Northland news in brief: Student enterprise, court appearance, candidates meeting

High Voltage Design founders Ben Colblatz, 13, and Hunter Blakeman, 12, won the most innovative product award at Springbank School's annual market day on Sunday. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Innovative students

A student business using a high-voltage transformer to burn patterns into chopping boards, candle holders and other wooden items won the most innovative product award at Springbank School's annual market day on Sunday. The business, High Voltage Design, is the brainchild of Ben Colblatz, 13, and Hunter Blakeman, 12, of Kerikeri. Second place went to Seth Evans, 13, Kerikeri, for his invention of a flat-pack fireplace. The junior school award for most innovative product went to Charlie Rowe, 9, for his Big Air Bike Jumps; runner-up was Bowl Rush. In the stall presentation category, the middle/senior school winner was DIY Dog, with Fizz Pop second; the junior school winner was Come By Sweety, with Amazingly Bamboozled second. The marketing award was shared by All Sorts and Beauty B. More than 70 student businesses took part in the market day. In lieu of tax, the budding entrepreneurs have to give 25 per cent of their profits to charity.

Accused in court

A man charged with operating a vehicle in a race and killing a mother and daughter will make another court appearance next week. Lucan Kenneth Cresswell, of Whangārei appeared in Whangārei District Court yesterday before Judge Keith de Ridder. He will appear again next Thursday. He faces two charges of operating a motor vehicle in a race causing death and one charge of operating a motor vehicle in a race causing injury.
Jemma Hanham, 30, and her daughter Nikki Sanders, 7, were killed in the high-speed crash on Whangārei Heads Rd on February 17 this year. Hanham was killed on impact, after the car driven by Cresswell allegedly lost control and crashed into a signpost then a tree. Nikki died from brain injuries at Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital. Hanham's other daughter survived the crash. Cresswell suffered serious injuries.

Candidates on the arts

People wondering what election candidates plan to do to develop the arts, culture and heritage of Whangārei can find out at a meet the candidates event tomorrow. ONEONESIX is hosting the meeting from 6pm-8pm tomorrow at 116 Bank St. All three Whangārei mayoral candidates - Sheryl Mai, Tony Savage and Alex Wright - have been invited as well as candidates from Okara and Denby wards. The theme is how the candidates see the development of the arts, culture and heritage sector in the district over the next three years. The format is no stump speeches and questions from the floor only. The candidates won't know what the questions are before the event. Candidates will get 30 seconds to answer a question with no rebuttal.

Clarification

In his article of September 9 in the Northern Advocate, Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti described "financial losses in big institutions like Unitec in Auckland (-$30m)". For clarification, this is the net deficit for 2018 and the operating surplus is reported as $3.6m.