Decorah residents in New Zealand not affected by earthquake

Six Decorah residents have been visiting the north island of New Zealand, but they send word that they have not been affected by the severe earthquake that hit Christchurch.

Leslie and Kevin Sand, Steve and Edie Jacobsen and Peg and Steve Matter were on the north island at the time of the earthquake, but Leslie Sand sends word that they were "so far from the quake (that) none of us felt tremors."

She does say that friends of theirs from Minnesota who visited Christchurch a few weeks ago learned that the hotel building they stayed in is now flattened, however they have already returned to Minnesota.