Ella takes the lead

When Ella Yarndley graduated from the Special Olympics athlete leadership class at Parliament last week, she joined an elite group of Te Awamutu swimmers. But it nearly didn’t happen. She was struck down with an…

Presenting medals at the Olympic Games is something Sarah Walker has now got down pat – but emotions got the better of her when she put a gold medal around Dame Lisa Carrington’s neck on…

There’s something about pandas and kiwi which gets the creative juices going in children. The art on display in Cambridge Town Hall on the weekend as part of the Panda Meets Kiwi International Youth Art…

Cambridge’s Micah Wilkinson and sailing partner, Auckland’s Erica Dawson, picked up a bronze medal in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull event at the Paris Olympics. Wilkinson, 28, who helms, and Dawson, 30, have been competing…

Waipā District Council has put its representation review proposal out for public consultation. Senior writer Mary Anne Gill reports on what rural voters should consider. When Maungatautari ward councillor Mike Montgomerie voted for the Waipā…

The Waipā council has inherited a “legacy of neglect” when it comes to the Cambridge Water Tower, says the man leading a community initiative to save the historic building. Peter Fulton who chairs the Save…

Devon Briggs has a message for the kids who used to bully him at primary school – who’s got the last laugh now? The 20-year-old psychology student is in Paris about to compete at the…

He might be the mayor of Tauranga now, but Mahé Drysdale is still one of Waipā’s best Olympians. His two gold – won at London and Rio de Janeiro – and a bronze medal from…

A controversial change to crop protection structures and shelterbelts in Waipā will have its own District Plan consultation following a flurry of complaints about kiwifruit shelters. Lobbying from landowners, industry groups and an appeal by…

A photo exhibition showcasing the life of Rewi Alley in New Zealand and China attracted larger than anticipated crowds for its two days in the Cambridge Town Hall last week. See: Rewi Alley’s legacy celebrated…