2022: Top stories from Newcastle and the Hunter

It is no surprise that COVID continued to dominate headlines this year. In January the omicron variant and the country's plan to begin reopening and "living with" the virus were the main topic of conversation. Dr. Nick Talley's opinion piece about getting vaccinated and staying vigilant was the top read for the month.

Freedom Day, as many people called it, saw NSW start to reopen after a period of coronavirus lockdowns and regulations. This was welcome news from some, and criticised by others. On February 18 working from home orders were ditched, density limits removed and singing and dancing was allowed again. Then one week later on February 25 face masks were no longer required indoors.

March saw the unthinkable happen - a "four-storey mega warehouse fire" that shut down Wickham and loomed over a nearby fuel depot. Residents from all neighbouring streets were evacuated and the flames were seen across the harbour. It took 100 firefighters more than four hours to get under control. The depot site contained 8 million litres of fuel and the incident raised serious concerns about the safety of storing such materials in residential areas.

It was a story that gained national attention as the then Prime Minister Scott Morrison stopped in to Edgeworth Tavern to drum up support in the lead up to calling the federal election. While we all know how his election run went, at least local pensioner Ray Drury got to bring up some important issues before he left government.

"You better f------g do something. I'm sick of your b------t," he told Mr Morrison.

Mother nature gave the Hunter a lashing of wind, hail, rain and hazardous surf which saw damage across the region in May. The State Emergency Service responded to almost 300 call-outs in one night during the severe weather incident.

Weather, but this times coastal conditions, again caused damage and destruction in June. Huge waves rolled in taking large chunks of Cooks Hill Life Saving and Surf Club into the sea and stripping Bar Beach of sand, leaving bare rock exposed. The hazardous surf stretched from Byron all the way down to the Eden coast.

At the time club president Michael Clancy told the Newcastle Herald that damage to external structures used by the public was extensive. He described the big seas as similar to the Sygna storms in 1974 which "left the beach bare but the club standing on firm bedrock".

In June it was flash flooding that had the Hunter on high alert.

A powerful east coast low coincided with the school holidays and saw emergency services asking people to cancel travel plans and stay inside.

At the same time, residents in Sydney's southwest were under evacuation orders as the state's southern and central coast areas battled relentless driving rain and major flooding.

Now this tale is one that won't be forgotten any time soon.

A video emerged of Newcastle Knights players Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann being asked to vacate a toilet cubicle at the Hotel Delany by security.

As a result the Knights and the NRL Integrity Unit launched an investigation and the two were subjected to a drug test, the details of which were leaked to the media.

In September we watched Wangi residents' homes literally slip away. Neighbours Shirley Vaughan and Helen and Danny Winter saw their once beautifully manicured backyards on Dobell Drive crumble into the lake.

Desperate to fix the problem, the trio were in a tussle with Lake Macquarie City Council about where the responsibility lies - the locals maintaining issues with the flow of stormwater are wreaking havoc. The issue remains ongoing.

In October Newcastle Herald details the cold war that has been raging in Black Hill since 2018 over operational models, consultation, location, and fencing of a Marist180 home for young people.

The story detailed the plight of neighbours who said they were "living in fear", while the organisation defended its home saying it was "providing housing for those most vulnerable in our society."

"Marist180 engaged with neighbours before the home became operational, as it does with any of the homes Marist180 operate," a statement from October said.

The Hunter Region saw many tragic deaths this year through road accidents, senseless killings, disease and misadventure.

Though it was the story of Malerato 'Mallis' Harrison's untimely passing that really shocked the community in November.

The local woman who was a bright and bubbly 'Earth angel' lost her life in a workplace incident at Woolworths Jesmond.

The proud South African was remembered for her larger-than-life personality, sage advice and signature bright red lipstick in the days after her death.

The incident remains under investigation by Safe Work NSW.

It was the success of our graduating year 12 students that piqued people's interest in December.

St Francis Xavier's College Hamilton students Samara Payne and Jack Breasley were equal number one in Community and Family Studies and Mathematics Advanced respectively.

Newcastle Grammar School's Lucy O'Brien was equal first place in Music 1. Lara White from Newcastle High was equal first in Earth and Environment Science.

While One School Global Maitland's Orlando Kennard led the state in the Financial Services examination.

Congratulations to all of the students graduating in 2022.

Nationally there were many stories worth a mention, but here are just a few moments of note: