoma and city councillor Lew Findlay were also recognised for their efforts.

A 20-year-old man nearly had his hand cut off during a samurai sword attack at a Linton St address. He was flown to Hutt Hospital to undergo emergency surgery A 16-year-old male was arrested for the attack.

Massey University and UCOL record a huge increase in student numbers. The recession caused many people to use the opportunity to study and retrain themselves.

The Government announces it will slash funding to night-school classes to save money. Continuing-education night classes, like those held at Queen Elizabeth College, would become the hardest hit.

Juanita McNae, 84, scores her first hole in one – at the Brookfields Park golf course in Palmerston North. Mrs McNae took up the sport at the age of 70.

Figures released by MidCentral health show that about one in five cancer patients in the central North Island aren't getting enough radiotherapy because there aren't enough machines to cater for the demand.

Palmerston North City Council decides to keep a second city bridge in its long-term plan after initially ditching the idea earlier in the year. The bridge is set to built on Staces Rd.

John Broadbelt shares his novel approach to weight loss. The Marton meat worker walks almost 10 kilometres to work at CMP Rangitikei at Bulls carrying 62 kilograms of weights, including a wooden block, to work. The odd technique helped him shed a whopping 42kg.

Activist Francis Shaw, convicted of a church arson, has his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal. He was found guilty in 2008 of torching Otaki's historic Rangiatea Church in 1995.

Gunshots were fired outside a Grey St liquor store. There were no reports of injuries, but police suspect the incident could have been a targeted drive-by shooting.

The city council thrashes out the final rate rise for the following financial year, locking in the average rise at 6.5 per cent.

Feilding company Fibreglass Developments announces that 27 jobs are to be cut after orders dry up. The redundancy affects staff in Feilding and at the company's headquarters in Katikati in the Bay of Plenty.

Police investigate three suspicious fires in the city on the night of June 9 and early hours of June 10. The fires were at the Esplanade Cafe, the Cook St shops and the Ashley St Plaza building.

Experienced Ashhurst firefighter John Bragg catches fire while setting up a training exercise. His lower legs were badly burned.

Freyberg High School wins the national secondary schools division two cheerleading competition in Auckland.

Linton Army Camp commander Colonel Tim Keating steps down from the role after a brief 18-month stint. He moved on to become Deputy Chief of Army in Wellington. Colonel Keating was replaced by Colonel Howard Duffy, a 25-year army veteran.

Whispers start that a new airline – Pacific Wings – wants to fly in and out of Palmerston North Airport. Few concrete details are available.

Palmerston North's city library is leaking and has done so since it opened back in 1996. The bill to fix it is estimated to be $290,000. Mayor Jono Naylor wants answers.

Manawatu farmer Michael Short, 25, takes home the coveted Golden Gumboot award for the Rural Bachelor of the Year competition at Fieldays, near Hamilton.

Sandi Powell and her family of nine emerge from a nine-day swine flu quarantine at their Marton home. Families all around the country were put in lockdown as a precaution against the virus, which swept the country during winter.

NZ Windfarms applies for permission to build 57 more turbines on its Te Rere Hau farm.

Angry pensioner investors vent their rage at investment firm ING and ANZ bank after millions of dollars in investments go sour.

Double murderer Mark Lundy is set to appeal his convictions for bludgeoning to death his wife Christine and daughter Amber in 2000. He was convicted in 2002 after one of the most high-profile murder trials in New Zealand history.

An entry in popular online encyclopaedia Wikipedia slags off Palmerston North. A "crime" section focuses on gang activity, high unemployment rates and a raft of other less-than-flattering descriptions. The site can be edited by members of the public.

A Nomads gang member, Philip "Filthy" Stevens, is forced out of Levin by a judge for his own protection after his house was torched in an arson attack. Stevens was in court on other matters, including drink driving and driving while disqualified.

A Niwa report states that there have been improvements in the water quality in the Manawatu River, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

A Palmerston North motor lodge that banned people from Wainuiomata from staying is up for sale in a mortgagee auction. Supreme Motor Lodge owner Steve Donnelly passed the ban earlier in the year after he said residents of the town trashed and burgled his units.

Serial arsonist, Awapuni man Christopher Tubman, is arrested on 16 charges, including setting fire to buildings at Freyberg High School, Terrace End School and Cafe Esplanade.

Manawatu rugby star Aaron Cruden leads the New Zealand Under-20 team to World Cup victory, 44-28, in the final against England. Cruden was also named IRB junior player of the year. The team was coached by Manawatu Turbos coach Dave Rennie.

- © Fairfax NZ News