Dogs put down
Two dogs seized by the Far North District Council after attacks on a 94-year-old man and a 4-year-old girl have been put down. In the first incident, the 94-year-old was bitten on his legs and forearm while trying to rescue his dog from a larger dog on the fields behind Kerikeri High School on February 26. The victim's dog was on a leash but the offending dog was not. On March 8, 4-year-old Sharika Elliott was attacked by a wandering dog as she and her brother were playing. A spokesman for the Far North District Council said both dogs were surrendered by their owners and euthanased. Both owners would be fined for failing to keep a dog under control.
$20 a real steal
Police are looking for a man believed to have run off with the princely sum of $20 after an altercation at a Chinese takeaways in Kerikeri. The man was at Don Huang Chinese Restaurant on Cobham Rd - known for its $5 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet - about 1pm yesterday when he snatched a $20 note from a staff member's hands. When confronted about it he reportedly pushed the staff member to the ground and fled.
Police interviewed witnesses on Kerikeri Domain and searched the McDonald's carpark as well as the pokies rooms at a nearby pub. The man, described as Caucasian with a goatee, was captured on CCTV further down the street.
Road worker injured
An injured contractor was airlifted to Whangarei Hospital by the Northland Rescue Helicopter yesterday after a dump truck rolled at a remote location southeast of Kaitaia.
The accident is thought to have occurred about 1pm during work on a road in the Mangamuka Ranges. A St John spokesman said the driver suffered moderate head injuries, while a spokesman for WorkSafe said the agency had been notified of an incident near Mangamuka Gorge and was making initial inquiries.
Coastguard recruiting
As part of its recruitment drive the Northern Regional Coastguard is holding an open day on Sunday, April 2. From 9.30am to 12.30pm, the public can visit units at Kaipara, Northland Air Patrol (Kerikeri Airport), Whangarei and Whangaruru.
As well as those who crew the rescue vessels, other roles to help Coastguard function include fundraising, administration, maintenance, safety checks, local events, unit visits and community group presentations. For location details go to www.coastguard.org.nz/volunteer