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A summer series of sport and recreation events created to encourage more people to get active more often begins this weekend in Clutha.

Concerns about coal mining and its impacts on communities were aired near Gore at the weekend as 60 people gathered to discuss the country's future.

Cellphone coverage across the Catlins will improve over the next few months, as two towers are scheduled to be built this year.

Climate-change campaigners are gathered near Gore this weekend to support Southlanders concerned about the potential impacts on their communities of lignite mining.

A small floral appreciation group has tackled organising a national annual meeting and, in a refreshing twist, has completed the task without using a computer.

Ten proposals on the $2.6 million upgrade of Balclutha's main street have been received, and work is expected to begin later this year.

An extensive search has failed to turn up any sign of a Clutha Valley teenager who went missing yesterday afternoon when he fell into the Clutha River.

The search today for missing South Otago teenager Blake McKenzie Sinclair will now be a recovery operation, police said last night.

Tucked away at the very edge of the Clutha District, nestled in the Catlins forest, is a holiday-maker's dream getaway, run by Paul and Lynn Bridson.

A 10-year-old Balclutha boy was trapped in a swimming pool for nearly 15 minutes after jamming his knee yesterday afternoon.

A 69-year-old Australian woman sustained minor leg injuries when the car in which she was a passenger crashed in the Catlins yesterday afternoon.

Tucked away in a shed behind his house, Balclutha man Allan Budge works on his pride and joys - a collection of vintage motorbikes and mopeds.

Balclutha court users are hitch-hiking to Gore to attend criminal hearings, and Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan says something has to be done to fix transport issues.

A Lawrence woman was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital yesterday after she was mauled by two dogs.

Recovering at home with 20 stitches in her leg after trying to separate her two dogs during a fight, a Lawrence woman says she would do it again to protect her beloved pets.

Climate-change campaigners will gather near Gore this month to support Southlanders concerned about the potential impacts of lignite mining on their communities.

McLays from around the country gathered in Pounawea over the weekend to mark 150 years since their descendants arrived in New Zealand.

Two Catlins events are becoming more popular, with organisers attributing a growing interest in the area to movies filmed there.