Newcastle

Seven packages of what police believe is cocaine have washed up on beaches between Newcastle and Sydney covered in barnacles.

Key points:

• The RFS says people in the areas of Cessnock Road, Charles Street, York Street, Ridley Street, William Street and Hebburn Road in Abermain are at risk
• They are urged to leave now in a northerly direction if the path is clear to Kurri Kurri
• Embers blown by the wind could start spot fires, which may impact homes sooner than the main fire front

Key points:

• An empty coal train derailed and sparked a grassfire west of Muswellbrook on Wednesday
• The blaze is now listed as under control but has burnt nearly 40 hectares
• No one was injured and an investigation will be carried out when the area is deemed safe

Couldn't find a non-paywalled story, sorry. Even the MEET Facebook page just says 'closed due to unforseen circumstances'.

Key points:

• John Maitland was cleared of corruption offences involving a Hunter Valley mining licence
• He is calling on the NSW government to compensate distressed coal investors
• The NSW premier's office says Mr Maitland's release will not change its position

A Krispy Kreme delivery van containing 10,000 fresh doughnuts has been stolen, the US doughnut chain has reported.

The van was en route to various delivery sites in Newcastle when it was stolen from a Carlingford service station about 3.30am on Wednesday.

NSW Police are currently searching for the van, along with the sweet-toothed thief, believed to be a woman, who allegedly stole the van while the driver was inside the service station.

Key points:

• Sniffer dogs have been trained to detect the invasive weed Chinese violet
• The weed is commonly found in the Hunter region and can smother native plants
• Henry and his counterpart Daisy can detect the species in any location

Key points:

• A New Zealand researcher says varroa mite caused feral bees to die-off within two seasons
• An infestation of 9,000 varroa mites has been detected in a Central Coast feral bee swarm
• Swarms are being caught to help amateur beekeepers restock

Key points:

• Birdlife Australia says "wreck" events are "confronting", but not unusual
• It is suspected that stormy weather or an ocean warming event may have caused the deaths
• Some birds are being euthanased and others are being moved to safe places to recuperate

Key points:

• Teacher Michael John Kable has his conviction overturned on appeal
• A court heard Mr Kable punched a school boy after being tormented by a group of students
• Judge Peter McGrath said it was Kable's first criminal offence and "out of character"

Key points:

• Newcastle's mayor confirmed the news after speaking with a Supercars representative this morning
• The mayor says it is unclear whether the city will hold the race again beyond 2024
• A recent survey found 59 per cent of locals did not want the event to return for another five years

A man has been rushed to hospital after he was set on fire during a terrifying pre-dawn attack, before seeking help at a nearby McDonalds.

Emergency services were called to the fast-food store at King St in Newcastle, on the NSW Hunter Coast, shortly after 3am on Thursday.

Police said the 23-year-old man had been assaulted and set on fire before seeking help at the northeast city store suffering serious burns.

He was rushed to John Hunter Hospital before being transferred to Royal North Shore, where he remained in a serious but stable condition. Police have since established a crime scene with investigations underway into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Local media reported that officer believed the man was involved in an altercation with two men in the busy street in Newcastle

Investigators appealed for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam vision in the area at the time to come Crime Stoppers.

Girvan Estate is in the hinterland of Nelson Bay.

Key points:

• Resources will be reallocated to slowing the spread of the pest
• Non-compliance from beekeepers and illegal hive movement was a major factor in the failed eradication effort
• Government and industry groups made the unanimous decision to move to a management approach

Key points:

• NSW Police have suspended the use of bean-bag rounds when responding to high risk incidents
• Krista Kach, 47, died last week after a shot fired by police struck her heart
• Ms Kach was involved in a 10-hour stand-off with police at Stockton in Newcastle

Key points:

• The woman barricaded herself in her unit early Thursday afternoon after threatening people with an axe
• Officers entered the 47-year-old's unit just before 10pm following a 10-hour stand-off
• Police say she was able to walk to an ambulance, but her condition deteriorated and she later died

The rugby league great, who played 223 games for the Knights, is battling the symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which is a progressive brain disease that is connected with repeated traumatic brain injuries and dementia.

“I was a little man in a big man’s game so my height level was ducking through (opposition players) forearms and it was a habit of seeing stars, getting hit and seeing stars,” Robbie said.

Asked about what he remembers from his two premierships that he won with the Newcastle Knights, Robbie struggles to recall any details about the games.

“All I remember is that I played for a good team, played for a town,” Robbie replied.

“Even watching the grand finals now, I’ve watched them that many times, I can’t remember doing them.”

Depression and mood swings are symptoms of CTE, and as life got so bad for Robbie, he contemplated the same suicide attempt while sitting on the edge of a cliff six times.

"[…] she (Dr Rowena Mobbs, one of Australia’s leading concussion and CTE experts) said that he (Robbie) has one of the worst brain scans that she’s seen,” she said

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