Woman killed by police bean-bag round in Stockton

Police say a bean-bag round entered the body of Newcastle woman Krista Kach, who was involved in a stand-off with police in Stockton last week.

Police allege six teenagers forced their way inside a home at Merewether before stabbing a man and a woman.

A NSW woman bugged by her spurned ex-lover describes feeling like she was in a film during the ordeal — and experts say her experience is not uncommon as offenders get better at using technology "as a weapon against women".

Liz and Sam Paul know how to stay calm in an emergency, which came in handy when baby Andy decided to arrive before they could make it to hospital.

It took 12 months after floods devastated the small town of Broke in NSW for Evelyn Hardy's house to be declared a write-off and, after losing all her belongings, she is still sharing a caravan with her husband and dog.

Farmers are locking their gates to level the playing field with power giants, and it's creating a roadblock on Australia's clean energy super highway. So what happens now?

The first foal of champion racehorse Winx is tipped to break sale records, as her owners confirm she will be sold at a public auction next year.

Paralympic swimmer Jack Ireland has broken a world record on the opening night of the Australian Short Course Swimming Championships.

One of Newcastle's best known bands, The Screaming Jets conquered stages around Australia and the globe. More than 30 years on, the band is still rocking, but couldn't have predicted the sudden death of one of its own.

Paul Dillon, director of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, heads to the Hunter.

Minor premiers: The Newcastle Knights NRLW side secured the minor premiership trophy after a 28-8 win over the West Tigers in the final round of the home and away season. Newcastle finished two points clear of the Sydney Roosters on top of the NRLW ladder. The Knights will now host the fourth placed Brisbane Broncos at Hunter Stadium in the semi-final this Sunday. The team is chasing back-to-back premierships.

Winning run comes to end: The Newcastle Knights's men's side was knocked out of the NRL finals after going down to the Warriors 40-10 in front of a hostile crowd in New Zealand. The Warriors started well, scoring three tries in the opening 12 minutes. Knights coach Adam O'Brien says after a stunning series of 10 straight wins, it was a tough way to end the season. Diehard local fans travelled across the ditch to support the team.

Fire warning: The NSW Rural Fire Service is warning the community not to be complacent after several quiet years on the bushfire front. The Hunter has experienced unseasonally warm weather in recent days, with a total fire ban issued for Wednesday. On Tuesday the BOM formally declared El Niño.

Minister promotes wind farm benefits: Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen says the benefits of an offshore wind farm off Port Stephens and Newcastle outweigh the negatives. The federal government declared the wind zone earlier this year and is now calling for expressions of interest from operators. Mr Bowen met with opponents at Port Stephens on Tuesday. He says the wind farm will have far-reaching economic benefits, including 3,000 jobs created during construction and 1,500 once operational.

Road funding boost: A new Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund has been created by the New South Wales government, with almost $400 million going towards regional and rural councils for urgent road and pothole repairs. Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison says it will reduce the gap in funding between urban and regional roads and particularly help council areas affected by natural disasters.

Rural crime workshops: NSW Police Rural Crime Prevention Team has joined forces with the NSW Farmers Association to host workshops aimed at helping producers protect their properties. A workshop will be held in Merriwa this Thursday after eight lambs were recently taken from one property alone. Only 50 per cent of rural crime is reported and Hunter police say some thefts are opportunistic, while others involve organised criminals.

Music festival cancelled: Newcastle's This That Festival has been cancelled for the second consecutive year. In a statement organisers say the decision was made because of concerns the festival experience that fans have come to know and love would be dampened as a result of challenging economic conditions. Last year's event was cancelled because of supply chain issues, labour shortages, economic stress and forecast extreme weather patterns.

The podcast is back: ABC Newcastle's local podcast is back with a new season — and a new name! From Merewether to Merriwa, NewcastleCast will explore the weird and wonderful stories you might not know about our patch. Listen to new episodes from next Wednesday, September 27, on the ABC listen app.