Denise Alsop has been ordered to rehome her budgie Henry as Whanganui District Council enforces a no pets policy in their housing.
Denise Alsop has been ordered to rehome her budgie Henry as Whanganui District Council enforces a no pets policy in their housing.
April 1, 2019
Downtown Whanganui was "crazy busy" with the Whanganui Walls street art festival - and residents can now see the finished result.
The festival brought eight international mural artists to town, to paint eight walls and mentor seven teenage artists. Whanganui-based mural artist Simon Ormerod was one ofthe organisers, and painted in Rutland St.
"I started painting and there were 20 or 30 people stood behind me most of the day. It was crazy busy. There's a massive buzz around the city," he said.
The 1000 booklets about the festival all went quickly, and comments on social media have been enthusiastic.
Simon Ormerod, aka Cracked Ink, takes a break from mural painting to be photographed. Photo / Laurel Stowell
April 10, 2019
Life is beginning to return to normal for Whanganui woman Briar Novis as she gets back to work following a trip across the globe for stem-cell treatment.
It was late last year that Briar, along with mum Cherry Novis, left for a month long stay in Russia, where she received treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) she was suffering from.
Briar's partner and two sisters rounded out the support team that stayed with her at the Moscow hospital where she had treatment.
About $80,000, mostly from Whanganui, was fundraised in order to pay for the treatment and plane tickets.
Briar Novis with partner Kelvin Williams and her parents, Cherry and Ron.
April 12, 2019
A homicide investigation has been launched after a woman was found dead at a Whanganui address, police say.
The 41-year-old woman's body was found at a residential property "after police received information from a concerned person".
Police have confirmed the body was found in a flat on the corner of Victoria Ave and Ingestre St, not at a residential property on Liverpool St as they'd previously announced.
A 50-year-old man has been charged with murder and will appear in Whanganui District Court today, police said in a statement.
The victim was known to the man and nobody else is being sought in relation to her death.
Police at crime scene at corner Ingestre St and Victoria Ave Thursday, April 11, 2019
April 14, 2019
Whanganui-trained Israel Adesanya is the UFC's new interim middleweight champion after a violent unanimous decision win over American Kelvin Gastelum in Atlanta. A dominant fifth round performance from Adesanya saw him clinch the fight, with each judge scoring the fight 48-46. The battle saw both fighters pocket an extra US$50,000 bonus, taking out fight of the night honours alongside the main event in which Dustin Poirier beat Max Holloway to win the interim lightweight title. Adesanya remained composed and pummelled the American in the fifth round to take the win.
"We had two cats and I gave them away when I moved here."
Alsop and some of her neighbours who keep pet birds are upset by Whanganui District Council's instructions to get rid of their pets.
"I knew that we shouldn't keep dogs or cats here but I always thought birds were fine," Alsop said.
"When the housing inspector came, she said the budgie is a beautiful colour and nothing about my not being allowed to have him here."
After hearing rumours that birds were not excluded from the no pets policy, Alsop called the council and after speaking with deputy mayor Jenny Duncan she was left with the impression that existing pet birds could be kept by tenants but could not be replaced if they died.
"I thought that was fair enough so I'm really disappointed that we have now been told we can't keep them," she said.
When she sought clarification from the mayor last month, McDouall wrote to her saying complaints had been received from other residents.
