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Two men in the Hunter region have died of COVID-19 and 55 new cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday. More than half of the recent cases were infectious while in the community. Meanwhile, Muswellbrook has been plunged into a seven-day lockdown and the Central Coast has been reclassified as part of Greater Sydney.

Two Sydney women who travelled to the Newcastle region in late July to attend a party have pleaded guilty to breaching public health orders. Police say they misled police and provided false details about where they lived.  

A Muswellbrook man has been denied bail after being charged with a string of alleged sexual and violent offences, including an unlawful sexual relationship with a 14-year-old, kidnapping, and an act of child prostitution. 

There was a "horrific" scene at a level crossing near Scone on Wednesday morning. Locals heard a loud bang just after 7am and ran out to see a truck and a train had collided. Paramedics praised community members who rushed to help the truck driver.

The MV Spirit of Ho Ping was at anchor off the coast of Newcastle for two weeks after 11 of its 21 Filipino crew tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, the ship was able to finally dock after tests showed the affected crew had recovered.

Central Mangrove mum Samantha Smith and two of her five children died after her four-wheel drive veered off the road and hit a tree last week. Her other three children survived the crash.

Coking coal is used to make steel and it has soared in value in 2021 despite China's ban on Aussie imports. Coking coal from here in the Hunter has fetched a whopping $US410 a tonne in the past week, which is triple the price it was going for in early 2020.

Have you ever bought a little cactus at the markets? Did you check if the seller was legit? The New South Wales government is cracking down on illegal cactus sales, with experts fearing the spread of some cactus weeds could spell danger for the agriculture sector. The illegal cactus trade is more prevalent than you'd think, says the Hunter's regional weeds co-ordinator Matt Kennedy.

Cessnock Olympic shooter Daniel Repacholi will be the next Labor candidate for Hunter, with long-term member Joel Fitzgibbon retiring at the next election. Mr Repacholi's selection was controversial inside and outside the party, with no party room vote and past social media comments coming back to bite.

Newcastle's Frank Rynehart has been front and centre at every NRL big dance since 1962. He's been there for all the big moments – the to-the-wire finishes, the shock upsets, the controversial calls, and THAT Knights victory in 1997. But this year, Frank won't be at the game … all thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns.

Newcastle's Graham 'Nicko' Nickisson has ticked off more than 40 years of service with the Rescue Helicopter Service. Of those years, 38 were spent as an aircrew officer, with the last two on the ground as support staff.

When you were eight years old, what did you wish for on your birthday? A scooter? A puppy? Maybe some new dolls? Maitland's very own wildlife warrior Camilo Trescott had a very special birthday wish this year – to help Tasmanian Devils living in the Barrington Tops.

Cold case charge: A 49-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter over the 2005 death of a toddler in Singleton. Jordan William Thompson was 21 months old when his mum left him in the care of her partner. When she returned, the toddler was unresponsive and later died. Following investigations and a NSW government $100,000 reward for information, a strike force made an arrest on Monday. The 49-year-old was refused bail and appeared in court.

Vaccination rates: Good on ya, Hunter! Our local vaccine rates are thundering along. The Upper Hunter Shire is galloping ahead with 88.9 per cent of eligible locals now having one dose of a vaccine, with 59 per cent fully vaccinated. Newcastle has just over 52 per cent fully vaccinated while Maitland is nearly at 49 per cent fully vaccinated. Cessnock, Singleton and Muswellbrook are the slowest in take-up, with all three LGAs under 43 per cent fully vaxxed.

Moderna arrives: Moderna COVID vaccines have begun arriving in the Hunter. The mRNA vaccines are being rolled out to 3,600 pharmacies across Australia. The vaccine is available to everyone over 12 and is 93 per cent effective six months after a second dose.

Recycling coal ash: A Hunter environmental group says the New South Wales government has missed a huge opportunity to act against pollution from coal ash dams at power stations by developing an ash recycling industry. Paul Winn from the Hunter Community Environment Centre says the government talks favourably about an ash recycling industry but hasn't delivered a strong action plan to achieve it.

Teen knife crime on the rise: Over the past fortnight, three NSW teens died, four were critically injured and six young people are facing murder charges relating to knife crime. Youth knife assaults have increased a shocking 76 per cent over the last reporting period, while stabbing crimes overall have declined by half in the past two decades.

Christmas shopping around the corner: In a normal year, there would be plenty of time, but consumer sentiment data has shown that more of us will spend up early for Christmas and we will spend up online. Some businesses fear that postal delays could get even longer closer to December.

Spring is here (for now) and Newcastle city hall is shining. Thanks to Ella Peakie for sending us in the beautiful photograph. 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.

Spring was meant to be sprung, right? Well, you'll have to wait a little longer for the sunshine to arrive. The rest of the week will bring periods of showers right across the Hunter, with the possibility of a thunderstorm or two. Friday looks to be the warmest day, with a top of 27 degrees on the horizon.

In the meantime, we can enjoy this spring shot, courtesy of Captain Cow.

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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.