SH8 reopens after truck and trailer rollover
The crash has closed SH8 near Lawrence. Image: NZTAState Highway 8 near Lawrence has reopened this morning after a truck and trailer rollover last night blocked the key southern route. Special fire appliances from Dunedin were dispatched to the scene where a truck and trailer carrying an excavator rolled and was leaking diesel. Crews from Lawrence, Waitahuna and Milton responded initially, and "a support vehicle" was sent from Dunedin with "some extra absorbent material" to help clean up the spills. A police spokeswoman said the excavator was down a bank, and the truck and trailer were partially blocking SH8, and the road is now closed between Clarks Flat Rd and Waitahuna West Rd.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 21:03 UTC
61 shops announce closures in 10 days
Photo: RNZ/Calvin SamuelBy Susan Edmunds of RNZWe are only half-way through the first month of the year and already the business closures are mounting. "Businesses were saying 'oh, next quarter things are going to be much better'. "I think there's still a spate of business closures to come." "Two national businesses, 61 stores across the two businesses, have announced liquidations or closures in the first 10 days of the year... that shows how difficult it is for small and bigger businesses. She said the government could do more to ensure its settings were business-friendly and encourage people to buy from New Zealand businesses rather than offshore.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 19:12 UTC
Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act over Minnesota protests
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, addressing reporters outside the White House, declined to say if she thinks Trump should invoke the law. It’s his constitutional right, and it’s up to him if he wants to utilise it to do it,” Noem said. Asked if Trump is likely to take this major step, she said: “I don’t know.”Tensions rose further as an immigration agent shot and injured a man in Minneapolis on Wednesday evening (local time), triggering further protests. The shooting marked the second time in a week an ICE agent had shot someone in Minneapolis. “During the struggle, the federal agent discharged his weapon, striking one adult male,” O’Hara told reporters at a press conference.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 15, 2026 18:27 UTC
Health NZ confirms another major tech outage
Photo: 123RFHealth New Zealand has confirmed another major technology outage, this time for hospitals in the lower North Island. Health NZ said the outage was not related to hacking or to the Southern district outage, and services continued to operate safely throughout the day. But the healthcare worker, who RNZ agreed not to name, said the inability to access patients' vital health information was a clinical risk. Health NZ would only confirm "part of the Central Region" had been affected. "Health NZ admitted it had major problems late last year, and said it would take months not weeks to fix."
Source:Stuff
January 15, 2026 17:01 UTC
New Zealand Corvette Z06 Driver Has Car Impounded For Speeding and Burnouts
Photo Credit: NZ PoliceA 2016 black Corvette Z06 — now strapped to the bed of a rollback — won’t be tearing up any roads for a while. Its driver is facing charges in New Zealand after allegedly blasting through a Southland neighborhood on Christmas Eve at speeds up to four times the legal limit. “Thanks to information provided by the public, and through our initial enquiries, we identified the vehicle and its driver,” Russell said. Authorities also allege the man performed burnouts in the Z06, adding to the list of charges he now faces. Source:odt.co.nzRelated:C7 Corvette Driver Ticketed for 127 MPH on Interstate 69 in TexasC8 Corvette Driver Earns a Trip to Jail After Being Clocked 99 MPH in a 45 MPH ZoneThis C7 Corvette Driver was Arrested for Going 147 MPH in BakersfieldSubscribe Now:
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 16:12 UTC
Auckland train assault: Victims left ‘deeply fearful of public transport’ after late-night attack
The attack involved a large group of teenagers who were either watching, filming, or taking part in the assault. One of the victims, Harry, told the Herald he and his friends boarded the late-night train and noticed there was a large group of intoxicated teenagers causing a “nuisance”. Harriet, a victim of a recent train attack. Olivia was dragged off the train and suffered a deep cut on her hand from a wine bottle. Olivia was dragged off the train and suffered a deep cut on her hand from a wine bottle.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 15, 2026 16:10 UTC
Aim for ORC to be best council it can be
Today Otago Regional Council chairwoman Hilary Calvert answers our questions. I began this triennium by wanting to work towards the ORC being the best council it could be. In 2026 the ORC will face major challenges with uncertainty around the future of not only regional councils but indeed all councils. It is even more important to be the very best council we can be. This support will require us to avoid asking staff to do unnecessary work and work which the ratepayers don’t want.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 16:02 UTC
Govt tourism campaign to target lower South Island
