One person has been taken into custody after being car spiked in Leamington this afternoon.
At around 12:30pm, police were notified of a person escaping custody and assaulting two Corrections officers outside Waikato Hospital.
The alleged offender has then reportedly carjacked a vehicle in the hospital carpark and fled the scene.
Police made area enquiries to locate the man in the stolen vehicle, before it was sighted by the Eagle helicopter in Te Awamutu at around 3:25pm.
The Eagle Helicopter tracked the vehicle until police staff on the ground located it, and it was successfully spiked on Cambridge Road, Leamington around 3:40pm.
The vehicle then came to a stop just off Cambridge Road approximately five minutes later, where the offender was taken into custody.
The 25-year-old man is due to appear in the Hamilton District Court tomorrow, facing a number of serious charges.
This was a rapidly evolving incident, said Detective Inspector Darrell Harpur.
“I would like to commend staff who swiftly formulated and executed a plan to locate and arrest the man involved before further people were brought in harm’s way.”
20 November 2024 10pm
Help’s on track
Pictured from left: Sarah Ulmer, Henry Strong and Jo Davies-Colley. Photo: supplied.
A new automated external defibrillator (AED) has been installed on the Te Awa River Ride thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor.
Cambridge Community Board chair Jo Davies-Colley worked with Heart Safe’s Henry Strong to find a suitable location.
In April 2022, Cambridge Fire Brigade attended to a ride user who suffered a heart attack while riding her bike.
After talking to Sarah Ulmer from the Te Awa River Ride, it was decided an AED would be very valuable on the track and it is now opposite the eel sculpture below the Velodrome. It has been registered with St Johns and the AED location website.
Road to citizenship
South African Matt Hopson described taking the oath as a new Kiwi as a “long journey” but well worth it.
Matt and his family were among 98 people who became New Zealand citizens at the Cambridge Town Hall on Tuesday. The family have been in New Zealand for eight years and four in Cambridge.
Matt Hopson, centre, holding granddaughter Bethany, 4, with from left wife Carol, daughters Chloe, 15, Peyton, 12, and Jamie – a teacher at Cambridge Middle School. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Dream come true
Vitor Fabris of Brazil described taking the oath as a new Kiwi as a “dream come true” when he and his family – now living in Te Awamutu – became New Zealand citizens. They have been in New Zealand for five years and Te Awamutu for two.
From left: Vitor Fabris, Clorice Pohl Moreira de Castilho, Valentina Pohl Fabris, 10, mother Janete Fabris, friends Bill and Ruth Ward and father Valter Fabris. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
United Kingdom – with 24 inductees – topped the poll followed by South Africa with 20. Other countries represented were Colombia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Scotland, Netherlands, India, Fiji, United States, Ireland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Philippines, Germany and England.
The latest Waipa group to gain New Zealand citizenship. Photo: Michael Jeans
Person of the Year
Paul Walker
The News is starting the annual search for two Waipā people of the Year.
Each November we invite readers to email [email protected] and nominate someone for the Te Awamutu News or Cambridge News version of the award – and tell us what makes that person worthy.
Who do you think should follow Te Awamutu’s Paul Walker and Cambridge’s Shirlee Bennett?
Shirlee Bennett
Clinical professor
Jo Scott-Jones
Pinnacle clinical director Jo Scott-Jones has been appointed an Honorary Associate Professor for the leadership he has shown in rural health in the Division of Health at Waikato University.
He becomes the second Pinnacle health professional to be honoured after nursing director Jan Adams of Cambridge was appointed two years ago for her work to set up the Bachelor of Nursing programme.
Against carp
Fish and Game New Zealand wants to rid the Karāpiro Stream of carp and is not advocating to protect it, Fisheries manager Adam Daniel says. The News reported the organisation was against a quarry in Newcombe Rd because the Karāpiro Stream is a trout spawning waterway and supports eels, kākahi and freshwater mussels. Carp is an introduced pest in the stream which muddies the steam’s waters.
Podmore inquest
Olivia Podmore
A three-week inquest into the death of Cambridge-based Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore got underway in Hamilton this week before coroner Luella Dunn who said there was no dispute it was suicide, but the focus of the hearing would be on her mental health challenges and the role of Cycling NZ in those.
Free concert
The Cambridge Brass Band is putting on a free family-friendly Christmas concert on December 5 in the Town Hall from 7.30pm.
A mayoral Bydder?
Andrew Bydder
The man who has been censured for his foul-mouthed criticism of Waipā District Council and mayor Susan O’Regan has been approached via social media regularly over the last three months since his outburst to stand for mayor. Hamilton City councillor Andrew Bydder, who lives in Cambridge, has not ruled it out.
Short meeting
Waipā’s Service and Delivery committee meeting this week was potentially the shortest on record lasting only three minutes – enough time to confirm previous meetings and approve road closures for Christmas parades in Te Awamutu and Cambridge.
Repairs needed
Repairs to the historic Victoria Bridge in Cambridge could take several weeks, but the bridge will remain open for the public, Waipā District Council says. The bridge was damaged last week after a car and a van collided on the Cambridge town side. The car went through the side barrier, and landed on the reserve land underneath the bridge, while the van remained on the footpath. A 34-year-old Cambridge man was arrested and appeared in court last week.
Show stands
Waipa Home & Leisure Show
Stands for the Waipā Home & Leisure Show at Lake Karāpiro in May next year have gone on sale. The show, run by The News owner Good Local Media, attracted a steady stream of customers for the 80-plus exhibitors when it debuted at the Sir Don Rowlands Centre earlier this year. It will expand next year taking in other parts of the Karāpiro Domain.
Dog put down
The owner of an American Bulldog which attacked a miniature poodle in Sherwin Park, Te Awamutu has been convicted under the Dog Control Act for owning a dog that made an attack and ordered to pay $7000 in reparation to the poodle owner. The poodle was seriously injured and needed $20,000 worth of emergency life-saving veterinary care.
Olympic celebration
A community celebration to welcome home Waipā’s record number of Olympians and Paralympians is set to be the district’s largest-ever celebration of our champion athletes. Following New Zealand’s most successful Olympic campaign, 20 Waipā athletes, along with their coaches and support crew, will be honoured at a civic ceremony and community event on Victoria Square, Cambridge on Friday, December 13.
Emergency management
Marae Preparedness plans with coordinated incident management systems have been developed by Waipā, Ōtorohanga and Waitomo Emergency Management operations manager David Simes with, Waipapa, Mangatoatoa, Mangapeehi, Te Kūiti, Taarawaanga, Maniroa, Poohara and Maungatautari marae. Te Kooraha Marae has also installed a Crisis Bunker Container in preparation for any need to set up the marae during an emergency, Simes told Waipā’s Regulatory committee this week.
