NZ@Noon: Samuel's true-life 'Toy Story'

Rotorua boy Samuel Collins, 7, is eager to start his new role at The Warehouse. Photo / Ben Fraser

Stories making headlines around the regions today include: A Waipu baker saves the day as a local Chinese Takeaway is engulfed in flames and a Rotorua boy will be the talk of the playground as he scores the job of his dreams.

Rotorua schoolboy Samuel Collins has been target="_blank">chosen as one of four toy testers for The Warehouse after submitting a video explaining why he would awesome for the role.

He's been credited with saving lives after a fire gutted a Waipu Chinese takeaway business with a home attached, but baker Him Kim remains a modest hero.

A family of seven escaped tragedy by jumping from exploding windows as flames poured from a Hastings home, threatening nearby residents and their properties.

Wanganui MP Chester Borrows may resort to security cameras to catch vandals who are defacing National Party billboards.

Retirees, first-time home buyers and Kiwis returning from overseas are among those joining a growing house-sitting trend in Tauranga.

And finally, a bird's nest was responsible for a power cut that brought Wairarapa to a standstill for up to three hours yesterday.