Waikato Times
Free lunches going uneaten
Fifteen per cent of school lunches are going to waste as more than half of the schools continue to over-order students’ daily taxpayer-funded meal. Data released under the Official Information Act to the Waikato Times by the Ministry of Education...
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NZTA ignored warnings
Warnings over the long-term performance of the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway were raised by Transport Agency engineers before the road even opened, with newly released documents revealing concerns that dated back to its construction. The...
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City ‘no’ to amalgamation
Hamilton City leaders have walked away from amalgamation talks and told the Government to expect a “backlash’’ at the election ballot box. Hamilton City Council yesterday voted 12-3 to not submit a Head Start proposal, opting to enter the still...
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Team banned after complaints
A team of Tokoroa high schoolers have been disqualified from their rugby competition after a match that allegedly involved a headbutt and men “barking” behind the goal post. After the Tokoroa under-14 team lost a home game on Saturday, the situation...
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Free Sunday parking in gun
If you’re having Sunday brunch or working in the CBD on the Sabbath, expect to start paying for your parking. Yesterday, Hamilton City Council’s city centre revitalisation subcommittee confirmed the scope of a wide-ranging, streetby-street review of...
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Transform WINTER SKIN
Why skin is so dry in winter That feeling of tightness after a shower? Blame it on the season. This is what experts mean when they talk about a ‘compromised skin barrier’, and it’s something many of us are experiencing right now. Dryness is caused by...
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Mayor’s battle cry to arms
Taupō mayor John Funnell has drawn on the battle cries of bygone leaders with a clarion call to residents to rebel against the Government’s plans to amalgamate them with other councils. Funnell has raised the spectre of the district’s debt ballooning...
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Locals wary about gold hunt
A historic mining area could be revived in the Kaimai Range after the Government green lighted an Australian-headquartered company to search for silver and gold. If it finds a deposit, the company says this will lead to “a huge economic boost” for the...
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Burned then burgled
Kaye Roberts escaped the blazing family home only to return days later and discover burglars had ransacked her smoke-damaged house, stealing treasured family heirlooms that had survived the blaze. The burglars searched almost every room of the...
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‘Smoke ring’ to fight charges
Five people smoked out by the Customs service for allegedly being part of a large black market tobacco network are fighting to extinguish the charges against them. The arrests were the result of a New Zealand Customs Service investigation dubbed...
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Laken Rose’s sentence cut
Warning: This story contains distressing details. Laken Rose has been known as one of the country’s most prolific female child sex offenders after she helped her former partner to sexually abuse four young girls. But yesterday, the Court of Appeal...
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‘The wheels have come off’
With just days left before a Government deadline, it seems nobody wants to play the amalgamation game with Hamilton. City leaders are scrambling to find a way forward and will hold an emergency workshop tomorrow, after their preferred amalgamation...
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Repayment issues revealed
Official documents reveal Hamilton’s key Peacocke housing development needed early Government help to keep it solvent as a Covid building slowdown left a long hangover. The half-billion dollar transformation of Peacocke has been eight years in the...
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Rescue chopper fundraisers under investigation
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is investigating at least four fundraising campaigns run by charity NZ Rescue, as two major North Island rescue helicopter trusts face questions from concerned supporters over the charity’s failed Matamata...
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Birds in lockdown over flu fears
Most of the Waikato’s free-range chickens have been moved into lockdown to prevent the possible spread of bird flu, but farmers are fearful an outbreak will ruin their livelihoods. The precautionary move follows New Zealand’s first detections of the...
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Teacher accused of misconduct with girls cites ‘big kid energy’
Across 1 Golfer’s goal? (3) 3 Hardwood (4) 5 Levels (a weapon) (4) 8 Friendly (8) 10 Commotion (4) 11 Brownish colour (3) 13 Citrus fruit (5) 14 Curse in an unholy manner (9) 16 Allow (3) 17 Digit (3) 19 Storyteller (9) 21 S American...
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Paeroa’s lifeline project
A national-first housing development for the intellectually disabled has desperate families looking to move to Paeroa, while the $12 million price tag will be picked up by overseas donations. The new co-living housing development pilot with a blend of...
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Surgeon’s game wins fans
It took David McCormack 16 years to become a heart surgeon, but the Waikato doctor has created a digital game allowing those with far less expertise to try their hand at it. The game, Heart Heroes, has been welcomed as a fun way to demystify surgery...
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Playground for growing CBD
Spades are in the ground for Hamilton’s first CBD playground, marking a new chapter for the country’s fastest-growing city. While a recent council report painted a bleak picture for the central city, residents, businesses and local leaders say...
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Mike Mather.
