Hunter trains: There is a good service on the Hunter line and on the Central Coast and Newcastle line and the Hunter line.

Hunter weather: Mostly sunny day with possible afternoon showers in Newcastle (27 degrees), Raymond Terrace is in for a sunny day with possible afternoon showers (26 degrees), sunny day for Maitland with the chance of afternoon showers (30 degrees) and a sunny day with a slight chance of showers in the afternoon for Scone (34 degrees).

Hunter beachwatch: Even though the wind will head south-west to south-east fairly early it’s going to be another great day to be beachside. The waves however will only be so so with the swell from the south-east around half to one metre with most beaches struggling to break on the morning high tide. Around town try Nobbys, The Cowrie Hole, The Cliff, Merewether and Dudley. Down south try Blacksmiths, Caves and Catho and at port Stephens try One Mile. Most beaches will be fantastic for a swim but it safest to  stick to the flagged areas. The water temperature is 22 degrees.

► LESS than 20 per cent of Novocastrians want the Supercars race in November to run down Shortland Esplanade, polling by the city council has found. More here.

► THREE men with links to the Nomads who were arrested after two alleged assaults and a shooting at the gang’s Islington clubhouse over the weekend have been granted bail.  More here.

► A LOT has changed in and around Throsby Creek over the past two decades. Once a desolate and polluted stormwater drain, the city’s largest urban waterway now supports a thriving ecosystem.  More here.

► WITH the latest round of public works underway along the Bathers Way, the Sydney-based Environmental Defenders Office has issued Newcastle City Council with a letter requesting information about the works. More here.

► Popular Newcastle trainer Alan “Groovy” Scorse is trying to get himself back on track after a seven-month battle with cancer. More here.

► DETECTIVES are investigating tit-for-tat bikie attacks as bad blood between members of the Hunter's outlaw bikie gangs continues to escalate with a second drive-by shooting in just days. More here.

► IT’S the mixed messages with a $920 million price tag – NSW Department of Planning support for the controversial Wallarah 2 coal mine while also backing the concept of up to $920 million in future housing in areas directly affected by the proposed mine. More here.

► I rang the editor of the Herald yesterday morning to see if contract columnists were entitled to "sickies". "No can do," he replied. More here.

► THE nervous system plays a bigger role in the onset and spread of cancer than previously thought, a University of Newcastle professor says. More here.

► In early March, between showers, it’s the time to check for early fungi. Generally we need temperatures below 10 degrees and wet conditions in our rainforests for fungi to flourish. This year, however, we’ve had warmer conditions and quite a flush of fungi. More here.

► The region’s representative in federal parliament has slammed waiting list times for specialists at John Hunter Hospital after being told an elderly Maitland-area couple waited four years for an appointment. More here.

► The biggest event in Woodberry is returning for the first time since 2015. The Swamp Stomp, a community driven event designed to show the creativity and pride of Woodberry, only comes around once every two years. More here.

► Police are investigating links between a drive-by shooting in Maitland overnight and an outlaw motorcycle gang. More here.

► A Maitland woman’s dog has sacrificed its life for hers when a brown snake entered her home. Kay Bond said she was doing some work at home when she heard a loud racket. More here.

► THE German trench mortar in Speers Point Park is among three historic local war memorials that will be assessed for conservation work. More here.

► Medowie Public School has welcomed Liam Boote, 6, back to class after a two-year battle with acute lymphoid leukaemia. More here.

► It is only a matter of time before a female player from the region plays in the AFL Women’s competition. More here.

► A long-awaited crisis accommodation unit for Port Stephens women and children is complete. More here.

Need a national news snapshot first thing - well, we have you covered. 

►MANDURAH: Get them while they’re hot.

Meadow Springs has been named Peel’s hotspot for hot cross buns, with the suburb’s Coles leading the way in sales ahead of Easter.

Cole’s traditional fruit hot cross buns were found to be the most popular in taste and texture in the region when compared to other supermarket brands, grocers and independent bakeries in an independent taste test by consumer group Choice. Read more.

►LAUNCESTON: A Launceston woman has felt the support of her community after being evicted from reality television show The Biggest Loser on Monday night. 

Teacher Steph Koshin was inspired to apply for the show at the last minute after seeing a photo of herself. Read more.

►TAMWORTH: Third time’s hopefully the charm for local childcare centre director Corrinne Cloake.

She’s been nominated for Director of the Year in the Australian Family Early Learning Education and Care Awards for the third time. Read more.

►MOUNT ISA: A new industry report identified major engineering project work in Queensland will end a five-year decline and return to modest growth in 2017/18 but without more funding commitments, any uplift will be short-lived.

Planned economic infrastructure is revealed in the Queensland Major Projects Pipeline developed by BIS-Oxford Economics for the Qld Major Contractors Assoc, Construction Skills Qld and the Infrastructure Association of Queensland. Read more.

►WARRNAMBOOL. Warrnambool is officially home to the best sausage roll in Victoria.

