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The whiff of cannabis landed a man with unexpected charges when he let the police into his home to verify someone was not there. When the police arrived at Samuel William Bailey’s home at about 10pm on September 11, 2022, to conduct a welfare check, the 29-year-old allowed the police to enter his home to confirm the person was not there. Following a scent of cannabis the police found two cannabis plants in a grow tent with ventilation and a heat source. They then invoked their search powers and Bailey revealed he had 17 mixed rounds of ammunition. Bailey initially denied the charges of cultiv ..read more

A man who has been in prison since January 30 was given a jail sentence because he did not have an address suitable for an electronically monitored sentence. Tereance Paki, 28, appeared before Judge Mark Callaghan in the Ashburton District Court on Monday. Paki was arrested the day after he breached a protection order on January 29. He was charged with wilful trespass, breaching a protection order, family violence and intentionally damaging an X-box and phone. He also appeared for resentencing after he breached an earlier sentence of intensive supervision and 120 hours’ community work. Those ..read more

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Work on a local large-scale renewable energy project is powering up in Mid Canterbury. The "boots on the ground" stage of the $104-million grid-scale solar farm in Lauriston was celebrated with a sod-turning ceremony on Tuesday. The joint venture between Genesis Energy and FRV Australia is currently the largest solar project in the country and the first solar farm planned for Mid-Canterbury to start construction. The 63 MW solar farm will be built on 93 hectares of land leased from third-generation Lauriston farmer Bernard Daley. Daley runs a dryland cropping and dairy support farm with occas ..read more

The Minister of Transport was given a belated birthday cake adorned with a picture of the Ashburton Bridge in a not-so-subtle reminder from his colleague. Simeon Brown visited Ashburton on Friday to open the office of Rangitata MP James Meager and the Fairfield Freight Hub. Meager presented Brown with the cake with a extra sweetener - a photo of the Ashburton Bridge as a reminder about the proposed second bridge project. The bridge is listed as a road of regional significance and the Minster said he wants all funding options on the table and hasn't ruled out the option of introducing a toll ..read more

Ashburton’s deputy mayor was first down the new flying fox and now Liz McMillan has been the first to use the new jumping platform at Lake Hood. McMillan and some eager volunteers were the first to launch off the purpose-built tower at an officially opening event on Friday morning. Despite the autumnal weather, the water wasn’t too cold, McMillan said. “But I think it will be very popular in the summer months.” With the community always asking for more activities for youth, the diving platform provides another option at Lake Hood. “I think it will be pretty popular with kids and teenagers and ..read more

Safety upgrades to a series of rural intersections in Mid Canterbury are almost complete five years on from a fatal crash that killed a mum and her two children. Upgrades to 33 sealed rural intersections, due to be finished by the end of this month, came in response to a coroner's report into the fatal crash at the intersection of Mitcham Road and Hepburns Road near Ashburton in April 2019. Chante Harmer and her two children, Wysdom Tapiata-Harmer and Te Awanuiarangi Haami-Harmer, died after Harmer did not see the give way sign, the intersection or an approaching vehicle. The coroner's report ..read more

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