By Kate Green of RNZA prisoner with a burst appendix was told it was a stomach bug, and waited six days to be admitted to hospital for surgery. The Health and Disability Commissioner said multiple registered nurses saw the woman, but their clinical impression was that of a viral infection. The prison has denied clinical staff said this. Ms A said she was in a vulnerable and dependent state, and the clinical staff did not do enough to escalate her care. "The medical care Ms A received fell short of what is rightly expected of us.

A machete was found along with cannabis, a set of scales and an imitation firearm inside a vehicle searched in Dunedin this morning, police say. Police stopped the vehicle in Ardmore Dr, near the Kensington Sports Bar & Tavern, about 12.10am this morning, Sergeant Matt Lee, of Dunedin, said. Officers spotted a meth pipe in the vehicle and invoked a search, Sgt Lee said. The search of the vehicle also produced a butterfly knife, a machete, police scanners, cannabis plant, scales and a ‘‘tick book’’. Officers witnessed a 19-year-old man allegedly ‘‘chasing after an associate and trying to kick him over’’, Sgt Lee said.

Highlanders centre Jonah Lowe looks for an opportunity while Timoci Tavatavanawai and Cameron Millar are in support during the Super Rugby Pacific game against the Crusaders on Friday night. Highlanders fans might at least want a few days to revel in the pure joy of beating the Crusaders 25-23 in the opening game of the Super Rugby season before they contemplate losing their coach. They found a way to win the game, just about lose it, and win it again. "I thought he contributed really, really well," Joseph said. The other eyebrow-raising Super Rugby result at the weekend was in Lautoka.

Photo: DOC/SuppliedFurther work could be required to protect a Bluff beach from old waste such as asbestos, despite tonnes of material already being removed. In August, Ocean Beach re-opened to the public following closure in 2018 due to contamination from a historic landfill. "Significant" amounts of asbestos needed to be removed and up to 30 - 50 years of work was forecast, Suter wrote. DOC operations manager Murihiku John McCarroll said contaminants, including asbestos, were first reported at the beach in 2018 and 1.2 tonnes of material was removed. Located just outside Bluff, Ocean Beach is situated near an old freezing works site which is now home to aquaculture and a distillery.

Photo: File imageA prison expansion is on such a fast track that it prompted officials to ask if compromises were being made. Corrections told RNZ it had accelerated the project "while still retaining checks and safeguards". Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ the Gateway review "commended the department for active efforts to manage all risks". Double bunking: 'They're going to get angry'Corrections told RNZ the design had less internal communal space but an open-air courtyard instead. Mitchell told RNZ he had been assured Christchurch Men's was on schedule.

Tim Richards and his cows which are unwittingly becoming celebrities in the gaming world. A herd of North Otago dairy cows feature in Fantasy Herd, believed to be the world’s first fantasy sports-style game powered by real cows, real farm data and live wearable technology. Launched by Meadow Fresh, the game involved players selecting dairy cows from Tim Richards’ working dairy farm between Georgetown and Ngapara. He was keen for urban-dwellers to see the technology used on today’s farms. Mr Richards, who has about 700 cows, has used Halter technology for about three and a-half years and described it as a game changer.

Driver fatigue is thought to be the cause of a crash near Lake Hayes yesterday that left two Australian tourists injured. Queenstown police area response manager Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson said a vehicle with four occupants was travelling east on State Highway 6 when it veered off the road and hit a tree near the Lake Hayes Pavilion about 4.30pm. A woman was flown to Dunedin Hospital, and a man was transported to Lakes District Hospital. It appeared the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, Sen Sgt Wilkinson said. The incident was a reminder for all drivers to take regular breaks during long trips, or to change drivers if possible.

Judge Tom Gilbert wasn't impressed when he discovered an arsonist had used AI to pen apology letters. "It is clear these letters were generated by AI [artificial intelligence]," Judge Gilbert said, as defence lawyer Cindy Lee told the court Win had written letters of apology. Lee then approached Win in the dock, who admitted she had used AI to "help" write the letters. Judge Gilbert didn’t accept her explanation, saying the use of AI to draft apology letters "undermines the sentiments". While a pre-sentence report had recommended home detention, Judge Gilbert instead imprisoned her for 27 months.

Canterbury environmentalist-entrepreneur Brianne West has developed a new business called Incrediballs offering a new range of plastic-free drink tablets. Photos: suppliedPlastic-free drink tablets are the latest business venture by Canterbury environmentalist-entrepreneur Brianne West. This is being released as a sustainable alternative to the 583 billion single-use plastic bottles produced globally every year by soft drink manufacturers. The drink tablets took seven years to develop at a cost of about $500,000 using pioneering co-crystal technology developed by University of Bradford scientists in Britain to stabilise them. Developing the drink tablets had taken more money and longer than she first thought.

Castle Street in Dunedin on a Sunday morning during O-Week. Photo: RNZ / Tess BruntonPolice and the University of Otago will be monitoring student behaviour, with concerns about another year of out-of-control and dangerous behaviour during Orientation Week (O-Week). Second year students Charlie, Hunter and Hugo hosted Saturday night's Castle Street bash, saying hundreds of people attended. Since September, two young men have been critically injured from falls - including from the roof of a Castle Street flat. The Otago University Students' Association is hosting a range of events for O-Week, which kicked off on Monday.

The tail of the storm that is ravaging much of the lower North Island today, is expected to hit Dunedin tomorrow. Periods of heavy rain are expected to hit Dunedin (east of Pukerangi) from 4am until 7pm tomorrow, and there is a strong possibility the watch could be upgraded to an Orange warning. MetService is forecasting the heavy rain to peak between 10am and 2pm. Because South Dunedin was quite low-lying and flooded relatively easily, she said it was wise for residents to be prepared. "Follow advice from the Civil Defence and stay alert with the latest heavy rain watches and warnings on the MetService website."

A council submission that reads as defensive pushback rather than constructive critique may struggle to land. No changes that New Zealand makes in reducing fossil fuels will have any effect on climate change and global warming. I did not see any opinion pieces from Duncan Connors criticising the pathetic and ideologically compromised Biden administration. I guess this did not fit Duncan Connors’ left-leaning narrative. Dave TackneyFairfieldAddress Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin.

Photo: RNZThe wild weather that has battered the North Island appears set to make its way south. MetService meteorologist John Law told RNZ the rainfall was sticking around in the north, but gradually moving south. There would also be extremely strong winds, he said. Chief operating officer Alex Marren said strong wind conditions were continuing in Wellington, with forecasts of more than 60 knots. The entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is in a state of emergency with heavy rain, flooding as severe weather lashes the lower North Island.

Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeart app. Scan the QR code to download now. Download from the app storesStream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeart is easy to use and all FREE

I already have a track record of getting on with people I don’t agree with - I date across the divide. On the campaign trail, I wouldn’t have any trouble explaining what I bring to the role, as I’d only have one policy: Don’t be a dick. Actually, someone really did encourage me to stand for election to the Dunedin City Council once. My sole policy, don’t be a dick (tator), would prevent that happening, were I to get elected. Not at the moment, of course, where the tone is ridiculous, but you know, if there was a proper council going on.