The grief of losing both parents to cancer in quick succession would likely be crushing for most people. For Jonathan Nabbs, it galvanised him into running the width of Canada. The epic 7351-kilometre, 10-month journey – during which Nabbs braved...
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Bunnings building for sale
Money isn’t everything, according to Waipā District Council. Especially when empty buildings are concerned. The former Te Awamutu Bunnings site was bought by the council in 2021 and earmarked as a new home for the Te Ara Wai district museum, but a...
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The rise of ‘Megatron’
Hamilton City Council seems to have ruled out half its amalgamation options, leaving three finalists still in the game ahead of an August deadline. Of these, the “Megatron” option looks to be a strong contender, with several councillors expressing...
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Worst recyclers revealed
Hamilton East has been outed as the city’s worst offender when it comes to tipping any old trash – from rats to sex toys – into their recycling bins. The suburb that stretches from stacked student flats near the university to leafy bungalow-lined...
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Pushed on dole to get a job?
Some young Ōtorohanga people may have to go on the benefit before they can get help finding work, the council says. The “counterintuitive situation” is because of national changes to contract rules for the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs programme, an...
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Land at centre of Bill battle
A proposed shake-up of the country’s conservation laws will open up the Waikato region to unwanted and unneeded developments on public conservation land says Forest & Bird. But Conservation Minister and Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka says the reforms...
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Rusty boat a major headache
Officials trying to remove a derelict boat used as a floating bolthole for rough sleepers were stymied for months by legal hurdles before it sank in a storm, leaving ratepayers to pick up the tab. The MV Gleaner – better known to many Thames locals as...
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US-Iran conflict has ‘modest impact’ on NZ
The renewed conflict between the United States and Iran is expected to have only a modest impact on petrol prices in New Zealand. But an international law expert says the war could drag on for some time yet. The renewed fighting has lifted oil prices...
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Bishop signals rethink on PC1
New rules that will affect thousands of Waikato farms are on a “collision course” with planned RMA changes, says the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop. Faced with a sea of anxious faces at Mystery Creek yesterday, he said the...
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Keyrings linked to draw
Undelivered keyrings sold as part of a cancelled Matamata muscle car promotion are at the centre of an Internal Affairs investigation into whether the promotion breached gambling laws. Eight people who bought Key to Communities keyrings as part of NZ...
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Stop hoping for a
Every great makeup look needs a finishing touch, and your smile is no exception. If you have a special event or a big night out, reach for Colgate Optic White Purple Serum. Think of this as a purple toner for your teeth. Drawing on the principles of...
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‘Give way to buses’ coming
Buses are about to get a lot harder to ignore. Before the end of the year, motorists will be legally required to give way to buses pulling out of stops on roads with speed limits of 60kph or less, a long-awaited rule change Hamilton’s biggest bus...
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PM’s public meeting garners applause and protest
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s public meeting in Hamilton was punctuated by cheers, boos, and pointed questions, with one attendee forcibly removed from the hall after tensions spilled over. More than 250 people from across the political spectrum...
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ED ward debate heats up
A new 28-bed ward earmarked for Waikato Hospital may never end up being built, according to Labour health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall. But the Minister in charge says it’s still on the way to relieve pressure on the hospital’s struggling emergency...
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City leads in price growth
New data from Cotality shows Hamilton’s median property price edged upwards in June to $732,114 and remained stable over the second quarter of the year. Hamilton posted the strongest monthly increase at 0.5%, followed by Christchurch and Dunedin at...
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ED death ‘an utter tragedy’
Hours before news broke of a patient death at Waikato Hospital’s beleaguered Emergency Department, a nurse was calling for an urgent capacity boost. Staff were overwhelmed, the union representative warned, and would leave a shift feeling relieved that...
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Canada geese invasion
A fake wolf could hold the key to saving a popular Hamilton lake from a noisy, messy and potentially dangerous invasion of hundreds of Canada geese. Following the end of the recent duck-shooting/game-bird season the nomadic population of Canada geese...
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Mayor’s amalgamation plea
Hamilton city leaders are launching a social media blitz to rescue the biggest shake-up in local government for a generation from community apathy. With a strict central government deadline on August 9 looming, Hamilton City Council is facing immense...
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Couple build dream home
After two-and-a-half decades of DIY and managing rentals in Te Kūiti, the Brandons are stepping into retirement. They reckon they’ve put “blood, sweat and tears” into their investment rentals and it’s paid off for them as they relax in their...
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Council signs off Annual Plan
Hamilton’s city leaders have served up an expected 6.9% general rates rise and an unexpected $20 million debt drop. Yesterday, Hamilton City Council officially adopted its 2026 Annual Plan, and rates strike. Mayor Tim Macindoe and councillors were...
