Latest news with #Gore
RNZ News
21 hours ago
- RNZ News
Lachlan Jones probe: New team to reinvestigate toddler's death revealed
Lachlan Jones. Photo: SUPPLIED/ODT Two North Island detectives will lead a third investigation into the death of Gore preschooler Lachlan Jones. Coroner Alexander Ho last month directed police to launch a "full and fresh" investigation into the three-year-old's death in January 2019. Earlier police investigations concluded Lachlan accidentally drowned in a council sewage pond near his home in Gore, but Ho found missed steps, unanswered questions and shortcomings in how the case was handled. On Wednesday, Waikato Detective Inspector Darrell Harpur was named as the senior investigating officer leading the case. Detective Superintendent Ross McKay would oversee it. Police said they were still finalising the terms of reference. Ho's findings followed a five-week inquest in which initial police inquiries were strongly criticised. He said officers had failed to treat the death as unexplained or suspicious, had relied heavily on untested witness accounts and showed confusion over who was leading the case. Ho said it remained unclear how Lachlan entered the pond where he was found, 1.2km from his home, or what caused his death. "It would be remiss to overlook the fact that Lachie was able to come to harm because he was not being adequately supervised, or to overlook how the conduct of the subsequent police and medical investigations into this death have compromised my ability to make findings about how a vulnerable three-year-old child came to die," he said. Ho said his preference would be for the reinvestigation to be handled by an experienced officer from outside Southland District. Coroner Alexander Ho. Photo: Stuff / Kavinda Herath "It would be beneficial for a fresh lens to be applied to the investigation and any conflicts of interest minimised… it is to be a full and fresh investigation." He directed police to report back by 16 January 2026, with the findings to be provided to the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the New Zealand Medical Council. The inquiry would remain open until he received the report, he said. Lachlan's father Paul Jones, who had always disputed the police findings , told reporters last month he was rapt the case would be reinvestigated because there "should have been a homicide investigation from day one". Ho rejected accusations Lachlan's mother and half-brothers were involved in his death, calling those claims "implausible" and unsupported by evidence. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
‘Happy Days' ahead as the Fonz prepares for musical
A newcomer to Gore is introducing himself as "The Fonz" as part of Gore Musical Theatre's latest production. Billy Weeks moved to Gore last October and is jumping right in, playing the role of Fonzie in the musical Happy Days . Trained in IT, this is Weeks' first time on stage in ten years, having last performed in a university production. When he was in high school, he performed with Musical Theatre Dunedin and performed at the reopening of the Regent Theatre. As a teenager, nervous at first, he quickly caught the bug. "You get on stage, the lights come on and everything kind of fades away and it's just you there on the stage," he said. "Soaking in the character and kind of in your own zone — it's a bit magical to be honest." A trained singer, Weeks said for the last 10 years, all of his performances have been at a karaoke bar in Dunedin. In auditioning for the The Fonz, Weeks, who was too young to have experienced the sitcom the first time round, studied the show. "I binge-watched the first two seasons of Happy Days , and then I was like, 'oh yeah, I could do Fonzie'." Once he got the part, he binge-watched even more of the show, and was now halfway through the 11-season sitcom. Going quite method, he even read the autobiography of Henry Winkler, the actor who played the character on TV. "It's been like a full-on process trying to get into the character of Fonz," he said. The production had been rehearsing since March and the actor said he knew nobody at first and had to come out of his shell as he was usually quite introverted. Now the cast felt like family, as it always did and he was dreading when it was all over. "The part that I'm looking forward to the least is the closing night." He said everyone on the cast was just awesome, including Willow Gush who was playing Pinky Tuscadero. "[She's] incredible. She's so, just unbelievably good." He also praised Invercargill singer Bradley Crowe who was playing Richie Cunningham. "We're just so incredibly blessed to have such a great and talented cast for the show." As director Craig Waddell said previously, the production had some complicated rock'n'roll-style dance numbers choreographed by Nikoia McKelvie. Weeks said the choreography had been challenging for him and McKelvie had generously given him extra dance training. The number he was looking forward to most was Ooh bop where he and "the boys" would sing. "[It's] basically [Fonzie] telling them how to be cool and how to get chicks," he said. "Leather jacket, motorbike, the whole shebang." Happy Days will be running at the St James Theatre August 8-16 and tickets can be purchased at iTicket.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Festival pumps $2.52m into economy
Visiting bands Butter Wouldn't Melt (Wellington) and Rufous Whistler (Australia) jam at Gore's Table Talk Cafe in May as part of the Bayleys Tussock Country Music Festival. PHOTO: CALLUM THOMAS Gore had an increase in country music festival-goers this year, with visitors coming from far and wide, injecting an estimated $2.52 million into the Eastern Southland economy. Bayleys Tussock Country Music Festival had a 26% increase in attendees and an 18% rise in new visitors, a statement from organisers said. According to post-festival economic data, the average visitor's spend went up by 6%, leading to a calculated $2.52m being fed back into the local economy. The data showed that individuals also stayed longer at the 10-day festival and attended more of the 72 events on offer. The increase in numbers illustrated the festival's broadening appeal, which festival trust chairman Jeff Rea said was palpable. "This was our fourth festival and it felt like there was a notable lift in patron numbers, and new faces from all around New