Whooping cough cases surge
The Darling Downs is currently experiencing a significant surge in whooping cough cases, posing a health risk to the community, particularly vulnerable infants. In babies and infants this highly contagious respiratory infection, also known as pertussis, can lead to severe complications, including hospitalisation and even death. There have been 755 reported cases on the Darling Downs so far in 2024, compared to 49 for the entirety of 2023.
Govt’s fire ant response lambasted
Local Member for Groom Garth Hamilton has strongly condemned the federal government’s response to the spread of fire ants, which have the potential to wreak havoc on the Darling Downs. Mr Hamilton, is demanding the government urgently responds to the Senate inquiry into red imported fire ants in Australia, which was delivered in April 2024.
Governor honours work of Sister Kenny
Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM came to Nobby last Friday to honour the work of Sister Elizabeth Kenny with the official opening of the Nobby Museum’s Timeline panel depicting the development of Sister Kenny’s work over time. It was standing room only inside the Nobby Museum as an excited crowd estimated at around sixty people waited for the arrival of the Queensland Governor and her husband.
75th anniversary of Carnival of Flowers
As if celebrating 75 years of petal power was not enough this year the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers features Petals and Pups – an official dog-friendly program, completely dedicated to hounds and their humans. The dog friendly program is a salute to Toowoomba’s first canine Ambassadog, ‘Puppy’ the Pomeranian, who led the very first grand parade all those years ago.
‘Changing the game’ for ag tech
Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) are taking the idea of "try before you buy" straight to the bank to make it easier for farmers to utilise ag tech. The $3.7 million research project … investigates how to better utilise existing and emerging ag technologies to improve drought resilience for grain farmers.
Join in the Great Koala Count
Australia's national science agency CSIRO is calling on all Aussies to record koala sightings in the Koala Spotter all, to help build the most accurate national population count to date ... The latest koala national population estimate according to NKMP is between 224,000 and 524,000. The next estimate is due in March 2025.
Gold medalist at Hodgson Vale equestrian centre
With everyone still on an Olympic high from Paris, the RM Equestrian Centre at Hodgson Vale has secured the services of Olympic Equestrian Gold Medalist Stuart Tinney for a series of workshops in September. Stuart Tinney is one of Australian’s foremost equestrians having achieved a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics as well as numerous other achievements in competitions all around the world.
Training Arabian horses for Arabia
"There's no point in taking coal to Newcastle" is an old saying that seems appropriate for what young Ramsay horse trainer Ben Hoey has accomplished as he regularly trains Australian bred Arabian horses for export to rich owners in Arabia. The Hoey family is well known on the Downs as expert horsemen across a variety of disciplines such as Polocrosse, Polo and Endurance Riding and Ben is continuing this proud tradition.
