Drunk driver appears in court after fatal crash
A man charged with the death of a woman and driving on a zero alcohol licence appears in court today for the second time. Frederick Megchelse, 30, of Parua Bay, will appear in the Whangarei District Court today on one charge of driving a motor vehicle contrary to a zero alcohol licence. He also faces a second charge of being in charge of a motor vehicle causing the death of a 34-year-old woman while his breath alcohol level was 600 micrograms per litre of breath. The legal breath alcohol limit for a driver 20 years and older is 150mcg. Police were called to the scene on Whareora Rd late last month but the woman died.
Missing man sought
Northland police are seeking the public's assistance to help locate 35-year-old Benjamin Alexander Van Duuren. He is a Hamilton resident who recently travelled north and is now believed to be in the Rawene area. He was last seen on Friday in Rawene. Family and Police are concerned for his wellbeing. Anyone with information that may help locate Van Duuren should contact their local Police station. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Huge Lotto prizes loom
Powerball and Strike have both rolled over from Saturday night, meaning there is a combined prize pool of $8.2 million up for grabs on Wednesday. The Powerball jackpot will be $7 million on Wednesday after it was not struck. Lotto First Division will be $1 million and Strike Four will be $200,000. The numbers from Saturday's draw were: 4, 6, 18, 19, 24, and 40. The bonus ball was 27 and the Powerball was 6.
New police officers
Northland police have welcomed their newest members who hit the beat just before Christmas. Keep a look out for Steven Brown and Rueben Duff who will be based in Whangarei, and Amanda Hudson and Briahncorrect Ruri who will be working in Kaitaia. A powhiri was held at Parapara Marae for the staff hitting the beat in Kaitaia.
Dinosaur show in park
Dinosaurs will be visiting Whangārei's Mair Park this week. DinoFest, a fun and educational event, starts on Wednesday and runs until Sunday January 20. A tyrannosaurus rex named Rexy and a theropod dinosaur named Roxy will be among the creatures paying a visit. This is first time the event has been in Northland and will feature a dinosaur encounter giving people the chance to pat, take photos and even give kisses to the pre-historic creatures: activities for kids including a dinosaur dig to find real fossil shark teeth and a mini Jurassic trail where people can see a titanosaur, ankylosaurus and nesting pterosaur.