Latest news with #Newall
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Sally Newall's plans to open an educational farm for children in Hawke's Bay
As a qualified vet, Sally became the small animal vet for the community, with requirements being helicoptered in to her. She also raised chickens to help replace hens that were lost by Hawke's Bay residents in the cyclone. 'We raised and gifted around 350 chickens in the end,' she said. Her Kiwi Country Kids Facebook page helped a lot during the cyclone, as Newall was able to post footage of what was happening in the area and could organise helicopter drops of donations for her community via her page. She was amazed at the interest and, before long, she had 40,000 followers. That was until 2024, just after the cyclone, when her Facebook page was scammed and she had to start again from scratch. In 2023, while caring for a son with medical needs, she noticed how well he thrived on the farm, among the animals, with fresh air and outdoor activities; it was his happy place. So, she put being a vet on hold, wrote a children's book, sold her eggs at the local market, and poured herself into homesteading. Sally Newall started a Facebook page called Kiwi Country Kids, sharing everyday life on the farm. She also became involved with Farmer Time for Schools, an educational programme connecting farmers with primary and intermediate school students. She has connected with Te Awa Primary School in Napier and has fortnightly live video chats, during which students can ask any questions regarding life on the farm. 'It got me thinking that young children need to learn about farm life, animals, and the role that farmers play in the community,' she said. Sally's son Ted with the cows on the farm. This, in turn, led Sally to a new adventure, developing a purpose-built learning facility on their farm. It's not a petting zoo, but a place where children can learn about farming and ignite interest not only in agriculture but in learning about the environment and sustainable food production. She wants school-age children to come and experience this for free, so she is looking for like-minded sponsors to help her get the idea off the ground. If all goes to plan, the facility will open next year, with opportunities for children to see and learn about a range of farm animals. 'They can also learn about raising chickens and calves, see cheese being made, and cows and goats being milked.' Children will be able to visit the beautiful native bush and river on the property, and teachers can take resources back to the classroom for continued discussions. Eventually, Sally plans to run courses for lifestylers on animal husbandry, health and sustainable practices, but that will have to wait, as the children come first.
Daily Record
29-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
'Contracts for pals' crisis deepens at Scottish council as two senior figures step aside
South Ayrshire Council faces urgent calls for an inquiry over alleged misconduct by local chiefs following a Sunday Mail investigation. Two senior figures at a local authority have stepped aside amid a widening police probe into contracts for 'pals' allegations. South Ayrshire Council's conservative leader Martin Dowey resigned in April after the Sunday Mail published a recording in which he appeared to offer to help a company with lucrative work. We can reveal police are now assessing a further recording of the local authority's CEO Mike Newall, who also stepped aside after we received it. A businessman who claims he is owed more than £400,000 has also now written to the council demanding an inquiry into the scandal is launched immediately. David O'Neil's letter states: 'I am writing to formally raise serious allegations involving misconduct, abuse of position and potential fraud.' In the latest recording to emerge CEO Newall appears to tells a company boss he wants to hand him key work. Newall is heard stating he wants to 'weave a way through all the bureaucracy and procurement stuff so we can make you the preferred bidder so as you get the work'. He added: 'What I have to deal with is a head of legal services who is very risk averse. 'She says, 'Oh you can't do this and you can't do that.' It's can't, can't, can't.' Newall added: 'I want this to happen.' The audio was recorded at the council's HQ around a year ago and related to a project to redevelop a shopping centre in Ayr town centre. Newall, 63, who earns £135,000 a year, took a leave of absence from his role as CEO citing family reasons days after the Sunday Mail asked for the council to comment on the recording. Newall can also be heard telling the businessman: 'I'm being candid with you here…we have to be careful what we're saying. 'The bottom line is you're the preferred person to do this but we haven't got any agreements or council approval.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The leaked tape comes two months after the council's former Conservative leader, Martin Dowey, stood down amid another recording row revealed by the Sunday Mail. Dowey has been reported to police but has insisted no wrongdoing took place and vowed to clear his name. Police confirmed they had 'received additional correspondence which is being assessed.' In a tape, Dowey calls officers at his local authority 'f****** useless' and boasts: 'All the top ones I can sack.' And he appears to tell the businessman he can help him win work including a deal to demolish Ayr's Station Hotel, which was devastated by fire in 2023. In the recording of a meeting at the council's offices that year Dowey, a former police officer, states: 'You will be told the quotes are coming out. You put in your price, we will give you a guestimate of what is happening. 'If you are in the last three you will get the quote. You will get it. That's easy, that's not a problem. The problem arises if you are not in the final three, I can't do anything about that. It's up to us getting a proper price from you.' In the wake of our story deputy leader of South Ayrshire Council Bob Pollock was removed in May following an angry meeting. Provost Iain Campbell resigned after admitting he was 'totally disgusted' by the behaviour in the chamber. 'An investigation into the awarding of council contracts is already under way and some of these allegations form part of that investigation.'
