Police on Chester Ave in Westmere, where a person was seriously injured after being crushed by a vehicle. Person rescued after being trapped under vehicle in Westmere, AucklandPolice on Chester Ave in Westmere, where a person was seriously injured after being crushed by a vehicle. Photo / Michael CraigA person is seriously injured after being trapped under a vehicle in a central Auckland suburb. Fire and Emergency said its staff had to lift the vehicle to free the person at Westmere. Hato Hone St John said the person was seriously injured and had been taken to Auckland City Hospital.

A young woman has been taken to Dunedin Hospital in a serious condition after an incident at St Clair Beach this morning. A Hato Hone St John spokesman said they were notified of the incident at 10.48am. One patient was assessed at the scene and was being transported to Dunedin Hospital by ambulance in ‘‘a serious condition’’, the spokesman said. Saint Clair Surf Life Saving Club paid lifeguard supervisor Mereana Martin said life guards responded to a first aid incident on the beach. Beachgoers Elsa Gordon and Braveheart Simmons told the ODT they saw a young woman being treated and carried on a stretcher to an ambulance.

Tighter restrictions on emergency housing have been hailed as a game-changer by Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. Photo / Mark MitchellThe Government has challenged whether its emergency housing policies have contributed to rising homelessness. But it concedes it has no information on the living arrangements for about 20% of those who have moved out of emergency housing. Emergency housing is still available for people who meet the criteria and have nowhere else to go. It remains to be seen whether this has had an impact on the acceptance rate for emergency housing applications.

PHOTO: ODT FILESA young Dunedin tramper found dead on a solo tramping trip has been described as a selfless volunteer and a "fine young man". Mr Purvis, who worked at Dunedin shop Bike House, was a cornet player in the Kaikorai Metropolitan Brass. OBHS rector Richard Hall said Mr Purvis was "a much-loved former student and a fine young man". Mr Hall said Mr Purvis was "defined by his selfless service and leadership". Police were grateful to Mr Purvis’ friends and family for their input and assistance with the search.

PHOTO: TONI MCDONALDA fitting punishment for stealing plaques from the graves of war veterans would be to "clean and scrub every bloody headstone", an Invercargill RSA member says. Four of them were taken from the graves of returned service personnel who served in World Wars 1 and 2. If found guilty, the man "should be made to go down to the Eastern Cemetery and clean and scrub every bloody headstone there — it’s got a lot more", he said. "Hundred hours worth of community service down there cleaning up graves and headstones, I think, would be a very fitting punishment. The plaques were critical for families of war veterans to find their loved ones and see the physical acknowledgement of their sacrifice, he said.

David Simmers. Photo: ODT FilesPolice have named the Wānaka man who died after becoming trapped under a vehicle in his driveway. He was David Simmers, 85. A person close to the man told the Otago Daily Times he was in his late 70s or early 80s, lived alone and had family living locally. PHOTO: EVIE SINCLAIRIt was not known how he became trapped under his vehicle, and no other people were involved.

A man has been shot dead by police after a siege at Springfield, on the NSW Central Coast. Man shot dead by police after six-hour siege on NSW Central CoastA man has been shot dead by police after a siege at Springfield, on the NSW Central Coast. Photo / Gaye Gerard, NewsWireA man has been fatally shot by police after a six-hour siege at a home on the New South Wales Central Coast. Police say a 49-year-old man armed himself with a screwdriver and other sharp objects after officers tried to speak to him. “Police continued to communicate with the man, who refused to co-operate,” NSW Police said.

Photo: Supplied"This storm in a T-shirt" is how a climate activist who tried to pay a court fine using a hand-drawn $50 note has described being trespassed for wearing a shirt saying 'It's a Climate Emergency'. Bruce Mahalski was convicted and discharged in December for trespassing at the Dunedin Airport after wearing the shirt and holding a protest sign. Another trip to Christchurch Airport had been uneventful, but when he returned to Dunedin Airport, he was trespassed. "Last time, I took the $50 note for my offender levy into the court in a bag of coal." As to whether he would return to Dunedin Airport, he did not plan to but expected other activists would.

Earlier this week a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said two crews attended Simmers’ home after the incident. She said a person was “trapped under a vehicle” and firefighters “extricated” them and assisted St John paramedics at the scene. A Hato Hone St John spokesperson confirmed two ambulances, one operations manager and one helicopter responded to the scene. Photo / NZMEA neighbour said Simmers had lived at the Roche St property for many years. According to family notices, Simmers’ wife, Jenny, died in 2018.

Nick Reiner’s arraignment has been postponed until Feb. 23, while a public defender takes over his case. The Los Angeles County district attorney charged him two days later. His attorneys spoke to the judge briefly and intermittently conferred with Reiner before Jackson announced his withdrawal from the case. Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo García appeared with Nick Reiner’s new attorney, Kimberly Greene, at a news conference after the hearing. He said they had learned only Tuesday night their office would be taking over Reiner’s case.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that “rioters” obstructed ICE officers and one driver attempted to “run over” law enforcement officers, which she called an “act of domestic terrorism”. Two ICE agents pulled up, exited their vehicle and approached the SUV. Some Republicans defended ICE, citing a reported rise, according to DHS, in assaults against federal immigration officers. “Radical Leftist RIOTERS are attacking our law enforcement officers who are just trying to keep our country safe,” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) wrote on X. Frey had previously expressed concern that ICE’s presence in Minneapolis could spill over into violence, and damage already frayed relations between citizens and law enforcement.

Connor Purvis went missing near Lake Ōhau. “[We] wish to extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the family of Connor Purvis on the tragic loss of Connor,” a statement said. Connor Purvis intended to climb Mt Huxley in the Southern Alps and descend via the Huxley River South Branch. Photo / NZ PoliceHowever, he failed to return as expected, prompting what police earlier said was a “significant search effort”, using drones, helicopters and land search and rescue teams. Drones, helicopters and land search and rescue teams searched for the missing tramper for almost a week.

The single male fruit fly was found in Mount Roskill. Photo: Supplied / Biosecurity New ZealandA biosecurity operation is under way in Auckland after the find of a Queensland fruit fly. The male fruit fly was in a surveillance trap and identified this morning in the suburb of Mt Roskill. In Australia, the Queensland fruit fly costs growers hundreds of millions of dollars a year in damage and pest control. Queensland fruit fly maggots ate more than 200 different types of fruit and vegetables, Biosecurity NZ said.

Two people were flown to Dunedin Hospital with moderate injuries. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN (file)Two people have been flown to hospital following a jetboat crash in Otago.Emergency services were called to Makarora, in the Queenstown-Lakes district, shortly before 3.30pm yesterday. The injured pair were flown to Dunedin Hospital in a moderate condition. St John said another person was treated at the scene, but did not need transportation. Maritime New Zealand said that it had asked the commercial jetboat operator to not repair the damaged boat until it had inspected it.

An ICE officer fatally shot a 37-year-old woman Jan. 7 during an operation in Minneapolis. Responding to the shooting death of a 37-year-old woman, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) had a fiery message for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. ”He called on the country to stand by law enforcement officers. Some Republicans defended ICE, citing a reported rise, according to DHS, in assaults against federal immigration officers. “Radical Leftist RIOTERS are attacking our law enforcement officers who are just trying to keep our country safe,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) wrote on X.