Letters from Home: Servant to a dog
Eric, the male Scottish Terrier, thinks the sun shines out of our son. No one else matters. I am just the housemaid. I am permitted to feed him and say nice things and open and shut doors for him, but if my son appears... I cease to exist.
Wave of whooping cough
Health experts are reminding pregnant women and infants to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The reminder follows a wave of the infectious disease, seeing case numbers climb to their highest in the last six years across the state. According to the Department of Health and Wellbeing, South Australia recorded 492 cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, so far this year—more than 10 times the number of cases reported at the same time last year.
Respect: the “don’t pass go” quality of any leader
I was recently facilitating a leadership workshop where one of the participants raised the question if we are losing the art of civility and respect in our society. The context was how we handle a divergence of views in a work or community setting. It seems nowadays the default political discord is to assume our view is right and your view is wrong, rather than respectfully listening to and exploring differing views.
Food services frozen out of funding
A decision by the Victorian government to cease the funding allocation for the regional delivery of chilled products at the end of June 2024 has left some regional FoodShare organisations including Corryong, high and dry without chilled food products … Wendy Lovell, has asked the Minister for Carers and Volunteers … to provide additional funding directly to rural and regional Foodshares to enable them to continue sourcing chilled products.
Koondrook-Barham Garden Society, 19 September 2024
We had a great September meeting with good attendance. We enjoyed a lot of entries in competitions and a good trade table ... We finished our meeting with a kokedama (moss balls) workshop.
The Flying Doctor’s Mount Isa team celebrate 60 years of life-saving services
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) is this month celebrating 60-years of service from its Mount Isa base. Established in 1964, the Mount Isa Base covers a waiting room of more than 800,000 square kilometres, connecting the residents of this significant north-west Queensland region to leading, and often lifesaving, health services ... ARR.News found out more from RFDS Mount Isa Base Support Manager, Ducky Jeacocke.
Early market hits the target
The earlier than usual start to the series of Upper Murray Farmers Markets was well received with many locals and visitors getting out and about on Saturday morning. There was plenty of variety on offer with 17 stalls operating and the live entertainment provided by talented musician Riff added to the carnival atmosphere.
Yagerbomb: First time candidate secures most initial count votes
As counting continues in the 2024 Local Government Elections first time candidate Cristie Yager had a clear lead in the initial count winning 13 of the 28 polling booths across the Clarence Valley ... Cristie Yager told the CV Independent she made an early declaration in February that she would be a candidate as she wanted to take an open approach and make her intentions publicly known as she worked toward polling day ... "Once I decided I would run for council I began to research," she said.
Dinner theatre production entertains the Loxton community
Sebastian Calderon. A highly acclaimed dinner theatre production that is sparking conversation about mental health and wellbeing is returning to Loxton. After last year’s success, ‘Kick off ya Boots’ makes a comeback in 2024 for a new glimpse of the Connor family’s farming journey, with the show organised by Little Town Productions.
Open letter to CFA management, District Controllers, VFBV and CFA Brigades in Renewable Energy Zones
We are a collective of CFA Brigades in Districts 16 and 18 who have taken a position where our Brigade will not commit to operating on or around electricity generation and transmission infrastructure by taking a perimeter only defence position except for where lives or safety of public is threatened. Specifically, this is Renewable Energy Infrastructure (REI) being wind turbines, large-scale solar and battery installations, high voltage (220 kva plus) transmission lines and connection hubs.
Firefighter back on home soil after US mission
Joanna Tucker. "Our primary mission was to utilise our skills and existing expertise to provide assistance to US teams who have been battling these fire complexes since July. Our secondary mission was to provide learning opportunities, and to understand how (the US experience) may improve our existing capabilities and strategies when managing fires in SA": Kadina CFS volunteer Justin Baxter.
Letters from Home: The violin
Why is it that school teachers feel the need to torture the parents of their pupils? ... younger son for some reason decided to learn the violin. The teacher even let him bring it home to practice ... Ode to a Violin ...
All roads led to Donald
Andrew Bayles’s early aerial photograph speaks for itself. Every available parking space had been taken up well before football’s senior grand final ... On Saturday, Donald delivered a “double whammy” with a record-breaking grand final day alongside the Borung Highway, as well as a widely broadcast race meeting on the Donald racecourse, little more than a stone’s throw away from the football, netball and hockey.
Dust off your vintage cars, Ivanhoe!
Ivanhoe is forming a car club, the Ivanhoe Historic Car Club. Founding members of the club are wanting to put the call out, for people to dust off their old vintage beauties sitting in their sheds, and join up.
Vote for health
At the next state election, cast a vote as though your life and health may depend upon it. That’s the message from Lachlan Haynes, the chair of Limestone Coast Radiation Working Group—a group that has been fighting tooth and nail for the establishment of a radiation therapy service for the region. Last week, the Liberal Opposition announced that a Liberal government will deliver critical care closer to home for cancer patients in the Limestone Coast if it forms government.
Aerodrome users unite
Southern Air Ag owner and chief pilot Jason Law is one of five people who operate successful businesses at the Naracoorte Aerodrome ... Mr Law said a Naracoorte Aerodrome Users group had formed in a bid to provide accurate and relevant information to the council that “reflects the needs of aerodrome users”. The group were disappointed by the disconnect and lack of understanding regarding day-to-day operations and requirements of the aerodrome users, and council staff who were charged with its governance.
Local leaders share stories of how they tackled tough times together: FRRR
Leaders from eleven community groups across Australia have shared their stories about the projects their communities embarked on in the depths of the drought that affected so much of Australia over the last decade. The stories can be heard on FRRR’s new Tackling Tough Times Together podcast.
The Unbreakable Farmer comes to Buloke
At the risk of needing a ‘spoiler alert,’ the story of Warren Davies – The Unbreakable Farmer – deserves to be told. It’s not just about surviving adversity but managing the struggles we often push aside. These issues, like stubborn bindii, can stick with us and spread their impact if ignored.
Blast from the past: The kangaroo dog
Recently an episode of Radio National’s ‘The History Listen’ discussed the kangaroo dogs that were first bred about 1800 in Sydney by crossing Scottish deerhounds with greyhounds. Their ability to hunt and kill kangaroos provided early colonists with a plentiful supply of fresh meat.
Nostalgia as café closes
It seemed natural that café owner Katrine Elliott would reflect and become nostalgic when speaking about the closure of the business that she has steered through more than 17 years. The iconic Berryman’s Café and Tearooms will cease operations on Sunday 29 September and hold a clearing sale in the following week.
Carnival of Flowers begins tomorrow
The 75th anniversary staging of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers kicks off tomorrow, 13 September and will continue for a few action-packed weeks until 7 October. This four-week celebration showcases Spring gardens in full bloom, exciting foodie experiences that’ll make your palate blossom, kids’ entertainment that will plant smiles all around and music that will have your spirits flowering with joy.
Menang elders lead festival river tours
Menang elder Aunty Vernice Gillies and Menang man Larry Blight will lead guided walking tours along the Kwoorabup riverbanks at the Kwoorabup River Festival [on Saturday 21 September] ... This cultural and environmental experience aims to help everyone better appreciate the Kwoorabup River and the Wilson/Nullaki inlet as they paddle, row and swim through the events of the day.

