Eileen Goodwin

Fear turned to relief yesterday when two Dunedin men emerged from a boat in Broad Bay on which they had spent the night.

Views diverge sharply about whether Dunedin Hospital should become a lower-grade hospital, or should try to hold on to its existing status, feedback on a new Southern District Health Board strategic plan indicates.

Dunedin has stepped on to the international literary stage, late last night being named a Unesco Creative City of Literature.

Immigration New Zealand's Dunedin office is closing, almost two years after the decision was first announced.

Just five GP vouchers have been redeemed in a scheme meant to lighten the load on Dunedin Hospital's emergency department (ED), but the scheme will continue.

The poor condition of parts of Dunedin Hospital highlighted in official documents released yesterday by a Labour MP are being dealt with, the Southern District Health Board says.

In a break with tradition, the Southern District Health Board is not serving turkey on Christmas Day this year. Health reporter Eileen Goodwin catches up with Dunedin Hospital head chef Kostya Cherkun as he prepares for the big day.

Emergency services are still at the site of a serious crash at Five Rivers in Southland.

The country's only dental school is a ''a bit shy'' about showing off its expertise, but that will change, its new British dean says.

The finding that most fish oil sold in New Zealand provides less benefit than promised is concerning, but will not put him off the ''rock star'' supplement, Arthritis New Zealand southern region educator Dave Cox says.

The hot dry summer has been blamed for the deaths of more than 10 eels on an East Taieri farm.

Timmy the runaway puppy was found yesterday by delighted Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei.

We have been told for years to limit our salt intake for the sake of our health.

A show farm with accommodation targeting ''high-end'' Chinese tourists should be approved, a Dunedin City Council planner has recommended.

Grave fears are held for Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei's lost puppy, Timmy, who has not been seen since he escaped from the Paws Inn kennel, in Blueskin Rd, Dunedin, last Saturday.

No start date has been fixed yet to refurbish Dunedin Hospital's intensive care unit, but the director of surgery says he is pressing for action.

People who queried million-dollar salaries could once be dismissed with a simple retort - if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Health conditions, such as asthma and hypothyroidism, affect many people in our communities. Eileen Goodwin talks to people about how these conditions affect their lives.

Growing use of digital devices in classrooms could create a ''digital divide'' that worsens the gap between high achievers and others, the Ministry of Education warned in a discussion paper released under the Official Information Act.