ABOUT this time every year the Newcastle Herald looks back at the last 12 months to see which stories were the most read, talked about and followed. This year it was easy to guess which news headline was going to top 2020. It has been the story we have all been living through - the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the continuing coverage of the spread of COVID-19 there were other headlines which managed to stop people in their tracks. Here is a snapshot of the top 10 stories of 2020, based on online reader figures:
1.How many coronavirus cases are there in your postcode?
APRIL 4: Postcodes along Newcastle's western fringe and in Cessnock had the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in the Lower Hunter, according to NSW government data which was released to the public.
The news had everyone checking their post code to see how far the coronavirus had spread locally.
2.Latest coronavirus updates from Newcastle and the Hunter
MARCH: The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Hunter New England Health area was rising, so the Herald launched a live blog updated daily during the height of the first wave. We had reporters working around the region to bring you regular updates and breaking news as the virus started to impact Newcastle and Hunter residents, their health, homes, businesses and social lives.
We also removed our online paywall from our stories about the coronavirus because during the rapidly changing situation we wanted to make sure our readers were as informed as possible.
FEBRUARY 17: It was an article about gluten-free diets that got people talking at the beginning of the year. A Hunter/Central Coast study found thousands of Australians on gluten-free diets for self-reported wheat "sensitivities" have been potentially risking long term health impacts, including increased cardiovascular risk.
The safety of a gluten-free diet for people with coeliac disease - a diagnosed condition affecting 1 per cent of the population intolerant to gluten - "does not indicate that it has health benefits for those who do not", said the study authors in a Medical Journal of Australia report released in February.
4.Shooting at Kotara South, Newcastle: Police say two men have died from gunshot wound
MARCH 14: In the midst of the pandemic police were called to a horrific murder-suicide which was overheard by residents in a usually quiet street in Kotara South. A crime scene was established at a house on Blackbutt Parade. Police were called to the scene on a Saturday shortly after 5pm, following reports of a man armed with a firearm.
On arrival officers located the body of a man outside the home suffering a gunshot wound. Further inquiries led police inside the home where they discovered the body of a second man, also suffering a gunshot wound.
5.Bathers Way, Warners Bay among busy areas of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie over Easter long weekend
APRIL 12: This picture of people out exercising during the COVID pandemic caused controversy online. But with barely a cloud in the sky the allure of Bathers Way proved too strong for hordes of Novocastrians.
The popular beachfront walkway was packed in the middle of the day as hundreds sought some sunshine and outdoor activity after three weeks of being told to isolate at home. Fresh air and getting out of the house was a real luxury during lockdowns.
6.'Just surreal': great white shark spotted in Lake Macquarie at Bonnells Bay
SEPTEMBER 23: There couldn't be a year without a shark sighting making the top 10 stories. Two fisherman received the shock of their lives when a great white shark became caught in their crab trap in Lake Macquarie. Hayden Scott and Brendan Jones were fishing in the lake at Bonnells Bay when they saw the spectacular sight.
"We put the crab pots out in the morning and went for an hour's fish," Hayden told the Newcastle Herald.
"When we went to check the pots, we saw one moving. We followed it and tried to pull it up, but we had to let it go. We tried again and again and when we finally got it up we were stunned."
Hayden said it was the first shark of any species they had spotted in Lake Macquarie.
7.Coronavirus: Local government areas revealed where there have been confirmed cases of COVID-19
MARCH 26: When we weren't worrying about coronavirus cases in our post code, we were instead looking up our government area. Hunter New England Health responded to public pleas to know the local government areas where cases of COVID-19 have occurred and released a map.
"People have indicated they are curious about where the cases are occurring in Hunter New England," public health physician Dr Dave Durrheim said in March.
"I have said they are scattered everywhere, and today you will see on the map that this is the case."
8.Google Doodle says thank you to coronavirus helpers
APRIL 6: The popularity of this story could be an indication of how bored we got during lockdowns, but we like to think it is more of an example of how much we appreciated our frontline workers. Google changed its logo in April to thank public health workers across the world during COVID-19. The Google Doodle showed a scientific researcher standing at a podium explaining the 'flattening the curve' analogy and everybody loved it.
9.Hunter case of COVID-19 confirmed
JULY 14: Just as life started to return to normal, or at least the 'new normal', the Hunter was hit with a local case of coronavirus. The 27-year-old male was a known close contact of a previously reported case from Newcastle who was isolating prior to his infectious period. It was a timely reminder of the virus' presence in the community, even when we thought we were in the clear. "The Casula hotel experience has shown us just how quickly this virus can spread, especially with a pub that is a key stop-off location for travelers," Hunter New England public health physician Dr David Durrheim said at the time.
10.Glen Humphris, VIC police officer tragically killed, remembered by his partner Todd Robinson
APRIL 24: Finally it was a Hunter connection to a national tragedy which captured the hearts of residents. Constable Glen Humphris and three of his colleagues were killed when a truck hit them at 100km/h as they stood in the emergency lane of the Eastern Freeway. They had just pulled over a Porsche that was allegedly speeding at 149km/h. Hunter man Todd Robinson, who was the partner of Constable Humphris, came out after his death with some beautiful words in memory of the policeman. He spoke of the bond he shared with his Central Coast-born partner and the support they enjoyed from their families. The pair instantly clicked on their first date - a long bike ride in Newcastle - and had built a life together. "He wore a uniform but he was a person underneath. I want people to remember him as a bubbly outgoing personality and the nature he had."
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