TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 CAR THEFT PAGE 5 LIGHTNING ‘GET FLOCKED’ COVID-19 PAGES 3, 6-8, 11-13 • Alert level change ‘right thing to do’: PM STRIKES FOR STROKE • Mayor warns ‘fleeing Aucklanders’ TWICE TAIRAWHITI • Widening roll-out of saliva tests PAGE 3 • 15 million in UK receive first jab BOATS IN THE BAY A Sunset Beach IRB flies back to shore with powerboats and a log ship in the background on what was a busy weekend on Turanganui-a-Kiwa/ Poverty Bay. IRB crews were contesting the North Island championships at Waikanae Beach. Those who ventured down to the beach also got to enjoy the sights and grunty sounds of 15 boats in the first round of the 2021 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Racing series. More on the IRB champs on the back page. Powerboats story on page 2. Picture by Paul Rickard Here we go again Alert Level 2 restrictions in place for at least three days SOCIAL distancing and limits on yesterday evening after a mother, father alert levels and a forecast of bad weather. restrict movements and keep their social gathering are back as the country, bar and their daughter in Papatoetoe, south A statement from Central School distance of two metres during pickup Auckland, returned to Alert Level 2 for Auckland, tested positive for the virus. principal Andy Hayward said although times. three days as of 11.59pm last night. The three new community Covid the camp to Tolaga Bay was below the “It would be good if you just waited Auckland is at Level 3. cases have been identified as the United 100-person threshold, it was not known in your car if that is possible,” principal For those in Level 2, mass gatherings, Kingdom variant of the virus. how many others would be staying at the Steve Berezowski advised parents. including funerals and public events, are They have not been linked to any site and how shared spaced at the camp Parents are being asked to sign now limited to 100 people. managed isolation or quarantine case, the would be managed. a contact register if entering school Evans Funeral Services manager Prime Minister said today. “I know this will be disappointing but grounds. Gavin Nickerson said no funerals had The changes are for at least three days. we deemed it important to err on the side Gisborne District Council customer been cancelled but two planned funerals Gisborne Boys’ High School has of caution. services remain open but the council tomorrow would be monitored to ensure postponed a planned camp, as has “At this point, camp 2 will be postponed is encouraging people to either email the limit of 100 was kept to. Central primary school. as well as the alert level goes through [email protected] or call by phone on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern The Boys’ High 9a1 camp due to start until Wednesday night.” 0800 653 800. announced the change in alert levels today was postponed after the change in Te Wharau School is urging parents to CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Racing ................16 Sport ............ 20-24 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Television ...........17 Weather .............23 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World............ 13-15 Classifieds ... 18-19 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Monday, February 15, 2021 IN SYNC: Crews in action at the North Island IRB championships held at Waikanae Beach over the weekend. Waikanae enjoyed a successful carnival, collecting multiple wins on the way to placing second overall on points. Waikato club Sunset Beach were the overall winners on 112 points from Waikanae (93), with East End (77) of Taranaki third. Picture by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services THUNDER IN THE BAY Gisborne round produces ‘true offshore powerboat racing’ by Murray Robertson THE city echoed once again to the high-pitched roar of the offshore power boats and they made a spectacular sight as they charged around Turanganui-a- Kiwa/Poverty Bay at the weekend Sea conditions were challenging on Saturday but improved on Sunday for the Taan’s Thunder in the Bay event, the first round of the New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Racing national series. It drew hundreds of people to the Gisborne foreshore for the hour-long races on both days. The 15-boat field made for thrilling viewing as they cut their way around the course, with white wakes trailing far behind them. The course was slightly closer to the shore this year and was shifted further west along the bay. “Race conditions were very hard on Saturday but most crews agreed it HEAR ME ROAR: Superboat Outboard