NZ@noon: Trapped horse rescue and dramatic chase

TRAPPED: Firefighters free a highly distressed horse trapped by a metal divider in its float on the Rimutaka Hill Rd. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Stories making the headlines around the regions today include the dramatic rescue of a horse in Wairarapa and a woman attempts to ram police cars in an attempt to escape.

Fire crews battled for two fraught hours to cut free a trapped and panicked horse that was destroying its float on the Rimutaka Hill during heavy traffic.

A woman has spent the weekend in the cells after leading police on a chase where she allegedly reached speeds of 180kmh, evaded road spikes and rammed a police car.

Hawke's Bay put a second hand on a piece of Lotto history on Saturday despite missing-out on the big prize of over $24 million.

Rotorua band Strangely Arousing is taking its high-energy performances overseas, with gigs in Dubai and Prague lined up.

Nearly 1200 people headed up Mt Ruapehu for the first weekend of the new ski season.

A 10-year-old boy from Mt Maunganui says he only spent a couple of hours on the piece which saw him take out a national writing competition.