Grimstad claims a sixth trial title

The Sørlandet / Agder news of the past 48 hours: Grimstad's trial team claims a sixth consecutive national team title, the Morrow file returns to Parliament, and Kristiansand debates keeping the Christmas bonus paid to social assistance recipients. Two court cases, a resolved kidnapping and an accident appear in the local briefs.

Sørlandet / Agder news: sixth consecutive title for Grimstad's trial team

Jarand-Matias Vold Gunvaldsen, from Lillesand, won his sixth consecutive national team title last weekend in Bergen, alongside teammates Jonas Jørgensen and Andreas Jørgensen (NRK Sørlandet / Agder). No rider had ever achieved this feat in Norwegian trial before him.

"It started with one win, and then everything kept rolling," he explains to NRK. "It's obviously a lot of fun." All his titles have been won with Grimstad trialklubb, which now also has six straight victories. The previous record — five straight wins — belonged to Osloungdommens motorsportsenter, before the Grimstad club began its run. Gunvaldsen believes part of the recipe lies in a club that brings together several strong riders.

Politics: eight questions to the government over the Morrow file

Frp and KrF have co-signed a letter containing eight questions to Industry Minister Cecilie Myrseth (Ap), reports Dagens Næringsliv, cited by NRK Sørlandet / Agder. The chair of the Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, Per-Willy Amundsen (Frp), considers that too many questions remain unanswered. "This is a very unusual case, distinguished by the fact that it has been handled differently from comparable cases," he tells the newspaper.

The file concerns state loans, grants and investments in the company Morrow, which filed for bankruptcy in the spring. Lawmakers want to know in particular why Innovasjon Norge reversed a refusal to grant, in December 2024, a loan of 1.5 billion kroner, and how widespread the practice of low-risk loans without equity requirements is. "We suspect nothing. Our starting point is that we are asking questions," stresses Per-Willy Amundsen.

Local life: Christmas bonus, fire alarms and a charity auction

In Kristiansand, members of the health committee want to keep the Christmas bonus paid to social assistance recipients, as it has existed since 1999. Hildegunn Seip (Miljøpartiet de grønne) says the decision was unanimous when taken in committee. "We don't think the municipality's savings should fall on those who need money the most," she says to NRK. The bonus has worked out at about 3,000 kroner per person. The municipality wants to make this Christmas support automatic but application-based, and to reduce its amount. Last year, more than 900 people received a julestønad in Kristiansand, for a total of around 2.9 million kroner. The matter will be decided by the city council.

In Tvedestrand, after a fire in the town centre, residents fear another blaze could break out. A new alarm system has been proposed to stop fires before it is too late (NRK Sørlandet / Agder).

Another solidarity item: football player Julian Ryerson's beach sandals are being auctioned off for TV-aksjonen, in support of NRC Flyktninghjelpen. On Tuesday evening, the top bid had reached 35,000 kroner, up from barely over 15,000 kroner a little earlier. "I hope it climbs and goes for even more," the player says, amused. The money will go to people originally from Syria, Gaza, DR Congo, Sudan, Chad and Afghanistan. The auction ends on 18 October.

Society: a man in his forties from Mandal wants to become a father

Another strand of the Sørlandet / Agder news of the past two days concerns Birger Berntsen, 45, originally from Mandal and now living in Bergen, who talks about his desire for a child (NRK Sørlandet / Agder). When he was married, the couple did not want children; the desire surfaced when he turned 40. He tried to find a partner with whom to start a family, without success. "I found dating culture becoming superficial, especially when I was upfront about the fact that I wanted a child," he says. In his cabin in Kvinesdal, where he made the large living-room table himself, a game of goose and a ludo are already waiting for a child.

📌 Local briefs

A foster mother in her thirties is charged with having repeated sexual relations with her foster son, when he was 17 and then 18. The young man moved in with her before the summer of 2023, and the alleged acts are said to have taken place at several locations in Norway over four months, in the autumn of that year. Counsel for the plaintiff, Solveig Skretting, describes a "monstrous" breach of trust. Defence lawyer Knut Henning Larsen does not wish to comment on his client's position (NRK Sørlandet / Agder).

A minor kidnapped in Sørlandet was found in Denmark, according to Fædrelandsvennen on Tuesday evening. The same day, a 17-year-old girl was taken to hospital, the extent of her injuries remaining unknown. A dispute over a very large estate in Hovden is being taken to court, and a sports club in the region is planning to spend two million kroner to recruit a replacement, reports the regional newspaper.

Sources: NRK Sørlandet / Agder, Fædrelandsvennen, The Local Norway — Period: 13 October 2026 and 14 October 2026