ANNA BAY - Appeal for Information Over Armed Hold Up

 Port Stephens-Hunter police have released CCTV footage appealing for information on an armed hold up last year at a cafe on Gan Gan Road at Anna Bay.

Shortly after 8pm on Thursday April 18 2024, officers responded to reports two men entered the store armed with a machete and a shortened baseball bat, and took off with cash.

The men left the cafe in a red two-door hatchback driven by a third unknown person.

There were no reports of injuries. Anyone with information is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

The first man is described as wearing black clothing with the word EVERLAST written in white across the back with red sneakers, carrying a green shopping bag.

The second man was wearing a grey beanie, white jumper with yellow hood, white pants and white sneakers.

Credit: NSW Police

Man Arrested Over Alleged Shooting At Fletcher

 BY IAN CROUCH

A man is due to face court today (Monday 20 October 2025) following an alleged shooting incident at Fletcher overnight.

Police and ambulance crews were called to a home on Sandalwood Avenue at about 8.30pm on Sunday.

It's alleged a 27-year-old male occupant threatened another resident, a 49-year-old man, with a firearm.

Police say during the altercation the firearm was discharged but no-one was injured.

The younger man sustained a head injury during the incident and was taken to the John Hunter Hospital for treatment.

He was arrested after being released from hospital and refused bail to face court today charged with six offences including:

* Discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

* Possess loaded firearm endanger life not public.

* Possess unregistered firearm-not pistol/prohibited firearm.

* Threaten injury to person with intent to commit indictable offence.

*Two counts of stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic)  

 

 

 

Crews Battling House Fire At One Mile

 BY IAN CROUCH

Monday 20 October, 2025 

Fire crews have been called to a house fire at One Mile.

Newcastle Fire Command says they received several triple zero calls to the single level brick and tin roof home in Reflections Drive just after 5.45am.

Callers have reporting several loud explosions coming from the garage of the home which is believed to be unoccupied.

Crews arrived just after 6 o'clock to find the home up in flames.

However, fire crews were forced to suspend firefighting operations due to electrical dangers

A Fire and Rescue firefighter suffered a minor electric shock when he directed a hose to the roof of the house, which has live solar panels attached.

The firefighter is being taken to hospital for observation as a precaution.

With workers from the energy company travelling from Wallsend, firefighters have resumed defensive firefighting from the ground.

They managed to have the flames knocked down by about 7.15am.

Meanwhile, police have set up a crime scene after a unit was destroyed at Chishoom yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters from East Maitland, Morpeth and Thornton along with RFS crews were called to the unit on Tanta Street just before 5.30pm.

A male occupant managed to self evacuate without injury.

 

The home in Reflections Drive was well alight when fire crews arrived. Photo; Raymond Terrace Rural Fire Service

 

 

 

BREAKING! Firefighters Battling Blaze At Cardiff Self-Storage Facility

 BY IAN CROUCH

Dozens of firefighters are battling a fire at a Cardiff self storage facility.

Crews were called to Kennards Self Storage on Pendlebury Road just after 2.30 to find a fire in the second level of the two level building.

First arriving crews called for urgent assistance as the fire quickly spread to 6 storage units.

Newcastle Fire Command says around 50 firefighters are at the scene including aerial, Hazmat and support crews.

Police and ambulance are also at the scene and Pendlebury Road is closed to traffic.

The fire has taken 90 minutes to bring under control, with crews still working to extinguish the blaze.

However, the fire is proving difficult to extinguish due to the presence of lithium ion batteries, causing the fire to re-ignite.
 

Smoke issuing from the Kennards Self Storage facility at Cardiff

Fire crews staged in Pendlebury Road at Cardiff

 

KINGS HILL DEVELOPMENT – Former MP Slams “Ridiculous” Delay

 Former Port Stephens Mayor and MP Craig Baumann says the Kings Hill development near Grahamstown Dam is long overdue.

The land, then for 4,500 homes was rezoned in 2010, but has been turned down by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel, who later rejected an appeal in January over storm water and road works.

Councillor Giacomo Arnott is preparing a notice of motion to look at other options for future development.

But Craig Baumann believes the updated application for 2,500 homes should go ahead.

“It’s critical for the growth of Raymond Terrace, and Medowie High School has just commenced without the additional population and demand on Irrawang High School and Hunter River High.

“I’m not quite sure how [Medowie High School] will survive,” he said.

“If another 12,000 people moved into Raymond Terrace, the shops would benefit. The commercial centre would increase in size to everybody’s benefit,” he said.

Credit: Kings Hill Development

“A Step in the Right Direction” Tabitha Acret on DV Reforms

 The State Government will today introduce legislation to increase the minimum non-parole period in cases of intimate partner homicide following a campaign by Newcastle mother Tabitha Acret.

Her daughter Mackenzie Anderson was brutally murdered by her ex-partner in 2022 and he was subsequently sentenced to a minimum non-parole gaol term of 15 years.

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It’s a sentence the Crown had unsuccessfully argued was “manifestly inadequate.”

The Government wants to increase the minimum term for anyone who murders their current or ex-partner to 25 years.

Tabitha Acret says it’s been a long fight.

“I thought I’d still be knocking on doors for a long time. So very, very impressed that the NSW Government has taken on recommendations.

“This won’t solve everything but it’s a step in the right direction,” she said.

She says the shorter sentence given to killer Tyrone Thompson could be referenced in other cases.

“To know that that case became case law and could be used to help other violent offenders have lighter sentences was just another layer of trauma in everything that had already happened.

“But to know now that this can be part of her legacy to see a change in legislation is something that really helps.

“[The Government has] made some really great changes, but as a community we’re really going to have to work together.

This change in legislation falls under tertiary prevention, and while tertiary prevention is an important piece of the puzzle, primary prevention is the most important piece of the puzzle and it’s multi-layered and very complex,” she said.

Tabitha Acret / supplied

Firearms And Ammunition Seized During Raid On Kotara Home

 BY IAN COUCH

A man is due to front court today (Wednesday 15 October, 2025) after police allegedly seized several firearms and ammunition from a Kotara home.

Following an extensive investigation, officers from the State Crime Command executed a search warrant yesterday at a home on Joanne Street.

It's alleged they uncovered a number of firearms and more than a thousand rounds of ammunition.

A 35-year-old man was arrested at the scene.

He's been charged with 12 firearm and drug-related offences and refused bail to face the bail court today.