Northland news in brief: Murder accused named; street party returns

Police at the scene of a homicide investigation in Onerahi on October 27. Ike Wellington Kingi has appeared in court charged with murder over the death of a man at the house.

Name suppression has lapsed for a man charged with murder after another man was found dead in an Onerahi home last month.
Whangārei man Ike Wellington Kingi, 42, who is listed as a fisherman, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Bob Kleiman when he appeared in the High Court at Whangārei on Friday.
Kleiman, 56, was found dead at a house on Edge St around 3pm on October 27.
Kingi will next appear in court in February.

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The much-loved Kerikeri street party promises to be bigger and better when it returns on November 19. The street party will be from 5pm to 9.30pm after the Kerikeri Half Marathon has finished. The centre of Kerikeri township will be closed to traffic and transformed into a vibrant boulevard of food, local craft beer and wine stalls, with multiple stages and roving entertainment. The event was postponed in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions, and has been made possible again thanks to support from local business sponsors, Northland Inc's regional event fund, and $10,0000 from Far North District Council. Tickets are $10 for adults from Eventfinda or The Sound Lounge, and entry for students and seniors is by koha.

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Northlanders are encouraged to be proactive about diabetes, as not everyone who has diabetes is aware they have the condition.
Today is World Diabetes Day, part of Diabetes Action Month, which aims to help raise awareness of the need to act against New Zealand's largest and fastest-growing health condition. All men from 45 years of age and all women from 55 years of age should be tested. Although, for Māori, Pacific or Indo-Asian ethnicities, men should be tested from 30 years of age and women from 40 years of age.
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand Te Tai Tokerau clinical nurse manager Amanda Brown, from the Diabetes Centre Te Whare Mate Huka at Whangārei Hospital, said early diagnosis and ongoing management can prevent the condition developing and reduce its effects long-term.
There are around 10,000 people diagnosed with diabetes in Northland. Of those, around 1000 have Type 1 and around 9000 have Type 2.
For more information about diabetes, visit diabetes.org.nz or the Our Services section of Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau's website northlanddhb.org.nz.

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The recent Northland storm is a reminder of the importance of being prepared for power outages, Northpower says. On Thursday night, high winds and heavy rain bought down trees into lines and damaged equipment, causing numerous faults on the main high-voltage lines, Northpower chief operating officer Josie Boyd said. Customers are asked to report any damage to equipment - such as trees in lines, lines down or land subsidence near poles – to 0800 10 40 40. The storm events highlight the need to be prepared for an outage. This includes keeping a full gas bottle for the barbecue, having a torch handy and drinking water available, and keeping your devices charged. The Civil Defence Get Ready website has more tips: www.getready.govt.nz.