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TELEGRAPH CROSSWORD
Across 1 Body of water (3) 3 Atmosphere (3) 5 Slaughtered (4) 7 Expert; speed (5) 8 Danger (6) 10 Crikey! (4) 11 Majesty (8) 13 Secure (6) 14 Shout (6) 17 Shone (8) 19 Part of church (4) 21 Flat fish (6) 22 Emulsion, e.g. (5) 23...
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Rape remark, teacher resigns
A Hamilton teacher censured for telling a student “you only scream like that when you’re being raped” has resigned from Rototuna Junior High School. Shannan McPeak’s resignation was confirmed by Rototuna principal Mel Moore. “Mr McPeak has decided to...
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Tough new rules spook farmer
Jayden Corbett is one of many farmers around Whangamarino and the wider Waikato spooked over how pending environmental policies might affect his farming future. “Our catchment is a thriving community, and each catchment would be the same. We’re not...
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Fire trucks get green light
Fire trucks in Hamilton will be the first in New Zealand to use satellite technology to turn traffic lights green on demand. Hamilton senior firefighter and driver Jay Culhane said the technology would be a “major benefit’’ for crews responding...
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‘It’s this time, boys’, Chiefs fans tell their team
FANDOM Isaako Matau feels it in his bones that the Chiefs will win when they take the field in Wellington tonight. He also sees it on his fence. “Up Da Chiefs” stands out in large white letters on the palings in the backyard of the Nawton home he...
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Council rails against fare hikes
Hamilton city leaders have hauled fellow Waikato Regional Council decision-makers over the tracks, accusing them of a “breach of trust’’ around an unexpected 25% hike in Te Huia passenger fares. It means it is now cheaper to get a bus between...
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$700k rubbish bins discarded
More than $700,000 of ratepayer money went into solar-powered Big Belly bins that are now being dumped by Hauraki District Council. Hauraki district mayor Toby Adams said they were “not always reliable”, but supplier Manco Environmental – which leased...
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Water charges loom for city
Hard-to-stomach charges could be on the way if the new company in charge of drinking and wastewater approves a water meter roll-out. IAWAI is the new council-owned company responsible for water and wastewater services in the Hamilton City and Waikato...
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FROM 8-hour results TO 3-hour patches
STEP 1: Cleanse with precision Great skin starts with a clean slate. The Effaclar Foaming Gel Cleanser is a gentle yet highly effective face wash formulated specifically for sensitive, oily and acne-prone skin. Instead of stripping your skin of its...
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Hamilton’s Aussie boom
The return of international flights to Hamilton Airport has helped generate an almost 20% surge in Australian spending in the city, hitting $50.2m in the year to April. That’s just one of the reasons why, according to airport chief executive Mark...
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Brakes go on crushing street boy-racer cars
Not a single street-racer car has been crushed by authorities in Waikato in the Past five years, with one justice expert saying courts are “sympathetic” and avoid it. The lack of action is despite the introduction of new police powers to seize and...
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First look at ‘vertical city’ hotel
“Bold” and “exciting” plans for Hamilton’s first true skyscraper and five-star hotel that will re-shape the city’s skyline have been revealed. The landmark development will see a 25-storey skyscraper on the banks of the Waikato River, towering over...
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Boom time for Fieldays
Fieldays is set to have one of its biggest years yet with a buoyant rural sector leaving farmers with more cash in hand. Fieldays Society CEO Richard Lindroos reckons this year is tracking to be a record-breaking event at Hamilton’s Mystery Creek...
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Waikato tops retail spending
Waikato led retail spending growth nationwide last month, coinciding with a lift in tractor registrations and interest in farming equipment from farmers. New Paymark data shows annual retail spending growth was strongest in the Waikato region with...
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Solve the clues and uncover the benefits of life at a Ryman village, where it's all taken care of.
Across 3 Furry friends frequently spotted out for walks on village grounds (4) 5 Social activity that gets residents moving to the music (7) 7 A cosy place in the village to enjoy the silver screen (6) 10 The NZ city where Ryman was founded in 1984...
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Has Putin hired a Kiwi nanny?
Job seekers are being “called back to the land” and finding the grass is greener down on the farm. Local recruiters are seeing a wave of young Kiwis wanting work in the agricultural sector with strong employment growth reflecting an upbeat farming...
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Mums under pressure
Expectant Waikato mothers are facing a growing shortage of midwives, with the region down 48 frontline clinical staff. Waikato is also struggling with a lack of community-based midwives, while an anonymous locum told Waikato Times that a funding cut...
