Driver sought
Police are looking for the driver of a black BMW car which was driven dangerously through Cambridge on Sunday and later found abandoned on Swayne Rd. The car, without number plates, was driven at high speed around Cambridge, was involved in two incident with police patrols and narrowly avoid crashing into a police car and other vehicles. Police have asked that anyone with cell phone or dashcam footage of incident involving the car to call 105 and cite the reference number 250112/1648 .
SH1 closes at Karapiro
Karapiro road closure
SH1 at Karāpiro, south of Cambridge – between Karāpiro Road and SH1/29 at Piarere – will be closed for four days from Sunday (January 19) for maintenance and repair work. All traffic will need to take detours or alternative routes to avoid the area. The full closure is the safest and most efficient way to complete the work required. During the works, contractors will lay 42,000m2 of chipseal and apply a second seal on barrier areas and shoulders. They will also carry out works at the intersection with Maungatautari Road, and general maintenance such as mowing and sign repairs.
Hotel tops list
The top story on Cambridge News website last year was our exclusive about a new hotel planned for Hautapu.
Jonny Schick and Mark Wright of Shaw’s Victoria Ltd Cambridge Hotel. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
While it didn’t go anywhere near to exceeding the hits to 2023’s viral news story about Supergran – who single handedly foiled a robbery in the main street – it was comfortably number one ahead of the Shakespeare Street roundabout debacle.
An attempted robbery at a dairy in Leamington came in third with News in Brief from October 10 – where it was revealed the St Peter’s School head Marcus Blackburn had resigned – was fourth.
Rounding out the top five was the police’s appeal for names for five juvenile suspects who broke into a Hamilton Road superette.
Roy Pilott
Other well read stories were local body issues – news of an unbudgeted $57 million spend on wastewater plants, the Blue Blob fall out and parking issues in the CBD. Then there were the feel good stories – two mums Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors picking up gold medals at the Olympics in Paris and one from our last edition of the year, Te Miro principal Michaela Phillips stepping down after seven years and Cambridge Menzshed finally getting its own home.
Good Local News editorial director Roy Pilott said the numbers showed residents were increasingly turning to the Cambridge News website in between the weekly publications to be kept informed of news.
“These figures don’t include activity to the Cambridge News App which is also another tool for residents to stay on top of what’s going on,” he said. The company’s other websites – teawamutunews.nz, waikatobusinessnews.nz and kingcountrynews.nz – had also shown healthy readership increases.
Rāhui placed
Raukawa has placed a rāhui over the Arapuni and Bulmer’s landing and the Jones landing on the Waikato River following the drowning of a man there last Friday. Waipā District Council this week asked “everyone to respect the rāhui by refraining from swimming, fishing, or engaging in any water-based activities at these sites during this period”. The rāhui will remain until 9am Saturday.
Warning lifted
Public health warning issued for Lake Kainui in December 2021, and Lake Hakanoa in August 2023 have been lifted by the National Public Health Service after tests showed cyanobacterial levels are below the warning level. An extreme risk health warning remains in place for Lake Ngā Roto and warnings remain at lakes Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake), Waikare, and Whangape.
Balloons return
The annual Balloons over Waikato festival, running from March 18 to 22 this year, will feature a 30 metre high owl balloon – known as Owlbert Eyenstein. The highlight of the event, the nightglow, will be held at Claudelands
