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Central Coast eyeing off Big Prawn

The builder of Lake Macquarie's iconic Big Prawn isn't impressed by plans for the Central Coast to adopt the giant crustacean, saying it shouldn't leave the region. Central Coast Council has been asked to investigate acquiring the landmark, which sits beside the Pacific Highway at Crangan Bay.

Man dies in ultralight plane crash

Bystanders tried desperately to save a man whose ultralight plane crashed at Windella, near Maitland, on Sunday. The plane came down in a backyard close to the Royal Newcastle Aero Club.

Witnesses rushed to the scene, removing the pilot from the wreckage and performing CPR until paramedics arrived, but the man could not be saved.

We've got more local news for you

We're working hard to bring you all the news you need, and our website now has more local news stories to meet the needs of readers. You'll see some of them in this newsletter, or you can visit our website. If you'd like to let us know what you think, you can do that here.

'I don't even know what that destruction of my life would look like'

A Hunter region man has been told to expect a $1 million clean-up notice after a flood mound on his property was found to be contaminated with asbestos. Michael Corling runs a boarding kennel in the Lower Hunter and wanted to build his dream home on the site.

But it turned into a nightmare when the Environment Protection Authority showed up a month before construction was due to start.

'Massive loss for city' as Newcastle misses out on Supercars Championship

The Newcastle 500 has been cut from the 2020 Supercars Championship, which has been revised due to COVID-19 restrictions. Racing will resume in Sydney in June, but temporary street racing circuits on the Gold Coast and in Newcastle won't go ahead.

A glimmer of hope for Hunter wineries

Hunter Valley wineries are cautiously optimistic that the easing of travel restrictions in NSW will boost tourism. But businesses say they need more detail from government so they know what to expect.

What else made news this week?

What people liked on Facebook this week

•  The principal of St James' Primary School at Muswellbrook has been asking celebrities and politicians across the country to send messages of support to his students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Australian singer Delta Goodrem answered the call. Watch her shout-out to students. 
• A Port Stephens whale watching cruise operator is offering 'virtual cruises' to showcase the east coast whale migration, while his business remains closed due to coronavirus.
• The University of Newcastle says it plans to resume face to face learning next semester. Semester two will now start in August. 
•  Baptist Care says demand for food hampers and emergency relief increased by 50 per cent last month. The charity handed out 300 hampers from its Mayfield and Wallsend locations.
•  Meet Millie the calf! She was born on David Williams' farm in Vacy and she's adorable.

Best bits on air this week

•  Hunter New England Health has packed up its six-lane drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Hunter Stadium. Public Health physician Dr David Durrheim told ABC Breakfast's Dan and Jenny that more than 7,700 tests were conducted during the blitz.
•  Some people can walk into a pub and not even notice the poker machines, but for many Australians that's not the case. Ben Hamilton has started a group called Kicking the Punt, and he told Mornings' Kia Handley his story.
•  A crew from Marine Rescue spent several hours earlier this week helping a stranded fisherman whose trawler got stuck in Swansea Channel and began to sink. Lake Macquarie unit commander Mal Wardrop spoke with Drive's Paul Turton.
•  Bees are amazing! They help your garden look good, they feed you and they have an incredible social connection with each other. It was World Bee Day this week and ABC's Liz Clarkson spoke with Swansea beekeeper Sally Jones.

Meet our features reporter Anthony Scully

Anthony, or Scully as we like to call him, is a media jack of all trades. He writes online feature stories, produces video stories, does filming for news and is a whiz when it comes to operating a drone. Scully says his job is creative and unpredictable. Every day is a clean slate and you never know who you'll meet.

Outside of work Scully loves listening to music, reading, hanging out with his family and riding his Vespa. And he has a pet labrador called Ruby who has her own Instagram account!

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