Life

Kaniva Presbyterian Church was blessed to have a visit from Mobile Ministry Maintenance group. This group is made up of retired Christians with many qualifications to do volunteer renovations on Church properties, campsites etc.

West Wimmera Shire Council has named Harrow’s Ralph Zwar as the 2023 Senior Citizen of the Year ... Mr Zwar has worked with many different organisations and committees, making a significant contribution to the well-being of the Harrow and Edenhope communities.

The 137th Annual Nhill Show is now done for another 12 months and boy, what a show it was ... The food van did a great trade for the day and side show alley had a constant buzz.

Citizen scientists are being called to swap their backyards for a local waterway by joining a wave of volunteers across the Murray–Darling Basin to help with conservation efforts. The spring sampling season of the Great Australian Wildlife Search, delivered by Odonata Foundation, has started.

Jess Liddy. Grayson Patterson, of Wallaroo, is lucky to be alive. The 2-year-old went into cardiac arrest in June, after a barbecue smoker fell on him. If it wasn’t for the GoodSAM app, and the quick response from an off-duty ambulance officer to deliver life-saving compressions and care, the outcome could have been a lot different.

The Liberal Opposition has hosted a forum and invited the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to discuss the proposed new GP payroll tax – with fears the new patient tax will force doctors to raise fees or even close their practices, driving more people to our already stretched emergency departments.

To say that a bushfire can turn a normally rational person into someone on the verge of becoming unhinged is an understatement. Experts say that panic is a normal response and that you never know how you’ll react until a bushfire threatens your community, your property, your loved ones or your life. But the experts also say that being prepared can greatly reduce panic so here are some valuable tips and points of advice.

Organisers of the all-new Bundanoon Folk Festival this November 24-26 say it’s heart-warming to see the village community rally to lend their time and skills to bring the Festival to life ... The vision is to build an annual Folk Festival unique to Bundanoon, that connects and showcases the village, supports local businesses, and creates gigs for regional artists along with crowd-pleasing national talent. Among fun live performances will be music, song and spoken word.

In 2018 the Territory Government established a combined oncology and cardio service at Alice Springs Hospital, celebrating 5 years of operations in September this year. Since its opening, the service has treated 12,000 patients, and allowed residents to receive care locally. The service provides culturally appropriate care to Aboriginal patients and their families...

Adrian Callinan and Kathleen Purcell met each other at a football game in Melbourne in 1946. Kathleen had several suitors lining up to woo her, but she fell for Adrian, a dashing flyboy just back from the war.

Many visitors and locals are preparing for this year’s 7th Annual Khancoban Poker on Saturday October 28th. This year proceeds from the day and the auction that night will be going to Country Hope which provides emotional and financial support to country families who have a child diagnosed with cancer or other life- threatening illness.

Hike to Heal Australia, which runs the annual Hike to Heal Scavenger Hike at Mount Peel Bushland between Westbrook and Drayton, has been named the recipient of the prestigious Jude Bugeja - Peer Experience Award at the Queensland Mental Health Achievement Awards.

It’s quite rare to see a human Lego-Man walking along the highway on a casual day. And if you do, you might wonder why. Meet Alex McIntyre, 36, and he is the South East’s Human Lego-Man with a purpose ... “I am doing it for cancer,” Mr Mclntyre told The [Naracoorte Community] News as he started his 100-kilometre walk...

Australian Soccer legend, Paul Wade, has been in Koondrook Barham this week delivering a life skills program to kids at the towns’ schools. Paul competed for Australia in the 1988 Olympic Games, captained the Socceroos from 1990-1996, representing the country in 118 international games including two World Cup campaigns and also had great success back home with two National Soccer League Championships and 1988 National Soccer League player of the year.  

Women across Murrumbidgee who require breast cancer surgery are to benefit from the expansion of the Magseed technology to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Magseed, a small metal device about the size of a grain of rice, is implanted in a cancerous breast tumour to mark its location for surgery which allows for more flexibility for surgeons when making an incision.

Meet Lionel Marr, a proud Bunuba man, who always felt a calling to return from the city back to his childhood home of Fitzroy Crossing. He wanted to know more about his country, his people and his culture and became a trainee ranger with the Parks and Wildlife Service, earning a coxswain skippers ticket. Lionel’s efforts during the Kimberley floods of January 2023, despite losing his family home, and his commitment to his job, earned him special recognition.

With the 2023 harvest now underway truck drivers are being urged to slow down to 70km/h to help preserve the condition of unsealed rural roads in the Midwest. Corrugations, or washboard effect, caused by acceleration and deceleration pose the greatest risk to drivers and their vehicles.

He’s done it. But for Steve Cansdell, it was never about the personal accolades. On October 14, close to 100 people gathered at Roches Hotel in Grafton to cheer, encourage, and support the former politician and Australian Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion as he set a new world record for the most solid punches landed in one hour on a punching bag by a male over 65 years of age.

An important step to rebuilding essential health services across regional and rural NSW has been taken by the state government with the establishment of a Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel, but there are no local representatives advocating for the Northern Rivers region ... panel is to focus on building the regional health workforce, strengthening community engagement, and improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Over the past six months I have travelled to every State and Territory conducting a series of Business and Community Leader Consultations. Whilst every region has their own unique issues and challenges to address, what impressed me most was the passion and commitment leaders had for their community, and in particular the next generation coming through. A key recurring message was the importance of being able to lead oneself! ... Having a personal leadership charter is important.