Restoration work on Whangārei’s Old Town Hall building is due to commence in October. Work will start once the building consent has been issued and the elected members have approved the contract award in September. The hall suffered extensive damage in October 2019 when a blaze quickly took hold of the second floor, spread through the roof and destroyed the landmark clock tower.

Man dies in hospital
A 31-year-old man critically injured when he fell from a vehicle on State Highway 11 in the Bay of Islands has died in hospital. The man was sitting in the tray of a ute heading south on Paihia Rd, about halfway between Ōpua and Kawakawa, when he fell out and hit his head on the road just before 4am on August 6. He was flown to Auckland Hospital in a critical condition. He was believed to be a Dutch citizen on a working holiday in the Kawakawa area. His parents flew from Europe to be with him in hospital. A police investigation into the circumstances of the incident is continuing.

Cow causes accident
A log truck driver says a cow running across the road was the cause of an accident on State Highway 1 in the Far North early on Wednesday morning. Ōkaihau Fire Brigade station officer Ben Scott said the crash occurred about 3.50am near the junction with Puketi Rd. The truck had lost control with the cab rolling and the trailer staying on its wheels. The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital by St John Ambulance as a precaution. One lane was blocked with Waka Kotahi putting in traffic management until the truck was removed later in the morning. In a social media post the driver said a cow ran in front of his truck in foggy conditions, causing him to swerve and lose control. He said he was lucky to survive when his cab flipped and a fence post missed his head by centimetres. He thanked passing truckies and motorists who came to his aid.

Firearms related incident
Three people were arrested after a firearms incident in Haruru on Wednesday afternoon. Police responded to reports of a firearm being sighted on Haruru Falls Rd shortly after 12pm. One firearm was located alongside two vehicles, police said. There were no injuries and police inquiries are ongoing.

Death not suspicious
Police say they are not treating the death of a Hokianga woman missing since the weekend as suspicious. Robyn Brown, 67, was found dead yesterday afternoon by searchers after going missing from Horeke on Saturday night. Police said she was surrounded by her whānau and further thanked everyone in the Horeke community for their help. Police also provided an update on Far North teen, Amelia James, who was located “safe and well” 12 days after she was last seen at her Kaitāia home on July 30. No further details about where she was found were provided.

Warren Snow dies
One of Northland’s most successful, and highly regarded, environmental activists has died aged 73 after a long battle with cancer. Warren Snow founded the Kaitaia social enterprise Community Business and Environment Centre (CBEC) as well as environmental groups the Kiwi Bottle Drive and Zero Waste NZ. His two-decade-long campaign for a return to bottle deposits finally paid off earlier this year when the Government announced a nationwide container deposit scheme would become law by 2025. Snow died peacefully in Auckland on Auckland 7. He is survived his wife Kim, two daughters and five grandchildren. A service will be held at Manukau Memorial Gardens at 11am on August 12.