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Nicole Powell's 12-year-old autistic son was heading to Nobbys Beach on his first solo outing when he sent her a three-word text that would trigger heartache and spark a chain of events that ended with a police investigation.

The former NRL player is accused of sexually assaulting a Newcastle woman on the night of the 2018 NRL grand final. Jarryd Hayne has already faced two trials and wanted to have the third held in Newcastle.

Ewan Sams, 36, was run down and killed in his Cessnock backyard. His friend Joshua Smith was charged with murder and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Have you got a spare room? A not-for-profit program called Share Your Home is "like Airbnb, but free". It matches households with teenagers and older women who are homeless.

The federal government has done a deal with Whitehaven Coal to ship 70,000 tonnes of thermal coal to Ukraine. With coal recently trading upwards of $400 per tonne, the transaction could be worth more than $31 million.

The NSW government has given the green light to a 500-megawatt battery next to the Liddell Power Station, near Muswellbrook. It's expected it will help meet our demand for electricity as the power station shuts down.

The result of last December's local government election has been declared void for three councils, including one in our region. It's all because the electronic iVote system failed.

The Hunter region didn't cop the worst of the recent severe weather, but there are still a few local communities that are cleaning up after the deluge. And it's been a really tough time for our wildlife.

It's not taking long for well-tended lawns around the Hunter region to go from green to brown. So what's the cause of this turf devastation? We know it's not a lack of rainwater.

Many of the world's best horses get their start in the Upper Hunter, and now there's a program aiming to ease labour shortages and give workers a start in the industry.

The ABC is celebrating cultural diversity across the country as part of Harmony Week. We're spotlighting some of the best stories that celebrate inclusion and our multicultural country. Have a look at out iView collection of stories.

School fire: Two boys, aged 14 and 15, have been charged over Sunday night's fire at Irrawang Public School. Police say two demountable buildings were destroyed and a number of other classrooms had been vandalised. One of the demountables was home to Thou-Walla Community Centre. The school's Parents and & Citizens Association has set up a fundraising page, hoping to raise $15,000. (Pic supplied by Fire and Rescue NSW)

Central Coast councillors sacked: The council was suspended in October last year because it didn't have enough money to pay its staff. The NSW government has released the findings of its public inquiry into what went wrong. You can read about that here.

Knights Centre of Excellence: The Newcastle Knights have opened their new Centre of Excellence at Broadmeadow. It's a $20-million joint venture between the Newcastle Knights and the state government, under Venues New South Wales. The Sports Minister Stuart Ayres says a business case is being prepared to allow for more developments in the Broadmeadow Sports Precinct.

Garage fire forces evacuations: Around 50 people were evacuated from a Department of Housing apartment building in Newcastle's east end after a fire broke out in a ground-floor car park. Thick smoke billowed from the garage as several cars caught fire. No one was injured.

Campaign promises for Lake Macquarie: Federal Labor says if elected it will spend $10 million on a permanent dredge for the Swansea Channel. It has also said it would allocate a further $10 million to extend the Newcastle Mines Grouting Fund to deal with mining subsidence in the Lake Macquarie area.

A kestrel searching for its next feed along Newcastle Beach. Thanks to @aramphotos for sharing this gorgeous image.

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. 

Our break from the wet weather is over, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting showers. There's potential for heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms right through to the start of next week. Temperatures will be around the low to mid 20s.

Remember the sun while you can!  The light, the colours, the composition — wonderful! Check out the rest of Tracy's work here.

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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.