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Joel Fitzgibbon has been the federal Member for Hunter since 1996 but this week he announced he won't contest the next election. It's led to a flurry of activity from other major parties and independents keen to take on the job.

Caution is being urged for the lower Hunter as we see COVID-19 cases spike for a second week. In the Upper Hunter, there's a call to end the lockdown for these communities as case numbers remain very low.

We have a quoll-ity story for you. The Hunter region has welcomed 28 babies into the community. The new batch of eastern quoll joeys arrived a few months ago at the Barrington Tops breeding facility.

If you get a knock on your door with an offer to trim your trees, you might want to think carefully before saying yes. Out-of-town tree loopers have again been reported around our region. And they come with a few red flags.

A recycling facility near Kurri Kurri will start operating 24/7 to meet demand of medical waste created since the start of the pandemic. Weston Aluminium says it's preparing to double the amount of waste it processes from GP clinics, hospitals and nursing homes.

Sometimes it's the smallest things that can have the biggest impact. When someone came to the aid of Lila Temelovski in the supermarket, she felt firsthand how kindness can change a life.

A card trick here, a sleight of hand over there – there's something intriguing about a good magic show. Lake Macquarie magician Joel Howlett wasn't sure if online magic shows would work, but he's been proven wrong.

It was a quick trip to her seventh Paralympic Games but worth every minute. What does an athlete who's used to training a number of times across a day do in hotel quarantine?

It's needed some TLC for a number of years and now there's a plan for the old tennis courts at District Park. It might be time to pull your golf clubs out.

End of amazing career: Newcastle netballer Sam Poolman (pictured, right) has announced her retirement after a decade playing more than 100 national league games. Sam started her career with the Adelaide Thunderbirds. She ended it with this season's grand final, playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

No go for Kepco: South Korean mining company Kepco has lost an appeal in relation to its mining project in the Bylong Valley for the second time. The NSW Court of Appeal upheld its earlier decision, saying the project would cause "long lasting environmental, agricultural and heritage impacts".

Rapid COVID test: A Hunter-based wholesaler says it hopes to expand so individuals can buy its rapid antigen testing kits. AusRapid has developed a saliva COVID test, which can be administered without an on-site medical practitioner. Managing director Kaleb Paten says under a new telehealth partnership, a practitioner can oversee it virtually. The test delivers results within 15 minutes.

RFS prepares for summer: The Rural Fire Service says it has a small window of opportunity to undertake more than 40 controlled burns across the lower Hunter before the bushfire season. Inspector Dave Millsteed says after a wetter than normal autumn and winter, it's vital crews take advantage of any chance they have to do controlled burns.

Plans for new school: A Hunter organisation supporting vulnerable young people has lodged plans for a small school west of Newcastle. Allambi Care says it's in response to an increasing number of young people in out-of-home care who are disengaged or excluded from other schooling options.

Remember when photos looked like this? They had such style. Justin from @justinfilmscapes shared this with us of the lanes at the Newcastle Baths.

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. 

After a wet start to the week the blue skies will be back again from Friday and the temperatures will warm again. Get ready for a partly cloudy end to your week with temperatures starting in the low 20s on Friday and ending closer to 30 degrees by the time you get to Sunday.

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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.