Monday, June 14, 2021: Top stories from the Newcastle Herald, your trusted voice in the Hunter

Dr David Durrheim been the face of the COVID-19 fight in the Hunter Region and has today been named as one of several Australians becoming a Member of the Order of Australia as part of a special COVID-19 Honour Roll in the Queen's Birthday Honours. The Karuah community is mourning the death of Ben Langdon. A YOUNG girl has suffered burns to her hands after she fell into an open fire on a property in the Upper Hunter on Saturday night. In sport and luckless Knights centre Bradman Best could face a stint on the sideline after limping off during Newcastle's 24-10 loss to South Sydney at ANZ Stadium on the weekend. And lightweight bags, straws and cutlery will be included in a $356 million NSW government plan to further cull plastic from the waste stream.