News Brief

Bringing back Blue Light
National Manager of Blue Light in New Zealand Brandon Crompton is here on Rarotonga to promote and revive the Blue Light organization in the Cook Islands that was dispensed with a couple of years ago. Brandon has been here for a week and has been travelling around the island talking to different organizations in the community about how they can work with the Cook Islands Police to deliver programs to the youth.” What makes the blue-light program in New Zealand sturdy, is that we have the communities working together strongly with the police to create a safe haven for our youths there, so it really depends on the community.” Said Crompton. Crompton together with our local police have been trying to find organizations around the island to help sponsor this program as the blue-light association is a non- fundable organization that would be very beneficial to the youth of the Cook Islands. A part of the program is to get youths to work alongside the police so that they can learn to respect the police.
“A lot of our youths don’t have positive thoughts about the police, so through this program we want to interact with the young ones and show them that we are here to help them not to put them down.” Said Vaka Constable Alan Rua. The police are very keen to get the program going as they can introduce the Cook Islands youth to activities that would make them feel good about themselves, to keep them thinking constructively so they would lead positive lives instead of resorting to violence and crime.

Takuvaine market day
On the 8th of July, Takuvaine will be holding a market day situated on the park across from the Banana Court. The event is to support the families living in Takuvaine that have no other means of financial support and wish to start selling food as their beneficial factor.” The event will start at 8am and will close off when the food runs out.” promises Junior Arioka, a Takuvaine resident who will be one of the overseers for that day. This will be the first time the Takuvaine community will be holing a market day on their own and the public can be assured that it will not be the last.” To the Takuvaine families who want to take part in selling your products, may it be crafts or food you are welcome to come down there will be no charge fees.” Adds Junior. Tables, chairs, BBQs and other equipment used to prepare food are expected to be brought by the users as there will be no supply to be handed out on that day.

Arrests have been made in recent cases of burglaries, including the two youths wanted in connection with the robbery of CITC Liquor Store last week. Additional arrests have been made in cases involving break-ins in Titikaveka and Arorangi, as well as Nukutere College.

The Government, through the Ministry of Health, has signed a new three-year agreement with New Zealand to cover specialist visits to the Cook Islands. The country receives numerous visits by specialists in areas such as nose, eye, and ear, heart, bones and joints. The Health Specialists Visits (HSV) programme is worth $1.5 million over the three years. Today, the deal was signed by Dr. Rangi Fariu, Acting Financial Secretary Priscilla Maruariki, and Jonathan Rowe the New Zealand High Commission’s NZAID Manager

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