Zealand," he said. "We're ecstatic to see that reflected in the data also, and the trajectory of growth is nothing but exciting for the region of Eastern Southland." Festival organisers said the ongoing growth was due to an expanded programme of events, appealing to a wider range of audiences. Jeff Rea (left) and Phillip Geary. PHOTO: JAMES MACKERETH This growth was predicted by organisers a couple of months ago, when the festival's Gold Guitars competition had a record number of entries. At the time, awards panel convener Phillip Geary said the contest had 832 entries, which was about 100 more than the year before. Mr Geary noted the teenage intermediate section had recorded a big increase. The awards also had their 50-year celebration concert this year, bringing back past winners and nominees for a star-studded event. The anniversary show, Mr Rea said, without a doubt contributed to the rise in numbers. "There's no doubt this year's lift can in part be attributed to the 50th celebrations of the MLT NZ Gold Guitar Awards." He also acknowledged the "tireless work" of volunteers. "[The organisations and volunteers] all share our vision of developing this relatively new festival concept into one of New Zealand's biggest and most successful annual music events," he said. "Witnessing the festival's growth and the benefits it's bringing to our community is a welcome reward for the efforts of many." — APL
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Festival's increase in patronage helps pump $2.52m into economy
Visiting bands Butter Wouldn't Melt (Wellington) and Rufous Whistler (Australia) jam at Gore's Table Talk Cafe in May as part of the Bayleys Tussock Country Music Festival. PHOTO: CALLUM THOMAS Gore had an increase in country music festivalgoers this year, with visitors coming from far and wide, injecting an estimated $2.52 million into the Eastern Southland economy. Bayleys Tussock Country Music Festival had a 26% increase in attendees and an 18% rise in new visitors, a statement from organisers said. According to post-festival economic data, the average visitor's spend went up by 6%, leading to a calculated $2.52m being fed back into the local economy. The data showed that individuals also stayed longer at the 10-day festival and attended more of the 72 events on offer. The increase in numbers illustrated the festival's broadening appeal, which festival trust chairman Jeff Rea said was palpable. "This was our fourth festival and it felt like there was a notable lift in patron numbers, and new faces from all around New Zealand," he said. "We're ecstatic to see that reflected in the data also, and the trajectory of growth is nothing but exciting for the region of Eastern Southland." Festival organisers said the ongoing growth was due to an expanded programme of events, appealing to a wider range of audiences. This growth was predicted by organisers a couple of months ago, when the festival's Gold Guitars competition had a record number of entries. Jeff Rea and Phillip Geary. PHOTO: SUPPLIED At the time, awards panel convener Phillip Geary said the contest had 832 entries, which was about 100 more than the year before. Mr Geary noted the teenage intermediate section had recorded a big increase. The awards also had their 50-year celebration concert this year, bringing back past winners and nominees for a star-studded event. The anniversary show, Mr Rea said, without a doubt contributed to the rise in numbers. "There's no doubt this year's lift can in part be attributed to the 50th celebrations of the MLT NZ Gold Guitar Awards." He also acknowledged the "tireless work" of volunteers. "[The organisations and volunteers] all share our vision of developing this relatively new festival concept into one of New Zealand's biggest and most successful annual music events," he said. "Witnessing the festival's growth and the benefits it's bringing to our community is a welcome reward for the efforts of many." — APL
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Don't miss out: SEESA Jozi Triathlon 2025 entries now open
The organiser of the SEESA Jozi Triathlon, Glen Gore, says the event has grown in leaps and bounds since its debut at the Ebotse Golf and Country Estate two years ago. The entries for the third edition, scheduled for September 27, are open and will be limited. 'Already into its third year now, the Jozi Triathlon has grown in leaps and bounds – not only in numbers – but in terms of prestige amongst the top races taking place in the country,' Gore said. This year's event will also double as the Central Gauteng Triathlon (CGT) Championships. 'This is a feather in the cap for this new event that is certainly growing in leaps and bounds,' added Gore. Last year's race attracted a packed and competitive field that included Olympian, Henri Schoeman. The event also saw new course records in both the men's and women's main races. Schoeman, the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final winner, dominated the men's race, winning in 01:50:32 to cut almost 10 minutes off Rudolf Naudè's 2023 winning time. Ashleigh Irvine-Smith clinched the women's title in an exceptional course record of 02:14:42, shaving 20:28 off Debbie O'Leary's time of 02:35:10 from the inaugural event. 'There are three race distances on offer that cover all the bases, from the not so fit and just looking to have fun athletes to the more serious athletes.' The super sprint distance will kick things off. Here, youngsters, novices and the unfit compete over a 200m long swim, 10km cycle and 2km run. 'It's ideal if you are starting out in the sport of triathlon and perhaps just want to test your fitness gains,' said Gore. The sprint distance follows, with competitors taking on the challenge of swimming 750m, then cycling 20km and a 5km run inside the estate. The standard or Olympic distance, which includes a 1500m swim, 40km cycle and a 10km run, will complete the event. 'SEESA have been supporting this event for the past three years and their personal involvement in the event has ensured that entrants are treated like VIPs with no stone left unturned to ensure a memorable race day experience out in Benoni. 'With goodie bags and custom JOZI TRI race gear that is second to none, this event is a must-do on the national calendar.' Click here to enter. For more info, contact Gore on events@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
