Northland news in brief: Paralympic legend Cam Leslie in Wheel Blacks squad; volunteers needed for It! fest

Northland Paralympic legend Cam Leslie has made the squad for the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships in Vejle, Denmark, in October. Photo / NZME

Northland's three-time Paralympic gold medallist Cam Leslie has been named as co-captain of the New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby squad for the upcoming Wheelchair Rugby World Championships.
The championships will be held in Vejle, Denmark, from October 10-16 where New Zealand will take on the top 12 teams in the world.
The Wheel Blacks team is made up of a core of Paralympians who represented New Zealand at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, plus one debutant. Returning players Maia Marshall-Amai and Cameron Leslie complete the squad.
Leslie has a long history with the Wheel Blacks, debuting in 2010. He's itching to get back to help the team achieve good results on the international stage after being named MVP and best 3.0 of the 2022 New Zealand National Championships.

One arrested

A number of police cars were seen on Anzac Rd, Morningside, on Tuesday shortly after 11am on Tuesday. Police said only that one person had been taken into custody as a result of inquiries. St John said staff treated and transported one patient in a minor condition to Whangārei Hospital.

Sad end for dog tale

A dog that went missing from a doggy daycare excursion last week has been found dead. Staffordshire bull terrier Toa disappeared from a large property on Tremain Rd, Ruatangata last week. A $1500 reward had been offered for information on his whereabouts, $500 of which was offered by the daycare. Days of searching had found no sign of the dog until Tuesday, a week after he went missing. He is believed to have drowned in a creek on the Ruatangata property.

Festival volunteers needed

Volunteers are needed to help at recycling stations during the October 1 It! Bay of Islands Food and Wine Festival on Paihia's Village Green. Volunteers would put in about three hours' work and be free to enjoy the festival for the rest of the day. Email steph@blahblahmarketing.co.nz to lend a hand.

Beginners' guide to Rainbow community
Northlanders who want to learn more about the Rainbow community are invited to attend the Beginners Guide to Queer, a question-and-answer session in Kerikeri on Saturday, September 24. The event, at the Black Box Theatre, 17 Sammaree Place, will start at 1pm with a screening of the New Zealand movie Rūrangi followed at 3pm by kai and at 3.30-5pm a "Q&A session with some amazing humans who identify in the queer community". Questions can be asked anonymously and will include what pronouns to use, how old you have to be to know if you're queer, and whether queer is a derogatory term. Tickets are free but need to be booked. Go to BaldAngels Facebook page for more information.

Passports will valid
New Zealand passports continue to be valid despite the death of Queen Elizabeth II who appears on them as Head of State. They will continue to be valid until they expire. New Zealand passports refer to Her Majesty on the inside cover because New Zealand is a member of the British Commonwealth and Queen Elizabeth II was our Head of State. Future passports will be issued in the name of the new sovereign. All passports issued until then will bear the name of Her Majesty.