Stories by Jimmy Ellingham

The proposal to toll the long-awaited, 11.5 kilometre, four-lane highway between Manawatū and Tararua has attracted controversy.

Marton Counselling Centre is now fighting for survival, furious about its plight compared with Mike King's well-funded Gumboot Friday programme. Audio

ACC has confirmed the psychologist is one of its approved service providers, able to treat and assess clients with sensitive claims. Audio

Figures obtained by Checkpoint showed there were 656 mental health vacancies in New Zealand, including 380 registered nurses and 130 psychiatrists. Audio

On 1 November 1944, 733 Polish refugee children arrived at their new home - a former POW camp. This weekend, about 20 are back. Audio

Eighty years ago, 733 shaven-headed children arrived in New Zealand as refugees from Poland - now Pahīatua, their adopted home, is welcoming some back, along with their descendants. Video, Audio

Malcolm Richards - who also has cancer - is in hospital in Hastings, and needs a transfer to Wellington for a triple heart bypass. Audio

Steve Watt had asked the Medical Council to investigate Dr Selwyn Leeks years ago - but his plea fell on deaf ears. Audio

Almost 1000 athletes are jumping, flipping, twisting and balancing this week at the national gymnastics championships. Audio

Health Minister Shane Reti says $6 million allocated to Palmerston North Hospital's ED will help ease waiting times and improve patient care and safety.

Lake Alice survivors are dismayed a psychologist they knew from the notorious psychiatric facility is still providing services for ACC. Audio

The plan to charge motorists $4.30 and trucks $8.60 a trip on the Manawatū-Tararua highway has come under heavy criticism. Audio

Massey could not initially contact its technology service provider during an online exam failure that affected hundreds of students. Audio

An imbalance in the coronial system between lawyered-up government agencies and bereaved families needs to be reviewed, say those families. Audio

His family say they've been "ghosted" by government ministry staff and left in the dark about the reasons for the cut. Audio

"The vehicle numbers do not stack up from previous use and do not reflect real data," Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis says.

Simeon Brown is blaming the previous government for the skyrocketing bill for a new highway. Audio

Provincial cities are not normally thought of as hotbeds of drag culture, but Palmerston North is changing that. Audio

The $620 million, 11-kilometre long road is due to open in mid 2025, eight years after the old SH3 closed to to rockfall.

Staff have a negative view of management at the institution, with less than a quarter of respondents to a survey saying their leaders are communicating a vision that motivates them.

Palmerston North tennis fans will this weekend get served international action for the first time, and they're making the most of it. Audio

An expert says changes to disability support funding risks some children going backwards. One charity is doing its best to intervene. Audio

A man who survived and witnessed sexual and physical abuse at Catholic-run schools says the way the church investigates complaints of wrongdoing needs to change. Audio

A Tongan tapa cloth presented to prime minister Norman Kirk has come out of storage to show off its full beauty.

The frustrated parents of a man with severe disabilities say they can no longer plan for his future thanks to a change in the way his care is funded.