A report into a fatal helicopter crash last year near the Tugun bypass has shed little light on the trainee pilot’s final moments.

It’s possible the 72 year old made a wrong move, trying to get out of the path of a light plane on ascent from the runway.

Already known for its natural attractions, the Hunter is set to get a whole lot more beautiful when Miss World Australia finalists roll into Newcastle this weekend.

20 young women from across the nation will spend two days being judged on everything from their poise and elegance, to their knowledge of politics.

There are several local hopes, and we followed one as she prepares for her moment in the spotlight.

A Banora Point bub made a speedy entrance into the world, much to the surprise of his parents.

The little boy’s dad was getting ready to deliver him, when paramedics arrived with two minutes to spare.

The city’s business leaders are concerned by a downturn in the local economy.

They’ve held an emergency meeting with council to find solutions, before the situation gets any worse.

Tweed Hospital could be given a major boost if promises by the Labor Government to build a GP Super Clinic come to fruition.

But while there is a lot of enthusiasm, the details remain sketchy.

It took police just a few hours to track down the young man they believe pulled off yesterday’s terrifying carjacking.

The 21 year old was dobbed in by an eagle-eyed neighbour.

The action-movie fan faced court this morning, claiming he did it for a thrill.

He’s a fuzzy red monster who’s entertainment career has spanned more than three decades.

But there’s no sign of his popularity fading, as evidenced when Elmo hit the stage on the Gold Coast.

Police say an early morning shooting in a small Hunter town was the result of an ugly neighbourhood dispute.

Three people escaped injury when shots were fired at the Stanford Merthyr home, and at a car.

Relatives say those inside the house feared for their lives.

“Yeah its…. Yeah it’s just made my brother and his family holding it together I suppose.”

Police questioned two men late today, but no one has been charged.

Federal Member for Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon, says he’s asked the Australian Track Corporation for a please explain, as it continues to buy land to make way for a $1-billion third rail line.

Affected residents claim they’re not being consulted, and they’re considering mounting a legal challenge.

A Newcastle research team has won the equivalent of a gold medal for its groundbreaking work on obesity.

The Healthy Dads Healthy Kids programme picked up a top award at a prestigious international congress.

Now, with the weight of world expectations on their shoulders, the researchers are looking to expand the successful pilot project.

A Bundall used-car dealer has been hijacked at gunpoint by a man posing as a customer.

The terror began when the manager agreed to a test drive.

Emergency services say it’s a miracle a man is still alive after his car veered off the New England Highway at Murrurundi and crashed into a tree at around a quarter past 12 this afternoon.

The impact split the 35-year-old man’s car in half.

He was flown to the John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition with serious head injuries, and is currently undergoing surgery.

Plans to drill for gas off the New South Wales coast has sent Central Coast politicians into overdrive.

Rig, The Ocean Patriot, has been assigned to drill for gas sometime in August.

Australia’s favourite gardener, Don Burke, made a special appearance at the Newcastle Home Show today.

And he had some savvy advise for green-thumbs.

The former Grafton School principal currently serving time for sexually abusing a student has been found guilty of the aggravated sexual assault of a second pupil.

Frank Bailey, the ex-principal of St Andrew’s Christian School, was found guilty today of having non-consensual sex with a 14-year-old girl in August 2006.

The girl was in the care of the Bailey family when the incident occurred, after being sent there by her parents because she was fighting at home.

Sentencing has been held over until September.

Five miners were injured this morning when a blast went wrong at the Drayton open-cut mine near Singleton.

Three of them were flown to the John Hunter Hospital after being peppered with gravel and affected by a pressure wave, when a controlled explosion blew back at them.

They’ve all since been cleared of serious injuries.

The north coast town of Murwillumbah has gathered to farewell its hero, Private Nathan Bewes.

He was described as a soldier’s soldier, a laid-back lad who loved life, rugby league and a beer.

An elderly driver has narrowly missed shoppers, when she crashed through the front doors of a Coles supermarket on the Gold Coast.

Witnesses say she accelerated in a panic, after backing into another car.

The proposed Tillegra Dam has claimed a political scalp, with Dungog’s mayor losing the support of councillors.

Glenn Wall has resisted calls to step aside, but will not re-contest the position at a September vote.

A Gold Coast icon has gone up in flames.

The Vekkia Roma Italian restaurant which was the cornerstone of business in Burleigh Heads has erupted.

Fire investigators are checking if a pizza oven caused the blaze.