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

Hunter weather: Partly cloudy day for Newcastle (15 degrees), cloudy day for Raymond Terrace (16 degrees), cloudy day with light winds in Maitland (16 degrees) and a partly cloudy day in Scone (13 degrees).

Hunter beachwatch: Yesterday’s strong offshore winds kept the swell out to sea but there’ll be plenty of it marching in today. The wind will be west to south-west with the swell from the south around 1.5 to 2.5 metres. Wave conditions should be crisp and clean but there will be plenty of close-outs. Around town try the reef breaks at Nobbys, Flatrock, South Newcastle, Dixon park, Merewether, Burwood and Dudley. To the south try Hams, Caves and Catho. At Port Stephens try Fingal Bay, Samurai and One Mile. Most beaches will be dangerous for swimming so do be careful Nobbys, Bar Beach and Merewether will have lifeguards on duty. The water temperature is 17 degrees.

►  A KNIFE-WIELDING woman who had to be tasered by police after she chased a man through Dixon Park and ran at builders had two other knives on her when she was arrested, Newcastle Local Court has heard. More here.

► V8 Supercars driver Aaren Russell says a waterfront track in Newcastle would be one of the best motor racing circuits in Australia. More here.

► HUNTER TAFE will cease to exist – in name – under a major restructure of the organisation announced by Minister for Skills John Barilaro today.  More here.

► NSW under 20s captain Jack Cogger capped off a junior State of Origin clean sweep for the Blues when he held aloft the Darren Lockyer Shield in Sydney on Wednesday evening. More here.

► THE moment fashion followers in Newcastle have been waiting for is almost here: the new H&M store at Charlestown Square will throw open its doors at 10am on Thursday. More here.

► IT was a fitting finale for an Origin champion. NSW skipper Paul Gallen departed the representative arena a winner after Michael Jennings scored a last-ditch try to snatch a miraculous 18-14 victory for the Blues at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night. More here.

► A new front has opened in the Williamtown RAAF base contamination crisis, with the Department of Defence under fire following the discovery of a carcinogenic chemical in facilities being used by workers. More here.

► A COURT has heard the evidence against a mother charged with the historical murder of her baby in Scone spans 6,000 pages. More here.

► A WOMAN accused of the murder of an 18-year-old Central Coast man said "I'm going to f---ing kill him” just moments before the man was stabbed to death, Newcastle Supreme Court has heard. More here.

► A Hunter Valley man who was abused by an Anglican priest in Cessnock in the 1960s is urging others who experienced the same trauma to share their stories with the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse. More here.

► One of the reason Pokemon Go has picked up a following with the speed of a Rapidash (a Pokemon that travels up to 150 mph) is because of the nostalgia. More here.

► Maitland Rugby Club will host Dom Punch’s charity Hearts in Union for their annual charity fundraising day at Marcellin Park on Saturday. More here.

► IN anyone’s language this is a bar to envy. With its warm jarrah paneling, integrated LED lighting, wine fridge, dishwasher - and most importantly a beer tap - the judges fell for it too. More here.

► MORISSET men’s and women’s Probus clubs recently gathered at Toronto Workers Club to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organisation in Australia. More here.

► DUNGOG has just celebrated another wedding with  Brianna Garland and Mykell Lawrence making it official on June 18. More here.

► INDIGENOUS youths have shown their talent at a concert in Scone as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations. More here.

► LYN Richards is passionate about agriculture. From stud open days to high school education camps, she keeps herself busy. On July 2, she hosted an open day at her McCullys Gap property. More here.

► Retired engineer and Singleton resident, John Gould says the issues of both pedestrian safety, and traffic congestion, can be rectified without traffic lights being installed at the John Street roundabout. More here.

► MUSWELLBROOK has shown it is a close-knit community. Berry and French Pharmacy is encouraging people to create knitted items to donate to local causes. More here.

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

► COLAC: Twelve people have been injured, with one in a "critical condition", after a passenger train was derailed when it collided with a semi-trailer near Colac. More here.

