NZ@Noon: Worrying whitebaiters and dirty dumpers

Whitebaiters brave angry seas and bad weather near the mouth of Lake Onoke in South Wairarapa last Friday in their haste to land their catch.

Mad whitebaiters in Wairararapa and dirty dumpers in Patea are just two of the stories making headlines around the regions today.

The "questionable and unsafe" behaviour of whitebaiters in Wairarapa has Water Safety worried.

The Patea Community is cracking down on dirty rubbish dumpers in the district.

A "devastated" woman whose miscarried baby was flushed down the toilet at Rotorua Hospital has finally received an apology.

Scant shelves at the Stratford Foodbank have local volunteers fearing Christmas will be a struggle for some families this year.

A series of fatal smashes in Northland have made November the most deadly month this year for the region.

A Tauranga World War II veteran has waded into the flag debate.

And finally, in Flaxmere, 16 heroes and heroines have been honoured in a very special way.