Monday, May 6, 2024

Matt Nicholls, Cape York Weekly

395 POSTS

Southern Cape claims the crown

Sarah Martin. The Southern Cape was crowned champion after two nights of thrills and spills in the inaugural Cape of Origin event at the Weipa Rodeo. Captained by PBR cowboy Beau Willis, the Southern Cape featured fellow PBR rider Luke Smith, along with local riders Travis Salam-Koolatah, Raymond Bond and Leith Malone.

It breaks my heart – Council CEO fed up with grog issues

Samuel Davis. Sly grog swindlers peddling cask wine and spirits are fuelling a spate of senseless and violent acts in western Cape York, angry community leaders say ... “The sly grog has been bobbing up for the last three weeks. There are people not turning up to work, threatening managers ... What is our community coming to? At the end of the day, it’s about personal responsibility": Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council CEO Edward Natera.

Sea Swift to put up prices by 14.5% from September

Samuel Davis. Cape York and Torres Strait residents will fork out more for essential services after northern Australia’s largest shipping company announced it was increasing the cost to ship freight to remote communities. Sea Swift has announced a 14.5 per cent hike for cargo shipments, starting next month.

Great to be home

Samuel Davis. Megastar athletes are nice but meat pies, roadhouse burgers and hugs from daughter Talei are what really fuel this truckie ... The hardest working man in Australian basketball is finally taking a break ... Junior Virantuleo, the Cooktown truckie, who swapped the cabin for courtside at some of the biggest arenas in the world, returned home this month.

Prayers answered – Community rallies for major search and rescue

Samuel Davis. A desperate 67-hour search to find an elderly Aurukun man has ended with a family member discovering him “stuck in the mud” in a nearby swamp ... Burt Wikmunea's disappearance prompted around 40 volunteers and SES members to assist police in finding Mr Wikmunea across four days.

Jackson humbled by RFDS honour

A woman who helped save the life of her friend on a remote Cape York cattle station has been crowned the 2022 RFDS Local Hero Award winner for the Cairns region ... With Coen more than an hour’s drive away, and the nearest hospital at Weipa unable to be accessed due to flooding, Emma used the defibrillator machine on the property and performed CPR for an hour to help Peter bring his wife back to life.

Health centre a coup for Mapoon

Mapoon will this month get its long-awaited primary health care centre, designed in consultation with the community and operated by Apunipima Cape York Health Council ... Mapoon resident and primary health care centre manager Debra Jia said she was excited about the opening and having the modern and spacious new facility to service the needs of her community.