YEAR IN REVIEW

The abduction of a 5-year-old girl on her way to school sparked a frantic police search in the Palmerston North suburb of Takaro.

More than 30 police officers searched for the girl, who was snatched from the Shamrock St footpath on the morning of February 12.

The girl was sexually assaulted and dropped off on Hind Place, on the other side of the city, more than two hours after she was taken, then returned to her family.

‘‘It’s horrific. It’s horrible to think there are people around like that,’’ a Shamrock St resident said.

Brendan Paul Henson was later arrested and convicted of three offences against the girl, including indecently assaulting her on two occasions. He was sentenced to eight years’ jail.

Earlier in the month, on Febru- ary 2, the long-rumoured buyout of Higgins by Fletcher Building was confirmed.

The prominent Manawatu company, which employed more than 1200 people, was sold for $315 million. Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith tried to ease fears of a major shakeup and for the most part it has been business as usual since.

Horowhenua District Council ruffled feathers in the region when it decided not to allow public consultation on its Annual Plan.

Mayor Brendon Duffy argued there was no need to call for submissions as the playbook for 2016-17 had not changed from what had been consulted and signed off in the Long Term Plan 12 months earlier.

That stance is likely to change now that Michael Feyen is mayor. At the time he advocated for consultation: ‘‘That is democracy.’’

On February 17, Palmerston North City Council eco design guru Nelson Lebo offered some cool advice that proved extremely popular online.

He advocated that people struggling with the summer heat turn their fans around and point them out the window, blowing the hot air out. At the same time, open a window on the shady side of the house to let the cool air in.

‘‘It really is the best, low-cost, highly effective technique to keep a home cool, but it is virtually unknown in New Zealand,’’ he said.

On February 23, we reported on the devastating impact a single punch could have.

Alexander Teu, 19, was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court to six months’ community detention, 125 hours’ community work and nine months’ supervision for injuring Jayden Cockburn, 18, with reckless disregard.

Teu punched Cockburn in the jaw at a party, snapping the teen’s head back.

His skull smashed into the pavement and he was left fighting for his life in hospital.

His injuries included a broken nose, fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. The assault and its residual effects, including shortterm memory loss and headaches, also hurt Cockburn’s career prospects.

A contractor made an explosive find when he discovered a box of 40 dynamite sticks on a Horowhenua property on February 26.

Marcus Field was working in a digger on a stopbank on the side of the Manawatu River when he made the potentially volatile discovery.

‘‘In our job we come across things all the time and you get out of your digger and have a nosy,’’ he said. ‘‘You find your little finds every now and then. What looked to be a box full of rubbish turned out to be a fairly serious scenario.’’

The bomb squad arrived from Wellington in the afternoon and took the explosives away. It was not known when the explosives had been left at the site or by whom.

Late in the month it was announced Manawatu had scored a rural coup, by securing the 2017 Hilux Rural Games, to be held in March.