Publication
‘A dream come true’
Waikato woman Halina Tilsley has found her peace after a bombshell DNA revelation turned her world upside down. Halina, 80, found out two years ago that the man she had previously known as “Dad” was not her biological father, and, with her family, she...
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Local leaders welcome runway extension
The Hamilton Airport runway extension has been welcomed by local leaders. The $9.8 million project received a $6.5m loan from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced. Hamilton Airport will contribute...
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Lift-off time again
Colour will flood Hamilton’s skies this week as Balloons over Waikato lifts off again at Hamilton Lake. Thousands of people will head out before dawn throughout the festival to watch the mass ascensions, when dozens of balloons rise together and drift...
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From heartbreak to little miracle
For over a decade, Melissa Sumner has given children in need love, safety and security as a foster mum. Now the Hamilton woman has been recognised for her work with an Excellence in Foster Care Award from children’s charity Barnardos. Melissa,...
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Homegrown gears up for Hamilton debut
The countdown to Homegrown’s first event in Hamilton is on, with less than two weeks to go. The organisers have been working hard setting up the seven stages at Claudelands Oval, with 220 truckloads of equipment having come in since the end of...
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‘Messy and poorly understood processes’
An independent audit has found “significant areas of concern” with Hamilton City Council’s procurement process. The KPMG audit found the council awarded $239.1 million in nontendered contracts from 2021 to 2023. The audit was commissioned in 2024 as...
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Residents hopeful sea wall will protect homes
A380-metre sea wall has been built to protect homes from coastal erosion at Port Waikato’s Sunset Beach. One resident, unsure how much longer she can remain at her beachfront home, says the wall has “given me hope for the future”. The $400,000 project...
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How Waikato fought its way into Super Rugby
The Chiefs are arguably as connected to Waikato as cows and beer — it’s hard to imagine them not being around. However, when the first meetings about the Super Rugby competition and five New Zealand franchises took place, the initial plan did not...
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Living with cancer
“I’m living with advanced breast cancer – I’m not dying of it.” That’s the mindset Waikato grandmother Diana Wood lives by as she faces a disease many people still see as a death sentence. The 67-year-old is living with stage four breast cancer, but...
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Deluge cuts off towns
The severe weather has heavily impacted parts of the North Island this week, including the Waikato region. Coromandel, Hauraki and parts of Matamata-piako District were particularly hit hard, with the weather forcing evacuations and triggering...
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Ancestry surprise
Halina Tilsley was always confident she knew who she was. Born after the end of World War II, she was the daughter of a Polish woman and a British-born Kiwi soldier, a mother of two, a grandmother and greatgrandmother. But two years ago, her life and...
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