Latest news with #DavidPennington
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
The Panel with Madison Burgess-Smith and Martin Bosley Part 1
local council 43 minutes ago Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Madison Burgess-Smith and Martin Bosley. The Panel discusses ongoing reforms designed to crack down on crime including new offences for people who assault first responders announced over the weekend. They also talk to annoyed Waiwera Valley resident David Pennington who, along with neighbours, are disgruntled at a council decision to allow the building of a 16.5 metre golden Buuhdist statue.
NZ Herald
29-06-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Golden Buddhist statue set to ‘tower above' horrified rural community because council says it's art
The answer - to their amazement and horror - was that the statue of Buddhist master Guru Rinpoche had been submitted as a work of art and been accepted by Auckland Council as no resource consent was needed. And so, with no resource consent process, there was no obligation to tell neighbours and, it turns out, no way to successfully challenge council's decision. Waiwera Valley, north of Auckland, is a sleepy rural haven untouched by city life yet less than an hour's drive in to the central city. For some who live there, the peace and quiet of country life is a major drawcard they now fear is threatened. Neighbours have already witnessed a gathering and ceremony at the foot of the statue site, with chanting, cymbals and drums captured on video. Resident David Pennington described the statue as a 'monstrosity' and said neighbours had formed the Waiwera Valley Action Group to fight against it. 'It's horrifying, it's absolutely horrifying. The thought that anybody could imagine putting a 16.5m golden Buddhist statue in the middle of a rural valley would be an acceptable thing to do without talking to any of the neighbors … is quite frankly appalling.' The statue of Guru Rinpoche is being built in the centre of sleepy Waiwera Valley, north of Auckland. He said the nature of the 'picturesque rural' valley was threatened, not only by the towering structure on a prominent hill but the potential for it to attract large numbers of people wanting to see it. Pennington said homeowners feel vulnerable and sidelined by a council process that has allowed the construction of the plinth and statue without any input from neighbours because those building it had described it as art. The Auckland Unitary Plan - Auckland Council's manual for the development and use of the city's land - says art in rural areas does not need to go through a resource consent process. The problem is there is no definition of what art is Waiwera Valley resident David Pennington That means a structure can simply be built without wider consultation if it is accepted as 'art' by council. 'The problem is there is no definition of what art is,' Pennington said. 'Calling something art which is 16-and-a-half metres tall and putting it prominently on a hill where it's going to dominate the entire area around - that's a planning loophole. 'We can't get council to change their mind. Their response is, because it's artwork and it falls within the Auckland unitary plan, then they are obliged to approve it.' Waiwera Valley resident Klaudia Batten - a 27-year local - said the process followed for the statue could be repeated in any rural neighbourhood across the city. 'Anything can be erected and called artwork, and there's just no guidelines to protect yourself from it. It wasn't open to public discussion. It was done behind closed doors.' The Waiwera Valley construction site where a 16.5m Buddhist statue and plinth is being erected. Photo / David Fisher It was Batten who uncovered the existence of the statue plan after rumours started flying around local Facebook pages. Her inquiry with council quickly put fact to rumour as she discovered copies of the application for a Certificate of Compliance and architecturally-drawn plans for the proposed statue. On seeing the plans, Batten said she was 'absolutely horrified … because it's clearly not artwork'. 'I would define artwork as something you see on the Gibbs farm, you know, something abstract, but this is clearly a religious deity that's very revered in their religion and a clearly-defined building.' The plans revealed the organisation behind the project is Jeta's Grove Charitable Trust, a member of the NZ Buddhist Council. Its founding documents filed with the Charities Register declare it exists to spread and teach the Buddhist faith. They say: 'The activity will take place in the temple/retreat centre in Puhoi and other venues as decided by the trust.' Puhoi village is a few kilometres to the North of Waiwera Valley but is not home to a Buddhist retreat, sparking the Waiwera Valley residents' concerns it may refer to the statue and