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It was the news everyone was hoping to hear. After four days missing in rugged bushland at a property in Putty, three-year-old Anthony "AJ" Elfalak was found on Monday morning.

COVID-19 cases have risen this week in the Hunter with a new cluster in Port Stephens. As Hunter residents express frustration over the vaccine booking process and volunteers from Putty are urged to get tested, the owner of a tree lopping business whose staff were diagnosed with COVID-19 has apologised.

Meet James Ross who is effectively stuck here in the Hunter after coming to live with his parents at Lake Macquarie during lockdown. Now he's not allowed to return to Victoria and resume his studies.

For 46 years Dr Jalil Ramzan has cared for the community of Kurri Kurri. He has treated generations of the same family, spent his 80th birthday giving out COVID-19 vaccines, and now he's ready to hang up his stethoscope.

Street art can pop up overnight and leave a lasting impact on a community. 
No-one knows who is responsible for this piece of stencil art near the John Hunter Hospital, which pays tribute to frontline health workers during the pandemic. Now the hunt is on to find the artist.

The Rathmines Catalina Association stumbled upon something special while browsing the internet during lockdown. It's an aircraft known as Our Girl and it's about to call the Hunter home.

They're bright, colourful, easy to make and popping up on trees around the Hunter. But why?

You've watched the Facebook video of the Elfalak family learning their three-year-old son had been found, but what was it like out in the bush searching for him?

Like most athletes at the Paralympics, Lauren Parker wanted to bring home the gold. It was a thrilling race to the finish of the triathlon, after a lead-up to the games that was anything but regular for this Hunter athlete.

Support for Regal Cinema: The historic Regal Cinema has received a federal government grant aimed at helping the arts sector recover from COVID-19. It will receive more than $180,000 and the money will go towards the Newcastle International Film Festival.

Forklift ram raid: Police are investigating a ram raid at a Lake Macquarie shopping mall where a forklift was used to steal an ATM cash machine. Officers were called to the shops at Cameron Park on Sunday. They were told a man drove a forklift through the glass doors of the shopping centre and stole the ATM.

Escaping DV during lockdown: A Hunter domestic violence support service says it's increasing efforts to help people escaping harm during COVID lockdowns. Under the public health rules, fleeing abuse is a reasonable excuse to leave home. Lee Leiwes from Nova for Women says it's often hard to get hold of a phone without an abuser knowing.

Spreading the vaccine message: A refugee advocate says more needs to be done to ensure the Hunter's migrant community is receiving up-to-date public health information. Health officials say they have Arabic speaking GPs and pharmacists to spread messages about vaccination and COVID testing. But Sister Diana Santelben says the case of an Afghan woman who didn't know how or where to get tested or be vaccinated shows the system is flawed.

Knights boosted for final: The men's Newcastle Knights will be bolstered by the return of Daniel Saifiti, Tyson Frizell, Mitch Barnett and Jacob Saifiti for Sunday's elimination final against Parramatta.

Rheed McCracken's success at Tokyo: Lauren Parker wasn't the Hunter's only silver medallist. Rheed McCracken from Newcastle won silver in the men's 100m T34 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Well done, Rheed and Lauren.

Surf's up at Newcastle as Andrew of @aramphotos shares this photo of "swell times". 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. 

It's going to be a beautiful end to the week around the Hunter. The seas will be calm, the spring sun will continue to warm and by the weekend we might even hit temperatures into the 30s. It's been a wild time off the Hunter coast this week. Thanks to Mez for this early morning shot at the baths.

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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.