When the team at Chitticks Bakery came up with a new recipe for a pork and fennel sausage roll 16 months ago, little did they know it would be an award-winning creation. Read more.

►BURNEY: Tasmania’s craft breweries are part of a national push for the federal government to standardise rates of beer taxes.

The current rate of excise sees a keg of up to 50 litres with an alcohol volume of between 3 and 3.5 per cent taxed at a rate of $48.57. In contrast, a keg over 48 litres is taxed at just $26.12. Read more.

►NEWCASTLE: It’s the mixed messages with a $920 million price tag – NSW Department of Planning support for the controversial Wallarah 2 coal mine while also backing the concept of up to $920 million in future housing in areas directly affected by the proposed mine.

Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council has lodged strong objections after the department recommended approving the mine, on the Central Coast/Lake Macquarie border, despite coal infrastructure only hundreds of metres from a proposed Darkinjung housing subdivision, and claims it will block access to Darkinjung land. Read more.

►BALLARAT: A hike across stunning Tasmanian landscape has challenged and empowered a group of secondary students to take control of their future. 

Ararat College and Wonthaggi Secondary College students participated in the four-day camp on Maria Island in Tasmania. Read more.

► WOLLONGONG: The family of slain toddler Cheryl Grimmer is working on a plaque to be installed in the little girl’s memory, police working the case say. 

The plaque will be positioned at Fairy Meadow Beach, near where three-year-old Cheryl disappeared the afternoon of January 12, 1970, never to be seen since. Read more.  

► WAGGA WAGGA: One Wagga woman is on a search-and-find mission to locate her rescuer, following a lake-side nightmare.

Shenoa Miller was walking around Lake Albert with her eight-year-old daughter on Saturday when she fell and painfully sprained her ankle. Read more.

►NOWRA: A crashed defence force drone has sparked a bushfire on the Beecroft Weapons Range, east of Nowra.

It is understood the alarm was raised around noon on Monday when the drone, being tested over the range, made what defence has described as “a hard landing”. Read more.

► A group of European backpackers who came to Bowen to do farm work are among those taking shelter at the town's high school as Cyclone Debbie barrels towards the Queensland coast.

Two-thousand residents of Bowen have been told to evacuate, with fears the category 4 tropical cyclone will bring a devastating tidal surge to the region. Read more.

►The Berejiklian government's council merger policy is again in disarray after a proposed merger of two Sydney councils was thrown out by the NSW Court of Appeal, enlivening the hopes of other councils with legal challenges still before the courts.

The court ruled on Monday that Ku-ring-gai Council was denied procedural fairness before its proposed merger with Hornsby Council, in part because a consultant's report into the merger was kept secret from the public and from the official asked to investigate the merger. Read more.

►Ten people are being monitored for tuberculosis after a Sydney man with TB was misdiagnosed with asthma and lung cancer for several months before he received appropriate treatment.

But health authorities have moved to allay fears over the reported TB scare, declaring it is not an "outbreak". Read more. 

►It was John Howard's baby - a centre of academic excellence set up to promote "appreciation and understanding" of the United States.

To kick it off, Howard gave the United States Studies Centre a $25 million "one-off" gift from the public purse and board of politically connected luminaries to guide its objectives of "balance and objectivity". Read more.

► CHINA: Former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr says he is making representations in Beijing and Canberra about the case of Sydney academic Feng Chongyi.

Dr Feng, an associate professor of China Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, was prevented from boarding a plane at Guangzhou airport on Friday morning and again on Saturday night. Read more.

► LONDON: At the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton on Wednesday morning, Adrian Ajao was chatting with hotel staff about his plans for the day as he checked out at reception.

"I'm off to London today," he told them as he handed over his credit card, before adding: "It isn't like it used to be." Read more.

► IRAQ: Australian health professionals are on the ground in northern Iraq as part of a global humanitarian relief effort to assist civilians in the war-ravaged region.

Canberra-based Aspen Medical has been engaged to manage and run a 48-bed hospital and is recruiting to employ more than 70 staff.

The latest World Health Organisation report says at least 250,000 people have been displaced from Mosul since October and 2.7 million need health services. Read more.

2008  -  A strange object found on an outback property in Queensland is identified as 'space junk'. 

1979  -  A partial nuclear meltdown occurs at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania, USA. 

1942  -  Critchley Parker sets off in search of a new Jewish homeland within Australia.

1922  -  Neville Bonner, the first Aboriginal parliamentarian, is born. 

1908  -  Witches Falls, the world's third oldest national park, is declared the first National Park in Queensland.

Justin Fedley –

Young leader Justin Fedley is adamant Allansford won’t slide to become the Warrnambool and District Football Netball League’s easy-beats despite a mass exodus of experienced players.

The 20-year-old was offered a leadership role at the Cattery mid-way through pre-season and will shape as a key player in the club’s season-opener against Russells Creek on Saturday. Read more.