Emotions high as Jarryd Hayne faces court charged with sexual assault

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Alleged sexual assault victim lashes out in court

The woman who has accused Jarryd Hayne of sexually assaulting her has lashed out at the former NRL star and his lawyer during a tense cross-examination.

Concerts coming to the Hunter to cure coronavirus loneliness

A concert series launched to raise money for struggling artists is aiming to find out what happens when two people stare into each other's eyes for a minute before the music begins. The one-to-one concert series is running in Newcastle, Sydney and Canberra.
Performer Sally Walker says the importance of the eye contact was brought home to her when an older gentleman for whom she played told her afterwards his wife had died four years ago, and it was the longest amount of eye contact he'd had with another person since then.

COVID-safe comedy restores laughter to the Civic

Comedians at the Newcastle Comedy Festival tried out new material on a packed house — albeit with audience members seated two metres apart — as the performance industry welcomed the return of laughter to pandemic-weary NSW.

How to make moving back home work for everyone

If you are moving back into your childhood bedroom, or have kids who are moving back under your roof, these tips will help keep your relationships healthy. And if you're thinking about a move to the country, read this first!

Reaping the rewards of a bumper wheat harvest

The first shipment of grain from this year's bumper New South Wales wheat harvest left the Port of Newcastle this week bound for Vietnam. The bulk carrier loaded with 35,000 tonnes of wheat is the first major grain export ship to leave Newcastle harbour since 2018 when exports dried up due to the prolonged drought.

Corner store made famous by Shannon Noll set to get a facelift

Ah, the corner store. It brings back great memories for many of us. Now, a corner store seen in Australian singer Shannon Noll's What About Me video clip is going to be made more "authentic" after receiving funding normally granted to historic buildings. Our friends at ABC Central West have all the details about the famous shop in Condobolin. (Totally unrelated, but who else feels like a sausage roll right now?).

How come Christmas beetles come out in summer?

The South African beetle genus Anoplognathus is called the Christmas beetle in Australia for a reason. Now is the time of the year they begin to appear, but why? Tanya Latty, an associate professor from the University of Sydney, tells us all we need to know.

A sneak peek inside upgraded NTC theatre

After facing the prospect of closing the doors forever, things are starting to look up for the Newcastle Theatre Company. Serious renovations have taken place and performers are preparing for their first major performance in nine months.

What else is making news this week?

Listen back to local news: If you missed the local news on the radio, don't worry! You can now listen to ABC Newcastle's 7.30am bulletin on our website. The bulletins are available just after they've aired, from Monday to Friday. Check out today's episode here.
Mining fund pays out: The NSW Government has announced almost $16 million in funding for 35 projects across the Hunter. The money is from the Resources for Regions fund, set up to deliver money back to councils affected by the impacts of mining. The successful projects include a shared pathway from Morpeth to the Walka Water Works, a new rugby grandstand at Singleton, a Youth Hub at Rathmines and a splash pad at Cessnock Pool. Check out the full list on our Facebook page.
RSPCA pulls out of Newcastle: The RSPCA is closing its Newcastle Veterinary Hospital at Tighes Hill next week, as the organisation moves to centralise its services and staff at Rutherford in the Hunter Valley. The organisation says its Rutherford facility will be upgraded to a state-of-the-art standard, featuring surgery facilities and specialised vet services. A generous bequest from a Newcastle woman, the late Sheila Woodcock, has funded the changes. The Newcastle facility will close on December 1.
Gas plant delay: AGL has confirmed it will delay a final investment decision on its Newcastle gas-fired power station planned for Tomago, in the wake of the State Government's announcement of a new Energy Roadmap. The company has also confirmed it is reviewing the recently announced plans for a battery storage project at Liddell in the Upper Hunter. Climate and energy director at the Australia Institute, Ritchie Merzian, says AGL is caught between differing climate objectives at state and federal levels, but he's confident the Hunter won't miss out on new investment.
Lightning strikes: Five people suffered minor injuries after lightning struck the ground near them at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley on Friday. Emergency services were called to the Hunter Valley Resort on Hermitage Road at 12.30pm. The group included four men, aged 59, 18, 38 and 32, and a 42-year-old woman. Ambulance sources say no one was seriously hurt. A lightning map of the area showed dozens of strikes hitting the wine country region as the storm moved towards Singleton.
Cusack sacked over koalas: Liberal MP Catherine Cusack has been sacked as parliamentary secretary for the Hunter after she crossed the floor to vote against the Government's koala protection plan. The koala policy threatened to split apart the Coalition and Ms Cusack appeared emotional as she told Parliament why she was voting against it. Premier Gladys Berejiklian is yet to announce who will replace Ms Cusack in representing the Hunter region.
Wine shortage: The combination of bushfires and a recent surge in visitors is seeing some Hunter Valley wineries running short of stock. Smoke taint forced many producers to throw out grapes last summer, and they're now seeing patronage increase by 50 to 100 per cent with the lifting of regional travel restrictions. Hunter Valley wine producer Bruce Tyrell says it's forcing him to draw on reserves from several years ago.
Nationals Hunter blitz: The Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was joined by other senior Nationals as part of a three-day blitz of the Hunter region this week. During his visit Mr McCormack gave an update on plans for the Singleton bypass and said the National Party would provide better representation for the Hunter than Labor's Joel Fitzgibbon. He said Mr Fitzgibbon's resignation from frontbench shows internal divisions remain over climate and energy policy.
Civic lights up: Newcastle's Civic Park turned orange on Wednesday night to mark the start of the United Nations' 16 days of activism to end violence against women. A vigil was held in the park and the names of women who've been murdered in Australia this year were read out. Rachel Bond from the Gender Research Network at the University of Newcastle says the lighting installation will be permanent and should make the park area safer.
Stolen painting: An Arthur Boyd painting worth $120,000 has been stolen from businessman John Singleton's home on the NSW Central Coast. Police say thieves broke into the Mount White home and stole the distinctive artwork last month. The painting, titled Lovers in a Boat, shows several human figures in an ocean scene. Police are seeking help from the public in tracking down the stolen artwork.
Maccas ruckus: Residents who have moved into apartments in Newcastle West want the growing problem of anti-social behaviour addressed before plans are approved for the expansion of a nearby hotel. John Dickenson from the New West community group says many of the hotel's patrons end up congregating at the nearby McDonald's outlet, leaving the area a mess and often leading to violence. Newcastle's independent councillors are calling for a briefing from McDonald's on what it's doing to address safety, and Mr Dickenson says it's well overdue.
Prison visits back on: Face-to-face visits will resume at the Hunter Valley's maximum security prison at Cessnock on Saturday. Corrective Services cancelled all face-to-face visits in March due to the pandemic and replaced them with video calls, which it says has allowed more people to connect. While most prisons resumed visits this week, the Shortland Correctional Centre at Cessnock is holding off on in-person visits until Saturday, allowing just two visitors per inmate instead of four, and video calls will continue.

Showing our support for Australian music

Ausmusic T-Shirt Day is a massive nationwide celebration of Australian music and a fundraiser that reminds us how lucky we are to have such a strong local music scene, with many highly talented and successful artists across all genres of music.
ABC Newcastle staff showed their support by wearing the T-shirts of their favourite Australian bands. Pictured from left are operations coordinator Grant Wolter (You Am I), Breakfast producer Christine Sheridan (Middle Kids), and Drive producer Laurise Dickson (Last Dinosaurs).

How's the weather looking?

NSW and Hunter residents might have some sleepless nights ahead of them with a heatwave expected to bring high temperatures over the next few days and nights. Here's some helpful tips to make sure you're prepared for heatwave conditions.

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