odt odt

For one Oamaru man, the rescue of 43 crew members from a burning trawler off the coast of Lyttelton on Wednesday brought back vivid memories of a similar incident 18 years ago.

Four years after her daughter was brutally murdered in Dunedin, Lesley Elliott will courageously share her story in the hope of preventing family violence in Oamaru.

One of Oamaru's best-known landmarks will reopen to the public next month, after being closed for two months.

Four teenage boys have been spoken to by Youth Aid after an Oamaru resident became suspicious his car had been used by joyriders multiple times.

An elderly Oamaru man who lay injured in his home for up to 24 hours after a fall was yesterday back at home recovering from his injuries, thanks to an observant Otago Daily Times delivery driver.

Another rural Otago town will lack a physical banking presence after New Zealand Credit Union South (NZCU South) announced it would shut its Palmerston branch at the end of November.

Last month was the fifth-wettest August in Oamaru since records began in 1941.

The Waitaki district is in good shape to bring in investment and provide business opportunities for its young people during the next 10 years, Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton says.

Kurow residents have finally got confirmation the "bent" twin bridges spanning the Waitaki River between Kurow and Hakataramea will be replaced.

Whitestone Roading Ltd yesterday reported an increase in profits for the financial year, and is set to increase turnover next year, despite the loss of two major contracts.

Dozens of potholes on Steward Rd, near Hilderthorpe, have been filled in, after a Waitaki Bridge farmer decided to sort out the problem himself.

The Waitaki District Council is still not sure how long it will take to repair the damage caused by this week's floods, which it estimates may cost at least $500,000.

North Otago has finally been given a respite from the prolonged drenching that caused flooding across the district in recent weeks.

Motorists in Waitaki have been left rattled by a perceived lack of progress in fixing rural roads damaged by two weeks of heavy rain and floods.

After posting huge financial losses last year, the Oamaru Licensing Trust Board has bounced back with a much improved performance this year.

A former shipwrecked fishing boat is being transformed into a Spanish galleon, as part of ongoing improvements to the Oamaru Harbour recreation area.

The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is a gold mine of conservation activity, manager Jason Gaskill says. Oamaru reporter Andrew Ashton finds out about the colony's work to protect the penguins.