Plus, guilty verdict in Bylong mining case, Hunter's vax rates soar, and what's driving record coal prices?
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| Hunter families impacted by COVID scares and school closures |
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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. | | But changes could be coming to how schools manage cases |
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| Guilty verdict issued in Bylong mining misconduct case |
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| 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. | | He's been escorted from his home to Silverwater prison |
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| What's driving the current record coal prices? |
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| 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. | | So, why is this happening? And will these prices last? |
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| A bit of friendly rivalry gets the Hunter's vax rates soaring |
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| 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. | | Do you want to know who ended up with the bragging rights? |
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| Inquest continues into Port Stephens man's death in custody |
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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. | | Here's what the deputy coroner said to the family |
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| On your marks, get set…GO! |
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| Is beach camping impacting the water quality at Redhead's Third Creek lagoon? |
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| Local shares his story to help others |
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| Why this local gay man married a lesbian |
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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). | | Hear Rhys tell his coming out journey in a new ABC podcast |
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| What else made news in the past week? |
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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. | | Visit our website for more local news |
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| | | | The best photos from around the country |
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| | | | How's the weather looking? |
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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. | | Check the seven-day forecast for your town |
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