It's fireworks season, and in this episode of WTS, we hear from Cathy Balvert at Morrinsville i-Site about how the big Morrinsville Fireworks Extravaganza is carried out safely. Donna Young from New Lives Animal Rescue also gives a perspective on how we can help our animals, in what can be a scary time for them.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

Life Drawing Hamilton assembles at the Waikato Society of Arts and other locations each Friday night. Life drawing is the activity or skill of drawing real life models, typically in the nude, but not always. In this episode of WTS, we hear from artist Niels, and one of the regular life models, Adah.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

Waikato authorities have offered to supplement Auckland’s suburban train services, with Te Huia, which runs from Hamilton to Auckland. But Auckland Transport have said no. Advocates of the service, Ewen Wilson and Dave Macpherson, are asking, why not? Gary Farroq got them in the studio to talk about it on WTS.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

Lake Taupō is in a state of unrest, and GNS Science has raised the alert level from zero to 1 for the first time. The questions many people are asking centre around what the reported earthquakes mean, and whether we could potentially see the ancient Taupō Volcano erupting. GNS duty volcanologist Craig Miller fills us in on WTS.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

EarthDiverse hosted an open day at 401 Anglesea Street in Hamilton recently, to invite the community to learn what EarthDiverse is about. There were a wide range of presentations given at the event, including from Hannah Huggan of Go Eco's Climate Action hub, who joins WTS for this episode.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple has been closed to the public for 64 years. Only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have been allowed inside. Over the space of three weeks, more than 50,000 members of the public have been able to take a tour inside. WTS host Gary Farrow went for a visit, and spoke with Hamiltonian and lifelong church member Vicki Lee Wihongi.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

The manu bomb is an intrinsic part of the culture of Aotearoa. The Splash Unit, previously known as the Waikato Bomb Club, enables adults and children to do manus in a safe, regulated environment at Waterworld in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, every Friday evening. WTS went along to check it out.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

Coal mining in Huntly began in 1874, and the town developed a solid working-class community. So a lot of people identify Huntly with coal. However, Huntly Museum aims to tell the much broader story of the people in the area, and the original settlement of Rāhui Pōkeka, says Debra Kane, collections manager at the museum.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

Gemma Rose is a trauma-recovery coach and breathwork practitioner in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. When you hear the term ‘breathwork’ you may think of simply inhaling and exhaling to relax – but it’s a lot more than that. Gemma joined WTS in the studio to give us a deeper insight into this holistic practice.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.

Parliament has opened an inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail in New Zealand. Put simply, this is relevant to the argument for trains in the Waikato. We’ve already got Te Huia, linking Hamilton and Auckland. But are other towns' long-deserted train stations going to be welcoming your everyday traveler ever again? Paul Callister from Save Our Trains NZ speaks on WTS.

Telling the hyperlocal, controversial and quirky stories of the Waikato region under the new normal.