Lynda van Kempen

Six-month-old Riley Brown, of Alexandra, is officially Otago's cutest baby.

Young leaders, volunteers, apprentices setting the bar high and businesses striving for excellence who are making ''a world of difference'' in Central Otago will have their achievements recognised next month.

A six-month police investigation led to two arrests yesterday in connection with several incidents of alleged poaching in Central and South Otago.

Ophir's past could be the key to its future.

A national bonspiel has been called at Naseby this week - the first outdoor curling championship in three years.

Naseby is ''buzzing with excitement'' as the village prepares to host its first national bonspiel in more than 80 years.

Development at Alexandra Airport is taking off. In recent times a hangar with attached accommodation has been completed, two more hangars and accommodation units are being built, two new hangars are completed and two people are going through the process of getting leases signed for other hangars. The Central Otago District Council is encouraging development and there are 29 sites earmarked for hangars. Nigel and Wendy Forrester are the first people to live at the airport. Lynda van Kempen asked Mr Forrester what the attraction is.

Central Otago school children are about to learn what is ''behind the plug'' as part of a pilot education programme developed by Contact Energy.

A giant price tag to revamp Cromwell's Big Fruit reserve has forced the community board to prune back the project.

Wine tourism is the ''next frontier'' for the Central Otago wine industry.

Short-term savings and sacrifices made by staff enabled the company which runs Dunstan Hospital at Clyde to agree to a 2% or ($200,000) cut in the hospital's budget for the coming year, the company said.

A grant of $40,000 - the same amount as the purchase price of the Eden Hore Fashion collection - will fund a study into curating and displaying the garments.

Picking the top priorities is the next stage for the group behind a major report focusing on the Central Otago fruit and grape-growing industries.

A motorist who drove his car between two oncoming vehicles - a ute passing a stock truck - walked away uninjured from the resulting three-vehicle crash in Central Otago yesterday.

A high school gymnasium was turned into a shooting range at the weekend.