Jessica Bensemann had been home from hospital with her newborn son less than 12 hours when her Samsung washing machine went up in smoke and destroyed the bathroom.

The Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa and other areas of the lower North Island have been hit by severe weather overnight, resulting in widespread flooding.

A crane is being brought in to move a truck after it rolled on its side earlier this morning near Wellington.

A Masterton man's claim that he was "sleep-driving" when he crashed a car may be derailed if he fails to get a sleep expert to give evidence at his trial.

Screaming children were sent flying in front of horrified parents after a giant inflatable slide collapsed at the Masterton A&P show.

A 6-year-old Stokes Valley girl died after losing control of her quad bike and hitting a fence, north of Masterton, on Sunday afternoon.

Both the North and South Islands have had a shaky start to the day, with a moderate quake in Southland and two light ones near Masterton.

Bruce McLean thought the teen who stabbed him in the rib was nothing but a street thug. But he's now decided to help turn his attacker's life around.

The duck shooting season has claimed its first hunting injury.

Six weeks ago he was in a critical condition after being assaulted. Now his mother says he's had a recovery that's nothing short of a 'miracle'.

It's "one day at a time" for toddler Caleb Skinner as doctors slowly bring him out of an induced coma, after he was allegedly seriously injured by a friend of his mother on Monday.

A large fire has broken out at the Masterton Medical Centre this evening.

A court has heard a man was caught drink driving after his partner suffered a still birth - something the couple blamed on their house being previously used as a P lab.

A man who drove drunk with his 9-year-old grandchild in the car has been jailed for eight months.

An investigation has been launched into the "mercy killing" of about 20 cats and kittens at the Wairarapa SPCA centre in Masterton.

A Masterton woman falsely claimed to have been raped because she wanted police to give her a ride home after watching a male strip show.

A Masterton man who threatened to cut off his ex-girlfriend's head during a series of abusive text messages has been remanded on bail.

An 18-year-old who led police on a pursuit at speeds of up to 110 km/h in residential areas has been handed community service and a $300 fine by a judge who described him as a "good boy''.

A Masterton couple helped to raise more than $5000 for the Grace Yeats Trust after they read a newspaper article about the Grace's Oil of Gratitude fundraising initiative last December.