Sally Rae

Four Dominican Sisters will mark a special milestone in Oamaru today.

When it comes to holidays, Colin Drummond is not a fan of sitting on a beach.

Esther Dupu, well-known for her work with youth in the North Otago community, has been appointed co-ordinator of the T.A.G. (Totally Against Graffiti) group.

Placard-bearing supporters of Otepopo School gathered outside Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean's office in Oamaru yesterday morning to show support for the retention of the school.

A visitor to the Oamaru Public Gardens yesterday was amazed to see an elephant "flying around like Dumbo" before it was put on the back of a truck and taken away.

Pink horses, pink barrels, pink flags and pink people.

The decision to call-in consent applications for controversial dairy farm developments is a victory for the Green Party and for every New Zealander who cares about water quality and the "wonderful" landscape and biodiversity of the Omarama and Ohau area, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says.

The earthquake which has caused so much death, chaos and heartbreak in Haiti may well draw Oamaru missionary Robyn Couper back to the country she called home for 33 years. She talks to Sally Rae about her life there.

An emergency relief initiative to help Haitians following last week's devastating earthquake is being launched from Oamaru.

As Kylie Wakelin was trekking towards the South Pole, she remarked on a website that she longed for Marmite and toast.

When Greg Hill played his alphorn on the steps of the Opera House yesterday, all that was missing was a herd of goats and a lonely goatherd.

Volunteer fire brigades are a key part of small, rural communities. Sally Rae talks to recently trained members of the Otematata Fire Brigade to find out what it means to be a firefighter.

"People just everywhere" in the Oamaru Harbour area at night are causing problems for the resident blue penguin population, environmentalist Lorraine Adams says.

The parliamentary commissioner for the environment has urged Environment Minister Nick Smith to call in the controversial dairy farm proposals in the Omarama-Ohau area.

"At the moment, all I want to do is go and hold everybody that was close to me."

An amusing tale about an oil-rig toilet mishap could hopefully encourage young men to take up reading again.

Education Minister Anne Tolley is satisfied Otepopo School should close.

Oamaru's very own calendar girl, Janice McPherson, laughingly says that she needs to "get a life".