Dead scuba diver found with cocaine

Plus, prison guards plead guilty to assaulting a work colleague, 'extraordinary' pelican event, and new coal mines ruled out in parts of the Hunter

View as a webpage Share our local newsletter and tell us what you think You can let us know what you think of this newsletter by offering feedback here. And do you know others who might enjoy it? Send on this sign-up link. Like a Hollywood plot on the Hunter River The whole of Australia was focused on the Port of Newcastle after we woke up to news of a dead scuba diver and an extraordinary amount of cocaine discovered near a coal ship. Here's how this story unfolded How often are coal ships bringing in drugs? Detectives say the price paid for cocaine in Sydney is the highest anywhere in the world, making it a magnet for international drug traffickers. And our port provides prime pickings, given its proximity to Sydney. What are authorities doing about it? Cessnock prison guards plead guilty to assaulting a First Nations colleague One night last year, a 35-year-old Cessnock man was at his home when two men burst through his front door. The intruders were, in fact, his work colleagues. The two men were spared convictions. Here's how the victim reacted New coal mines ruled out in part of the Hunter As Wollombi real estate agent Steven Annis-Brown told us, coal mining would have radically changed the town and surrounding area. But the community always thought it was a long stretch. What changed the government's mind? That's not the coast! Are these pelicans lost? We're so used to seeing pelicans around local waterways including Lake Mac, Port Stephens and Newcastle. They're almost part of the furniture. But massive numbers of pelicans have gone bush. Here's why Why landholders have an 'open mind' about solar farm and big battery A $1.6 billion project is earmarked for part of the Upper Hunter, and some landholders have already agreed to lease their grazing land. Apparently, sheep aren't too bothered by solar panels. Listen to find out how many homes this one project could power Hands up who's already had the flu? During the past week the number of flu cases around the Hunter has begun to spike. How severe is this year's season likely to be? Listen: Here's what you need to know as the flu arrives early Darby Street gets a 30kph speed limit It's already been in place around Honeysuckle, along Newcastle Harbour. And now that iconic city eat-street — Darby Street — is about to experience a change in pace. What do locals think? Listen to this entertaining Catch Up episode How Hunter kids are pedalling to success The cost of school excursions and technology like laptops can really add up, especially if your finances are already on the tight side. Enter the Young family, living near Maitland. Listen to their idea to take the pressure off No disabled access to some pre-polling places There are questions being raised around accessibility to pre-polling voting centres, particularly the one on King Street in Newcastle. People in wheelchairs are unable to vote in privacy at the centre, filling out their ballet papers in full view on the street. Listen: So why don't all local polling venues have disability access? Celebrate heavy horses, throughbreds and the reasons Scone is Australia's horse capital It's been a trot-tastic time in Scone this week, with the iconic Horse Festival taking over town. Our Upper Hunter presenter Amelia Bernasconi invited the Country Hour team along to the Jack Johnson Memorial Gala Day, where they explored everything from thoroughbred breeding to high-jumping kelpies and longhorn cattle. Listen to a run-down of all the action on the Country Hour What else made news in the past week? Jack Newton farewelled: Hundreds of people have attended a funeral service at Newcastle's Civic Theatre for golfing legend Jack Newton. The 72-year-old died last month as a result of health complications, just a year after being diagnosed with dementia. The much-loved golfer won the 1979 Australian Open and famously lost his right arm and eye at the age of 33 after walking into a plane propeller. Pre-poll flurry: Voters in the Hunter have been eager to cast their votes early for the federal election, with strong numbers at pre-polling booths across the region. Pre-polling opened on Monday, with well over 10,000 turning up at local venues on the first day. Here's a handy Q&A if you have any questions about how pre-polling works and who can do it. Poster politics: Liberal candidate for the marginal seat of Paterson, Brooke Vitnell, believes the defacing of her campaign posters will discourage women from entering politics. She says hundreds of her campaign posters have been ripped down or stolen, while other posters and billboards have been vandalised with derogatory comments and rude images. Visit our website for more local news The best photos from around the country Ready, set, go! This photo, taken in February, shows the little Nippers training so that they can save lives at a second's notice. This lovely shot was shared with us via #ABCmyphoto on Instagram. The talented photographer is AJ Foxford. You can show everyone what the world looks like where you live by using the hashtag on Instagram or by uploading your photos online here. See the latest photos on the #ABCmyphoto website How's the weather looking? There's a fair chance you'll be drying the washing inside for the remainder of the week. Intermittent showers are the go for our region during the next couple of days. Thursday looks to be the wettest, with a 90 per cent chance of rain. By Saturday we should see some sun peeping through the clouds, with just a slight chance of showers for the Upper Hunter. Daytime temperatures will hover around the low 20s. Overnight temps not too drastic yet — around 12 to 16 degrees. And a big thanks to James McCallum who took this spectacular double rainbow photo last Thursday at Blacksmiths. Check the seven-day forecast for your town How are we doing? We love receiving your feedback on our local newsletter. Are we offering the stories you want to read? Is there something more we could include? Send us your thoughts. More from ABC Newcastle Visit our local website. Listen live to our local programs or download the ABC listen app to take us with you. Catch the daily news bulletin via ABC listen or on our website. Visit us on Facebook, or contact us via email. 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. Discover more of the ABC on our Apps Find out how to download your favourite app. Follow us Need help? 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