Our Community

THE first woman to set up her own dental practice in Southland has retired. After studying at the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry in Dunedin, Robyn Hunter graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in 1977. Three years later, having working as a dentist, the former Southland Girls' High School pupil established her own practice in Windsor in 1980. Asked...

WITH just six days left until Christmas, Santa Claus is letting us in on some Southland secrets. He is a good friend of ours, at the Southland Express, so this year he offered to share civic leaders' wish lists. While some had very practical requests from the man in red, others were hoping for a little bit of magic. The first letter...

SCHOOL's out and the Christmas party season is upon us, followed closely by the summer party season. This can mean increased opportunities for teens to drink can help. The Plan is a new initiative being rolled out in Invercargill which aims to support parents to delay drinking and reduce alcohol related risk to their teens. It encourages and supports parents to stick...

THE Southland community has once again gone above and beyond to ensure women and children experiencing family violence in the region receive some Christmas cheer this year. For the second year in a row, Invercargill Workingmen's Club president Peter Kennedy and his wife Cindy organised a Gift for Kids' appeal for families being supported by the Invercargill Women's Refuge during...

ABOUT 80 of Invercargill's iconic tuatara will be released on two islands in the Marlborough Sounds next year. Southland Museum & Art Gallery (SMAG) manager David Luoni said last week during the trust board meeting the translocation plan for the tuatara was scheduled for autumn 2020. However, Mr Luoni highlighted the translocation was the "precursor to Department of Conservation granting its...

MORE than $9000 has been raised for mental health awareness through the mullet-growing initiative Mullets for Mental Health. Started by Invercargill firefighters in September, November 30 marked the last day of the campaign that aimed to get people talking about mental health. Senior firefighter Waka Miller said the campaign may have done some good as he was told helplines had received...

PACKING up her writing instruments and computer, long-time gardening columnist Betty Munro is off on a new adventure. A regular contributor to the Southland Express since 1997, Betty had been asked by former newspaper manager Camille Alabaster to write a gardening column. "It was quite strange," Betty said. "Camille Alabaster came in one day and asked me to write a column for...

DEATH comes in many forms, and as hard as it is for an adult to process bereavement, children often find it more difficult. To help parents and caregivers guide children through the grieving process, Greenlight Innovations director Leon Hartnett has organised the donation of 40 Kenzie's Gift memories are forever diaries and parents' kits to the Invercargill Loss and Grief...

THE spirit of Christmas will be alive and well at Invercargill Women’s Refuge this year, thanks to the generosity of the members and supporters of the Invercargill Workingmen’s Club (IWMC). For the second time, IWMC president Peter Kennedy and his wife Cindy are running a ‘Give a Gift for Kids’ appeal for families being supported by the refuge. ‘‘It’s about giving...

MACHINERY users are being urged to inspect warm, sheltered areas where birds may nest to avoid fire risks this summer. Fire and Emergency New Zealand data revealed Southland had experienced seven nesting-related fires in the past three months from birds building homes in areas where heat was produced. FENZ East Otago-Southland area fire risk management officer Scott Lanauze said it...