Newcastle woman does Dry July to help twin sister fighting bowel cancer at Calvary Mater Hospital

EMILY Taylor was feeling fairly helpless when her identical twin sister, Christina Milojeski, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in April.

The sisters are 29, so when Ms Milojeski presented to the hospital with persistent stomach cramps, doctors did not immediately suspect bowel cancer to be the culprit.

The majority of newly diagnosed cases occur in people aged 55 and above, although Bowel Cancer Australia says there has been a 186 per cent increase in cases in adolescents and young adults in the past 30 years.

‘Brink of disaster’, MP warns about loans

The current banking environment is “ugly and evil” and consumers need to be protected from risky behaviour, independent MP Bob Katter has told parliament.

The veteran Queensland MP wants to separate retail commercial banking from riskier investment activities, a move he believes will protect Australians in times of depression and stop banks luring customers into buying other services.

BIG FREEZE RAISES MORE THAN $200,000 DOLLARS

The second Big Freeze has produced a big result…with more than $200-thousand raised at the charity event in Newcastle.

More than 20 local personalities took the plunge into a pool of ice, to raise funds and awareness for charity, Fight Motor Neuron Disease.

Fire crews raced to save Newcastle bar that burst into flames

Almost an hour after two employees left a popular bar owned by Silverchair bassist Chris Joannou last night, it burst into a raging inferno.

Emergency fire crews were called to The Edwards Bar on Parry Street in Newcastle, on the NSW mid-north coast, around midnight after it was consumed in flames.

Forty minutes earlier, the two workers had locked up and left the premises after finishing their shift for the night, NSW Police confirmed in a statement today.

Newcastle bar owned by former Silverchair bass player goes up in flames

Police are investigating the cause of a fire that has destroyed a popular Newcastle bar co-owned by prominent local Chris Joannou, of Silverchair fame.

The former bass player for the iconic Newcastle grunge band opened the bar four years ago and said he is devastated at the loss of his business.

Ten fire trucks responded to calls that The Edwards bar was on fire just after midnight and they arrived to find the venue well alight.

PUMPKIN RUN WARMS HEARTS AND FILLS STOMACHS IN NEWCASTLE

Newcastle today became the latest stop on a road trip, that’s filling stomachs and warming hearts.

Teenagers from Armidale have grown and harvested 10 tonnes of pumpkins, to ensure those in need have a nourishing meal.

Newcastle plumber Callan Murphy pleads guilty to biting cop during drunken outburst outside Merewether hotel

PLUMBER Callan Gerard Murphy has pleaded guilty to biting a police officer on the inside of his right thigh during a drunken outburst outside a Merewether hotel in April.

The prosecution withdrew the three counts of assaulting police and the charge of using offensive language and Murphy pleaded guilty to the remaining charges.

Cutting wait times for assistance dogs by helping owners train their own pets

Australia is seeing an increase in demand for assistance dogs trained to work with a variety of health conditions including autism, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It takes two years for suitable dogs to be trained but one Newcastle organisation is hoping to cut down that time by helping owners train their own pets.

Federal Government urged to demand church response

THE Federal Government needs to demand release of the Catholic Church’s response to the child abuse royal commission, say survivors after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday announced sweeping reforms and an October 22 date for a national apology.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon supported Hunter survivor Bob O’Toole, survivor advocate Chrissie Foster and Catholics for Renewal president Peter Wilkinson in calling for the church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council’s royal commission response to be immediately released.