was true offshore powerboat racing,” Pro (above) leaves a rooster tail of white said Gisborne event organiser Chris water in its wake as it passes Hidromek Lankshear. in the opening round of the New Zealand “We had a 1.4-metre swell with eight Offshore Powerboat Racing series in knot winds on Saturday.” Turanganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay over the Conditions settled for the start of weekend. Outboard Pro was unopposed the second race on Sunday, but then in the superboat class for the two days of deteriorated for the second half of the racing while, left, Hijinx Racing won the race. 400 class. Pictures by Paul Rickard “There was some boat damage caused by the conditions,” Lankshear said. “But this is one of the favourite spots to unopposed and won the superboat class. come to for the New Zealand series and Aucklanders Espresso Engineers won everyone said they were keen to be back the 600 class, ahead of Rainbow Haulage here again next year. from Kaitaia. “Overall it was an excellent first The 400 class was taken out by Hijinx, round.” ahead of Doric, both boats coming from They trialled the one-hour race concept Auckland. over the weekend. The 80 miles-per-hour class was won by “A lot of them really enjoyed it, in their Wildchild Bat Boat, but had to weekend for Molly and I. H and H, ahead of Superstition, also both although it was hard on the body with all pull out of both races. “But it’s early days in the series yet from Auckland, with Gisborne woman that bouncing up and down,” Lankshear “We broke the steering wheel on the and we’ll be off to Whitianga in three Jaclyn Findon navigator on Superstition. said. “I’ve got bruises everywhere.” first day and had an accelerator issue weeks for round 2.” Equaliser from Hamilton won the Lankshear and daughter Molly raced on the second, so it was a disappointing Outboard Pro from Whangarei was 70mph class from Nikita of Mangawhai. The Gisborne Herald • Monday, February 15, 2021 NEWS 3 STRUCK TWICE BY CAR THIEVES by Sophie Rishworth any offending taking place or any suspicious activity, day or ON Monday night of last week, night, to phone 111 immediately. Tylah Elliott’s car was stolen Gisborne District Council from outside her boyfriend’s spent more than $27,000 to house. deal with abandoned cars in On Tuesday night, her the district last financial year, boyfriend’s car was stolen from related to 329 Requests for HOW BIZARRE: Tylah Elliott could not believe she had to call police two days in a row about separate outside Tylah’s house. Service for abandoned cars. car thefts — her vehicle on Monday of last week and her boyfriend’s the next night from separate The couple live just four Tylah’s car was found burnt properties. Tylah’s car (pictured beside her) was found burnt out after catching fire following a high- streets away from each other in out early on Tuesday morning speed crash on Matokitoki Valley Road. Her boyfriend’s car was found and returned by police. It had Te Hapara. after a high-speed crash on some damage. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell University of Waikato student Matokitoki Valley Road. Tylah said the bizarre sequence Her boyfriend’s car was said Tylah. “The offenders She returns to Hamilton next She also got most of her of events left her “in shock”. returned by police at 2.30am on become confident and move on to week and the loss of her car is information about her car She could not believe she had Thursday. bigger crimes. “inconvenient”. through Facebook. to call police two days in a row It was intact but the ignition “I wanted to get this story out After her boyfriend’s car was Ari’s car was stolen from about separate car thefts. box needed to be replaced. to spread awareness for people taken, Tylah took to Facebook Crawford Road 16 months ago. Gisborne police are making Tylah, with some of her to be safe, and for the people out to see if she could source She posted a photo of her car inquiries into similar incidents friends, managed to piece there committing these crimes information. on Facebook, someone recognised of stolen and/or abandoned together a timeline and secure to know that this doesn’t have to People had been “amazing” the licence plate number as a car vehicles. CCTV footage, and took the be their path — there are people coming forward to help, she said. down the road from where they Police confirmed they were information to police. out there willing to help. “I’ve got so much information”. lived on Murdoch Road. notified at 6:50am on Wednesday Through the footage they were “We are all working hard in Gisborne woman Ari Smart She and a friend went to get it.