Latest fromManawatu-Whanganui
'It looked like fireworks': Balloon strike sparks fire opposite petrol station
Power was also cut to nearby properties.
Boys' schools ask parents to pay more in voluntary donations
'Boys get the priority', says McAuley High School principal Jan Waelen.
Drysdale's late entry thrills crowd at Billy Webb Challenge
Drysdale is the first man home, while Anna MacQuerrie wins the women's single skull race.
Person stuck between tree and truck in Marton
The incident happened while someone was cutting down a tree.
Local Focus: Can four people assemble a Model T in half an hour?
And then drive it away? Made with funding from NZ On Air.
How to teach skills for workplace of next generation
Teachers aim to lift students' aspirations above mere grades.
Rātana leader urges followers to break away from Labour
It's only the second time the Labour Party won't be at Rātana in their 84-year alliance.
Local Focus: Founder reflects on opera school and Opera Week success
Future looks bright for Whanganui opera. Made with funding from NZ On Air.
Leigh-Marama McLachlan: Rātana without politicians a welcome break
It will be a different Rātana event at the end of the month with no politicians.
Greyhounds deaths prompt calls for track closure
The dogs died from injuries ranging from broken hocks to a ruptured stomach.
Politicians not invited to Ratana Pā this year
Ratana marae committee plans one-day event, for Ratana followers only.
Hotel review: The country retreat where the garden is the star
Stay in this cottage on a working farm, surrounded by palms, cycads, cacti and more.
Last weekend of the Christmas break - how's the weather?
There may still be a chance for one last beach trip this weekend before returning to work.
'Long haul' alternative house build completed
Ari Bailey's partner of 20 years moves into the earth house she was inspired to build.
Foxton vehicle heist: Woman's car not insured, appeal for witnesses
The armed offender allegedly fired a gun at officers responding to the incident.
New ablutions block to be built at Whanganui marae
Two Whanganui urban marae hope to soon begin another stage in their upgrades.
New opportunity to be 'good Treaty partner'
Tāwhiao McMaster says history must reflect Māori as well as Pākeha versions of events.
Dad told the cancerous lump on cheek was a tooth abscess. Now he's dying
"Telling the kids their dad was dying was the hardest thing we have ever had to do."
Suspicious package delivered to Whanganui Prison
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit was notified.
Couple back home after nine months stuck in South Africa
After a two-week isolation they expect to be in Whanganui on January 2.
Leigh-Marama McLachlan: Christmas not the day it used to be for many Kiwis
Christmas is terrible for putting pressure on families to buy gifts and spend up large.
Redundancies at Whanganui's pilot academy
Whanganui's pilot school has let three staff go as the border closures begin to hit hard.
Kids allegedly locked in rooms, smacked, fed mouldy food: Daycare centre probed
Parents say children were locked in rooms, smacked, and fed mouldy bread.
Desert Rd murder case: 'Naive' only child helped dispose of man's body
Culture of misplaced loyalty cited as reason man helped dispose of murder victim.
Farm equity continues to rise in 'crazy' Covid year
The worth of the Ātihau Whanganui Incorporation continues to rise.
Family heartbreak: Young sisters diagnosed with same cancer months apart
The diagnosis follows one of the pair's daughter's own childhood battle with cancer.
Tāwhiao McMaster - 'a Māori lawyer, not a lawyer who is Māori'
"When everything is in te reo Māori ... everything feels so settled and at peace."
Young automotive enthusiasts driving career pathways
Māori and Pasifika Trades Training has led to apprenticeships for Whanganui graduates.
'I've got enough': Man wins supermarket raffle, donates winnings
Two families now have full bellies and bright smiles thanks to his generosity.