Central Otago wines are among the attractions in a new government campaign targetting the lower South Island. That is the message from Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston who has announced a campaign targeting the lower South Island to run from April until June. The Southern Way campaign would receive $459,250 from the second stage of the Regional Tourism Boost Fund to build on the momentum of the first campaign. "With direct flights from the Gold Coast into both Dunedin and Queenstown, it’s never been easier for Australians to explore everything the lower South Island has to offer. The campaign brought together Great South, Tourism Waitaki, Enterprise Dunedin, Clutha Development, Tourism Central Otago, Destination Queenstown, and Lake Wanaka Tourism.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 15:55 UTC
Shearing fundraiser begins
Cromwell police officer Senior Constable Paddy Henderson at work in a Central Otago shearing shed in 2023. Snr Const Henderson used to have a shearing run and was a contractor for more than 15 years, before giving the run to Mr Kirk and enlisting in the police. Mr Kirk had the shearing run until 15 months ago when he handed it over to Scotty Armstrong. Mr Armstrong reached out to Snr Const Henderson asking for a hand and to help raise money for Mr Kirk and his family. Snr Const Henderson and the shearing fraternity came up with the 24 hour shear-a-thon idea, with volunteer shearers and donated shearing contractor workers helping to reach the goal.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 15:55 UTC
Violent sex offender returned to jail for damage, breaches
PHOTO: ODT FILESA violent sex offender who spent six years locked up only lasted a month in the community before being sent back behind bars. Daniel Waka Minogue, 44, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to wilful damage and two charges of breaching release conditions. At the time, Stuff reported most of the allegations related to Minogue taking a woman to a remote part of the Waimakariri riverbed. The woman believed he sexually violated her in the course of a search for drugs, Stuff reported. Yesterday, Judge David Robinson sentenced Minogue to three months’ imprisonment.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 15:53 UTC
Residents return as smell of smoke lingers
A digger demolishes and uncovers smouldering timber in the remains of the Roslyn Scout Hall as firefighters battle the last remaining spots of fire yesterday. The large multi-storey blaze kept firefighters at the old Roslyn Scout hall overnight and well into yesterday morning after the building was gutted by flames. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHBefore it was a scout hall, the building was the Roslyn Baptist Church. The scout hall, which was over 100 years old, was basically empty and had no power connected. Firefighters were first alerted to the blaze after a Roslyn crew returning from another callout noticed billowing smoke on about 3.35pm on Wednesday.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 15:53 UTC
Astronauts leave ISS in first-ever medical evacuation and are due to splash down off California tonight
A medical issue among crewmembers aboard the International Space Station prompted their mission to be cut a month short - a first for the orbiting laboratory. Photo / 123RFAstronauts leave ISS in first-ever medical evacuation and are due to splash down off California tonightA medical issue among crewmembers aboard the International Space Station prompted their mission to be cut a month short - a first for the orbiting laboratory. Photo / 123RFFour crewmembers departed the International Space Station today after a medical issue prompted their mission to be cut a month short - a first for the orbiting laboratory. A video feed from Nasa showed American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui undocking from the ISS at 11.20am NZT, after five months in space. The four are scheduled to splash down off the California coast at around 9.40pm aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 15, 2026 15:49 UTC
Joseph the front-runner to be All Blacks coach
‘‘This guy!’’ Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph (left) is one of those named as a possible replacement for former All Blacks coach Scott Robertson who was sacked yesterday. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENHighlanders fans need to brace for the bittersweet possibility of coach Jamie Joseph becoming the next man to coach the All Blacks. Joseph shapes as the leading contender to replace All Blacks coach Scott Robertson following the bombshell confirmation of Robertson’s dumping yesterday. While Joseph could not be reached for comment, and chairman Peter Kean said it was too soon to speculate if the Highlanders might need a new coach, it is clear Joseph has the strongest case to become All Blacks coach. The contendersJamie Joseph: Highlanders and All Blacks XV coach widely seen as the No 1 option for the top job.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 15:37 UTC
Granny flat build red tape reduction welcomed
PHOTO: ODT FILESCutting red tape around granny flat builds is a welcome move for Otago’s construction industry but not without its pitfalls, local operators say. Small standalone dwellings up to 70sqm, dubbed granny flats, no longer require a building or resource consent under government changes in place from yesterday. BuildSmart co-director Glen Williamson, of Dunedin, said reducing "red tape" and cost to build was welcome. The consent exemption applied only to simple designs meeting the Building Code, where work was carried out by authorised professionals. "Inside that cost is maybe $5000 of building consent, and that's the only cost you're going to save."
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 15, 2026 15:33 UTC