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651 days ago

Johns joins the race out west

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

There are now four candidates for the western ward by-election, with nominations closing at midday Thursday.

This ward is the western area of the Ashburton District, the biggest geographical area.

Community event organiser, Carol Johns, has become the latest to come forward to fill the vacant seat at the Ashburton District Council.

The by-election comes after the death of councillor Rodger Letham in December.

Johns joins Dame Lynda Topp, Hayden Tasker, and Rob Mackle.

Like the other three candidates, Johns was unsuccessful in her bid in last year’s election, where she stood in the Ashburton ward alongside rural contractor Tasker.

Topp was the only other candidate to stand on the western ward, behind incumbents deputy mayor Liz McMillan and Letham.

Mackle, who farms just out of Ashburton, stood in the eastern ward.
With nominations closing today, the election will open on April 20 and close on May 12.

The successful candidate will then be sworn in as a councillor for the rest of the council term, with the western ward councillors also sitting on the Methven Community Board.

Tasker attended the board meeting on Monday.

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More messages from your neighbours
8 hours ago

Best way to use leftovers?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.

What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.

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16 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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8 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.

If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?

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Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 61.8% Summer
    61.8% Complete
  • 36.6% Winter
    36.6% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1520 votes