Wednesday's headlines: People in Canterbury losing their hair to stress since the earthquakes; Hastings graffiti vandal sentenced to 14 months in prison; restaurants asking people to pay before they eat.
NZ Herald
The New Zealand Herald has spoken to a number of restaurant and cafes across the country which say diners leaving without paying is a significant problem. This has driven many of them to ask people to pay before they eat.
Also the tragic story of a young Gisborne mother whose son died when she accidentally pushed her car over him. Her family says Samantha Mauheni, 21, was absolutely shattered.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post leads with a vandal who's been sentenced to 14 months in prison - one of the harshest sentences ever imposed for graffiti crime. Blair Kitchen, 22, was accused of changing the face of Hastings with hundreds of tags.
The paper has also spoken with the families of three All Blacks picked for the Rugby World Cup squad who are understandably excited by the announcement.
The Press
The Press returns to the plight of Christchurch builders who say they are running out of work because of insurance difficulties. It says people are struggling to get insurance on new properties and contractors say that is slowing down the rebuild of the city.
Hundreds of people in Canterbury are literally losing their hair to stress after the earthquakes. A wig provider says she has inquiries from Christchurch residents with alopecia almost every day - which could be linked to increased stress from quakes.
ODT
The Otago Daily Times says plans for a glass cube entrance at the front of Dunedin Town Hall have been abandoned - shaving more than $2 million off the cost of the planned upgrade.
The paper also has a profile on fashion designer Amelia Boland who will travel to New York next month to take part in Nolcha Fashion Week. She says she received the invitation via email and initially thought it must be spam.
