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Victim shot with bolt gun to get him to 'relax', court told 

Hunter Valley resident Stephen Orr (pictured) was due to face a trial over a 2017 bolt gun attack on a 68-year-old man he met on a hook-up site, but has instead pleaded guilty to eight assault and firearms charges. More details about the attack have been released, including that Orr told the victim he used the bolt gun to "get him to relax".

Thornton man charged, refused bail following death of 16-year boy

A man has been charged with murder after the death of a 16-year-old boy. Police were called to a unit in Charlestown on Tuesday morning following reports of a boy being found unresponsive. 

Memorial ride marks two years since murder of Gabriella Thompson 

Bikes and cars were splashed with purple as part of a ride through the streets of the Hunter to keep the memory of Gabriella Thompson alive. The event marked two years to the day since the 27-year-old was killed by the father of her child. 

'Core habitat' for koalas threatens to derail mine plans 

A growing koala habitat may complicate plans for a billion-dollar coal mine on the Liverpool Plains in north-west NSW. The Shenhua Watermark mine was first proposed in 2008. The company plans to extract about 10 million tonnes of coal and ship it to China through the Port of Newcastle.

Because I couldn't get through the front doors, I didn't get the job. I'm not the only one 

Most people enter their place of work without having to think about how to gain entry onto the premises. But building designs can sometimes prevent people with disabilities from gaining employment, because they can't even get through the front doors. 

Simon Darcy, a professor of social inclusion at the University of Technology Sydney, says many employers either do not provide adequate access to the workplace or fail to understand their requirements under the law. 

Working from home and food delivery boom fuel Newcastle garbage glut 

Newcastle is throwing out more rubbish than ever and working from home could be to blame. An extra 850 garbage trucks of waste has been generated since the middle of last year.

Belmont sailing group befriends playful dolphin 

A sailing group in Belmont has befriended a playful dolphin who has become a pretty frequent crew member while they're out on the water. Amye Dickinson, a volunteer with Sailability, told ABC Newcastle's Laurise Dickson all about 'Billie'.

Fabric and tote bags needed to support families escaping domestic violence 

As people take to the streets of Australia for a march protesting violence against women, there are projects happening in communities around Australia that are helping people leave abusive relationships every day. Stacey Jane started Escabags a year ago and now her little totes of joy are available in places around NSW.  

How are local GPs holding up ahead of the phase 1b vaccine rollout?

As part of the phase 1b COVID-19 vaccine rollout, about 1,000 GPs around the country will be offering vaccination appointments from Monday. Breakfast's Dan and Jenny spoke to Dr Lee Fong, secretary of the Hunter GP Association and clinical director of Hunter Primary Care, to find out how they're going.

What else made news this week?

Aged care vaccinations: A Newcastle nursing home operator says just over 60 per cent of residents have given consent to receive the Pfizer vaccine, but she's worried more delays will put people off. Newcastle's regional vaccine hub has begun operating at John Hunter Hospital, distributing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to frontline healthcare workers and nursing homes. Aged care worker Viv Allanson is yet to receive any details about when second doses will be given.

Newcastle Jets double header: Newcastle Jets defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley says this weekend's A-league double header is a huge coup for the city. Brisbane Roar are playing Wellington Phoenix right before the Jets face Adelaide United at Hunter Stadium on Sunday. It will be the first time two men's matches have been played back-to-back, and Topor-Stanley says it's come at a good time. 

Wild weather: The State Emergency Service says heavy rainfall and thunderstorms could lead to flash flooding across the Mid North Coast, Hunter and Central Coast areas. Widespread rain of between 50 and 100mm is forecast with some isolated heavy downfalls of up to 200mm possible.

Stairway to heaven: Newcastle Council is moving closer to locking in plans for a grand staircase linking the harbour with the Christ Church Cathedral. The council wants to demolish the rundown mall car park on King Street, which could pave the way for the wide 'Spanish Steps' that were first proposed in 2006. David Clarke, the council's director of governance, says they're in talks with a company behind a nearby development to see if the stairs can be built.

Newcastle Knights news: Despite being forced from the field with injury in last week's win, five-eighth Kurt Man has been named for the Newcastle Knights to take on the Warriors on Friday. In more positives for the Knights, Bradman Best, Connor Watson and Starford Toa have also been named after picking up injuries against the Bulldogs. Playmaker Phoenix Crossland and back Dominic Young have been named on the extended bench. Winger Hymel Hunt says the team can improve this week.