Edinburgh Live
03-06-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh gang war continues in west as thugs torch taxi owned by dad of Mr Big's girlfriend
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp The father of the girlfriend of the Scottish gangster orchestrating the ongoing gangland feud across Edinburgh and the west has had is taxi firebombed. George Newall's black cab was torched outside the family home on Wednesday, May 28, leaving it extensively damaged, reports The Daily Record. His daughter, Olivia Newall, is the girlfriend of Ross 'Miami' McGill and has moved to Dubai where he now lives. McGill is believed to be the central figure behind the gangland war which has torn through Scotland in recent months. The incident occurred on Glasgow's Kingswood Drive in the city's Kings Park district. One local said: 'We could not believe it. It is a very quiet area around here and then this happens. 'George is a lovely man. Hard-working. Honest and just trying to make a living. 'He does not need this hassle on his own doorstep.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. It is understood that nobody was injured in the incident, and police are continuing to investigate. Ms Newall is the cousin of a man called Lloyd Cross who last year was jailed for his part in a £100million cocaine-smuggling plot. It was masterminded by Jamie 'the Iceman' Stevenson, once dubbed 'Scotland's most wanted man.' Cross was given a six-year sentence after pleading guilty to serious organised crime and drug offences. The 32-year-old is a close friend of McGill's having grown up less than a mile away from each other. Their friendship was also solidified through their involvement in the Rangers ultra group, the Union Bears. The attack on Newall's cab took place as reports of a truce in Scotland's gang war emerged. It was claimed that McGill had agreed to pull back on a series of bitter attacks launched against Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson and his close associate, Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, from the notorious Glasgow Daniel crime clan. McGill has been waging war on the pair since March after Richardson's cronies ripped him off in a £500k cocaine deal. A number of properties, cars and business linked to Richardson and Daniel have been torched and shot at in recent months while pals of the hoods have been attacked with machetes. Neither kingpin appears to have retaliated against McGill until news of Newall's taxi emerged, just days before two key Lyons lieutenants were brutally executed in Spain. Eddie Lyons jnr and Ross Monaghan were gunned down at a bar in Fuengirola on Saturday night. We previously reported that the Lyons, sworn enemies of the Daniel family, were understood to be feeding McGill information about the whereabouts of his key targets.
ABC News
26-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Tiny town of Cracow's cheap property prices attracts newcomers
As property prices continue to skyrocket across most of Australia, there are still pockets of cheap homes in regional communities. The small town of Cracow is off the beaten track between Eidsvold and Theodore in the Banana Shire, 500 kilometres north-west of Brisbane. Four homes sold in the township last year for between $83,000 and $170,000. Ms Newall and her partner enjoy an off-grid lifestyle. ( ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett ) Geraldine Newall moved with her partner to Cracow in 2023, looking for somewhere to settle after travelling in a caravan for the better part of the past two decades. "It was just the place I wanted. It's quiet, there's not a lot of people," Ms Newall said. Snatching up the property for under $100,000, it's a stark difference from the city of Rockhampton, three hours away. Rockhampton's median home value in 2024 was $410,000, according to CoreLogic data. While Cracow property prices might be keeping the dream of home ownership alive, it comes with a different kind of cost. A bit of preparation needed The only operational business in the township is the local pub. After years of travelling on the road, Ms Newall can finally have chickens. ( ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett ) The closest town to buy a bottle of milk and bread is Theodore, 50km down the road, which has a small independent grocery store. Ms Newall said she did top-up shops in Theodore and visited Rockhampton every two to three months. It's not too different from when she was caravanning and would travel with a month's supply of food. "We're used to that," Ms Newall said. Getting trades out to Cracow can also be a challenge, and it was only when an electrician's van was parked at another resident's house that Ms Newall was able to snag him to return to her place weeks later. "When we first came here, we needed an electrician and we'd heard that locals had been trying for two years to get someone to come out here," Ms Newall said. The couple enjoy the serenity in Cracow. ( ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett ) The closest doctors are also in Theodore. But despite some of the challenges, Ms Newall, like most other locals, isn't swayed to leave any time soon. Pub the heart of town The local pub, filled with quintessential country pub relics and memorabilia, puts on events to entertain the small community. "We have lots of events throughout the year. We just had a big Australia Day and probably had about 70 people here for the day," pub owner Nikki Burke said. "A lot of motorbike groups come through during the year and variety bash car rallies." There's also a local park, museum with artefacts from the mine and a short drive away is what locals call "Cracow Beach", a sandy area on the banks of the Dawson River out of town. Nikki and Stuart Burke and their children Chilli and Brophy took over the Cracow Hotel in 2021. ( ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett ) Ms Burke moved to Cracow in 2002 to work as a barmaid for boxing identity Fred Brophy who had bought the local pub. "There were 15 locals and about half a dozen drill rigs with the drillers in town, so it was pretty wild days," she said. "I think I owned the only registered car in town in those days." Cracow is off the beaten track between Theodore and Eidsvold. ( ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett ) At its peak in the 1930s, the town was once home to an estimated 4,000 people who flocked to the region in the hopes of finding gold. The mine was wound down and closed in the 1970s. It was reopened in 2004 but has a regimented workforce with a mining camp on the outskirts of town and most workers fly or drive in and out. These days, the population is 114, according to the latest Census in 2021. Township of Cracow, believed to be taken in the 1940s. ( Archives: taken by Arthur Sleep. ) With rural properties surrounding the town, Ms Burke estimates the actual township is about 50 people. According to the latest real estate listing, there are currently three properties on the market for sale, all under $170,000. Ms Burke said most people moved to the community in search of a peaceful lifestyle. "Some people don't mix, they move out here because they like the quiet. Others are really involved in community, but someone will always put up their hand and help you here if you need it," she said. Stuart Burke has been renovating the old Cracow Hall. ( ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett ) Ms Burke, along with her husband, Stuart, ended up buying the pub off Fred Brophy in 2021. "It's quiet, it's peaceful, there's a good community here, we pretty much get left alone most of the time," Mr Burke said. " We haven't got services, but that's a negative to positive for me anyway. It [the peaceful lifestyle] outweighs it. " ABC Capricornia — local news in your inbox Get our local newsletter, delivered free each Friday Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
