A Dannevirke man who blew more than six times the legal driving alcohol limit has avoided a jail sentence.
47 year old Matthew Whiteside was charged with driving with a breath alcohol limit of 1835 micro-grams on January 4th.
Judge Lance Rowe told Whiteside it was a miracle he didn’t kill someone.
It was Whiteside’s third drink-drive conviction.
He was sentenced to three months community detention, with a 7pm to 7am curfew, and 12 months intensive supervision.
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Federated Farmers says the government’s announcement yesterday that live exports of animals will be banned has come as a surprise.
Feds animal welfare spokesperson Wayne Langford says the Minister has said this is all about protecting New Zealand’s reputation as the most ethical producer of food in the world, but those farmers who support livestock exports would point out our trade in this sector operates to some of the highest animal welfare standards anywhere.
Mr Langford says there is a contractual relationship with the companies receiving livestock from New Zealand to have minimum standards in place, which are monitored for 30 days after arrival of the animals, but conceded that after that, New Zealand has no control over the future welfare of those animals.
The trade is worth around $250 million in export receipts.
The ban is expected to come into force after a transition period of two years.
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With the RSA’s annual Poppy Day coming up tomorrow, a number of local retailers are displaying Poppy Posters to allow people to make donations.
Waipukurau and Districts RSA President Janet Castell says the posters have a QR code that people can scan, with donations coming back to the local RSA.
She says shopkeepers have been very generous in allowing the posters to be put up in their windows.
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$3700 was raised for the East Coast Rural Support Trust last week.
Dannevirke Young Farmers held a fundraiser at the Mangatera Hotel on Friday night.
Organiser Kit Holmes said they were “very happy with the amount raised”.
