These were some of the local stories making headlines in years gone by.
• Brakpan dog gets a medal for bravery
A year-old German shepherd which saved the life of its Brakpan owner was presented with a valour medal at the Dogmor Dog of the Year show in Bedfordview last Saturday.
Rinty showed true bravery and love for her owner, Mylene van Wyk (35), when the bedroom in her Derby Avenue home caught fire after a burning insect repellent candle fell on the floor and set the curtains on fire.
Mylene was asleep and thought she had blown the candle out.
She didn’t even smell any smoke, but her pet Rinty did and went to wake her parents up.
They first thought the dog wanted to play or was hungry, but Rinty made it clear that she didn’t want to stay in the room with them.
The dog convinced the couple there was something wrong and led Mylene’s father to her bedroom.
By then the bed was on fire and her father immediately doused the flames with a hose.
Only then did Mylene wake up and was shocked when she realised how close to injury or even death she had been.
Mylene told an animal magazine about the experience and the story was published.
Then Mylene was told that Rinty had been selected to receive the prestigious medal for valour.
Rinty took the importance of the occasion in her stride, sitting proudly as the medal was placed around her neck.
• Teachers take a stand
Brakpan teachers were among the thousands who converged on Pretoria on Tuesday in a “down chalk” protest action as part of the strike by more than a million public service employees throughout the country.
While the majority of schools in Brakpan central remained open, there was a total closure of those in Tsakane and Geluksdal.
The majority of Brakpan High School pupils stayed at home.
There were no classes at Brenthurst Primary School on Tuesday and Laerskool Die Arend pupils also has the day off with children given letters for their parents.
Other Brakpan schools, such as Laerskool Dalview and Laerskool Kommando, had classes as usual, but some teachers attended the protest in Pretoria.
The same applied to Hoërskool Hoogland and Hoërskool Stoffberg.
• Rowers sak kroegman toe
Die kroegman van die Brakpan Mines Rolbalklub is Sondag om middernag deur vyf gewapende mans oorval en gedwing om die klubhuis oop te sluit.
Hulle het met ’n groot hoeveelheid voorraad asook kontant gevlug.
Jimmy Makwena het gesê dat een van die rowers net voor middernag by sy kamer geklop het.
“Die man het gesê dat hy ’n boodskap vir my het, maar ek het onraad vermoed,” het Jimmy gesê.
Hy het nie die deur oopgemaak nie, waarna die rowers dit oopgestamp het.
“Hulle het my gedwing om die klubhuis oop te sluit. Een van hulle het my ook teen die kop met ’n pistool geslaan,” het Jimmy gesê.
Nadat die mans hul buit bymekaar gemaak het, het hulle gevlug.
Jimmy is nie ernstig beseer nie en die saak word deur die SAPD ondersoek.
• Duiwevirus breek in Brakpan uit
Die Paramixo-virus, ’n vorm van die New Castle-virus, het in duiwehokke in Brakpan uitgebreek.
Die virus val die senuweestelsel van die duiwe aan en het ’n drastiese invloed op die duiwe se prestasies.
Sommige duiweboere het al duiwe as gevolg van die virus verloor of moes van duiwe ontslae raak.
Die simptome van die siekte in duiwe is lam vlerke, waterige mis en nekke wat draai.
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Thelma Koorts (editor) brakpanherald@caxton.co.za
or Stacy Slatter (news editor) stacys@caxton.co.za
or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za
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