Top five stories for Tuesday, September 2

Piki Russell, the social services manager at Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services Trust.

1. Work and Income shooting 'no surprise'

Tauranga social service workers were forced to barricade themselves in their offices to keep safe from a desperate man threatening to smash his way in to see his partner.

2. Bureta shop owners left in the dark

A planned power outage in Bureta yesterday angered business owners - many of whom lost a day's trade after deciding to close their doors for the day.

3. Work to start on $10m tunnel upgrade

Work starts soon on a four-year $10 million project to repair and upgrade the Bay's railway lifeline to the rest of New Zealand, the Kaimai Tunnel.

4. Unbelieving sister mourns writer

The sister of a young woman who was struck and killed by a car in central Wellington has described her as "beautiful" and talented.

Alix Robinson

5. Tauranga woman dies after being hit by a car

The 24-year-old who died after being struck by a vehicle in Wellington on Sunday has been named as Alix Robinson, from Tauranga.