Whiporie General Store reopens with new owners
The Whiporie shop closed three months ago and left the community having to travel to Casino or Grafton for supplies. On Monday it reopens with new owners. Dianne and her husband Shaun Ashen live in West Bungawalbin. They lost their home in the 2019 bushfires and have since rebuilt. They were looking for an investment property when they saw the shop at Whiporie.
Barkers Vale couple arrested on cocaine charges
A Barkers Vale man and woman have been arrested and charged with importation of cocaine. NSW Police arrested the 33 year old man and 31 year old woman following investigations into an organised crime syndicate operating between NSW and Queensland.
Fire station’s newest recruit already helping Santa
New recruit Geoffrey Steven will work out of the Coraki Fire Station. He is among 214 accomplished men and women who have graduated as officers at the FRNSW Emergency Services Academy in Sydney. South Grafton Fire Station has Ryan Raymond as their new recruit.
KeithUrbenville: The day Keith Urban came to our school
A small school has changed its name to KeithUrbenville to honour the songs they love to sing by rockstar Keith Urban. On Monday, December 14, Urbenville Public School students sat in the classroom to have what they thought was a zoom session with Kate Moore, the director of education leadership. Instead, they were shocked and surprised when Keith Urban appeared on the screen and chatted to them for six minutes.
‘It’s like being naked.’ Artists exhibit portraits at Bonalbo Unmasked
Bonalbo Artists Alliance exhibition coordinator Vilya de Tozser said 105 portraits featured in the exhibition at Bonalbo Memorial Hall on Saturday, December 11.
One of the town’s oldest pubs is sold to a local
With her brother John Bligh and Allan Michael, nine years ago Mary Bligh had her sights set on turning the Commercial into a true local pub with no pokies, “bloody good food” and live music featuring local talent. And she did.
Paralympian Katie Kelly brings sports programs for Indigenous girls to her hometown
Former Casino resident and retired paralympian Katie Kelly is bringing sporting grants to Casino from the Sports Access Foundation she set up. Katie is one of Australia’s most distinguished para-triathletes. Weeks after she was declared legally blind, Katie made her international debut in a para-triathlon event on the Sunshine Coast. She went on to win Australia’s first medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Hospitality staff shortage: Let pensioners work and earn more
A shortage of hospitality workers has driven Business NSW to call on the government to change the rules about how much pensioners can earn without it affecting their pension. A Business NSW 2021 Skills Survey data highlighted the deepening staffing crisis across the state with particular concern for regional hospitality businesses.
Blooming: A new life on the flower farm
A flower farm by the Richmond River sounds ideal. Planting and picking daisies, gladioli and sunflowers on a sunny day as the goats and Belted Galloway cows munch grass and a chatty duck wanders the 30 garden beds. It sounds idealistic but it’s a lot of hard work. Suellen Thompson and Gray Pritchett moved from Brisbane in March to the 70ha old dairy farm on the Coraki Woodburn Rd and set up Field and Flower.
Rain: road closures and photos flooding in
It rained all night. And continues today. BOM rain monitor Lyn Walters reported 95mm of rain fell in the last 24 hours to 9am this morning at Green Pigeon in Kyogle LGA. The Bureau of Meteorology has kept the minor flood warning in place for Richmond and Wilsons rivers. The constant rain is causing issues.