► Bellambi: Fifteen-year-old Ellie the staffy has a new spring in her step thanks to a daily dose of cannabis oil under her tongue. More here.

► STAWELL: Police have confirmed a bomb scare in Stawell was a hoax. Ararat Sergeant Brett Johnson said police searched Frewstal Abattoir on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat was reported at 6.15am. More here.

► NORTHAM: Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov took off in his hot-air helium balloon just after 7.30pm on July 12. Mr Konyukhov hopes to fly his hot-air balloon around the world in less than 13 days. More here.

► BURNIE: Peeved optometrists, a  North-West seafood company and unions have helped bankroll Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie’s new party. More here.

► CLEVE: Cleve Area School students and staff are mourning the loss of classmate and friend Joshua Bradtke who died in a motor bike accident on Saturday. More here.

► GOULBURN: Two men have pleaded guilty to tying a kangaroo to the back of their car and dragging it through the City late last month. More here.

► TAMWORTH: It is a wonderful feeling when you find a group of people you immediately connect with. After graduating from the CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music last week, Tumut’s Rory Phillips declared “I found my tribe.” More here. 

► ARMIDALE: A mother of two who claimed she was selling drugs to pay for education costs for her two children has lodged an appeal against her jail sentence. More here.

► HUNTER VALLEY: A Hunter Valley man who was abused by an Anglican priest in Cessnock in the 1960s is urging others who experienced the same trauma to share their stories with the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse. More here.

► QUEENSLAND: A university scientist says an ‘unprecedented’ event has been confirmed with surveys showing thousands of hectares of mangroves on the Gulf of Carpentaria suffering a severe dieback. More here.

► Discount supermarket chain Aldi has issued a recall for hot dog rolls after metal shavings were detected inside some products. More here.

► When police arrived at a house on a quiet Geelong street on Thursday morning in response to a security alarm going off, they didn't expect to find a house full of wildlife, including snakes, lizards and crocodiles. More here.

► A building contractor who told police he'd been punched in the face by a masked man before fire destroyed a hotel part-owned by Collingwood's Dane Swan has been arrested over the arson attack. More here.

► The makers of Streets Paddle Pop ice-creams and Sakata rice snacks have each paid a penalty of $10,800 after exploiting school canteen guidelines to create a "health halo" around their processed products. More here.

► The man who murdered Jill Meagher has had a subsequent rape conviction quashed and his jail term cut by three years after the Court of Appeal found a trial judge erred in allowing a jury to hear crucial identification evidence. More here.

► A bomb scare at Webb Dock East has been resolved after a suspicious object was found to be a mooring device. More here.

► MICHIGAN: Three people have been shot dead and a police officer has been injured in a courthouse shooting in Michigan in the US, police say. More here.

► ARIZONA: The night before a US woman fell to her death at the Grand Canyon, she posted on social media an image of herself sitting near the edge of a cliff and looking at the stunning view, which sent a chill through her mother. More here.

► CHINA: He's the 84-year-old judge from the far side of the world who just stared down China. More here.

On this day

Happy Bastille day! 

Bastille day is the national day of Franche, and commemorates the storming of the Bastille.

What is Bastille? It was a prison on the eastern side of Paris, France, and represented the royal authority and its dictatorial rule. 

On July 14, 1789, it was attacked by a swarm of people, who eventually took hold of the prison and killed the governor (his head was subsequently speared on a stick and paraded around the streets).

While violent and bloody, the storming of Bastille was the start of the French revolution.

Today, Bastille Day traditions include picnics, a family meal (usually lunch), fireworks, and a military parade.

Former Horsham resident and artist Jean Hill celebrated a century of life last month. 

Born in Ulverstone, Tasmania, on June 30, 1916, Mrs Hill has lived in many states across Australia and New Zealand. 

For close to 50 years, Mrs Hill called Horsham home with her husband Don. 

“We moved in 1946 after Don got out of the air force,” she said. 

“We bought a print business from Mr Arkley and we were there until 1998.

“I just loved the area. I’d never been before we moved and neither had Don but we were there for a very long time and had many friends I’m still in touch with.”

Read more here