A child, Youth and Family staff member, duped by a hoax email about flavoured methamphetamine that looked like strawberry popping candy, warned Central Otago, Queenstown and Wanaka schools to be on the lookout for the ''drug lollies'' this week.
Rabbits, racing and riesling will be the focus for thousands of visitors to Central Otago at Easter.
The potential investment in a Central Otago vineyard by a global luxury goods group is ''ecstatically good news'' for the region, a wine industry leader says.
Strong criticism of Central Otago's draft local alcohol policy by a health professional this week prompted the district mayor to claim his council was being ''bullied'' about its stance.
Three successive days of motorsport racing in Cromwell over Easter have been given the green light, meaning two venues can stage races on the same day for up to 12 hours.
Camper-van dumping stations in Alexandra and Cromwell costing about $100,000 each and $100,000 earmarked for cycleway maintenance are among the budget items up for debate by Central Otago ratepayers.
Large numbers of freedom campers are turning Lowburn into a ''suburb'' of Cromwell.
Northburn competitors have faced gale force winds and snowstorms in the past, but relentless heat was the leveller this year.
Flushing is effective in managing the sediment in Lake Roxburgh and two-yearly lakebed monitoring is an ''unnecessary cost'' given the slow and gradual changes to the lakebed, Contact Energy says.
A tent city sprang up at the Cromwell Racecourse over the weekend, with the more than 800 campers giving up to $100,000 for the chance to share tears and laughter with friends and strangers.
The police investigation into a large-scale stock theft in the upper Clutha was completed but could be revisited if any fresh information came to light, one of the detectives who worked on the case said yesterday.
Noise levels would be intolerable and intrusive for nearby residents if the Highlands Motorsport Park was allowed to hold a race meeting the same day as the neighbouring speedway, opponents say.
He described himself as ''a wee bit rusty'' but Inky Tulloch and his 5.5 tonne racing truck were the stars of the show at the first Highlands Fling.
Central Otago Easter bunnies proved too wily for their hunters this year.
The Easter Bunny won this round.
The deal between Northburn Station vineyard and Cloudy Bay Vineyards is still ''on'' despite the property near Cromwell being advertised for sale.
Good Friday morning, muddy utes parked around Alexandra's Pioneer Park ... must be the time of year when the Southern Hopper Stoppers do battle with the Wandering Wabbiters.
In an unusual move, the organiser of this weekend's Clyde Wine and Food Harvest Festival has appealed decisions granting one special liquor licence for the event but declining another.
A Roxburgh woman was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital yesterday morning after her motorcycle crashed into a road barrier near Butchers Dam.
A think-tank, fairy lights, a lime-green chalkboard and bean bags are among the things pupils love about Poolburn School's $230,000 makeover.