Paramedic outrage: The Australian Paramedics Association says patients and paramedics across the Hunter are being put at risk by a lack of resources. A rural health inquiry has heard paramedics are being worked beyond their limits, and more resourcing is needed. Hunter representative Brendan McIlveen says more is needed to lighten the load.

Justice march: Organisers of the Newcastle 'March 4 Justice' rally say they were blown away by the crowd that showed up to protest against sexism and gendered violence. They estimate more than 2,000 people gathered at Civic Park. It comes after the alleged rape of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and the historic rape allegation against Attorney-General Christian Porter. Local organiser Jenny Tarran says the poor behaviour is only escalating and it needs to be called out.

Apprentice boom: A Newcastle plumbing and electrical firm says the psychological benefits of providing ongoing subsidies for apprentices can't be underestimated. The Boosting Apprenticeships Commencement scheme has been extended for another year, after successfully heading off what was predicted to be a significant slump during COVID-19. In the Hunter, sign-ups so far this financial year have reached their highest level in seven years, with more than 5,400 new apprentices and trainee commencements.

Miners' strike: The union representing miners says its members at Rix's Creek coal mine in the Hunter Valley are in the middle of a seven-day strike. The mining and energy branch of the CFMEU says workers are fighting for a better enterprise agreement around paid leave. A meeting was held in Singleton last week where the group unanimously endorsed further industrial action.

Recipes for our readers

This week recipe comes from Diane, our content support coordinator.

Here is her special recipe.

"I’m an 'internationally trained' Paella maker after doing a cooking course in Barcelona, just before COVID stopped overseas travel. Here's what I learnt:

• Adding chorizo to paella is only for the tourists.
• You can use whatever vegetables you have to hand, so you don’t have to exactly follow the ingredients listed below. This is the nature of this dish, it is seasonal.
• All the vegetables have to be finely chopped to approximately the same size, to ensure everything cooks uniformly.
• This is my tip – you must have a glass of wine at hand when cooking … otherwise cooking is just a chore!"

Serves 4. Time 45 mins

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
4 ripe medium tomatoes
50g green beans
50g green capsicum
50g red capsicum
50g artichokes
50g green peas
12 mussels
4 large unpeeled prawns
2 large cuttlefish hoods
400g chicken thighs
2 cups of rice (or 100g per person)
8 tbs olive oil
1 tsp smoked, sweet paprika
10 saffron threads
Salt to taste
1 litre fish or chicken stock

Method:

1)  Prepare the ingredients. Chop the onions into a brunoise (see what I did there? So professional! It means small cubes). Grate the tomatoes and mince the garlic. The rest of the vegetables, deseed, slice and cut into 1-2 cm pieces.
2)  Clean and rinse the mussels using cold water and put aside. Chop the cuttlefish into 1-2 cm cubes and keep aside with the mussels.
3)  Heat 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil in a paella pan and sauté the prawns, one minute each side. Do not fully cook. Remove and keep aside.
4)  Add the chicken, sauté until slightly brown, add the onions and cook until they are brown, then add the rest of the vegetables and sauté for about 8 minutes until slightly softened.
5)  Add the tomato puree and the minced garlic. Cook in a high heat until the liquid evaporates completely and the tomato starts to caramelise. This gives the paella the authentic Spanish 'sofrito' taste. Add the paprika and the saffron. Stir a little bit, take care because paprika burns quickly.
6)  Add the rice, stir for less than 1 minute, integrating all the flavours. Add the boiling stock. Arrange the seafood over the rice, placing the edges of the mussels so they are facing up.
7)  Important: Add salt to taste.
8)  Cook, uncovered for 20-25 minutes (5 minutes high heat, 15 minutes low heat) until rice is almost done. Remove pan from the heat and over with a kitchen cloth.
9)  Let sit 3-5 minutes

The best photos from around the country

How stunning is this photo of a golden hour in Newcastle? It was captured by @travelling_lensman and shared on Instagram via #ABCmyphoto. 

Want to see one of your shots featured? All you have to do is share it on Instagram with the tag #abcmyphoto. If you don't have Instagram you can upload it online here. It's your chance to show the rest of the world what your backyard looks like.

How's the weekend weather looking?

Get ready for a wet, wet weekend as heavy rain and showers make their way across the Hunter. Temperatures are set to reach 26 degrees on Sunday.

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