Shawn McAvinue

A chemical smell sparked an armed police callout in Northeast Valley yesterday afternoon.

A man wielding a hammer and wearing a balaclava entered the Pine Hill Dairy five minutes after it opened on Sunday morning.

More than 150 eager children from Otago and Southland send Santa a letter between Boxing and Labour Day but Santa waits until November to reply.

The Government could build better communities in Dunedin by getting out of the way, a community builder from Seattle says.

Brendan Bransgrove, of Dunedin, sent 13 bottles of his home-brew beer for judging at the Society of Beer Advocates' recent national home-brew competition in Hamilton, and came away a champion.

Several flights rescheduled for the same time will cause a "4 o'clock swell" at Dunedin International Airport, so travellers are advised to check in early on summer afternoons.

A Dunedin advocacy group has called for improved safety measures for cyclists after the death of a male cyclist outside Dunedin Hospital yesterday.

The cyclist run over by a stock truck outside Dunedin Hospital on Monday was a senior lecturer at the University of Otago's Faculty of Dentistry, a husband and father of two preschoolers.

Just like Christmas, the Dunedin Santa Parade approached fast yesterday afternoon.

Even though the climb by AvantiPlus bike mechanic Mac Robertson (50) was aided by an electric motor, Chinese travellers clapped as he motored up Baldwin St.

The Dunedin students who peddled from the Octagon to Auckland were battered by bad weather on their final day of cycling towards a climate change summit, which started yesterday.

Despite members of the Otago Fish and Game council supporting the investigation of the Tarras Irrigation Scheme by the Otago Regional Council, they want minimum flow settings of the Lindis River kept separate from the proposal for public submissions.

After 40 years of convincing Kaikorai Valley College pupils of the worth of Shakespeare, a Dunedin teacher is retiring.

The toxic algal bloom found in Lake Waihola and the Tomahawk Lagoon in the past two days can cause illness in humans and be deadly to dogs, the Otago Regional Council says.

A Tongan minister came to Dunedin on God's call and yesterday became a New Zealander - so he can spread the Gospel abroad if called upon again.

When Dunedin ballet dancer Bene Stewart (18) finished his final dance in the Solo Seal exam, he was sure he had given enough to pass the prestigious test.

Sinterklaas and helper Black Pete are farewelled by the Dutch community after a celebration in Dunedin last night. About 25 children of recent Dutch immigrants were given presents by Sinterklaas at the Northeast Valley Baptist Church Hall.