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Gold clam numbers explode
Gold clams are thriving in the Waikato River. Teams from Earth Sciences NZ and the regional council are trying to find out why. From left to right are Fern Kumeroa, Mashanta Mohsin, Elizabeth Graham, Michele Melchior and Gordon Tieman.
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Tow truck escapes disability park fine
A council-contracted tow truck snapped in a disabled car park in central Hamilton has avoided a fine. A local business owner recently spied the Hamilton Parking Services truck on Barton St at 4pm one day, and took a photo. They claimed the driver was...
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‘I’m just a normal person’
Newly minted Dame Susan Hassall says she’s “just a normal person” but is deeply proud that her role in education has been recognised. Hassall, who led Hamilton Boys’ High School for decades and has spent almost 50 years in education, said being named...
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Consent carrot helpful, but not huge: councils
Budget 2026 may not have been a lolly scramble, but Waikato councils were pleased to find a financial carrot aimed at supporting growth. The $400 million, four-year Housing Growth Incentive Fund has been dubbed “small change”, but will essentially pay...
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Fiscal goals v coalition reality
All Budgets are balancing acts. This one was no different. What was different was that it is an election year and yet there were no blatant sweeteners for the median voter. Instead, this was a document designed to confer on the coalition parties both...
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Woman who took $823k jailed
A woman working for a charitable organisation who stole the best part of a million dollars from it can now be named – although the organisation itself must remain shrouded in secrecy. Melanie Sarah Raumiria Kingi, 46, was jailed for five years and...
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Homegrown’s $10m haul for city
Jim Beam Homegrown boosted Hamilton’s coffers to the tune of $10 million in its first year back in the city – and organisers say the festival is set to get bigger from here. After glowing reviews from attendees and residents alike, the success of the...
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Stars’ tributes to Dame Jools
A cultural institution, a consummate entertainer, a tireless political activist and a powerful ambassador of goodness. Jools Topp was all of these things and a lot more besides, say those who worked with her and alongside her in New Zealand’s...
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Dad backs bike crackdown
The father of a girl hospitalised after being smashed into by a dirt bike rider in Taupō is backing a police crackdown on “anti-social road users”, saying the men who hurt his daughter should be made examples of. Illegal dirt bike riding across the...
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Will surfing’s big show return?
A week of small swell has done little to diminish the chances of the world’s premier surfers returning to compete in Raglan next year and beyond. Actually, in an ironic kind of way, the run of lay days at the historic New Zealand Pro could have even...
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City could get 815 more homes
Hamilton could get 73 hectares bigger if a major new housing development gets the tick to restart growth in the city’s north east. An application for 815 residential lots and a 4000m² neighbourhood centre near Reynolds Rd, eight minutes from Rototuna...
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Street racer activity ‘relentless’
Residents in the north Waikato town of Waiterimu fear someone will be seriously hurt as ongoing street racer activity plagues the area with sleepless nights, dangerous driving and property damage. The rural settlement, northeast of Huntly, was...
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Businesses ride surf wave
Raglan businesses are already feeling the good vibes from the WSL event with the town’s population swelling to summer highs and cafes doing record numbers. After a cracking start to the World Surf League Corona Cero NZ Pro event, the town was still...
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Pull out or pay up – mayor
The company behind a controversial Te Awamutu waste-to-energy plant has been given a blunt ultimatum from the district’s mayor: “pull out or pay up”. The message from Waipā mayor Mike Pettit comes almost a year after hearings into the proposed $200...
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Waikato towns to benefit from trainee doctors
Waikato’s smaller towns are set to benefit from an influx of student doctors with at least four training hubs as part of a $20 million network of “satellite campuses”. Tokoroa, Te Kūiti, Thames and Taupō all seem set to become homes for students...
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City’s billion-dollar debt
Hamilton City Council’s rising debt has exploded past $1 billion, making the city one of the nation’s most indebted. As of March 31, the council’s external debt now sits at $1.088 billion and is expected to reach $1.134 billion by the end of...
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Parents assault kids at match
Parents punched two children and put another in a headlock at an under-14 school rugby match between two Hamilton high schools. The shocking sideline fracas at a St John’s College and Fraser High School match on Saturday left one player with a black...
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Dad speaks out over crash
The father of a 13-year-old Taupō girl seriously hurt in a hit-and-run crash with a dirt bike says the rider should “man up”, and take responsibility for his actions by handing himself into police. David “Chunkz” Vincent said his daughter’s life would...
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Firefighters’ daring rescue
In an unfamiliar house filled with toxic smoke blacker than the already dark night, George Meade worked his way along the wall by feel alone. Somewhere inside the Chartwell house lay a couple depending on Meade and his fellow firefighters – armed only...
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