The latest snapshot of the Hunter’s housing industry paints a rosy picture for the valley. Singleton and Cessnock saw huge jumps in new home approvals – something the latter credits to the Hunter Expressway.

A 47-year-old woman died last night, after her car crashed at Lochinvar. Police markings on Windermere Road today show where the vehicle crossed to the wrong side, smashing through a garden archway, before hitting a tree. The incident happened at 7:30pm… it’s believed the victim lived in nearby Windermere.

The Hunter united to support a much-loved daughter over the weekend. A staggering 650 people filled Newcastle’s City Hall on Saturday night for the Sunflowers for Jess Festival, which raised more than $100,000 for Jess Collins. Last May, the 24-year-old surf lifesaver fell from her stand-up paddleboard at Snapper Rocks and hit her head, leaving her paralysed from the neck down. The money will be used for Jess’s rehabilitation and medical treatment.  

A major salvage operation will continue late into the night near Newcastle, after a truck carrying a wide load became wedged on a motorway off-ramp. Questions are now being asked as to how it happened, as the driver was following a route approved by the RMS.  

Ending Labor’s political dominance in the region is the aim of three Liberal candidates, running for the state seats of Newcastle, Maitland and Charlestown. On Monday, the party finally unveiled its contenders, just weeks out from the election.  

Merewether High students and staff have been offered counselling, following the sad death of a boy near Bar Beach yesterday. The 16 year old drowned after jumping from a rock shelf, leaving the school community – and a local family – devastated.

The temperature is set to rise for those west of the divide tomorrow, with the mercury tipped to reach the high 30s. There’s a chance of a shower in the morning for those in the Northern Rivers, while sunshine will be a plenty for the Hunter and Central Coast.

New images have been released, showing how Newcastle’s former courthouse could look in the future. After purchasing the site in 2016, Japan’s Nihon University has lodged plans with the state government for its first Australian campus.  

There’s a war on waste at Lake Macquarie, with thousands mobilising to get weekly garbage pick-ups reinstated. Ratepayers say fortnightly collections are a rubbish idea, especially in summer. Lake Macquarie Council says savings from the new bin collection system are flowing onto ratepayers, with a reduction in the waste levy in rates.  

The weekend shooting death of a father of five has shaken the Newcastle suburb of Maryland. Today, a 30-year-old man from Cameron Park faced court, charged with murder.