David Bruce

Health services at Oamaru Hospital will be significantly downgraded if the Southern District Health Board cuts its funding by 5%.

North Otago Hockey will soon have its own building at its artificial turf at Centennial Park, but needs $20,000 from the Waitaki District Council to complete it.

Peebles women Carol Gibson (left) and Adrienne Borrie display corrugated iron poppies recognising the 10 soldiers from the lower Waitaki Plains who lost their lives in World War 1.

Privatisation by leasing out Waitaki lakes camp sites will probably be deferred at least two years while the Waitaki District Council continues to manage them and get more revenue.

Oamaru artist Donna Demente with the ''share certificate'' she has designed to be sold to raise money to protect Waitaki River flows.

Waihao Downs School pupils hold individual poppies they made and gather around the large one which will be part of a Poppy Day parade in Waimate on April 17.

Management of the Waitaki Lakes camping reserves for the next three years will stay with the Waitaki District Council, giving staff time to see if they can be made more financially viable.

Anzac service organisers in the Waitaki district are being encouraged by Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher to ''use Australian elements as much as possible'' this year.

"Have a bit of backbone and say no to the Government,'' Oamaru resident the Rev Bernard Wilkinson told the Waitaki District Council yesterday, calling for a ban on the sale of legal highs in the district.

Children and teenagers posing in costumes they will wear for a youth production by the Waimate Theatre Group, are (from left) Peter Fish (12), Catherine Nichol (13), Kate Lapthorn (8), Margaret Nichol (11), Jonathan Fish (11), Duncan Peterson (10), Anna Peterson (12), Edward Fish (14), Abi Lapthorn (11) and Ella Lapthorn (11) .

A company behind a new irrigation scheme for Waimate is confident of getting ''significant support'' for the second part of a share issue which closes today.

Beryl Aker and her dog Peebles are both cancer survivors and on Saturday they launched the Oamaru Relay for Life, cutting the ribbon and walking the first lap.

A crowd of about 100 gathered for the annual Glenavy Salmon Run on the Waikakahi Stream on Saturday.