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The Naracoorte District Men’s Shed is a vital part of the community, offering men a supportive and productive space. That’s the word from member of the Legislative Council and Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional South Australia, Ben Hood, who visited the members as part of Men’s Health Week last week.

Preserving Robe’s historic landmark and popular tourist attraction, the Obelisk, in its current location is “not a responsible use of ratepayer funds” ... “While we recognise its profound historical significance, various factors such as cost, environmental impact, practicality, and community opinion present significant challenges”: Mayor Lisa Ruffell.

The spectre of water buybacks, plus the absence of a targeted support package for Riverland grape growers, risk turning local communities into "economic wastelands", a local MP has warned. Liberal Barker MP Tony Pasin has labelled a $3.5 million federal funding package as "too little, too late" and accused both Labor governments of ignoring the crisis confronting inland wine regions like the Riverland.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Further federal government support measures will be needed to overcome current local wine industry challenges, according to two senior Riverland politicians. The Federal Government last week announced a $3.5m Grape and Wine Sector Long-term Viability Support Package, aimed at assisting the wine industry to respond to the oversupply of red wine.

While the Riverland wine industry is battling through some of its darkest days, a local vineyard has offered a glimmer of light with a prestigious award win. Starrs Reach Vineyard, based at New Residence, won Innovative Vineyard of the Year at the Young Gun of Wine Annual Vineyard of the Year Awards last week, returning the trophy back to the Riverland after Ricca Terra won it in 2020.

Local merino breeders from Hay NSW were among the winners at the 2024 Hay Merino Sheep Show ... Poll Boonoke took out the champion medium wool March shorn ram, champion strong wool March shorn ram and the prestigious Elders champion March Shorn ram ... SA Stud Mulloorie took home the supreme champion prize, with their magnificent Merino ewe, ahead of Alfoxton’s champion ram.

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Kadina Motocross Club welcomed more than 100 riders for the first time in over six months. Renovations during that time have included clubroom upgrades, a raised viewing area and track developments.

Joanne Tucker. One of Australia’s worst invasive weeds has been identified in 31 new locations in the Northern and Yorke region, including Moonta ... “The roadside infestations have just jumped the fenceline into the adjoining properties, so we will work with those landowners to control the buffel on their properties”: David Hughes, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board team leader.

Sarah Herrmann. This Pride Month has an extra layer of celebration for the Copper Coast Gay Straight Alliance. The alliance has marked five years of providing a safe space for more than 50 local LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies to socialise ... The GSA gives the teenagers a chance to interact freely ... and form a support network ...

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Wayne Hawthorne. “Out of sight, out of mind” it is said, yet this idiom can be transformed to “seeing is believing” when visiting museums ... Naracoorte Men’s Probus Club members recently visited two lesser-known gems of the South East. The Nangwarry Forestry Museum and the Kalangadoo Railway Station Museum.

One of Naracoorte’s champion athletes, Jessica Stenson, nee Trengrove, is off to Paris to represent the country’s women’s marathon team in the 2024 Olympic Games next month. Born and bred in the small town of Naracoorte, South Australia, Jessica, a medal-winning marathon runner, was selected by Athletics Australia for the team after weeks of controversy and recriminations.

Mixed seasonal conditions across the country – coupled with economic pressures – have seen the nation’s farm sector confidence take a U-turn in the latest quarter, declining after a resurgence in optimism at the start of the year. he quarter two Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey ... found sentiment among the country’s agricultural producers had dipped into ‘negative territory’ – with fewer farmers expecting a better year ahead than those holding a negative outlook.

Australia’s oldest woman, Lorna Henstridge, was born a Paterson and grew up on a Willamulka farm with her parents and two siblings ... Turning 110 last Thursday, June 6,Ms Henstridge was born in 1914 in Adelaide and lived on Yorke Peninsula until 1921.

Joanna Tucker. A study by Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute has found childcare accessibility in the federal electorate of Grey to be the worst in Australia ... Kadina Child Care Centre director Caren Hammerstein said the centre has 105 children on its waiting list.

Stephanie Thompson. Telstra is “sincerely sorry” for the impact of a cloud service crash last week that continues to “cripple” all three local councils. The outage is continuing to impact Loxton Waikerie, Berri Barmera and Renmark Paringa councils, rendering them unable to complete almost all core functions.

The Barmera Sheep Dog Trials concluded on Sunday, with “particularly good crowds” over the weekend. Around 40 dogs competed over the five days, with 440 sheep coming from around the Riverland ... Highlights over the five days included the iconic ‘Running of the Sheep’ event down Barwell Avenue