plinth. A lawyer acting for Jeta's Grove Charitable Trust - named for Jetavana, a famous Buddhist monastery - sent a statement saying: 'Our client advises that the statue is a gift, intended as a symbol of peaceful harmony for all faiths, while promoting the ethics and teaching of the Buddha.' Russell McVeagh special counsel Brigette Shone said - in relation to consultation with neighbours - the trust had done all it was legally required to do. Land Information NZ records show the land in Waiwera Valley on which the statue and plinth sit belong to Nature Trustee Ltd whose sole director and shareholder is Remuera resident Shaoying Li. The Herald has made contact with her through Charles Li, who lives at the same Remuera address, and sent questions by email. There has been no response as yet. Auckland councillor Greg Sayers has taken up the residents' cause, describing the piece as 'towering over all these neighbours' properties'. 'The actual location of it probably isn't appropriate and they will have to endure looking at it. The works are permitted. The community can't stop them. They've built it in the neighbour's face. It's inconsiderate.' He referred to the Gibbs farm, less than 30 minutes' drive away, saying: 'When you go past Gibbs, you can't really see it from the road.' When Sayers raised the religious aspect of it with council planners and questioned if the Buddhist statue was art, they referred him to Michelangelo's religious works which include the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the famous sculpture of the biblical David. In a letter to a lawyer hired by the residents' group, Auckland Council head of resource consents James Hassall pointed to a recent Environment Court ruling which said a shipping container with wooden window frames and a door - intended to raise awareness of housing shortages - was art. In the letter, Hassall said the Certficate of Compliance had the effect of a resource consent but specifically did not have the 'usual review provisions' so 'once issued, the council cannot overturn it'. Auckland councillor Greg Sayers, who represents the Rodney ward. Photo / Michael Craig. He said it was not clear what further information was needed to confirm the statue was an artwork 'given there is no definition in the Auckland Unitary Plan and that the applicant is entitled to a broad interpretation of the term'. Hassall said the artwork rule applied in rural zones as long as it met other rules, which the statue did. However, he said if the statue led to the site being used as a place of religious worship then it likely it would need resource consent. If that was the case, he said 'it is also possible that the structure would no longer be considered a permitted artwork'. If it had to be removed, the job of doing so would sit with the consent holder. Hassall said there was an inquiry underway into concerns earthworks around the statue had gone over the allowed area. He said there were also inquiries into 'concerns over gatherings that have taken place on the site during construction'. Massey University's Professor Heather Galbraith - whose expertise includes art criticism and public art - said: 'Religious and ecclesiastic sculpture has been around for millenia.' Galbraith said there was a high degree of subjectivity involved - what might be art for some could 'leave someone else cold'. Artist and associate professor Richard Reddaway, also at Massey University, said the problem appeared to be with council rules allowing art to bypass the consenting process. 'It's been pretty much established that art can be anything. Whether it's art or not is not the point - it's that it's impacting on the community.' David Fisher is based in Northland and has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, winning multiple journalism awards including being twice named Reporter of the Year and being selected as one of a small number of Wolfson Press Fellows to Wolfson College, Cambridge. He joined the Herald in 2004. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Springfield Fire Deptartment adds 16 new firefighters after training
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Springfield Fire Department (SFD) says the 16 firefighters in its most recent fire academy class have earned their black helmets, making them full-fledged members of the fire department. The firefighters previously wore blue helmets as probationary members of the SFD while they completed their year-long probation as part of Fire Academy Class 524. 'Earning the black helmet is no small achievement,' said Fire Chief David Pennington. 'Each of these firefighters has proven they're prepared to serve our community with courage, professionalism and a commitment to excellence.' Mayor Jeff Schrag delivers first State of the City Address Here are the 16 new SFD firefighters from Class 124: Firefighter Sean Conrad Firefighter Dakota Curnutt Firefighter Trenton Curry Firefighter Gage Curtis Firefighter Owen Fabro Firefighter Andrew Gall Firefighter Gabrianna Gardner Firefighter Trenton Herr Firefighter Corey Hodzic Firefighter Grant McNeill Firefighter Cash Miller Firefighter Kaden Olson Firefighter Brenna Ruyle Firefighter Draven Stapp Firefighter Zachary Stark Firefighter Jason Wassie To learn more about the SFD or how to become a firefighter, visit the Springfield Fire website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Analyzing data in the 2024 Springfield fire report
