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The Kurri Kurri community has been on high alert after an industrial fire started on Sunday morning. The fire collapsed the roof of a large storage shed containing hundreds of tonnes of aluminium dross, a waste material that can become volatile if exposed to water.

Protesters have disrupted coal train movements for a ninth consecutive day. At the time of publication, 19 people had been arrested and surveillance had been increased near the Port of Newcastle. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says each train that's delayed is worth $1 million in exports.

There's been some wild weather around the Hunter recently with high winds, cooler temperatures and a lot of rain. Not surprisingly it caused flooding in some low-lying areas. 

Wendy Tucker initially thought her car had been stolen when it went missing from her suburban street at Point Clare on the Central Coast during lockdown. Then she learnt her car had been crushed. 

Brendan Russell, who performed 'body modification' procedures in a studio at Erina Fair, has been found guilty of three separate charges, the most serious of which was manslaughter. He also has been found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm, and female genital mutilation.

Coming out as an athlete can be pretty scary, as Newcastle Olympian Poppy Olsen and her mother share in this week's episode of the Innies and Outies podcast (you can listen to it here). Poppy says the supportive nature of the skateboarding community has been critical to her coming out journey.

And if you want more LGBTQIA+ news, sign up to our new monthly ABCQueer newsletter, launching early next year.

He came to the club in 2018 and was expected to stay for four years, but now it's been confirmed Mitchell Pearce will leave the men's Newcastle Knights in October. (And if you want more sport news, subscribe to the ABC's weekly sport newsletter). 

Do you use coffee pods to make your morning brew? Newcastle has signed on to an Australian-first trial that will see the pods recycled via household yellow topped bins. 

Makeshift BMX tracks at Redhead have divided the community. Now Lake Mac council is looking to make something a little more permanent for bike riders, but they want your help. 

'Doing it for our Farmers' groups popped up around New South Wales during the last drought, including in the Upper Hunter. But with rain falling and harvest looking good, it's time for a Murrurundi group to say farewell to farmers.

We are marking Aus Music Month by sitting down with Hunter musicians to hear them play live for the first time in forever and chat about their passion for music. This week, Piper Butcher dropped by for a chat. She covered a Paul Kelly classic. 

Newy. Newie or maybe just Newcastle? What do you say? 

Vale Uncle Bill: Hundreds celebrated the life of one of the region's most respected Indigenous elders. Bill Smith, or Uncle Bill, regularly conducted welcome ceremonies at events across the Newcastle region and was passionate about reconciliation. He died in August with pancreatic cancer, but his funeral service was delayed until after COVID restrictions were lifted.

Craig Thomson charged: Former federal Labor MP Craig Thomson has been charged over his alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar migration fraud. Australian Federal Police officers arrested Mr Thomson, 57, at his Terrigal home on the NSW Central Coast on Wednesday morning. Read more here. 

Toxic sludge: Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp will move a notice of motion in state parliament to stop toxic sludge from Sydney's middle harbour being brought to the Hunter for disposal. Labor MPs say new documents reveal the sludge that's contaminated with heavy metals and PFAS chemicals will be barged to a site in Mayfield North, then trucked to a waste processing facility.

Oyster lifeline: The deadly parasite QX was found in Port Stephens oysters in August. To manage this, the Department of Primary Industries has been asked to supply commercial quantities of QX disease-resistant Sydney rock oyster spat to help growers recover.

New diving boards: The diving boards at Lambton Pool are set for an overhaul thanks to a $65,000 grant from the NSW government. The money with be used to replace all the springboards, which are 20 years old. 

Have you taken a stroll down Jacaranda Avenue in Raymond Terrace lately? It's living up to its name, although it should really be named Absolutely Stunning Jacarandas Avenue. Maybe we'll write to council about it. This pic was submitted by @saradowling02 and shared via #ABCmyphoto on Instagram. You can show everyone what the world looks like where you live by using the hashtag on Instagram or by uploading your photos online here.

It's been wet, wet, wet around the Hunter the past week or so and things are looking pretty soggy around town. But if you were hoping for a break in the rain this weekend, you might have to wait a little longer. Rain returns from Friday afternoon and will continue into next week. 

So this may be handy — our friends at ABC Everyday have caught up with weather presenter Nate Byrne to find out how to read the weather forecast (those rain percentages may not mean what you think they do).

And thanks to Jeremy, who shared this lovely photo of a break in the rain at Wangi.

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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.