Ellie Constantine

A nature trek in the woods, an incestuous pair of alcoholic petty criminals and a hole in the ground appear to be an unlikely basis for a story.

A "soft spot" for the Otago Community Hospice and what the organisation means to the community has seen it secure a $20,000 donation from an Otago Polytechnic charity house auction.

Liam James Reid has begun a life sentence for the murder and rape of Emma Agnew and the rape of a woman in Dunedin. Today, the 22-year-old Dunedin student talks exclusively to Otago Daily Times reporter Ellie Constantine about the ordeal and her hopes for the future.

Contact Energy is offering incentives to stay with the company in an attempt to halt the flood of customers signing up with its competitors.

Schools throughout Otago are advertising 32 vacant teaching positions as the Ministry of Education reports a five-year high in teacher resignations.

The Otago Daily Times on Saturday launched its "Help the Hospice" campaign, which aims to raise more than $200,000 from Otago businesses for the Otago Community Hospice.

John Cutler fully supports the Otago Daily Times' "Help the Hospice" campaign.

The prayers of South Dunedin Presbyterian Church for a full-time minister have been answered in the form of an arrival from Zambia.

Carry bags have turned into money bags for the latest Otago regional winner of the Young Enterprise scheme.

Strong corsets and much manipulation would be required to fit any modern woman into the collection of Victorian gowns at Forno's Auctioneers.

Dunedin childcare centres are struggling to cope with a rise in demand for their services following the introduction of a Government scheme providing 20 free hours of early education a week.

After losing his home of nine years, the Australian captain of the ill-fated Timella will spend his weekend shopping for a new yacht, determined to start again.

Fanatical Fern fever hit Dunedin yesterday and an electric atmosphere could be felt in the crowd watching the Silver Ferns take on England.

Red cards - normally something associated with sports fields - may be used in the classroom, at Taieri College in Mosgiel.

After 60 years of marriage and seven children, tolerance remains at the centre of Alice and Jack Graham's relationship.

The upcoming exam period did not deter more than 500 tertiary students from spending the day at two organised events yesterday.

Star-gazing in Dunedin is set to improve for the public and astronomers alike after the Beverly-Begg Observatory unveiled its $47,000 refurbishment on Saturday night.