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It was the day plenty of children (and parents) were counting down to. But for hundreds of students in the Hunter, the return to school learning hasn't gone to plan. We've had more than 2,500 COVID-19 cases in the Hunter since August and that's having a constant impact on local schools.

Former NSW Labor minister Eddie Obeid, his son Moses and his ministerial colleague Ian Macdonald have been found guilty of misconduct in public office by granting a coal exploration licence in the Bylong Valley. Immediately after the ruling Mr Obeid was awarded bail after his lawyers appealed, but an application for permanent bail until the appeal hearing was refused.

A shipment of coal currently leaving Newcastle harbour and heading out to sea is worth roughly five times what it was a year ago. There's been a huge turnaround for the price of coal given that in September 2020 it was so low it was deemed unprofitable.

Six mayors from our region challenged each other to see which region would be the first to hit the 70 per cent double vaccination mark. They also put some money on the table, which led to a donation to the rescue helicopter service.

An inquest into the death of 20-year-old Bailey Mackander heard he was a beautiful boy who had turned to drugs to ease his trauma of losing a sibling.
His family members were emotional as they addressed the court, describing their grief and what might have helped calm their son before he died.

Hundreds of people popped on their joggers (or thongs, as our photo shows) and took off running for a good cause. I Run For Her had just 50 people in 2020. This year about 400 people took part.

On a sunny weekend, this local stretch of beach is a hive of activity. But residents are worried that four-wheel-drives and people are having a negative impact on the Belmont State Wetlands Park for a couple of reasons.

Move over, boring median strip. And hello to your newest gardening project. It's time to make like Costa (from Gardening Australia) and take advantage of a 12-month trial of verge gardening in the Newcastle council area.

Elliot Waters has a lived experience with mental illness and this Novocastrian is using his story to help others understand their own diagnosis and journey.

Five years ago, before the laws about marriage equality had passed, Newcastle-raised comedian Rhys Nicholson and his friend Zoe Coombs Marr got hitched in front of a bunch of strangers on a stage in Melbourne. Why? Because they could. 

(And if you'd like more news from the queer community, sign up to ABCQueer's new monthly newsletter, launching early next year).

Supercars impact addressed: Newcastle City Council says there'll be a shorter turnaround when the racing track is laid for the Newcastle 500 in March. In 2019, it took several weeks for organisers to prepare and dismantle the circuit. But the council has been in talks with Supercars to lessen the community impact. And for a weekly wrap of sports news and analysis, sign up to the ABC of SPORT newsletter.

Waiting for social housing: Nova for Women and Children is a Newcastle-based homelessness support service. It's made a submission to a state inquiry into social housing that says wait times are a disgrace. Chief executive Kelly Hansen has warned a waitlist of 10 years or more could blow out across the Hunter.

Alarm over pink sewage: Hunter Water says a pink-coloured substance discovered in the Kurri Kurri sewerage treatment plant is most likely paint additive. They're working with the EPA to test and contain it.

Get ready for Surfest 2022: Preparations are underway for the return of Surfest from March 28 to April 3. Organisers say the main event will be at Merewether Beach with satellite events at beaches from Lake Macquarie to Port Stephens.

Local MP heads to Glasgow: Pat Conroy, the federal Member for Shortland and Labor's shadow minister assisting for climate change, will head to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. This week Prime Minister Scott Morrison spent the week in talks with the Nationals about a net zero emissions target by 2050.

Check out those storm clouds! Angela Kirkpatrick sent this to us from her house at Valentine. You see that coming your way, you run straight to the clothesline! 

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'd love to tell you it's all sunshine for the rest of your week but we can't lie! Spring thunderstorms will continue. So, if you're under the right cloud you may get rain, hail or strong winds, especially on Friday. Otherwise, you can expect partly cloudy days with the chance of rain into the weekend before it clears next week.

And thanks to Stuart from Wangi for this cracking early morning shot.

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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.