News in Brief
Dentist kept waiting
The Dental Council has imposed stringent conditions of practice on a dentist who faces a 17 month wait to defend a charge in court. Rahul Gautam, 50, of Paul Kay Dental in Albert Park Drive, Te Awamutu, and Hamilton Dental Emergency Centre in Anglesea Street, faces an assault charge. He appeared in court in Hamilton last week and was bailed to appear for trial in February 2026. Dental Council conditions included on Gautam’s scope of practice relate to supervision of colleagues and the presence of a chaperone.
Gongs awarded
Stephen Cox with Dame Cindy Kiro
Te Awamutu and Ōhaupō stalwarts Sam Lewis and Stephen Cox were at Government House last week to get their King’s Birthday Honours from Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro.
Lewis is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his services to business and the community.
Cox is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his services to cycling.
Sam Lewis with Dame Cindy Kiro
Website visits
Visits to the teawamutunews.nz website were up 38 per cent last month on the previous month and the reason?
The return of international flights to Hamilton Airport followed by the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board’s call for service clubs and organisations to “zhush” up the town’s entrance sign on Ōhaupō Road.
The board’s call for a relaxing of a booze ban in town and our front page piece The king of Kotahitanga – the death of Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII – were third and fourth while Te Awamutu College’s announcement it has no spaces for out of zoners next year rounded out the top five.
Top pages were our home page followed by downloadable versions of the newspaper.
Ticket giveaway
Cambridge Community House and Te Awamutu’s Kainga Aroha will provide free tickets to people in need to attend November’s Great Kiwi Summer Festival in Lake Karāpiro. The festival is a two-day family friendly event which on the Saturday night will feature a light and sound show.
Game appointment
Waipā based Glenn MacPherson has been appointed by Todd McClay, Minister for Hunting and Fishing, to the NZ Game Animal Council. The council is a national statutory body which advises the minister and works to improve hunting and the management of large game animals. MacPherson, from Leamington, is a member of the Pig Hunting Association and a past president of the Te Kuiti Pig Hunting Club.
Science gathering
St Peter’s School has been hosting a gathering of 120 science technicians and lab managers this week for a national conference which finishes today. The Science Technicians’ Association of New Zealand (Stanz) is the national association science technicians in education.
