Burglaries, an armed siege, controversial flag decisions and the shock death of a Mount Maunganui ambassador were among the biggest stories on bayofplentytimes.co.nz this week.
1. Special report: Tauranga's worst suburbs for burglaries revealed
One of the Bay's beachside suburbs has recorded the region's highest number of burglaries - more than four times the average per suburb.
2. Bay of Plenty Siege
Four police officers were shot by a man who held a tense stand-off with police for 22 hours before eventually giving himself up for arrest. The injured officers were flown to hospital, where one remains in a serious condition.
3. Mount Mainstreet manager Peter Melgren dies
Tributes flow in for Te Puke-born Peter Melgren, who represented Mount Maunganui retailers and was described by one local mourner as an "events organiser supremo" after he appeared to have suffered from a cardiac arrest.
4. Council's legal advice: Fern must go
In a strange turn of events, after Tauranga City Council stirred controversy by flying the alternative flag design from the city's flagpole, and after it was stolen by a disgruntled resident, the council was told only the current New Zealand flag could fly.
5. Crash chaos in Tauranga, again
A spate of crashes throughout the region forced the closure of several sections of highway and prompted police to issue a safety warning to motorists.