The Bay of Plenty Times is looking back at the stories of 2020. This is what made headlines in May.
May 1:
"I miss my girl desperately and not one day goes by that I don't shed a tear."
That's how heartbroken father Darren Wagstaff, 48, described
Bay of Plenty Times Year in Review: May 2020
Bay of Plenty Times
3 mins to read
Subscribe to listen
Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
Newly elected National Party Leader Todd Muller and his deputy Nikki Kaye in May. Photo / File
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The first electric shock killed him. The second brought him back.
Nearly a decade on from Troy Hall's brush with fiery death in a cherry picker near a high-voltage power line on a Bay of Plenty avocado orchard, his life is being renewed again.
May 4:
A Te Aroha man who survived three nights lost in the bush considers himself "bloody lucky" to be alive.
Sam Olley finds out how a sleeping bag, a can of baked beans and the hope of homemade burgers kept him going.
May 7:
The naming of Sam Cane as All Blacks captain has pushed the number of national sports captains Tauranga Boys' College has produced to four.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Cira Olivier finds out what the secret is to breeding sporting leaders.
May 14:
The doors to many Tauranga businesses will reopen today after what some say has felt like an eternity.
One hospitality business is ready to reopen again after operating for just three days before the nation went into Covid-19 lockdown almost two months ago.
May 16:
A major office and retail development on Devonport Rd is set to create hundreds of jobs and has signalled renewed confidence in Tauranga's CBD.
Property development and investment company Willis Bond & Co plans to develop a six-storey, 4300sq m development at 82-98 Devonport Rd.
May 23:
New National Party leader Todd Muller is confident he can juggle the demanding role with his work as Bay of Plenty MP.
In an emergency meeting yesterday, National's caucus chose Muller as leader and Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye as deputy, ending Bridges' stint as leader.
May 27:
Tauranga's biggest calendar sporting event, which pumped $6.3 million into the local economy last year, has been shelved but organisers vow it will return stronger than ever in 2021.
AIMS Games tournament director Vicki Semple said it was the hardest decision the trustees have had to make but the Covid-19 pandemic had made hosting the tournament untenable.
May 28:
An application for a privately funded $75 million Omokoroa town centre development has been submitted to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council for resource consent.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The proposal features staged development of a multipurpose retail, commercial and social community hub. Shops, cafes, offices and a civic centre are included along with a possible cinema and multiple green spaces that could accommodate the likes of a farmers' market.
May 29:
Tauranga cyclists and the city's mayor Tenby Powell are calling for immediate action after the death of a biker on a controversial Mount Maunganui cycleway.
Now the Tauranga City Council is finalising plans to put in a 3m wide shared cycle path and reviewing the speed limit on the busy Tauranga road.