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Springfield Fire Department (SFD) has released its 2024 annual report, noting the department has strengthened its emergency preparedness and response by enhancing operational capabilities, expanding public safety initiatives, and reinforcing community partnerships. One significant achievement in 2024 was the completion and opening of the newly reconstructed Fire Station 7. This state-of-the-art facility was made possible by voter-approved funding and was designed with firefighter health and safety in mind, improving efficiency and emergency response times, according to a news release. The annual report cites several facts from SFD's year in 2024: 40,424 instructional hours were delivered to 634 students 185 leave-behind naloxone kits (which can treat narcotic overdoses in an emergency situation) were distributed by firefighters in 2024 SFD firefighters visited 5,440 homes and installed 1,436 smoke alarms 34 structure fire investigations led to felony charges in 11 fires Only 153 structure fires and 41 vacant structure fires were reported. Compared to previous year's data, there was a decrease in yearly opioid incidents. The year of 2024 saw 122 incidents, compared to a peak of 463 incidents recorded in 2021. However, fire calls were up when compared; 940 in 2024, and 886 in 2023. 'Community Risk Reduction remains a cornerstone of our mission,' said Fire Chief David Pennington in the release. 'Through our Project RED Zone initiative, we engaged thousands of households, installed hundreds of smoke alarms and provided critical fire safety education.' Pennington said the SFD expanded its outreach efforts with fire and life safety programs, community CPR and AED training, and senior fire safety initiatives, ensuring that residents of all ages have the knowledge and tools to prevent fires and emergencies. 'Our continued naloxone distribution program, with leave-behind kits, played a vital role in public health and harm reduction, increasing bystander intervention and saving lives in opioid overdose incidents,' Pennington said. Read the full SFD 2024 annual report here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lauria and Ashley's Law Passes Second Hurdle
OKLAHOMA CITY – A proposed bill aimed at keeping felons convicted of 'accessory to murder' from early release is moving to the Oklahoma House floor. During Thursday's Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee hearing, Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami, argued that House Bill 1001, or the Lauria and Ashley Law, 'makes you stay in prison where you belong.' Oklahoma representative refiles 'Lauria and Ashley' legislation The proposed bill adds accessory to murder in the first or second degree to the list of crimes that require offenders to serve 85% of their prison sentence before being eligible for parole consideration. Bashore said that felons would not be eligible to earn any credit that would reduce the sentence below 85% of what was imposed. If passed, 'Lauria and Ashley's Law' would go into effect on Nov. 1. The measure passed the committee by an 11-2 vote. The bill now goes to the House. 25 years later: Families continue search for missing Oklahoma teens The Lauria and Ashley's Law references 16-year-old best friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman. Danny and Kathy Freeman, Ashley's parents, were shot to death, and their mobile home was set on fire on Dec. 30, 1999. The teenagers were kidnapped from Freeman's mobile home and taken to Picher, where authorities believe they tortured, raped, drugged, and killed. It is presumed their bodies were dumped in a Picher mine pit, but their remains have never been recovered. Investigators believe Phil Welch, David Pennington, and Ronnie Buscik were behind the multiple deaths and kidnappings. The only person convicted – Busick – who pleaded guilty in 2020 to a reduced charge of accessory to felony murder, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He served three years. Busick was credited with time served in the Craig County jail and good behavior, which shaved off five years from the 10-year sentence. Phil Welch and David Pennington died before authorities could prosecute them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
