NZ@Noon: Dear John, let's beat child poverty

Making headines around the regions today includes a chilling tale that reveals one of Wairarapa's worst crimes and a series of letters are on the way to parliament to tackle child poverty.

The ideas and comments of people in Northland concerned with child poverty are heading to Parliament. Following a call by Prime Minister John Key for fresh ideas to tackle the issue, the Northern Advocate ran a campaign called "Dear John".

• Click here to read the series of letters from the "Dear John" campaign.

The cottage at Cobblestones seems the typical example of an early settler's home, but it also tells the story of one of Wairarapa's worst crimes.

Police raided three properties in Wanganui yesterday morning in a search for drugs, firearms and stolen property.

A flotilla of vessels will welcome home a Tauranga man as he sails the final stretch of a massive journey to become the first paraplegic to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean.

Cliff Jenkins says he owes his life to the people who gave him first aid after a boat propeller sliced an artery in his leg at Waimarama Beach.

And finally, Rotorua will lose its Transtasman international air service from the end of April.