Waikato Times top five stories of the week

WEIGHTY MISTAKE: Former Hamilton City Council team leader of leisure facilities Chetan Viraj Jethwa, 24, escaped a jail term after being sentenced in the High Court in Hamilton on drugs charges.

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JUST MARRIED: Kirsten Steinke and Kenneth Kallan Stithem.

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1. Collision at Waitomo Caves turn off

Tragedy struck a newlywed American couple last Wednesday when the car they were in collided with a cement truck near Waitomo Caves.  Kenneth Kallan Stithem was killed and his wife, Kirsten Steinke, was critically injured.  Ms Stainke remains in hospital. The pair had married four days prior to the incident and were honeymooning in New Zealand.

2. Hamilton Ring Road - Before and after

Roads, roads, roads! If you're a driver, lover of roads or simply like to be in the know,  this the story for you. Using photos supplied by Hamilton City Council, Waikato Times web editor Harkanwal Singh has produced an interactive feature so you can see for yourself how each phase of the Ring Road is shaping up.

3. Cyclist in serious condition

A cyclist was left in critical condition after a road smash last Tuesday night.  About 8.55pm Forest Lake residents heard a loud crash and rushed outside to find a 47-year-old man sprawled on the ground. Police said initial indications are that the cyclist was travelling south along Lafferty St when a westbound vehicle travelling along Hinau St  failed to give way and knocked the man off his bike.

4. Council worker's drug factory

Former Hamilton City Council team leader of leisure facilities Chetan Viraj Jethwa, 24, avoided a jail term after being sentenced in the High Court in Hamilton on drugs charges last week. Instead, he was sentenced to  a year's home detention and 300 hours community service on 12 charges including importing, selling and possession of class C drugs 4-MEC, MDPV, and six Medicine Act charges relating to steroids.

5. How our schools rate

National Standards results were made public for the first time on Saturday. Reading, writing and maths results from close to 100 Waikato schools were revealed in a move that was condemned by Waikato Principals and education academics, who say the data is unreliable and destructive. Prime Minister John Key has described the data as "ropey" and Education Minister Hekia Parata said it was variable.

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