Lynda van Kempen

The Cromwell Mall has its own version of the rolling stones, but they are on the way out.

She jokes about becoming a Power Ranger and saving the world when she leaves school but Cromwell College pupil Ella Borrie is serious about her concern for others.

Dubbed the "Taj Mahal" in its construction phase, Poolburn's newest community building is now open for business.

Much of Central Otago's high country has been reclassified in the district plan as being an outstanding natural landscape, which may add more hurdles for developments such as wind farms to gain resource consent.

The organisers of the Great Easter Bunny Hunt, the Alexandra Lions Club, set their sights on the annual TrustPower Central Otago district community awards and were announced the supreme winner last night.

A change of heart by the Central Otago District Council on the exclusion of Oamaru stone as a building material for rural homes has been hailed as a victory for common sense.

L&M Mining will spend more than $10 million a year in Central Otago for the next six years through its Earnscleugh gold-mining operation.

A rare double was scored by Allan and Simon Paterson this week - the top fleeces from their Gimmerburn stock won both the fine wool and the strong wool championship at the National Golden Fleece awards.

A group of 14 Teviot Valley nurses gathered at the Roxburgh Medical Centre yesterday to mark the contribution of nurses in the community.

The 24ha of pine trees at the northwest entrance to Alexandra were planted decades ago to hold the sandy soil in place, and their continuing presence also holds off a potential bill for $500,000 under the emissions trading scheme.

A deal struck at the Vincent Community Board meeting yesterday for a change in ownership of what many consider a "white elephant" pavilion, prompted a round of applause from the public gallery.

The popularity of the Otago Central Rail Trail shows no signs of waning, despite anecdotal reports of demand dropping or levelling off during the past season.

Southern irrigation scheme interests have applauded the Government's expanded irrigation fund, saying it is a step in the right direction.

Heavy rain and flooding have prompted "boil-water" notices for half of the Central Otago district's town water supplies, and has also caused problems in South Otago.

The Clyde dam and the Alexandra clock on the hill have been the "secret training weapons" for Alexandra firefighters who scaled the heights at the weekend.

It sounds like a recipe for disaster: more than 200 schoolchildren on bicycles in one place at one time, some cycling on the open road and others going cross-country.