'People could go years without knowing': the silent bomb that could be you
Susan Lightfoot was in the best shape of her life, so she was surprised to discover she had high blood pressure. Ms Lightfoot, 41, had her blood pressure checked through a free Hunter Medical Research Institute [HMRI] program. Ironically, she was helping HMRI do the blood pressure checks. HMRI has been conducting free blood pressure tests since May. The project runs until the end of July.
A look inside life at Cessnock prison half a century after it opened
THOUSANDS of inmates have passed in and out of Cessnock Correctional Centre in the past half a century. But the days of locking prisoners up and throwing away the key are long over, and the centre has a strong focus on education, support and making sure inmates find a sense of purpose.
Firefighters' calls to replace 'worst station' in Newcastle answered
FIREFIGHTERS' calls for a new station at Charlestown has finally been answered after dealing with a lack of suitable amenities and "unsafe" conditions. The station, which is almost 40 years old, does not have adequate amenities for female firefighters and has fallen into a state of disrepair. The state government has put aside $7.7 million in the 2024-25 budget for a new station, which will include extra training facilities, storage areas and work spaces.
Realistic goals: Jets coach reveals plans for A-League success
NEWCASTLE Jets coach Rob Stanton is not content to be part of the A-League. He wants to challenge for a championship. That was the message Stanton drilled into the players on the opening day of preseason training at Maitland Sportsground. The next 10 months will be geared towards achieving that goal.
Carrington Pump House ready to power on into the future
Carrington Pump House has stood as a monument to Newcastle's industrial ingenuity for almost 150 years. Having survived almost half a century of neglect following its closure in the mid-1960s, the next chapter in the building's proud history now awaits. Port of Newcastle has completed extensive restoration to the building's interior and exterior in recent years.
Novocastrians given a glimpse into life without sight or sound
NOVOCASTRIANS have had a glimpse into what life is like without sight or sound, taken on a journey through touch they will not soon forget. June was Deafblind Awareness Month, and members of the community had an opportunity on Friday to gain some perspective on the unique challenges faced by Deafblind individuals at Newcastle Museum. Participants were blind for about 20 minutes as they navigated walking across strange material on the floor, having their hand put in paint and pouring a drink while unable to see or hear.
High school students step on board for a maritime career
KOBY Imre has been fishing since he was two-years-old and, with boats in the family, it's no surprise he has an interest in a maritime career.
On Tuesday he joined 39 other year 10 students from Newcastle and Lake Macquarie schools for the Float your Boat program at Wickham. "I've always been into boats, I love it. I go out fishing all the time," the 16-year-old Whitebridge High School student said.
From east to west, city businesses look for parking solutions
East End clothing boutique owner Emily Coker deals with the fallout from the CBD's parking minefield every day. Delivery trucks and sales reps are unable to park outside her Hunter Street store, Hey Jude Love Pete. More than once this has resulted in her missing a drop-off. Then there's the customers, some of whom travel from Port Stephens, Maitland and Lake Macquarie who complain they feel rushed because of parking time limits.
'I'm either going to be eaten alive by this or I can embrace it'
When Mirela Giles lost her speech, it was a devastating blow as she could no longer do her job. But the 46-year-old, of Warners Bay, turned to singing, dancing and holistic health to recover. When she had a stroke in February, it was unexpected because she felt healthy. "My cholesterol was good and I'm physically active," Ms Giles said.
Tszyus' manager opens Hunter boxing venue
Glen Jennings has been part of boxing events on the world stage. At the T-Mobile Arena and multiple casinos in Las Vegas, Manchester Arena and stadiums across Australia. As Tim and Nikita Tszyu's manager, and having previously guided their father Kostya through his career, he's seen it all in boxing. But he's also witnessed, and even more so after semi-retiring from other business interests and taking on more fighters, the other end of the sport.
Breaking down school content with a new style of teaching
A DIFFERENT method of teaching is engaging students across Newcastle classrooms. For the past 18 months, the explicit teaching strategy has been adopted by Glendore, Budgewoi, Belmont North and Kurri Kurri public schools, and is helping children reach success. The teaching method is used to break down literacy and numeracy in the classroom, removing room for error early on, Glendore Public School deputy principal, curriculum pedagogy Elise Mountford says.
Was this the win that kick-starts the Newcastle Knights' season?
IT'S not often that a win on home turf against the NRL's last-placed team is a cause for celebration. But in the case of the Newcastle Knights, there was a palpable sense of relief among the 27,424-strong crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday after the home-team's hard-fought 34-26 victory against Parramatta, which was timely on several fronts.
