Plus, meet our local Olympians, a band frontman is jailed for rape and a revolution in diabetes management pioneered by the Uni of Newcastle
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Belmont Covid vaccine hub open for business | |
What started as an empty hardware store has been transformed into the first mass vaccination hub in regional NSW. On Monday the first vaccinations took place as health officials aim to administer 20,000 doses of the vaccine through the hub each week. | |
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If not landfill, where are your masks going? | |
COVID-19 has made it harder to live your best plastic-free life, but local communities are getting creative when it comes to recycling face masks. | |
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Former band frontman jailed for 28 years for raping 14 women and girls | |
A judge has commended the victims in a serial rape trial for having the courage to come forward and share their stories. Sentencing Judge Penelope Hock handed Daniel Hanson a sentence of 28 years in jail for abusing girls and women between 2005 and 2014. | |
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What is the future of Dartbrook coal mine? | |
The Dartbrook mine near Aberdeen was mothballed in 2006 but within weeks its future could be decided. The Land and Environment Court has allowed the involvement of the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association in the planning approval (in a limited capacity), with a deadline of 23 July for the group to make its submissions. | |
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| Supplied: University of Newcastle |
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A lick not a pin prick to help manage diabetes | |
For the last 20 years Professor Paul Dastoor and his team at the University of Newcastle have been working on creating a pain-free diabetes test. And they've done it! | |
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Rev your engines for Newcastle 500 research | |
There are strong feelings about the Newcastle 500, one way or the other! In between the debate about whether the car race belongs in Newcastle, there's a team of researchers keen to ask you how community spaces are seen and used. | |
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It's the buffet of your dreams — if you're a fish | |
That fabulous storyteller Stinker Clarke wants to know what you think about as you drive over the Karuah River bridge? You probably didn't answer 'food'. What is it about the Karuah River that makes it an absolute feast for fish? | |
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What else made news this week? | |
Covid exposure sites in the Hunter: At the time of writing this newsletter, NSW Health had identified the 7-Eleven service station on Weakleys Drive at Thornton and the Coles Express service station westbound on Thomas Street Wallsend as exposure sites in the past few days. Of course, we'd all love to think those might be the last ones! But if any more exposure sites crop up we'll keep you up to date on radio, social media and our website. Delays in Covid test results: It might be taking you a little longer to get your COVID-19 test results back. Some people have had to wait up to four days to receive their results. Pathology company Laverty says changes to testing requirements and a surge in the numbers of people being tested has led to the delays. Veteran protest: A veteran, known as Pete, who served in East Timor has burned his service medals outside the office of federal Newcastle Labor MP Sharon Claydon. He was protesting delays in issuing protection visas to Afghan interpreters who have worked for the federal government since 2013 and fear retribution for their work. Tomago battery boost: A $500,000 federal grant has been awarded to the Energy Renaissance lithium-ion battery facility in Tomago. It's expected the facility will employ around 120 people, cost over $70 million to build and will create batteries to be used in homes, industry and for large scale transport. Ellalong Lagoon sale: A 400 hectare site at Ellalong lagoon has been purchased to offset a housing development near Newcastle. The buyer, Eden Estates, says it's keen to enhance the land which includes habitat for critically endangered birds like the Regent Honeyeater. Take the ABC Upper Hunter with you: No longer do you need to sit by your radio or in your car to listen to the radio programs made by the team in the Upper Hunter. We're streaming! Take us with you wherever you go by downloading the ABC listen app or hitting play here. | |
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The best photos from around the country | | A big thanks to Karen Woulfe for sending us in these beautiful photos! Karen is the photographer behind the beautiful turtle swimming in Lake Macquarie, and the flaming sunset over the lake. The #ABCmyphoto team is always on the lookout for the best photos from around Australia. You can show us what the world looks like where you are by using the hashtag on Instagram, or by uploading your photos online here. Let's make sure more photos from the Hunter are featured across the ABC! | | | |
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How's the weekend weather looking? | |
It's been a windy week in the Hunter but that is set to ease. Don't expect the showers to go anywhere just yet. It's likely you'll get a raindrop or two falling on your head until next week when the sunny weather will dominate the forecast again. | |
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