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Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne was in jail for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in her Newcastle home. His legal team successfully appealed and he has been granted bail. 

Offshore windfarms, pumped hydro and large-scale battery storage are among more than $100 billion worth of 'private investment interest' in the future Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone. These projects would stretch across 11 local government areas from the Central Coast to the Upper Hunter.

Bernard McGrath has been described as one of Australasia's worst child sex offenders. The St John of God brother was transferred from his home in New Zealand to a boys' home near Newcastle. He abused 30 boys and is in jail for 30 years.

It's been a decade since Leisl Smith disappeared. Her body has never been found but her ex-boyfriend James Scott Church has been charged with murder. The Supreme Court has been told there are other possible explanations for her disappearance, including that she's still alive.

The names of working pups need to be easy to say loudly and quickly or it's a real dog's breakfast, but it's hard to pick a name without knowing the pup's personality.

Historic Grossman House was home to one of the first girls' high schools in the state, Maitland Girls High. Now, the memories of decades of students are being celebrated in a new exhibition.

The High Court has rejected a Korean energy company's request to have its case for a mine in the Bylong Valley heard again. The Environmental Defenders Office says KEPCO has exhausted all legal avenues for approval.

When an 850 kilogram bull slid down an embankment near Stroud and got stuck, it took some creative problem solving to get him out.

Who launches an airline after these troubled years for the travel industry? For the first time in 14 years, a new domestic airline is being launched and there will be flights in and out of Newcastle Airport. Bonza plans to fly between regional areas, including direct flights from Newcastle to the Sunshine Coast and the Whitsundays.

You'll have four COVID-19 vaccines to choose from once Novavax is available from your local GP and pharmacist from Monday. Australia has purchased more than 50 million doses, but how many will end up in our region?

Inner-city flooding: Severe storms hit Newcastle on Friday and 50 millimetres of rain fell in an hour. Swollen stormwater drains caused localised flooding, which cut off parts of Parkway Avenue and Union Street during peak hour.

BHP land sale concerns: The state government is selling a 52-hectare parcel of former BHP land at Mayfield and wants interested parties to come forward. But the land is adjacent to the Port of Newcastle's planned container terminal, and the Port says the sale is a move by the government to stop the terminal going ahead.

Asbestos shuts down Walka Water Works: Maitland's historic Walka Water Works have been closed to the public after asbestos was found on the site. The asbestos was discovered in grassy parts of the grounds. The council is working as quickly as possible to reopen the popular site.

Aged care crisis: The peak body for the aged care sector says staff shortages in Hunter aged care homes are reaching crisis level and more help is needed. The latest data collected for February shows more than 330 aged care staff and residents were infected with the virus in at least 29 homes across the Hunter. 

Koalas under threat: The Port Stephens Koala Hospital says a decision to change the status of koalas from vulnerable to endangered is long overdue. The survival of the koala population in Port Stephens has been described as grim with as few as 300 left.

Local photographer Terina Vale shared this stunning shot of Merewether Beach. The texture and the lighting in this photo is just incredible. 

You can show everyone what the world looks like where you live by using the hashtag #ABCmyphoto on Instagram or by uploading your photos online here. 

We have some classic summer days on the way. The end of the week will bring temperatures as high as the mid 30s in some parts of our region, and the chance of evening thunderstorms. It should cool down on Saturday with temperatures in to the high 20s and showers returning.

Monday's sunrise was a real stunner with red skies reported from the top of the Valley all the way down to Stockton. Thanks to Michelle Edwards for sharing this brilliant photo from Wingen.

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ABC Newcastle acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.