School closures, lost trampers and frustration
School closures, lost trampers and intersection frustrations made news during May in Manawatu.
Measles closes schools
Schools in Horowhenua were closed when pupils contracted measles.
Nine pupils caught the highly contagious disease in Levin, with most of them coming from Waiopehu College.
Two were pupils at Levin Intermediate, which required pupils to provide proof of vaccination before they could head back to class.
Sporting fixtures were affected, with all junior rugby in the town cancelled. The cases were linked to an outbreak in Waikato, where 31 people were confirmed to have caught measles.
Story of survival shared
Massey University exchange student Rachel Lloyd may have had a brush with death when she got lost tramping in Tararua Forest Park, but she was keen to ‘‘climb a mountain today’’ when she spoke to the Manawatu Standard in May.
The woman from North Carolina survived five days and four nights in the park the previous month when she and her mum got lost. ‘‘I never want anyone to feel the way I did with starvation,’’ she said. ‘‘Very few people get as close to death as I did.’’
Her health suffered as a result, but the incident sparked a desire to help people while she recovered. ‘‘It’s just really motivated me to be less selfish about how I spend my time.’’
‘A six-month nightmare’
Regional leaders expressed frustration at the pace of roadworks at one of Palmerston North’s busiest intersections amid a slew of complaints.
Work on the Tremaine Ave intersection with Rangitikei St began in August 2015 and was only completed in May.
Horizons Regional Council chairman Bruce Gordon described it as a ‘‘six-month nightmare’’,